Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG vs IronFX, 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.
IG, established in 1974, is a well-regarded online broker known for its high level of trust and regulatory compliance. It is publicly traded and operates as a bank, offering a secure environment for investors. IG holds an impressive eight Tier-1 licenses, which are the most trustworthy according to ForexBrokers.com. Additionally, it has two Tier-2 licenses. With a perfect Trust Score of 99, IG is categorized as highly trusted, indicating an exceptional level of safety for its clients.
In comparison, IronFX, founded in 2010, is not publicly traded and is not a bank. Despite being a newer player in the industry, IronFX holds three Tier-1 licenses, suggesting a strong commitment to safety and security. However, it does not possess any Tier-2 licenses. With a Trust Score of 83, IronFX is considered trusted by ForexBrokers.com, offering a solid option for those seeking a reliable broker, albeit at a level below the trust rating of IG.
| Feature |
IG
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing IG and IronFX in terms of commissions and fees, IG stands out for its competitive pricing, particularly for active traders. IG offers scalable execution and various account options, such as the Forex Direct account, which provides more attractive pricing for high-volume traders. For example, IG's Forex Direct account offers spreads that averaged 0.62 pips for EUR/USD in July 2023, with total costs rising to 0.82 pips when factoring in all commissions. IG's spread performance slightly beats the industry average, particularly with its active trader rebate program offering discounts of up to 20% for those trading substantial volumes. On top of that, IG's DMA account offers direct market access with tiered pricing and a base commission starting at $60 per million for lower volume traders.
IronFX, while offering a variety of account types, generally presents higher spreads compared to those of IG and the industry average. For instance, IronFX’s Standard variable spread account reports spreads from 1.8 pips. Its zero fixed-spread account could present some savings in certain conditions but incurs a significant commission of $18 per lot, and spreads can expand to 3 pips overnight. This pricing model might not be as appealing for those accustomed to more competitive spread and commission structures.
In terms of ratings, IG performs exceptionally well, earning a five-star rating for its commissions and fees, and achieving the rank of #8 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. IronFX, on the other hand, has a four-star rating and is ranked at #47 in the same category. Therefore, for traders prioritizing competitive fees and commission structures, IG may offer more appealing options compared to IronFX.
| Feature |
IG
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | 1.2 |
| 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.
IG vs IronFX: When it comes to range of investments, IG offers far more choice with 19,537 tradeable symbols compared to IronFX’s 340. Forex traders get 97 currency pairs at IG and 83 at IronFX, and both support forex as CFDs or spot. Only IG lets you buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges (think Apple on NASDAQ or Vodafone in London); IronFX does not offer real share dealing. For crypto, IG supports both actual coins and crypto CFDs, while IronFX offers crypto only as CFDs. One area where IronFX has an edge is copy trading, which IG does not provide.
Independent ratings reflect this difference: for Range of Investments, ForexBrokers.com gives IG 5 stars and ranks it #4 out of 63 brokers, while IronFX earns 3.5 stars and ranks #52. Pick IG if you want the widest selection of markets and the ability to buy real stocks and cryptocurrencies alongside CFDs; choose IronFX if copy trading is your priority and you’re comfortable with a smaller product lineup.
| Feature |
IG
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 83 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| 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 and IronFX both offer free demo accounts for paper trading, web-based platforms, and Windows desktop downloads. Each supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4), but neither offers MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can place orders directly from price charts on both. A key difference is platform choice: IG includes a proprietary, in-house platform, while IronFX does not. On the flip side, IronFX provides copy trading, which IG does not offer.
For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates IG at 5 stars and ranks it #2 out of 63 brokers, compared with IronFX at 3.5 stars and #62. Consider IG if you want an in-house platform alongside MT4 and a strong web experience; pick IronFX if copy trading on MT4 is a priority and you’re comfortable using third-party platforms.
| Feature |
IG
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
If you’re choosing between IG and IronFX for mobile trading, both offer iPhone and Android apps with price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto‑saved chart annotations. IG stands out with watchlist syncing between the mobile app and your online account, so your symbols stay aligned on every device; IronFX does not offer this syncing. For charting, IG provides 33 technical studies, edging IronFX’s 30.
In independent reviews, IG’s mobile trading app earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX scores 3.5 stars and ranks #63. Choose IG if you want a top-rated mobile trading app with cross-device watchlist syncing and a slightly larger set of studies; pick IronFX if you’re fine with core mobile features and alerts without synced watchlists.
| Feature |
IG
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
IG and IronFX both cover the basics of market research: daily market commentary, an economic calendar, and forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Their toolkits differ. IG includes Autochartist for technical and fundamental ideas, plus a sentiment tool that shows the long/short ratio across instruments. IronFX does not offer Autochartist or a sentiment gauge, but it does provide Trading Central research. IG also features TipRanks and tools from Acuity Trading (Signal Centre), while IronFX’s access to those providers isn’t specified.
Independent ratings reflect these differences. For Research, IG is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #29. In short, IG suits traders who want wide third-party insights and sentiment data alongside daily news, whereas IronFX appeals to those who value Trading Central with staple commentary and an economic calendar.
| Feature |
IG
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
IG vs IronFX for beginner education: IG makes it easier to start learning forex and CFDs with ongoing, live instruction—IG runs client webinars at least once a month. IronFX does not offer monthly educational webinars. Both brokers provide at least 10 beginner-focused videos, giving new traders a helpful video path to understand key trading concepts.
When you’re ready to go beyond the basics, IG also delivers at least 10 advanced trading videos, while IronFX does not meet that level of advanced content. That difference shows in the scores: ForexBrokers.com rates IG 5/5 for Education and ranks it #1 out of 63 brokers, compared with IronFX at 4/5 and ranked #44. If you want regular webinars and a clear path from beginner to advanced, IG is the stronger choice; if you mainly want beginner videos, IronFX can still get you started.
| Feature |
IG
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 IronFX. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.
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
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IronFX
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 |
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In the IG vs IronFX cryptocurrency comparison, IG lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trade crypto CFDs, whereas IronFX offers crypto CFDs only and does not support buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency.
IG vs IronFX: IG supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals but not Skrill, while IronFX does not support ACH/SEPA and its availability for 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.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | IG | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | IronFX | |
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| Regulation | IG | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 83 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IG | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | IG | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IG | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IG | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 33 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IG | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |
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