Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro vs IronFX, 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.
eToro, founded in 2007, and IronFX, established in 2010, are both online brokers that offer trading services. Neither eToro nor IronFX is publicly traded or operates as a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, eToro is categorized as "highly trusted" with a Trust Score of 93, thanks to its three Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license. This reflects eToro's solid position in the market for adhering to strict regulatory standards.
Conversely, IronFX holds the same number of highly trusted Tier-1 licenses as eToro, with three, but lacks any trusted Tier-2 licenses. As a result, IronFX has a Trust Score of 83, placing it in the "trusted" category rather than "highly trusted." This comparison highlights the regulatory differences between the two brokers and provides insights into their levels of trustworthiness in the trading community.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
eToro, a popular market-maker broker, has a variable spread of around 1 pip on the EUR/USD currency pair, which is slightly above the industry average. While retail traders might not flock to eToro for its spreads, the platform's unique social copy trading features remain a significant draw. Traders who seek more exclusive perks can enter the eToro Club, a VIP program offering five membership tiers ranging from Silver to Diamond. Benefits at these levels include access to Trading Central, discounted fees on withdrawals and deposits, and a dedicated account manager among other VIP advantages. eToro boasts a 4.5-star rating for commissions and fees, and it ranks 22nd out of 62 brokers in this category according to ForexBrokers.com.
IronFX slightly trails its competitor in terms of competitive pricing for commissions and fees. The broker lists a typical spread of 1.8 pips for their Standard variable spread account, which is higher than the market norm with variations depending on the account type. The zero fixed-spread account offers spreads starting at zero combined with a $18 per lot commission, though spreads can expand to 3 pips overnight. IronFX's approach to pricing places it with a 4-star rating and ranks it 47th out of 62 brokers as per ForexBrokers.com.
In summary, eToro offers a more attractive package for those interested in social trading and potential VIP benefits, supported by a higher rating and better ranking. IronFX, while noted for its diverse account structures, has comparatively higher spreads that may not appeal as much to cost-conscious traders. Both brokers provide different strengths, making the choice dependent on individual trading priorities.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
eToro and IronFX both provide opportunities for forex trading, offering a choice between CFDs and spot contracts. However, eToro stands out with its vast selection of 5,461 tradable symbols compared to IronFX's more modest offering of 340 symbols. While IronFX has the upper hand for those particularly focused on forex pairs, offering 83 available pairs compared to eToro’s 55, eToro shines with its availability of true exchange-traded securities. Clients on eToro can invest directly in U.S. stocks like Apple and international stocks such as Vodafone, which are not offered by IronFX.
In addition to traditional trading options, both platforms support copy trading, allowing users to emulate the strategies of successful investors. eToro also offers the convenience of buying actual cryptocurrencies, unlike IronFX, which only deals in cryptocurrency derivatives. Reflecting its diverse investment opportunities, eToro boasts a five-star rating for its range of investments, ranking 10th among 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. By contrast, IronFX earns a 3.5-star rating and is ranked 51st in the same category.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5461 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 83 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools of eToro and IronFX, both brokers offer simulated trading with free virtual demo accounts, making them accessible for beginners wanting to practice. eToro shines with its proprietary platform crafted in-house, offering users a unique experience tailored to their needs. However, it lacks a Windows-based desktop download, a feature IronFX provides. Both brokers feature web-based trading platforms and support copy trading, allowing users to replicate the trades of seasoned investors. IronFX, differentiating itself, extends the popular MetaTrader 4 platform while eToro does not. Neither broker offers the MetaTrader 5 platform, nor integrations with DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
In terms of charting tools, eToro impressively offers 161 drawing tools compared to IronFX's 15, although neither specifies the exact number of technical indicators available. IronFX allows users to trade directly from stock charts, a feature that eToro does not offer. When looking at watch lists, IronFX provides one more column for customization than eToro. eToro's trading platforms and tools are highly rated, earning 4.5 stars and securing the 8th position out of 62 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, IronFX holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks 60th, highlighting a significant difference in user satisfaction and performance evaluation.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 104 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 161 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of eToro and IronFX, both brokers provide comprehensive iPhone and Android applications. eToro stands out with its strong performance in features, offering 104 technical studies for charting compared to IronFX's 30. This enhanced capability helps traders perform more in-depth technical analysis on their devices. Both platforms support stock or forex price alerts and the ability to view multiple timeframes for a given chart. However, eToro excels with watchlist symbol syncing between the app and the online account, an area where IronFX does not provide synchronization.
Despite its advantages, eToro's app doesn't allow trendline drawings or auto-save such features on charts, areas where IronFX holds an edge with these capabilities. Both apps support creating watchlists with real-time quotes. However, eToro's mobile app has a higher satisfaction rate, earning a 4.5-star rating compared to IronFX's 3.5-star. Moreover, in ForexBrokers.com's rankings, eToro is positioned at #10, significantly ahead of IronFX, which ranks at #61. This difference may guide users seeking an app with more extensive features and higher user acclaim towards eToro.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing eToro and IronFX in terms of market research, both brokers deliver daily market commentary, helping users stay informed with regular insights. However, they diverge significantly in their news sources and tools. While IronFX provides forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, eToro lacks this feature. Both platforms offer research tools from Trading Central, ensuring traders have access to quality technical analytics. Additionally, eToro distinguishes itself by offering a sentiment-based trading tool and market research from TipRanks, features not available on IronFX.
For traders seeking comprehensive market data, eToro presents an attractive choice with its economic calendar and a higher rating for research, achieving 4.5 out of 5 stars compared to IronFX’s 4 stars. Ranked #13 by ForexBrokers.com, eToro surpasses IronFX, which holds the #28 position among 62 brokers. Though neither platform offers research tools from Autochartist or Acuity Trading, eToro’s overall market research capabilities provide greater depth and insight, making it a preferred choice for those focused on extensive trading knowledge.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available for beginners, eToro and IronFX both provide a solid foundation in forex and CFDs education. Both platforms meet the minimum benchmark by offering over 10 educational pieces geared towards these subjects. However, eToro goes a step further with its range of resources. It offers monthly online educational webinars for clients, ensuring consistent learning opportunities, and maintains an easily searchable archive of past webinars for reference. IronFX provides a similar archived resource but does not conduct monthly live educational webinars.
For those starting out in trading, eToro supplies at least 10 beginner-focused trading videos, aligning with IronFX in this regard. Yet, eToro excels with advanced educational content, offering over 10 videos tailored for experienced traders, a resource that IronFX lacks. Both brokers feature a comprehensive investor dictionary containing definitions for more than 50 investing terms. According to ForexBrokers.com, eToro's efforts in educational resources earn it a high rating of 4.5 stars and a commendable rank at #5 out of 62 brokers, while IronFX receives 4 stars and is ranked at #44. eToro offers a more extensive array of learning tools, making it particularly appealing to traders keen on continuous educational growth.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that eToro is better than IronFX. eToro finished with an overall rank of #9, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.
eToro is a winner for its easy-to-use copy-trading platform, where traders can copy the trades of experienced investors – or receive exclusive perks for sharing their own trading strategies.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 83 |
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eToro allows users to buy both actual cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas IronFX offers only cryptocurrency derivatives, providing a broader trading scope for those interested in actual digital assets on eToro.
When comparing online brokers, eToro stands out for offering a wider range of payment options including ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, while IronFX offers fewer options, supporting Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but does not provide ACH, SEPA transfers, or PayPal as deposit or withdrawal methods.
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 | eToro | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | IronFX | |
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| Regulation | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5461 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 83 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 104 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 161 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | eToro | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | eToro Review |
| Overall | eToro | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review |
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