Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs FOREX.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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Interactive Brokers and FOREX.com are two well-established online brokers, both publicly traded and founded in 1977 and 1999, respectively. Neither company operates as a bank, which makes understanding their regulatory standings essential for potential investors. Interactive Brokers and FOREX.com each boast a stellar Trust Score of 99 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, cementing their status as highly trusted brokers.
Both companies hold significant regulatory credentials, with Interactive Brokers possessing 9 Tier-1 licenses, recognized as highly trustworthy, alongside 2 Tier-2 licenses. FOREX.com holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license. These licenses underscore their commitment to maintaining high regulatory standards, providing users with peace of mind when choosing either for their trading needs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
FOREX.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 7 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Interactive Brokers vs. FOREX.com on costs: Interactive Brokers earns 5/5 stars and ranks #2 of 63 for Commissions and Fees, while FOREX.com scores 4.5/5 stars and ranks #15 of 63. In our tests, Interactive Brokers showed an average EUR/USD spread of 0.19 pips in Q3 2024, translating to an effective all‑in cost of about 0.59 pips after commission. By contrast, FOREX.com’s U.S. Standard account averaged about 1.4 pips on EUR/USD (July 2023). Outside the U.S., FOREX.com’s time‑weighted average was lower at about 0.74 pips (July 2023).
Interactive Brokers charges a commission instead of marking up spreads, aggregating quotes from 17 major dealers. Commissions start at 0.00002 (0.2 bps) of the U.S. dollar trade value per side with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), roughly $16–$40 per million round turn. That minimum makes trades under 100,000 units proportionally pricier, but active traders get sizable breaks: the minimum drops to $1.50 per order above $1 billion in monthly volume and to $1 at $5 billion. IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro support forex but are not commission‑free.
FOREX.com offers a Standard account with wider, all‑in spreads and a commission‑based RAW account. The RAW account’s typical EUR/USD spread was about 0.13 pips (February 2024), plus a base commission of $7 per standard lot ($3.50 per side) — roughly 0.7 pips — for an all‑in near 0.83 pips before any volume rebates. Rebates range from $2 to $9 per million traded across six tiers, and very high‑volume traders (over $2 billion per month) can drive costs down further. For most U.S. traders doing under $50 million per month, FOREX.com’s commission plan ends up close to the Standard account’s all‑in costs, while Interactive Brokers tends to be cheaper on a per‑trade basis for standard‑lot sizes.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
FOREX.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.59 | 1.00 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 1.13 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and FOREX.com both offer a wide range of investments for active traders and investors. Interactive Brokers lists about 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, while FOREX.com offers around 5,500 symbols and 80 pairs. Both support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. Beyond forex, each broker lets you buy exchange-traded stocks on U.S. markets (such as Apple) and on international exchanges (such as Vodafone). Copy trading is not available at either broker.
For cryptocurrency, Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual coins as well as trade crypto CFDs, whereas FOREX.com offers crypto CFDs but not delivered crypto. Both earn 5 stars for Range of Investments, with Interactive Brokers ranked #1 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com and FOREX.com ranked #6. If you want the biggest selection and access to real crypto, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you want a large lineup with CFD and spot forex choices, FOREX.com remains a strong option.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
FOREX.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 5500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 80 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
Interactive Brokers vs FOREX.com: both brokers offer free paper (demo) trading, proprietary platforms, and both desktop (Windows) and web platforms. Each lets you place trades directly from charts, and neither supports copy trading. The standout difference is MetaTrader: Interactive Brokers does not offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while FOREX.com supports both MT4 and MT5 alongside its own platform. If you want the MetaTrader ecosystem with its add-ons and automated strategies, FOREX.com is the natural fit; if you prefer using a broker’s native tools without MetaTrader, Interactive Brokers aligns well.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, both earned 5 out of 5 stars from ForexBrokers.com. In the category rankings out of 63 brokers, Interactive Brokers placed #2 and FOREX.com placed #5. In short, choose Interactive Brokers if you want top in-house tools without MT4/MT5, and pick FOREX.com if you need full MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 access plus a capable proprietary platform—both with free demo accounts to practice.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
FOREX.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 90 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Comparing Interactive Brokers vs. FOREX.com for mobile trading: both offer iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, synced watchlists across devices, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. For charting tools, Interactive Brokers includes 97 technical studies, while FOREX.com offers 90, giving IB a slight edge if you rely on a wide range of indicators.
When it comes to workflow, FOREX.com auto-saves your chart drawings, whereas Interactive Brokers does not. Both platforms earn 5 stars for their mobile trading apps, but ForexBrokers.com ranks FOREX.com #2 and Interactive Brokers #4 out of 63 brokers. Choose Interactive Brokers for more built-in studies, or pick FOREX.com if autosaving drawings and a higher category ranking matter more to you.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
FOREX.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 90 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and FOREX.com both deliver strong market research for traders. Each offers daily market commentary, forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, research from Trading Central, a sentiment tool showing long vs. short positioning, and an economic calendar that tracks key global events. Neither broker includes Autochartist.
The main differences come down to extras: Interactive Brokers adds TipRanks and Acuity Trading (including Signal Centre), while FOREX.com does not. That edge helps explain why Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with FOREX.com’s 4.5-star rating and #7 ranking. If you want the widest mix of research tools, Interactive Brokers has the advantage; if you only need the core features, FOREX.com still covers the essentials.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
FOREX.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| 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 FOREX.com both make it easy for beginners to learn forex and CFD trading. Each broker hosts client webinars at least once a month and offers a sizable library of beginner videos (10+), along with 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to go deeper. In short, both platforms support a step-by-step learning path from basics to more advanced strategies.
For overall education quality, Interactive Brokers takes the lead with a 5-star rating and the #1 Education ranking out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. FOREX.com is close behind with a 4.5-star rating and a #4 ranking. If you want the highest-rated learning experience, choose Interactive Brokers; if you prefer FOREX.com’s platform, you’ll still get excellent beginner-friendly education with frequent webinars and plenty of videos.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
FOREX.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 FOREX.com. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #4.
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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FOREX.com
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
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Interactive Brokers supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trading cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas FOREX.com offers only cryptocurrency CFDs and not delivered crypto purchases.
Interactive Brokers vs FOREX.com: both brokers support ACH/SEPA and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, but only FOREX.com offers PayPal and Skrill, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | FOREX.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | FOREX.com Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 7 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | Yes | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 5500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 80 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.59 | 1.00 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 1.13 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 90 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 97 | 90 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | FOREX.com Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | FOREX.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | FOREX.com Review |
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