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Interactive Brokers vs Exness 2026

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025
  Fact Checked

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Exness, 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
Exness
4.0/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $100 info
  • Trust Score: 80
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 239

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 earns a 99/99 Trust Score from ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the highly trusted range (90–99). Exness scores 80/99, which ForexBrokers.com classifies as trusted (80–89). For context, 70–79 is average risk, 60–69 high risk, and under 59 should not be trusted.

Interactive Brokers, founded in 1977, is publicly traded and not a bank; it holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses (Tier-1 is considered highly trusted and Tier-2 trusted by ForexBrokers.com). Exness, founded in 2008, is not publicly traded and not a bank; it holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 3 Tier-2 licenses.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Exness logoExness
Year Founded info 1977 2008
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 8 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 3
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 3

Fees

Interactive Brokers earns a 5-star rating and ranks #2 out of 36 for commissions and fees, making it one of the strongest choices for low-cost forex trading. IBKR uses a commission-based model rather than marking up spreads, with EUR/USD pricing in Q3 2024 showing an average spread of 0.19 pips, or about 0.59 pips all-in after commission. Its forex commissions start at 0.00002 of the U.S. dollar trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), though the rate can fall for very active traders.

Exness is rated 4 stars and ranks #31 out of 36 in the same category, and its costs depend a lot on the account type you choose. Standard accounts are commission-free but usually come with wider spreads, while the Zero Spread and Raw accounts use lower spreads plus a commission. The Zero Spread account charges a per-trade commission of $0.05, while the Raw account charges up to $7 per round turn lot ($3.5 per side).

In simple terms, Interactive Brokers is generally the better pick for pricing transparency and low forex trading costs, especially for larger or more active traders who can benefit from volume discounts. Exness may still appeal to traders who want more account choices and different pricing setups, but its overall commissions and fees ranking is much lower than IBKR’s.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Exness logoExness
Minimum Deposit info $0 $100 info
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.226 info N/A
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.226 info N/A
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.

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Range of investments

When it comes to range of investments, Interactive Brokers offers a much wider choice than Exness. Both brokers support forex trading, but Interactive Brokers lists about 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, compared with Exness’s 239 symbols and 78 forex pairs. Interactive Brokers also gives clients access to exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, so you can buy real shares such as Apple or Vodafone. Exness does not offer these exchange-traded securities.

There are also key differences in crypto access. Interactive Brokers lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, while Exness offers cryptocurrency CFDs instead. Neither broker offers copy trading. Overall, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Exness is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #34, making Interactive Brokers the better choice for investors seeking more markets and asset types.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Exness logoExness
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 239
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 78
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes No
Copy Trading info No No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info 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.

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers and Exness both give traders a wide set of platform choices, including free paper trading, a desktop app for Windows, a web platform, and the ability to trade directly from charts. Each broker also offers its own in-house platform, making it easy to get started without relying only on third-party software. One key difference is that Exness supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, while Interactive Brokers does not. Neither broker offers copy trading in this comparison.

When it comes to trading tools, Interactive Brokers has the edge overall. ForexBrokers.com rates it 5 out of 5 for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks it #2 out of 36 brokers, compared with Exness at 4 out of 5 and #15 out of 36. In simple terms, both brokers cover the basics well, but Interactive Brokers stands out for its platform experience, while Exness may appeal more to traders who want MT4 or MT5 support.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Exness logoExness
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
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 and Exness both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts, watchlist syncing, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Neither app automatically saves chart drawings, so traders will need to reapply them if they switch devices or reopen a chart. For everyday mobile trading needs, both platforms cover the basics well and make it easy to keep track of markets on the go.

The main difference is in charting depth and overall mobile app ratings. Interactive Brokers offers 155 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with 100 at Exness, giving it more chart tools for active traders. It also earns a 5-star rating for mobile trading apps and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Exness holds a 4-star rating and ranks #18. If chart features and higher mobile app ratings matter most, Interactive Brokers has the edge.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Exness logoExness
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 155 100
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers and Exness both give traders useful market research basics, including daily market commentary, news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Trading Central tools, and an economic calendar with upcoming global events. Neither broker offers Autochartist, so traders looking for that specific tool will not find it at either platform.

Where Interactive Brokers pulls ahead is in the extra research depth it offers. It includes sentiment tools that show the balance of long and short positions, plus market insights from TipRanks and Acuity Trading, which Exness does not provide. That wider range helps explain why Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers, while Exness scores 3.5 stars and ranks #31.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Exness logoExness
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 No
TipRanks info Yes No
Acuity Trading info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

When it comes to education for beginners, Interactive Brokers and Exness both give new traders plenty of learning material. Each broker offers forex or CFD education with at least 10 pieces of content, plus monthly educational webinars and at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos. That means both platforms provide a wide range of resources for people who want to learn the basics as well as traders looking to build more advanced skills.

Even so, Interactive Brokers stands out more clearly in this area. It earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Exness holds a 3.5-star Education rating and ranks #21. For beginners who want the strongest mix of lessons, videos, and webinars, Interactive Brokers appears to offer the more complete education experience.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Exness logoExness
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 Exness. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #31.

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
Exness logoExness
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 80
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Exness?

Interactive Brokers vs Exness: Interactive Brokers lets you buy real, delivered cryptocurrency (not CFDs) but does not offer crypto CFDs, while Exness offers cryptocurrency CFDs but does not support purchasing actual delivered crypto.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Interactive Brokers vs Exness: for deposits and withdrawals, Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA and bank wires (no PayPal or Skrill), while Exness offers Skrill and bank wires (no PayPal and no ACH/SEPA); Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.

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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 Exness
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 80
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review Exness Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers Exness
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.
Exness MetaTrader 5 mobile trading from charts. Exness Terminal web platform. Exness research market news headlines FX Street. Exness Educational articles.
Regulation Interactive Brokers Exness
Trust Score info 99 80
Year Founded info 1977 2008
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 8 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 3
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 3
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Interactive Brokers Exness
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 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 Exness
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info Yes
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) info Yes Yes info
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info Yes
Investments Interactive Brokers Exness
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 239
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 78
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes No
Copy Trading info No No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info 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 Exness
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.226 info N/A
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.226 info N/A
Inactivity Fee info No No
Order execution: Agency info Yes Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Interactive Brokers Exness
Minimum Deposit info $0 $100 info
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 Exness
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers Exness
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 Exness
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 155 100
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers Exness
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 No
Client sentiment data info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers Exness
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers Exness
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 Exness Review
Overall Interactive Brokers Exness
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 80
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review Exness Review
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