Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs IFC Markets, 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) and IFC Markets (founded 2006) differ in profile and transparency. Interactive Brokers is publicly traded, while IFC Markets is privately held. Neither company is a bank.
In regulation and safety, the gap is clear. Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses and has a 99/99 ForexBrokers.com Trust Score, which sits in the highly trusted 90–99 range. IFC Markets holds 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses, with a 73/99 Trust Score—an average-risk rating (70–79). On this scale, 80–89 is trusted, 60–69 is high risk, and below 59 is not trusted.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 5 |
Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #32 out of 63. In practice, Interactive Brokers is usually cheaper for standard-lot forex traders, whereas IFC Markets is easier to read with published spreads and no inactivity fee. IFC’s ECN account narrows the gap, but Interactive Brokers still tends to deliver lower all-in costs on EUR/USD for sufficiently sized trades.
Interactive Brokers quotes tight prices from 17 major banks and charges a commission instead of marking up the spread. In Q3 2024, the EUR/USD averaged about 0.19 pips at IBKR, translating to roughly 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), which is about 0.40 pips on a $100,000 EUR/USD trade; trading smaller than a standard lot gets proportionally pricier due to the minimum. Volume discounts can cut the minimum to $1.50 per order above $1 billion in monthly volume and $1 per order above $5 billion, and pricing ranges around $16–$40 per million round turn. IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro both support forex, but neither is commission-free.
IFC Markets lists an average EUR/USD spread of 1.44 pips (above the 1.08-pip industry average). Its ECN account improves effective pricing to about 1.1 pips after a 0.005% commission on both sides. The broker does not charge inactivity fees and offers active-trader discounts, which will appeal to cost-conscious clients who prefer straightforward pricing. Still, for traders executing standard or larger lot sizes, Interactive Brokers typically provides lower all-in costs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.226 | 1.44 |
| 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 | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers vs. IFC Markets: both brokers offer forex trading (CFD or spot), but their product lineups differ in size. Interactive Brokers lists about 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 currency pairs, earning 5 stars and the #1 ranking out of 63 brokers for Range of Investments. IFC Markets offers around 630 symbols and 49 forex pairs, with a 3.5-star score and a #31 ranking. If you want the biggest selection of markets, Interactive Brokers has the clear edge.
When it comes to owning shares, Interactive Brokers lets clients buy exchange-traded stocks on U.S. exchanges (e.g., Apple) and on international exchanges (e.g., Vodafone). IFC Markets supports some international exchange-traded shares, but not U.S.-listed shares. IFC Markets does offer copy trading, while Interactive Brokers does not. For crypto, Interactive Brokers provides access to actual, delivered cryptocurrencies, whereas IFC Markets offers cryptocurrency CFDs rather than the underlying coins. Choose Interactive Brokers for the widest direct market access, or IFC Markets if you prefer copy trading and crypto CFDs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When comparing Interactive Brokers and IFC Markets for trading platforms and tools, both brokers check key boxes for getting started: each offers a free paper trading (demo) account, an in-house proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. You can place trades directly from charts with either broker. The biggest platform differences are third‑party options: IFC Markets supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and includes copy trading, while Interactive Brokers does not support MT4/MT5 and does not offer copy trading.
For overall platform quality, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, while IFC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #29. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want a top-rated, feature-rich in-house experience with chart trading across desktop and web. Pick IFC Markets if MetaTrader or copy trading is important to your workflow.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and IFC Markets both offer iPhone and Android apps with price alerts, synced watchlists, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. The big difference is charting depth: Interactive Brokers packs in 155 technical studies, while IFC Markets offers 30. If saving your chart drawings automatically matters, IFC Markets has that feature, whereas Interactive Brokers does not. In our ratings, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while IFC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #34.
For traders who want advanced technical analysis tools on mobile, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick. If you prefer a simpler setup where chart drawings auto-save, IFC Markets can be a convenient choice. Both apps support key essentials for trading stocks and forex on the go, but your preference may come down to the depth of indicators versus the convenience of saved chart annotations.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| 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 vs IFC Markets for market research: both brokers provide daily market commentary, an economic calendar, and a sentiment tool showing the ratio of long vs. short positions. The key differences show up in news and third‑party research. Interactive Brokers delivers forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and adds well-known research tools from Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading (Signal Centre). Neither broker includes Autochartist, and IFC Markets does not offer those third-party research integrations or top-tier news feeds.
Ratings reflect this gap. Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets scores 3.5 out of 5 and ranks #30. If you want deeper news coverage and more analyst tools, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice; if you only need core features like commentary, calendars, and sentiment, IFC Markets covers the basics.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| 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.
For beginners comparing education at Interactive Brokers and IFC Markets, Interactive Brokers is the clear leader. ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars for Education and ranks it #1 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets earns 3.5 stars and ranks #25. Interactive Brokers also hosts client webinars at least once a month, giving newcomers a steady stream of live learning opportunities; IFC Markets does not offer monthly educational webinars. Both brokers provide at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, so you can find content that starts with the basics and progresses to more complex trading topics.
The data provided does not specify whether either broker publishes 10 or more education pieces focused specifically on forex or CFDs. Still, if you want top-rated education with frequent live sessions, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick. If you mainly want a video library to learn at your own pace, IFC Markets can get you started, though it offers fewer overall learning perks than Interactive Brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| 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 IFC Markets. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #33.
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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IFC Markets
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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Online broker Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but does not offer cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas IFC Markets offers cryptocurrency CFDs but does not support buying actual (delivered) crypto.
Comparing deposit and withdrawal methods, Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers while IFC Markets supports bank wires but not ACH/SEPA; neither broker offers PayPal or Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
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 | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 5 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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). |
| Cost | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.226 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.226 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 155 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review |
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