Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Capital.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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.
Interactive Brokers, established in 1977, is a well-established online broker that enjoys a very high trust rating. With a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, it is backed by an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, reflecting its strong international regulatory standing. Although not a bank, Interactive Brokers is a publicly traded company, providing an additional layer of transparency and confidence for investors and traders looking for a reliable platform.
On the other hand, Capital.com, founded in 2016, is a more recent player in the market. It holds a respectable ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 87, making it a trusted choice among brokers. It is supported by three Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, highlighting its commitment to regulatory compliance. While Capital.com is not publicly traded, it has managed to carve out a niche for itself in the trading world, offering a competitive and trustworthy service without being a traditional bank.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of Interactive Brokers and Capital.com, both platforms offer competitive pricing, but there are key differences to consider. Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars for its pricing structure and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com. However, it does not publish its average forex spreads, making comparisons challenging. During Q3 2024, the average spread for EUR/USD was reported at 0.59 pips after commissions. Forex trading commissions begin as low as 0.00002 of the U.S. dollar trade value, with discounts available for active traders meeting certain volume thresholds. A minimum charge of $2 per trade may apply, making smaller trades proportionally more costly.
Capital.com is also a 5-star rated broker, achieving the #3 rank among 63 brokers for its commissions and fees. Known for slightly better-than-average industry pricing, Capital.com offers a universal account option suitable for most traders, along with a professional account with fewer regulatory protections for qualifying users. Its average spread for EUR/USD in April 2024 was a low 0.67 pips, making it a strong contender for those seeking cost-effective forex trading.
In summary, while both Interactive Brokers and Capital.com offer excellent pricing structures, Interactive Brokers may be better suited for very active traders who can take advantage of volume discounts, while Capital.com provides consistently low spreads across trades. Both platforms ensure traders can benefit from cost-saving opportunities, though their approaches to spreads and commission differ.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.67 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.67 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the variety of investment options, Interactive Brokers and Capital.com both bring some strong features to the table for online traders, but they have notable differences. Interactive Brokers stands out with an impressive array of 8,500 tradeable symbols, significantly more than Capital.com's offering of 5,585. This extensive range at Interactive Brokers includes the ability to trade in both U.S. and international exchange-traded securities, making it a suitable option for investors looking to diversify their portfolios with stocks like Apple and Vodafone. Meanwhile, Capital.com focuses more on contract-for-difference (CFD) trading. For instance, while both enable forex trading via CFDs, Capital.com edges ahead with 125 forex pairs compared to Interactive Brokers' 90. However, Capital.com lacks the capability to offer clients trading in physical cryptocurrencies, unlike Interactive Brokers, which provides the option to buy both actual cryptocurrencies and their derivatives.
Due to these offerings, Interactive Brokers has earned a top ranking from ForexBrokers.com, placed first out of 63 brokers in the Range of Investments category and rated five stars. Capital.com, while still commendable, ranks 21st and holds a 4.5-star rating. It's worth noting that neither platform supports copy trading, catering instead to investors confident in making their trading decisions. For those seeking broader market options and the flexibility to own actual assets, Interactive Brokers provides a more comprehensive suite of choices. On the other hand, Capital.com remains a competitive option for those who are mainly focused on forex and CFD trading.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 5585 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 125 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
Both Interactive Brokers and Capital.com provide a comprehensive range of trading platforms and tools that cater to a wide spectrum of traders. Each broker offers a proprietary platform developed in-house, along with the ability to engage in trading via Windows-based desktop downloads and web-based browser options. Investors can practice their strategies with free virtual demo accounts offered by both. However, when it comes to integrations with MetaTrader, Interactive Brokers does not support the popular MT4, whereas Capital.com does, making MT4 enthusiasts lean towards Capital.com for this feature. Notably, neither platform offers copy trading or DupliTrade and ZuluTrade integrations, which might be a drawback for traders interested in social trading features.
Interactive Brokers stands out with its extensive selection of 659 columns for watchlists and 85 chart drawing tools, compared to Capital.com's 11 columns and 60 drawing tools. Both platforms enable trading directly from charts, facilitating a seamless trading experience. Rated five stars for its trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers ranks third out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, surpassing Capital.com, which has a notable 4.5 stars and ranks tenth. These distinctions illustrate the higher level of customization and professional-grade features that Interactive Brokers provides, which might appeal to more advanced traders, while Capital.com remains a strong competitor with a focus on user-friendly functionality.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 97 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 60 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and Capital.com both offer highly functional mobile trading apps available on iPhone and Android devices, featuring stock and forex price alerts. While both apps provide the ability to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames on charts, Interactive Brokers stands out for offering an impressive 97 technical studies, compared to Capital.com's 30. A notable advantage of Interactive Brokers is its watchlist symbol syncing feature, allowing for seamless updates between your mobile app and online account, a feature not available with Capital.com.
Regarding user experience, Capital.com's app excels in automatically saving drawings on charts, which isn't available in the Interactive Brokers app. Both platforms allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes, enhancing the trading experience. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers is highly acclaimed, rated at 5 stars and ranked 4th out of 63 brokers for mobile trading apps, whereas Capital.com holds a 4.5-star rating and is ranked 11th. This comparison highlights the strengths each platform offers, helping traders make informed decisions based on their individual trading needs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and Capital.com both offer a wealth of daily market commentary and provide forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. This ensures traders receive timely updates and insights on financial markets. Both brokers feature sentiment-based trading tools to gauge the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments. Additionally, each offers market research powered by TipRanks and includes an economic calendar outlining global economic events, allowing traders to make informed decisions.
However, a key distinction lies in their available research tools. Interactive Brokers stands out by offering tools from Trading Central, including Technical Analytics, as well as research from Acuity Trading's Signal Centre. In contrast, Capital.com does not provide these specific services. This difference is reflected in their ratings, with Interactive Brokers receiving a stellar five-star rating for research and ranking third among 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Capital.com, while highly regarded with a 4.5-star rating, ranks 14th, emphasizing that while both platforms serve traders well, Interactive Brokers offers a slight edge in research capability.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing Interactive Brokers to Capital.com in terms of educational resources for beginners, both platforms stand out by offering a wealth of materials to help new traders learn the ropes of forex and CFD trading. Each provides over 10 educational resources focused on these topics, including articles, videos, and archived webinars. Both brokers also maintain a searchable archive of these webinars, ensuring easy access to past educational content. Additionally, they each offer more than 10 educational videos, specifically designed to guide beginners through the basics of trading. Interactive Brokers, however, takes the lead by offering monthly live educational webinars, a feature that Capital.com does not provide.
In terms of more advanced educational opportunities, both Interactive Brokers and Capital.com offer a suite of resources that include at least 10 advanced videos for experienced traders and comprehensive investor dictionaries with over 50 trading terms. Despite Capital.com’s strong offering, Interactive Brokers is rated slightly higher with 5 stars for education, compared to Capital.com’s 4.5 stars. Consequently, Interactive Brokers ranks third in the education category among 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, whereas Capital.com places eighth. This comparison shows that while both brokers deliver excellent educational resources, Interactive Brokers provides a bit more, especially in interactive learning experiences.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than Capital.com. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Capital.com finished with an overall rank of #10.
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
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Capital.com
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 |
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Interactive Brokers allows users to buy actual cryptocurrencies and offers cryptocurrency derivatives, while Capital.com is limited to offering only cryptocurrency derivatives, not actual cryptocurrencies.
In comparing the deposit and withdrawal options between Interactive Brokers and Capital.com, Interactive Brokers supports ACH, SEPA, and bank wire transfers, whereas Capital.com, which also supports bank wire transfers, offers additional flexibility with the ability to use PayPal, Skrill, and Visa or Mastercard for transactions.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Capital.com Review |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 5585 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 125 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.67 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.67 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 97 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 60 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Capital.com Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Capital.com Review |
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