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 and HFM take different approaches to commissions and fees. Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #2 of 63 for Commissions and Fees, while HFM earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #28 of 63. The headline difference: Interactive Brokers’ all-in pricing on major forex pairs can be lower than HFM’s typical quotes.
Interactive Brokers does not publish average forex spreads, but Q3 2024 data for EUR/USD showed a 0.19‑pip average spread and an effective all‑in cost of 0.59 pips after commission. IBKR charges a commission instead of marking up spreads: 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the USD trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), equivalent to about $16–$40 per million round turn ($8–$20 per side). Active-trader discounts can reduce minimums to $1.50 per order above $1B in monthly volume and $1 at $5B. Note that the $2-per-side minimum makes trades under 100,000 units proportionally more expensive.
HFM’s trading costs sit slightly above the industry average. The Standard account lists a typical 1.2‑pip spread (no date range provided), and the Zero account quotes a 0.7‑pip effective spread after commissions (also not an average). Against those figures, Interactive Brokers’ 0.59‑pip effective EUR/USD cost can come in lower—especially attractive for active or larger‑size traders—while HFM may appeal to those who prefer simpler, spread‑only pricing on its Standard account.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
HFM
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|---|---|---|
| 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 vs HFM: both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot, but their product ranges differ. Interactive Brokers offers 8,500 tradeable symbols versus HFM’s 500. IBKR lists 90 forex pairs, while HFM edges it with 102. A major difference is stock market access: Interactive Brokers lets you buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. exchanges (e.g., Apple) and on international markets (e.g., Vodafone); HFM does not offer direct share dealing. For crypto, IBKR supports buying actual cryptocurrency but not crypto CFDs, whereas HFM offers crypto CFDs but not delivered crypto. Copy trading is available at HFM, not at Interactive Brokers.
If you want the widest selection and direct access to U.S. and international shares, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick, earning 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and the #1 ranking out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. If your focus is forex pairs, social/copy trading, or trading crypto via CFDs, HFM may appeal—though it holds 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #28 for Range of Investments.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
HFM
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|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 102 |
| 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 provide free paper trading, proprietary platforms, a Windows desktop platform, and a web-based platform. You can place trades directly from charts with either broker. Key differences: HFM supports copy trading and offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Interactive Brokers does not. If you need MetaTrader or social/copy trading, HFM is the better fit; if those aren’t must-haves, both brokers cover core platform needs with their own in-house software across desktop and web.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while HFM is rated 4 stars and ranks #33. In short, Interactive Brokers earns a higher score for overall platform and tools quality, whereas HFM stands out for offering MT4/MT5 and copy trading alongside its own platform.
| 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 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and HFM both offer iPhone and Android trading apps with price alerts. The biggest differences are in syncing and charting. Interactive Brokers supports watchlist syncing between mobile and web, while HFM does not. For chart analysis, Interactive Brokers includes 155 technical studies versus HFM’s 30. Both apps let you draw trendlines, but only HFM auto-saves drawings; Interactive Brokers does not.
In independent testing, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while HFM earns 4 stars and ranks #32. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want deeper charting and synced watchlists, or pick HFM if you prefer a simpler setup with auto-saved drawings.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
HFM
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|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and HFM both cover the essentials for market research: daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier outlets such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, sentiment data showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. The difference shows up in third‑party tools. HFM includes Autochartist for technical and fundamental ideas, while Interactive Brokers does not. In contrast, Interactive Brokers adds Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading (including Signal Centre), which HFM does not offer—useful for traders who want a wider mix of screeners, analyst insights, and trade signals.
For overall research quality, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers at 5 stars and ranks it #3 out of 63 brokers, while HFM earns 4 stars and ranks #18. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want the broadest selection of third‑party research and analytics; pick HFM if you specifically value Autochartist alongside daily commentary and premium news.
| 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 | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to education for beginners, Interactive Brokers takes the lead over HFM. Both brokers host client webinars at least monthly and offer 10+ beginner videos as well as 10+ advanced videos that explain trading concepts in simple terms. However, Interactive Brokers earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers with ForexBrokers.com, while HFM holds a 4-star rating and ranks #29. That gap reflects how much deeper and more polished Interactive Brokers’ learning experience is for new traders.
If you want the most complete path to learn trading—covering topics like forex and CFDs with frequent webinars and plenty of videos—Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice. HFM still provides good educational value, especially if you’re looking for regular webinars and video lessons, but it doesn’t match the scale and breadth that puts Interactive Brokers at the top of the category.
| 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 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 102 | |
| 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 | 15 | |
| 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 | 30 | |
| 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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