IG vs iFOREX 2025
In this head to head comparison of IG vs iFOREX, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of IG vs iFOREX, 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.
When comparing IG and iFOREX, it's clear that IG holds a distinct advantage in terms of trust and regulatory oversight. Founded in 1974, IG is a publicly traded company and operates as a bank. This broker boasts a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, indicating high reliability. IG's strong regulatory framework includes eight Tier-1 licenses, known for high trust, and two Tier-2 licenses, solidifying its status as a safe choice for online trading.
In contrast, iFOREX, established in 1996, does not share the same level of trust with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 75, categorizing it as an average risk broker. Unlike IG, iFOREX is neither publicly traded nor a bank and holds just one Tier-1 license with no Tier-2 licenses. These factors suggest that traders may encounter higher risk when choosing iFOREX compared to the highly trusted IG.
| Feature |
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 1996 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
For commissions and fees, IG stands out as the stronger value pick, especially for high-volume forex traders, while iFOREX offers less pricing detail and trails in independent rankings. IG: 5/5 stars; ranked #8 of 63 for Commissions and Fees. iFOREX: 3/5 stars; ranked #62 of 63.
IG publishes detailed pricing. On its CFD account, typical EUR/USD spreads averaged about 0.69 pips during the main trading session (22 hours), 0.98 pips across the full day in July 2023, and 1.18 pips for IG US. Low-liquidity hours can widen spreads to around 1.03 pips. Active traders who qualify as professionals under EU rules can earn spread rebates of 10% to 20% when monthly forex volume exceeds £50 million to £300 million. IG’s Direct Market Access (DMA) “Forex Direct” account averaged 0.62 pips on EUR/USD in July 2023, then adds a tiered commission starting at $60 per million (lowering to $10 per million per side for very high volumes), for an all-in cost commonly cited around 0.82 pips.
By contrast, iFOREX does not provide average spread data, which makes direct cost comparisons harder. Its 3/5 star score and #62 ranking in the Commissions and Fees category suggest its pricing is less competitive or less transparent than top-ranked brokers like IG. Traders who prioritize published spreads, volume-based discounts, and DMA-style pricing will likely find IG more compelling.
| Feature |
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing the range of investments, IG stands out with 19,537 tradeable symbols and 97 forex pairs, while iFOREX offers 750 symbols and 88 forex pairs. Both support forex trading via CFDs and/or spot contracts. For the Range of Investments category at ForexBrokers.com, IG earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers, whereas iFOREX is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #42.
IG also lets clients buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, while iFOREX does not offer exchange-traded shares. In crypto, IG supports both actual coins and crypto CFDs, whereas iFOREX offers only crypto CFDs. Neither broker provides copy trading. In short, IG suits traders who want the widest selection across markets, while iFOREX may appeal to those focused mainly on forex and CFD-based instruments.
| Feature |
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 750 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 88 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
IG vs iFOREX: For trading platforms and tools, IG takes the lead. IG holds a 5-star rating and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, while iFOREX is rated 4 stars and ranks #55. If you want a higher-rated, feature-rich setup from an online broker, IG has the edge; iFOREX still delivers an in-house platform and a straightforward web experience.
IG offers a free demo account for paper trading, while iFOREX does not. Both brokers provide proprietary platforms and web-based trading. IG also has a Windows desktop platform and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4); iFOREX lacks both. Neither broker supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5) or copy trading. Both let you trade directly from charts. If you need to practice with virtual funds or prefer MT4 or a desktop platform, pick IG. If you’re fine trading in a browser with a broker-built platform, both can fit the bill.
| Feature |
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | No |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 57 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both IG and iFOREX offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. The big differences show up in day-to-day features: IG supports price alerts and watchlist syncing with your online account, so changes you make on desktop carry over to your phone (and vice versa). iFOREX does not offer price alerts or synced watchlists.
Charting is also stronger on IG, with 33 technical studies, trendline drawing, and auto-saving of your annotations. iFOREX does not list available studies and lacks both trendline drawing and auto-save for drawings. Reflecting these gaps, IG earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while iFOREX is rated 4 stars and ranks #56.
| Feature |
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing IG vs iFOREX for market research: both brokers provide daily market commentary, a sentiment tool showing the ratio of long vs short positions, and an economic calendar. IG stands out with forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus Autochartist for pattern recognition. IG also integrates TipRanks and Acuity Trading (Signal Centre). iFOREX does not offer top-tier news or Autochartist, but it does include Trading Central analytics. TipRanks and Acuity Trading are not listed among iFOREX’s research tools.
For overall quality, IG earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers for Research on ForexBrokers.com, while iFOREX scores 3.5 stars and ranks #49. In short, choose IG if you want broader research coverage with premium news and multiple third-party tools; iFOREX can suit traders who mainly want Trading Central signals alongside basic commentary and sentiment data.
| Feature |
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
IG vs iFOREX for beginner education: IG stands out for newcomers thanks to frequent client webinars (at least monthly) and a wide range of videos that span both beginner and advanced trading topics. iFOREX delivers plenty of beginner-friendly videos, but it does not run regular webinars and offers fewer advanced lessons, which can make it harder to keep learning once you’ve mastered the basics.
Independent ratings reflect this gap: ForexBrokers.com gives IG 5 stars for Education and ranks it #1 out of 63 brokers, while iFOREX earns 3.5 stars and ranks #53. If you want a clear learning path with ongoing webinars and advanced material, IG is the stronger choice; if you mainly want starter videos to learn core forex and CFD concepts, iFOREX can cover those early steps.
| Feature |
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IG is better than iFOREX. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while iFOREX finished with an overall rank of #52.
IG offers the ultimate comprehensive trading package, featuring excellent trading and research tools, industry-leading education, and an extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 75 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
IG vs iFOREX: IG lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas iFOREX does not offer delivered crypto but does offer crypto CFDs.
IG vs iFOREX deposit and withdrawal methods: IG supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire transfers (Skrill not supported; Visa/Mastercard not specified), whereas iFOREX does not support ACH/SEPA and its availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires 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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
| Regulation | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 1996 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC 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) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 750 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 88 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | No | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 57 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | IG Review |
| Overall | IG | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |