Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs CMC Markets, 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 (founded 1977) and CMC Markets (founded 1989) are online brokers that are publicly traded and not banks. Both earn a 99/99 ForexBrokers.com Trust Score, and scores from 90–99 are considered highly trusted—signaling top-tier safety and strong oversight for clients.
In terms of regulation, Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier‑1 licenses and 2 Tier‑2 licenses, while CMC Markets holds 6 Tier‑1 and 1 Tier‑2. Tier‑1 licenses are viewed as highly trusted and Tier‑2 as trusted, so both firms are well regulated, with Interactive Brokers offering a broader set of top‑tier approvals worldwide.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1989 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 6 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
Interactive Brokers and CMC Markets both score highly for commissions and fees, with each earning 5 out of 5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s Commissions and Fees category, Interactive Brokers ranks #2 out of 36 brokers, while CMC Markets ranks #4 out of 36. For cost-conscious forex traders, both are strong choices, but they use different pricing models.
Interactive Brokers charges low commissions on forex trades instead of marking up spreads, which can help active traders keep costs down. For EUR/USD, the broker reported an average spread of 0.19 pips in Q3 2024, with an estimated all-in cost of 0.59 pips after commission. Its minimum commission is $2 per side, so smaller trades can feel more expensive, but pricing improves for high-volume traders.
CMC Markets is also known for low trading costs and was named #1 in the 2025 Annual Awards for Commissions and Fees. Its standard account showed typical EUR/USD spreads of 0.61 pips, and its FX Active pricing can bring the all-in cost down to 0.5 pips on EUR/USD with a $2.50 per-side commission. In simple terms, Interactive Brokers is often a better fit for direct commission-based forex pricing, while CMC Markets stands out for consistently low spreads and a very competitive all-in cost.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 1.3 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.626 | 1.15 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing Interactive Brokers vs CMC Markets for range of investments, both brokers give traders access to forex, exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, and neither offers copy trading. However, CMC Markets has the edge in overall market choice, with 21,710 tradeable symbols and 303 forex pairs, compared with Interactive Brokers’ 8,500 symbols and 100 forex pairs. This makes CMC Markets a stronger fit for traders who want a wider selection of markets and currency pairs.
Interactive Brokers stands out in a few key areas, though. It lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, while CMC Markets does not, and CMC Markets instead offers cryptocurrency CFDs, which Interactive Brokers does not. Both brokers earn 5 stars for Range of Investments, but Interactive Brokers is ranked #1 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com in this category, while CMC Markets is ranked #9. In short, CMC Markets offers more choice overall, while Interactive Brokers offers direct crypto access and a top-rated market range.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 21710 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 303 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | No | 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.
Interactive Brokers and CMC Markets both give traders a strong set of platforms and tools, with each broker offering a free paper trading account, its own in-house platform, a desktop download for Windows, and a web-based trading platform. Both also let you place trades directly from a stock chart, but neither one offers copy trading. In Trading Platforms and Tools, both are rated 5 out of 5 stars, which makes either choice a solid fit for active traders who want flexible ways to trade and test strategies.
The main difference is in MetaTrader support: CMC Markets offers both MT4 and MT5, while Interactive Brokers does not. That may matter if you prefer the MetaTrader environment for charting or automated trading. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers ranks #2 out of 36 brokers in this category, while CMC Markets ranks #6, giving Interactive Brokers a slight edge overall for trading platforms and tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 65 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and CMC Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock or forex price alerts and watchlist syncing between the app and your online account. Each app also lets you draw trendlines on charts, and both are rated 5 stars for mobile trading apps. In other words, either broker gives you the basic tools most traders look for when managing trades on the go.
The biggest difference is in charting depth and a few convenience features. Interactive Brokers offers 155 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with 30 at CMC Markets, which may matter more if you rely on advanced chart analysis. On the other hand, CMC Markets automatically saves chart drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps ranking, Interactive Brokers places #4 out of 36 brokers, just ahead of CMC Markets at #5.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and CMC Markets both provide strong market research for traders, with daily market commentary, top-tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, sentiment tools, and an economic calendar covering key global events. Both brokers also earn a 5-star Research rating, showing that each platform gives users plenty of information to help them follow the markets and plan trades.
That said, Interactive Brokers has the edge in research variety and ranking. It offers Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading tools, while CMC Markets stands out with Autochartist instead. In ForexBrokers.com’s Research category, Interactive Brokers ranks #3 out of 36 brokers, ahead of CMC Markets at #6, making it the stronger choice overall for market research coverage.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Interactive Brokers and CMC Markets both give beginners plenty of ways to learn, including forex and CFD education, monthly client webinars, and at least 10 beginner and 10 advanced trading videos. That means either broker can help new traders build a solid base with lessons, videos, and live learning sessions. Both brokers also earn 5 out of 5 stars for Education, so each one stands out for the quality of its learning tools.
Where they differ is in overall Education ranking. Interactive Brokers is ranked #1 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while CMC Markets is ranked #10 out of 36. In simple terms, both are strong choices for trading education, but Interactive Brokers has the edge for beginners who want the highest-rated educational support.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | 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 CMC Markets. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5.
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
|
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Trading Fees |
|
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Interactive Brokers allows buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but not cryptocurrency CFDs, while CMC Markets offers cryptocurrency CFDs but does not support purchasing actual (delivered) crypto.
In a payment-method comparison for depositing or withdrawing funds, both Interactive Brokers and CMC Markets support ACH/SEPA and bank wires, only CMC Markets offers PayPal, neither supports Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | CMC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1989 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 6 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 21710 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 303 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | No | 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 | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 1.3 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.626 | 1.15 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 65 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | CMC Markets Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | CMC Markets Review |
IG
FOREX.com
CMC Markets
XTB
eToro
Capital.com
AvaTrade
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill