Interactive Brokers vs BlackBull Markets 2025

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Regulation

When comparing Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets, regulatory information plays a crucial role. Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers holds a top-tier Trust Score of 99 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, showcasing high trust and credibility. As a publicly traded company, Interactive Brokers boasts 9 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, reinforcing its strong regulatory standing. Despite not being a bank, Interactive Brokers' extensive licensing provides clients with confidence in its security and reliability.

In contrast, BlackBull Markets, established in 2014, holds a Trust Score rating of 78 from ForexBrokers.com, indicating an average risk level. While it is not publicly traded, BlackBull Markets operates under 1 Tier-1 license and does not have any Tier-2 licenses. Like Interactive Brokers, it is not a bank, but its fewer licenses and lower trust score suggest a different level of regulatory assurance compared to its competitor. This distinction helps potential investors understand the varying degrees of safety and trust these brokers offer.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Year Founded info	1977	2014
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	No
Bank info	No	No
Tier-1 Licenses info	9	1
Tier-2 Licenses info	2	0
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	1

Fees

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) uses a pure commission model for forex, aggregating prices from 17 major banks and avoiding spread markups. While IBKR doesn’t publish average forex spreads, Q3 2024 data shows the EUR/USD around 0.19 pips, with an effective all-in cost near 0.59 pips after commission. Commissions start at 0.2 basis points per side (about $20 per million per side, $40 round turn) with a $2 minimum per side, which can make sub-100k trade sizes proportionally pricier. Active traders can qualify for discounts down to 0.08 basis points per side and lower minimums ($1.50–$1 per order). A typical $100,000 EUR/USD round trip carries roughly 0.40 pips in commissions, plus the prevailing spread. IBKR earns 5/5 stars and ranks #2 of 63 for Commissions and Fees.

BlackBull Markets offers three account types. The Standard account is commission-free with higher spreads and no minimum deposit. The Prime account requires $2,000, charges $3 per side ($6 round turn) per standard lot, and had an average EUR/USD spread of 0.16 in March 2024—about 0.76 pips all-in after commission. The ECN Institutional account targets higher balances ($20,000+) with $2 per side ($4 round turn). Overall pricing sits around industry average, with the Prime account typically delivering the best value for tighter spreads. BlackBull Markets earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #9 of 63 for Commissions and Fees.

Bottom line: For forex, IBKR’s all-in EUR/USD cost (about 0.59 pips) can be lower than BlackBull’s Prime account (about 0.76 pips), especially for larger or high-volume traders who unlock IBKR’s tiered discounts. That said, IBKR’s $2-per-side minimum can tilt costs higher on smaller trade sizes, while BlackBull’s Standard account offers simplicity with no commissions but wider spreads.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$0
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.59 info	1.16 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.65 info	0.76 info
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Range of investments

Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets both earn 5 out of 5 stars for range of investments. BlackBull lists about 26,000 tradeable symbols compared to Interactive Brokers’ roughly 8,500, while Interactive Brokers offers more forex pairs (90 vs 72). In overall standings for this category, Interactive Brokers ranks #1 out of 63 brokers, with BlackBull at #7.

Both brokers support forex trading via CFDs and spot, and each provides access to exchange-traded stocks on U.S. and international markets—so you can buy shares like Apple and Vodafone at either. For cryptocurrency, Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual coins as well as trade crypto CFDs, whereas BlackBull Markets limits crypto to CFDs. If you want social features, BlackBull also offers copy trading; Interactive Brokers does not.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	26000
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	72
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Disclaimers	Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).	Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).

Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets both provide paper trading with a free virtual demo, plus Windows desktop and web-based trading platforms. Each lets you place orders directly from charts. Interactive Brokers stands out by offering a proprietary platform developed in-house, while BlackBull Markets relies on third-party platforms. If you need copy trading or MetaTrader 4/MetaTrader 5, BlackBull Markets supports both MT4 and MT5 and offers copy trading; Interactive Brokers does not support copy trading or MetaTrader.

For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #2 out of 63 brokers, while BlackBull Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #25. In short, pick Interactive Brokers if you want an in-house platform with high marks, or choose BlackBull Markets if you prefer MetaTrader or want access to copy trading.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	109
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets both offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, with price alerts and watchlists that sync across devices and web. For charting, Interactive Brokers stands out with 97 technical studies compared with BlackBull’s 30. Both apps let you draw trendlines, making it easy to analyze stocks and forex on the go.

If you draw on charts often, note that BlackBull’s app auto-saves drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not. In independent reviews, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, whereas BlackBull Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #27. In short: choose Interactive Brokers if you want deeper charting tools, or pick BlackBull if you prefer simpler charts that keep your annotations saved automatically.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	97	30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers vs BlackBull Markets: both brokers provide daily market commentary, sentiment tools that show long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. The differences show up in third‑party research. Interactive Brokers adds premium forex news from top‑tier sources (e.g., Bloomberg, Reuters, Dow Jones), Trading Central analytics, TipRanks insights, and tools from Acuity Trading. BlackBull Markets does not offer those services, but it does include Autochartist for pattern and signal scanning—something Interactive Brokers doesn’t provide.

These line‑ups help explain their expert scores: Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Research and is ranked #3 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while BlackBull Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #16. If you want extensive news and multi‑source research, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you value Autochartist’s scanning alongside core commentary and calendars, BlackBull Markets can fit the bill.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	No
Autochartist info	No	Yes
Trading Central info	Yes	No
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	Yes	No
Acuity Trading info	Yes	No
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers vs BlackBull Markets for beginner education: both brokers make it easy to start learning. Each hosts online client webinars at least once a month and offers at least ten beginner-friendly videos that explain core trading topics in plain language. As you grow, both also provide at least ten advanced videos, so you can keep building skills beyond the basics.

Where they differ is in overall quality and recognition. Interactive Brokers holds a 5-star Education rating and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while BlackBull Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #24. If you want the top-rated, most comprehensive learning experience, Interactive Brokers has the edge. If you’re comfortable with a solid lineup of videos and regular webinars, BlackBull Markets is still a capable choice for beginners.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than BlackBull Markets. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while BlackBull Markets finished with an overall rank of #22.

Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info
Trust Score info	99	78
Range of Investments
Trading Fees
Trading Platforms
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

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Overall Rating	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	78
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	BlackBull Markets Review

Broker Screenshots	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info

Regulation	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Trust Score info	99	78
Year Founded info	1977	2014
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	No
Bank info	No	No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	No info
Tier-1 Licenses info	9	1
Tier-2 Licenses info	2	0
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	1

Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info	Yes	No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info	Yes	No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info	Yes	No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info	Yes	No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info	Yes	No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info	Yes
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info	Yes	No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info	Yes	No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info	No	Yes
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	No info

Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info	No	No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info	No	No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info	Yes	No
India (SEBI Authorised) info	Yes	No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info

Investments	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	26000
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	72
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Disclaimers	Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).	Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).

Cost	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.59 info	1.16 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.65 info	0.76 info
Inactivity Fee info	No	No
Order execution: Agency info	Yes	No
Order execution: Market Maker info	No	Yes

Funding	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$0
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No

Trading Platforms	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	Yes
cTrader info	No	Yes

Trading Tools	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	109
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes
Charts can be saved info	Yes	Yes

Mobile Trading	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	97	30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Research	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	No
Autochartist info	No	Yes
Trading Central info	Yes	No
TipRanks info	Yes	No
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Education	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Major Forex Pairs	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info	Yes	Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	BlackBull Markets Review

Overall	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	78
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	BlackBull Markets Review