Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs GBE brokers, 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 and GBE Brokers offer distinct offerings to online brokerage clients, highlighted by their trust ratings and regulatory credentials. Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers is publicly traded and holds an impressive trust score of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, indicating they are highly trusted. It boasts 9 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, underscoring its strong regulatory standing. Despite not being a bank, Interactive Brokers’ extensive credentials provide a solid assurance to investors.
In contrast, GBE Brokers, established in 2013, is not publicly traded and scores a 71 on ForexBrokers.com's trust scale, categorizing it as average risk. GBE possesses just 1 Tier-1 license and lacks Tier-2 licenses, which implies less regulatory backing compared to its counterpart. While it isn't a bank either, potential clients of GBE Brokers should consider these factors when evaluating trust and security.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2013 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Interactive Brokers (IBKR) delivers lower, more transparent costs than GBE brokers overall. IBKR earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees, while GBE brokers earns 4 stars and ranks #38. IBKR doesn’t publish average forex spreads broadly, but during Q3 2024 the EUR/USD averaged 0.19 pips at IBKR, translating to about 0.59 pips all-in after commission—an attractive rate for active forex traders.
IBKR charges a commission instead of marking up the spread: forex commissions start at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) per side with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), roughly $16–$40 per million round turn. On a $100,000 EUR/USD trade, the commission is about 0.40 pips on top of the prevailing spread. Volume discounts can lower the minimum to $1.50 per order above $1 billion in monthly volume and to $1 above $5 billion. Note that IBKR’s forex isn’t commission-free, and the $2 minimum means trades under 100,000 units become proportionally more expensive.
For GBE brokers, average spread data is not available, which makes a precise apples-to-apples comparison difficult. Without typical spread figures or an all-in cost example, cost predictability is harder to gauge versus IBKR’s clearly outlined commission model. That said, the star ratings and rankings suggest IBKR is generally cheaper on trading costs, especially for standard lot and high-volume forex traders, while GBE brokers may suit traders who prioritize other features over documented pricing.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1000 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts [DELETED] | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) [DELETED] | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers offers a far wider range of markets, with 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs. It also lets you buy exchange-traded stocks on U.S. markets like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and on international exchanges such as London-listed Vodafone—plus CFD and spot forex. GBE brokers lists 500 symbols and 71 forex pairs, and it does not provide direct share dealing on U.S. or overseas exchanges.
Both brokers support forex as CFDs or spot. For crypto, Interactive Brokers offers both actual (delivered) coins and crypto derivatives, while GBE brokers limits crypto to derivatives. Copy trading is available at GBE brokers but not at Interactive Brokers. In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments category, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers; GBE brokers scores 3.5 stars and ranks #45. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want extensive market access, or GBE brokers if you value CFD trading with copy trading.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 71 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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.
Interactive Brokers and GBE Brokers both let you practice with a free paper trading (demo) account. Each offers a Windows desktop and a web-based platform, and both support placing trades directly from charts. Interactive Brokers also provides its own in-house platform, while GBE Brokers does not. If you need MetaTrader or copy trading, GBE Brokers supports MT4 and MT5 and offers copy trading; Interactive Brokers does not support MT4/MT5 and does not offer copy trading.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #3 out of 63 brokers, while GBE Brokers earns 4 stars and ranks #58. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want a proprietary platform with desktop and web access, or pick GBE Brokers if MetaTrader and copy trading are priorities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade [DELETED] | ||
| ZuluTrade [DELETED] | ||
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) [DELETED] | ||
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields [DELETED] |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and GBE brokers both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, with price alerts, real-time watchlists, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Where they differ is in organization and charting depth. Interactive Brokers syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, making it easy to manage symbols across devices; GBE brokers does not. For chart analysis, Interactive Brokers offers 97 technical studies compared with 30 from GBE brokers. If you rely on saved chart markups, note that GBE brokers auto-saves drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not.
Independent ratings favor Interactive Brokers for mobile trading: it earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers in the Mobile Trading Apps category at ForexBrokers.com. GBE brokers earns 4 stars and ranks #58 out of 63. In short, Interactive Brokers suits traders who want more indicators and seamless watchlist syncing, while GBE brokers may appeal if you prefer simpler tools with auto-saving chart drawings.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | ||
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and GBE Brokers both deliver daily market commentary, an economic calendar, and sentiment tools that show how many traders are long or short on select markets. Where they differ is in depth and sources: Interactive Brokers streams top-tier forex news from outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, and adds Trading Central analysis. Neither broker offers Autochartist.
Interactive Brokers also integrates research from TipRanks and Acuity Trading, while GBE Brokers does not list these providers. Reflecting these differences, Interactive Brokers earns a 5-star Research rating and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, whereas GBE Brokers holds 3 stars and ranks #63. If premium news and multiple third‑party research tools matter to you, Interactive Brokers stands out; if you just need the basics like commentary, a calendar, and sentiment data, GBE Brokers covers those needs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Interactive Brokers offers a stronger education experience for beginners than GBE Brokers. Interactive Brokers runs online client webinars at least once a month and provides at least 10 beginner videos plus at least 10 advanced videos covering trading topics. GBE Brokers does not run monthly educational webinars and does not meet the 10‑video mark for beginner or advanced content. Reflecting this gap, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Education and is ranked #3 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while GBE Brokers holds 3 stars and is ranked #64.
It isn’t specified whether either broker meets the threshold of 10 forex- or CFD‑specific pieces (articles, videos, or archived webinars), whether they host a searchable archive of past webinars, or whether they offer an investor dictionary with at least 50 terms. If these features matter to you, check each broker’s education hub to see the latest materials and how easy they are to find.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | ||
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) [DELETED] | ||
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) [DELETED] |
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 GBE brokers. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while GBE brokers finished with an overall rank of #57.
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
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 71 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Interactive Brokers provides investors with the opportunity to purchase both actual delivered cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas GBE Brokers only offers cryptocurrency derivatives, not the actual cryptocurrencies themselves.
Comparing online brokers, Interactive Brokers and GBE brokers both support ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers for deposits and withdrawals, but only GBE brokers offers PayPal and Skrill, while Visa and 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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2013 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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 | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1000 | |
| 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 | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Interactive Brokers Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill