Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs HFM, 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 (founded 1977) is a publicly traded online broker, while HFM (founded 2010) is privately held; neither is a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score, Interactive Brokers earns 99/99 (highly trusted within the 90–99 range), and HFM scores 85/99 (trusted within the 80–89 range).
Regulatory coverage also differs: Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, indicating oversight by top-tier and trusted regulators. HFM holds 2 Tier-1 and 3 Tier-2 licenses. For context, ForexBrokers.com classifies 70–79 as average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 as not trusted—placing both firms well above those thresholds.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2010 |
| 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 | 2 |
Interactive Brokers offers lower commissions and fees than HFM for most forex traders. IBKR uses commission-based pricing rather than marking up spreads, and our Q3 2024 data showed an average EUR/USD spread of 0.19 pips, with an all-in cost of about 0.59 pips after commission. Its forex commission starts at 0.2 basis points of trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order, and larger-volume traders can qualify for even lower rates. Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #2 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees by ForexBrokers.com.
HFM’s pricing is a bit higher by comparison. On its standard account, HFM says the typical spread is 1.2 pips, while its Zero account shows an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission. However, these figures are not presented as average spreads over a specific time period, so they may not reflect the full picture. HFM is rated 4 stars and ranked #29 out of 36 for Commissions and Fees.
In simple terms, Interactive Brokers is the better choice for traders who want lower forex costs, especially if they trade often or in larger sizes. HFM may still appeal to some traders, but its pricing is generally less competitive on commissions and spreads. For cost-focused forex trading, IBKR has the edge.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.226 | 1.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.226 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | 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 HFM. It lists about 8,500 tradable symbols and 90 forex pairs, compared with HFM’s 344 symbols and 38 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading, but Interactive Brokers goes further by giving clients access to exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, so you can buy real shares such as Apple or Vodafone rather than only trading CFDs.
The differences continue in other asset classes. Interactive Brokers lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, while HFM does not offer delivered crypto but does provide cryptocurrency CFDs and copy trading. Overall, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while HFM earns 4 stars and ranks #29, making Interactive Brokers the stronger choice for traders who want more market access.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 344 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 38 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| 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 HFM both give traders a wide choice of ways to place trades, including free paper trading accounts, their own in-house platforms, desktop software for Windows, and browser-based trading. Both also let you trade directly from a stock chart, which can make it easier to act quickly when you see a setup. For traders who want to test ideas before using real money, both brokers offer a simulated account.
The biggest difference is in the extra tools and platform options. HFM supports copy trading and includes MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which may appeal to traders who prefer a familiar third-party platform. Interactive Brokers does not offer copy trading, MT4, or MT5, but it earns a stronger overall score for trading platforms and tools, with a 5-star rating and a #2 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with HFM’s 4-star rating and #34 ranking. This makes Interactive Brokers the stronger choice overall for platform quality, while HFM may be better for traders who want MetaTrader and copy trading features.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 38 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and HFM both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each includes price alerts plus the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Where Interactive Brokers stands out is app syncing and charting depth: watchlists sync with the online account, and its mobile app offers 155 technical studies compared with just 5 at HFM. Interactive Brokers is also rated 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com review, reflecting a more feature-rich experience for active traders.
HFM covers the basics well, but its mobile app is lighter overall. While it does support iPhone and Android, price alerts, and trendline drawing, it does not sync watchlists between the app and web platform. One advantage is that HFM does auto-save chart drawings, which Interactive Brokers does not. Even so, HFM is rated 4 stars and ranks #33 out of 36 for Mobile Trading Apps, making it a simpler choice for traders who need core tools without as many advanced charting features.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 5 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and HFM both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, sentiment tools, and economic calendars with global event listings. Each also offers Acuity Trading research, which can help traders spot ideas and follow market moves more easily.
Where Interactive Brokers pulls ahead is in its wider research lineup. It includes Trading Central, TipRanks, and a stronger overall Research rating of 5 stars, with a #3 rank out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. HFM, while still solid, does not offer Trading Central or TipRanks and is rated 4 stars, ranking #18 out of 36. HFM does stand out with Autochartist, which Interactive Brokers does not provide.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to learning resources for beginners, Interactive Brokers and HFM both give new traders plenty to work with. Each broker offers forex and CFD education with at least 10 pieces of content, monthly educational webinars, and at least 10 beginner videos plus 10 advanced videos. That means both platforms provide a solid mix of articles, videos, and live learning sessions for people who want to build trading knowledge step by step.
Even so, Interactive Brokers stands out overall for education. It has a 5-star Education rating and is ranked #1 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while HFM has a 4-star rating and is ranked #29. For beginners who want the strongest range of learning materials and the highest-rated educational support, Interactive Brokers has the edge over HFM.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 HFM. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #27.
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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HFM
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
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In the Interactive Brokers vs HFM comparison: Interactive Brokers supports purchasing actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but not cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas HFM provides cryptocurrency CFDs but does not offer buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency.
Interactive Brokers vs. HFM funding methods: Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA and bank wire deposits/withdrawals but not PayPal or Skrill, while HFM supports Skrill and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; 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 | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2010 | |
| 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 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 344 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 38 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| 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 | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.226 | 1.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.226 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 38 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 5 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | HFM Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | HFM Review |
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