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Interactive Brokers vs eToro 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs eToro, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 8500
eToro
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $50-$10,000
  • Trust Score: 96
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 7441

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

Interactive Brokers vs eToro: Interactive Brokers (founded 1977) and eToro (founded 2007) are online brokers that are publicly traded and not banks. ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers at 99/99 and eToro at 96/99 on its Trust Score, where 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted.

In terms of regulation, Interactive Brokers holds 9 Tier-1 and 2 Tier-2 licenses, while eToro holds 4 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2. Both sit in the highly trusted range, with Interactive Brokers offering broader top-tier licensing and eToro also well covered by major regulators.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
eToro logoeToro
Year Founded info 1977 2007
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes Yes
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1

Fees

If you’re comparing commissions and fees, Interactive Brokers (IBKR) tends to be cheaper for forex than eToro. IBKR is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees, while eToro is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #23 out of 63. The gap largely reflects different pricing models: IBKR aggregates quotes from major banks and adds a small commission, whereas eToro, as a market-maker, lists a typical variable EUR/USD spread of 1.0 pip, which is slightly above the industry average.

At IBKR, the EUR/USD averaged about 0.19 pips in Q3 2024, for an effective all-in cost around 0.59 pips after commission. Forex commissions start at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the U.S. dollar trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn). On a $100,000 EUR/USD trade, that commission equates to roughly 0.40 pips on top of the spread. Because of the $2-per-side minimum, smaller trade sizes become proportionally more expensive. High-volume traders can qualify for discounts (minimums drop to $1.50 per order above $1 billion in monthly volume, and to $1 at $5 billion), and large orders can be handled on a Request For Quote basis.

eToro’s pricing centers on its spread: it lists a typical 1.0-pip spread on EUR/USD. While that’s simple to understand, it’s a bit higher than the industry average, which is why many retail traders choose eToro for its social copy trading features rather than its spreads. For balance-based perks, eToro’s VIP Club (Silver to Diamond, $5,000–$250,000) can include benefits such as access to Trading Central, discounted withdrawal and deposit fees, and a dedicated account manager.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
eToro logoeToro
Minimum Deposit info $0 $50-$10,000
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.59 info 1 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info N/A
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes Yes
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

Interactive Brokers vs eToro: For range of investments, both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot, offer U.S. and international exchange-traded stocks (think AAPL and Vodafone), and support both real cryptocurrency and crypto CFDs. The key difference is social features: eToro includes copy trading, while Interactive Brokers does not.

On breadth, Interactive Brokers lists 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs; eToro offers 7,441 symbols and 55 forex pairs. Both earn 5 out of 5 stars for range, but in ForexBrokers.com’s 63-broker rankings, Interactive Brokers is #1 and eToro is #11. If you want the widest symbol count and currency pair selection, Interactive Brokers leads; if copy trading matters most, eToro stands out.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
eToro logoeToro
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 7441
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 55
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 Yes
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 eToro both provide in-house trading platforms with free paper trading (virtual demo accounts) and web-based trading you can use in your browser. Each lets you place orders directly from price charts. The key differences: Interactive Brokers adds a Windows desktop platform, while eToro does not. eToro includes copy trading so you can mirror other investors’ trades; Interactive Brokers does not. Neither broker supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5).

For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #3 out of 63 brokers. eToro earns 4.5 stars and ranks #8. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want a Windows desktop option alongside a web platform and paper trading. Pick eToro if you prefer a simple web platform with social copy trading and a demo account.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
eToro logoeToro
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes No
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 106
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

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

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers vs eToro mobile apps: both offer iPhone and Android apps, price alerts for stocks and forex, and watchlist syncing across mobile and web. For charting, Interactive Brokers includes 97 technical studies while eToro offers 104. Interactive Brokers lets you draw trendlines in the app; eToro does not. Neither app auto-saves chart drawings.

In third-party testing, Interactive Brokers earned 5 stars and ranked #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while eToro earned 4.5 stars and ranked #10. Choose eToro if you want a few more indicators, or pick Interactive Brokers if drawing trendlines on mobile matters and you want the higher-rated, higher-ranked app.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
eToro logoeToro
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 97 104
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers vs eToro: both pack a lot of market research. Each provides daily market commentary, forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, Trading Central analytics, TipRanks insights, a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. Neither broker includes Autochartist.

The key difference is that Interactive Brokers also offers Acuity Trading tools (including Signal Centre), which eToro does not. That extra layer helps explain the scores: Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while eToro scores 4.5 stars and ranks #13. If third‑party research depth matters most, Interactive Brokers edges ahead; if you’re fine without Acuity tools, eToro still delivers a well-rounded research experience.

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

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers vs eToro for beginner education: both brokers make it easy to start learning. Each offers at least 10 beginner-friendly trading videos, plus monthly client webinars to help you build skills in real time. As you grow, both also provide 10+ advanced videos so you can keep leveling up your knowledge.

In independent ratings, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while eToro earns 4.5 stars and ranks #5. In short, Interactive Brokers has a slight edge for overall educational quality, but eToro is close behind and still a strong pick for new traders who want plenty of videos and regular webinars.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
eToro logoeToro
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 eToro. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while eToro finished with an overall rank of #9.

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 logoInteractive Brokers
eToro logoeToro
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or eToro?

Interactive Brokers vs eToro: both online brokers let you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, giving investors access to real crypto ownership and CFD-based exposure on either platform.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Among online brokers, both Interactive Brokers and eToro support ACH/SEPA transfers and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals, but only eToro also offers PayPal and Skrill while Interactive Brokers does not.

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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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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers eToro
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review eToro Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers eToro
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
IBKR mobile watchlist. IBKR Desktop platform charts. Interactive Brokers research Traders Insight daily analysis article detail Interactive Brokers IBKR Podcast video.
eToro mobile watchlist eToro web trading platform cryptocurrency watchlist eToro Digest & Invest podcast. eToro academy courses beginners.
Regulation Interactive Brokers eToro
Trust Score info 99 96
Year Founded info 1977 2007
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes Yes
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Interactive Brokers eToro
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes Yes
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info Yes
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info Yes No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Interactive Brokers eToro
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 Yes info
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments Interactive Brokers eToro
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 7441
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 55
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 Yes
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 eToro
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.59 info 1 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info N/A
Inactivity Fee info No Yes
Order execution: Agency info Yes Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Interactive Brokers eToro
Minimum Deposit info $0 $50-$10,000
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes Yes
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers eToro
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes No
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers eToro
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 106
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Interactive Brokers eToro
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 97 104
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes No
Research Interactive Brokers eToro
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes Yes
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers eToro
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers eToro
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 eToro Review
Overall Interactive Brokers eToro
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review eToro Review
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