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Interactive Brokers vs FP Markets 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs FP Markets, 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
FP Markets
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $100 AUD
  • Trust Score: 89
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 10000

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 and FP Markets are two well-known online brokers, each with its own strengths in the finance world. Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers stands out with a high Trust Score of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, signifying a highly trusted status. It's a publicly traded company, backed by 9 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, marking its strong regulatory standing. Although it is not a bank, its extensive regulation and public trading status contribute to its reliability in the eyes of investors.

FP Markets, on the other hand, was established in 2005 and holds a Trust Score of 89, which places it in the trusted category. While it is not publicly traded and holds fewer licenses—2 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2—compared to Interactive Brokers, it remains a trusted choice due to its solid regulatory framework. Both brokers share the similarity of not being banks, yet they maintain trust within their realms through different paths, providing investors with dependable online trading platforms.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
FP Markets logoFP Markets
Year Founded info 1977 2005
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 2

Fees

Interactive Brokers vs. FP Markets on commissions and fees: both are low-cost, but they price differently. Interactive Brokers (5 stars; ranked #2 of 63) uses agency-style pricing with no spread markups and charges a per-trade commission. FP Markets (5 stars; ranked #11 of 63) shines with its commission-based Raw ECN account on MetaTrader and cTrader, while its Standard/spread-only setup is pricier. FP Markets also earned Best in Class for Commissions and Fees in 2024.

Interactive Brokers posts tight forex pricing but doesn’t publish average spreads broadly; for Q3 2024, we captured an average EUR/USD spread of 0.19 pips, about 0.59 pips all-in after commission. Commissions start at 0.2 basis points per side with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), roughly $16–$40 per million round turn; trading $100,000 in EUR/USD adds about 0.40 pips in commission. Because of the $2 minimum, smaller-than-100k trades become proportionally costlier. High-volume traders can cut the minimum to $1.50 per order at $1B/month and $1 at $5B/month. IBKR aggregates quotes from 17 major banks, supports RFQ for larger tickets, and IBKR Lite/Pro support forex but are not commission-free.

FP Markets’ Raw ECN account averaged 0.1 pips on EUR/USD (October 2023), about 0.8 pips all-in after its flat $6 per standard-lot round turn on MetaTrader or cTrader. Its Standard account is spread-only and higher cost (about 1.1 pips average on EUR/USD). Share CFDs on the Iress platform offer DMA pricing with depth of book, but the ViewPoint tiers come with higher balances and potential monthly fees unless activity thresholds are met; the lower-cost Iress Investor option skips monthly fees but trims features. For many forex traders focused on spreads-plus-commission, FP Markets’ Raw ECN and Interactive Brokers’ commission model both deliver very competitive all-in costs.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
FP Markets logoFP Markets
Minimum Deposit info $0 $100 AUD
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.59 info 1.3 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info 0.9 info
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
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.

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Range of investments

Interactive Brokers vs FP Markets: For range of investments, both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. FP Markets lists more total symbols (about 10,000) than Interactive Brokers (around 8,500). Interactive Brokers, however, offers more forex pairs (90 vs 71) and stands out by letting you buy exchange-traded U.S. and international shares directly (for example, Apple on NASDAQ or Vodafone in London), which FP Markets does not offer. For crypto, Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual coins as well as trade crypto CFDs, while FP Markets offers crypto CFDs only.

These differences show up in independent ratings: Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while FP Markets scores 4.5 stars and ranks #16. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want direct access to U.S. and international stocks and the option to own real cryptocurrency alongside CFDs. Choose FP Markets if you value a very large symbol list and want copy trading, which Interactive Brokers does not provide.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
FP Markets logoFP Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 10000
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 71
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes No
Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info Yes No
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 FP Markets both cover the essentials for everyday trading: each offers a free paper-trading demo account, a proprietary platform, and both web and Windows desktop platforms. You can place orders directly from charts with either broker. The big differences are in third-party and social features: FP Markets supports copy trading and offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Interactive Brokers does not provide copy trading or MT4/MT5 access.

When it comes to overall quality, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, while FP Markets scores 4 stars and ranks #22. If you want a powerful in-house platform and advanced tools, Interactive Brokers is a strong pick. If you value MetaTrader and copy trading, FP Markets may fit better.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
FP Markets logoFP Markets
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 Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

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

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers and FP Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each supports stock and forex price alerts. For charting, Interactive Brokers stands out with 97 built-in technical indicators, while FP Markets relies on MetaTrader’s default indicator set. Both apps let you draw trendlines on charts, making basic analysis on the go straightforward.

The key differences show up in workflow and recognition. Interactive Brokers syncs your watchlists across mobile and your online account, while FP Markets does not. FP Markets, however, auto-saves your chart drawings; Interactive Brokers does not. In expert reviews, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps at ForexBrokers.com, compared with FP Markets at 4 stars and a #20 ranking. Choose Interactive Brokers if synced watchlists and a large indicator library matter most; pick FP Markets if you prefer MetaTrader and want your drawings saved automatically.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
FP Markets logoFP Markets
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 MetaTrader (Default)
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers and FP Markets both deliver daily market commentary, plus forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Each broker includes Trading Central tools, a sentiment gauge showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. These shared features make it easy to follow market moves, spot ideas, and plan around key events.

The difference comes down to extra research add‑ons. FP Markets provides Autochartist for pattern recognition, while Interactive Brokers does not. On the other hand, Interactive Brokers adds TipRanks and Acuity Trading (including Signal Centre), which FP Markets does not offer. In independent testing, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers for Research, while FP Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #22. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want TipRanks and Acuity alongside Trading Central; pick FP Markets if Autochartist is a must-have.

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

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers vs FP Markets: both brokers make learning easier for beginners. Each runs online client webinars at least once a month and offers large video libraries with at least 10 beginner lessons and 10 advanced tutorials. That mix of live sessions and on‑demand videos helps newcomers pick up trading basics and move on to more advanced ideas, with coverage that includes forex and CFD topics.

For education quality, Interactive Brokers takes the lead. It earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers for Education at ForexBrokers.com, while FP Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #22. If you want the biggest overall learning experience, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; FP Markets still suits beginners who want frequent webinars and a dependable set of entry‑level videos.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
FP Markets logoFP Markets
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 FP Markets. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while FP Markets finished with an overall rank of #19.

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
FP Markets logoFP Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 89
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 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 FP Markets?

In the Interactive Brokers vs FP Markets comparison, Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, while FP Markets supports only cryptocurrency CFDs and does not offer the purchase of actual delivered crypto.

What funding options does each broker offer?

For deposits and withdrawals, Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers but not PayPal or Skrill, while FP Markets lacks ACH/SEPA yet accepts PayPal and Skrill and also supports bank wires; Visa/Mastercard availability for both is not specified.

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announcementPlease 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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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers FP Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 89
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review FP Markets Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers FP Markets
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.
FP Markets MT5 mobile trading app watchlist FP Markets MetaTrader 5 MT5 desktop platform. FP Markets research blog technical report detail. FP Markets educational lessons.
Regulation Interactive Brokers FP Markets
Trust Score info 99 89
Year Founded info 1977 2005
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 9 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 2
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Interactive Brokers FP Markets
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
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 No
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 FP Markets
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments Interactive Brokers FP Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 10000
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 71
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes No
Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info Yes No
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 FP Markets
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.59 info 1.3 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info 0.9 info
Inactivity Fee info No No
Order execution: Agency info Yes No
Order execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Interactive Brokers FP Markets
Minimum Deposit info $0 $100 AUD
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 No
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers FP Markets
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
cTrader info No Yes
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers FP Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Interactive Brokers FP Markets
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 No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 MetaTrader (Default)
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers FP Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No Yes
Trading Central info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers FP Markets
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers FP Markets
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 FP Markets Review
Overall Interactive Brokers FP Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 89
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review FP Markets Review
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