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IG vs Interactive Brokers 2026

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of IG vs Interactive Brokers, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

IG
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £1
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 19537
Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 8500

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.

Regulation

IG vs Interactive Brokers: both are long-established online brokers—IG was founded in 1974 and Interactive Brokers in 1977. Each is publicly traded, but there’s a key difference: IG is a bank, while Interactive Brokers is not. Both earn a 99/99 Trust Score from ForexBrokers.com, placing them in the highly trusted category.

On regulation, both brokers hold 8 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted) according to ForexBrokers.com. For context, the site’s Trust Score scale rates 90–99 as highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted—so IG and Interactive Brokers sit at the very top.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Year Founded info 1974 1977
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes Yes
Bank info Yes No
Tier-1 Licenses info 8 8
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 2
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 0

Fees

IG and Interactive Brokers both earn 5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, but they take different paths to low costs. ForexBrokers.com ranks IG at #7 of 63 in this category and Interactive Brokers at #2 of 63. IG blends spread-only CFD pricing with a direct market access (DMA) option for active traders, while Interactive Brokers uses agency execution with a transparent commission instead of marking up spreads.

IG’s typical CFD spreads on EUR/USD averaged 0.69 pips during main trading hours in July 2023 (0.98 pips across all sessions globally; 1.18 pips at IG US). For professionals in the EU, IG’s active-trader rebates can cut spreads by 10% to 20% based on monthly volume. IG’s Forex Direct (DMA) account requires a £1,000 minimum and uses tiered commissions; average spreads were 0.62 pips in July 2023, and at very high volumes (over $1.5 billion per month) commissions can drop to $10 per million per side ($20 round turn), producing an effective all-in cost near 0.82 pips.

Interactive Brokers aggregates pricing from 17 major liquidity providers and charges a commission rather than adding to the spread. In Q3 2024, we observed average EUR/USD spreads of 0.19 pips, leading to an estimated 0.59-pip all-in cost after commission. Commissions start at 0.2 basis points per side with a $2 minimum per side (making trades under 100,000 units proportionally pricier), and can fall to 0.08 basis points for very high volumes. Example: a $100,000 EUR/USD trade carries roughly 0.40 pips in commission plus the prevailing spread. High-volume traders can unlock lower per-order minimums, and large tickets can be handled via RFQ to help manage market impact.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Minimum Deposit info £1 $0
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.91 info 0.226 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.82 info 0.226 info
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes Yes
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

IG vs Interactive Brokers: both let you trade forex either as CFDs or spot, and both offer exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges (think Apple on NASDAQ and Vodafone in London). IG lists more total tradeable symbols (19,537 vs 8,500 at Interactive Brokers) and slightly more forex pairs (97 vs 90), which can matter if you want a wider selection of markets under one roof.

For crypto, each broker lets you buy actual coins; however, only IG also offers cryptocurrency CFDs, while Interactive Brokers does not. Neither platform supports copy trading. Despite taking different tacks, both earn 5 stars for Range of Investments. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings out of 63 brokers, Interactive Brokers is #1, while IG is #4—so IG leads on sheer instrument count, and Interactive Brokers leads in the category ranking.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 19537 8500
Forex Pairs (Total) info 97 90
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info Yes info Yes
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info Yes No
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.

Trading platforms and tools

IG and Interactive Brokers both check the key boxes for everyday traders: each offers a free paper trading (demo) account, an in-house proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. Trading directly from charts is supported by both, and neither broker provides copy trading. A major difference is third‑party platform access: IG supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Interactive Brokers does not.

For platform quality, both earn 5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings for Trading Platforms and Tools, IG is #1 out of 63 brokers and Interactive Brokers is #2. If you want MT4/MT5 for expert advisors or familiar workflows, IG is the clear match. If MetaTrader isn’t on your checklist, IG vs Interactive Brokers comes down to your preferred interface, but both deliver excellent web and desktop trading experiences with paper trading to practice first.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 33 155
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

IG and Interactive Brokers both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports real-time price alerts and watchlist syncing across devices, so changes on mobile reflect in your online account. Charting tools are strong on both, with trendline drawing available; however, IG includes 33 technical studies while Interactive Brokers packs in 155. One key difference: IG auto-saves your chart drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not.

Both apps earn 5-star ratings for mobile trading. For rankings, IG holds the #1 spot out of 63 brokers in the Mobile Trading Apps category at ForexBrokers.com, while Interactive Brokers sits at #4. If you want the most technical indicators, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you value auto-saved drawings and top-tier app recognition, IG stands out.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 33 155
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Choosing between IG and Interactive Brokers for market research comes down to specific preferences in tools and resources. Both platforms provide daily market commentary and access to top-tier forex news from Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. However, IG offers technical analysis tools from Autochartist, while Interactive Brokers features resources from Trading Central. Both companies have sentiment-based trading tools and provide research from TipRanks, as well as Acuity Trading. Economic calendars displaying global news events are available on both platforms.

For overall research quality, IG and Interactive Brokers both receive a five-star rating. However, IG holds a slight edge, being ranked second for research by ForexBrokers.com out of 63 brokers, while Interactive Brokers ranks third. This small difference highlights their common excellence in market research offerings, with some variations in specialized tools that may attract different types of traders.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info Yes No
Trading Central info No Yes
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes Yes
Acuity Trading info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

IG vs Interactive Brokers for beginner education: both brokers make it easy to start learning. Each hosts online client webinars at least once a month and offers 10+ beginner-friendly videos that walk through core trading concepts, platform basics, and risk management. When you’re ready for more, both also provide 10+ advanced videos, so your learning can grow with your skills.

In terms of quality, both IG and Interactive Brokers earned 5 stars for Education from ForexBrokers.com. However, Interactive Brokers ranks #1 out of 63 brokers for Education, while IG ranks #7. If you want the highest-rated overall education experience, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you like IG’s style, you’ll still get excellent training with frequent webinars and plenty of videos for beginners.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IG is better than Interactive Brokers. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2.

IG offers the ultimate comprehensive trading package, featuring excellent trading and research tools, industry-leading education, and an extensive range of tradeable markets.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 99
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with IG or Interactive Brokers?

IG vs Interactive Brokers: for cryptocurrency trading, IG lets you buy real (delivered) crypto and trade crypto CFDs, whereas Interactive Brokers allows buying actual cryptocurrency but does not offer cryptocurrency CFDs.

What funding options does each broker offer?

IG vs Interactive Brokers: both support ACH/SEPA transfers and bank wire deposits/withdrawals, neither supports Skrill, IG accepts PayPal while Interactive Brokers does not, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.

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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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Overall Rating IG Interactive Brokers
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 99
Winner check_circle
Review IG Review Interactive Brokers Review
Broker Screenshots IG Interactive Brokers
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
IG trading mobile app charting IG web platform dark mode IG research special research reports IG educational academy course detail
IBKR mobile watchlist. IBKR Desktop platform charts. Interactive Brokers research Traders Insight daily analysis article detail Interactive Brokers IBKR Podcast video.
Regulation IG Interactive Brokers
Trust Score info 99 99
Year Founded info 1974 1977
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes Yes
Bank info Yes No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 8 8
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 2
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) IG Interactive Brokers
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info No Yes
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No Yes
Japan (FSA Authorised) info Yes Yes
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes Yes
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info Yes Yes
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info Yes Yes
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info Yes No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) IG Interactive Brokers
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info Yes No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) info Yes Yes
India (SEBI Authorised) info No Yes
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments IG Interactive Brokers
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 19537 8500
Forex Pairs (Total) info 97 90
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info Yes info Yes
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info Yes No
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 Interactive Brokers
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.91 info 0.226 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.82 info 0.226 info
Inactivity Fee info Yes No
Order execution: Agency info Yes Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes No
Funding IG Interactive Brokers
Minimum Deposit info £1 $0
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes Yes
Trading Platforms IG Interactive Brokers
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes No
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools IG Interactive Brokers
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 33 155
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading IG Interactive Brokers
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 33 155
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research IG Interactive Brokers
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info Yes No
Trading Central info No Yes
TipRanks info Yes Yes
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education IG Interactive Brokers
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs IG Interactive Brokers
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review IG Review Interactive Brokers Review
Overall IG Interactive Brokers
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 99
Winner check_circle
Review IG Review Interactive Brokers Review
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