Written by ForexBrokers.com
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.
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 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
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead of Exness for low-cost forex trading. Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. It uses a commission-based model instead of widening spreads, and its average EUR/USD cost during Q3 2024 came out to about 0.59 pips all-in after commission. For larger traders, pricing can get even better, with lower per-order charges as monthly volume increases.
Exness is rated 4 stars and ranked #33 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. Its costs vary by account type, with standard accounts usually charging no commission but having wider spreads, while the Zero Spread and Raw accounts offer tighter pricing in exchange for commissions. For example, the Raw account can charge up to $7 per round turn lot, and the Zero Spread account charges a small per-trade commission with market execution.
In simple terms, Interactive Brokers is the better pick if your main goal is keeping forex trading costs as low as possible, especially if you trade often or in larger sizes. Exness gives traders more account choices, but its overall commission and fee setup is less competitive than Interactive Brokers. If low fees are your top priority, Interactive Brokers has the edge.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.60 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers offers a much wider range of investments than Exness, making it the stronger choice for traders who want access to more markets and products. It provides around 8,500 tradeable symbols, including about 100 forex pairs, plus exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges. It also lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, which adds to its selection beyond forex and stocks.
Exness has a narrower lineup by comparison, with about 239 tradeable symbols and 78 forex pairs. It does not offer exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, and it does not support buying actual cryptocurrency. However, Exness does offer cryptocurrency CFDs, while both brokers support forex trading. Based on range of investments, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Exness is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #37.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 239 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 78 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| 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 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
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
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
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 100 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and Exness both provide daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Trading Central tools, and an economic calendar to help traders track key global events. Neither broker offers Autochartist research tools, so on those basics they are fairly even. Where Interactive Brokers pulls ahead is in the wider range of research extras it offers, including sentiment data that shows long and short positioning, TipRanks market research, and Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre.
That broader research lineup is reflected in the ratings and rankings: Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Exness is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #34. For traders who want more market insight and more built-in research tools, Interactive Brokers has the clear edge over Exness.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to beginner-friendly learning, Interactive Brokers and Exness both give new traders access to forex and CFD education, monthly client webinars, and a large library of videos for both beginners and more advanced users. That means each broker offers at least 10 educational pieces focused on forex or CFDs, along with enough beginner and advanced video content to help users build skills step by step. For someone just starting out, both platforms provide plenty of material to learn the basics before placing trades.
Even so, Interactive Brokers stands out as the stronger choice for education overall. It earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s education category, while Exness holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks #20. So although Exness still offers useful learning tools, Interactive Brokers is the better pick for beginners who want the widest and highest-rated educational support.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 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
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Exness
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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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.
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.
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 | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Exness | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 239 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 78 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.60 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 100 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Exness Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Exness Review |
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