Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG vs Saxo, 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 the online brokers IG and Saxo, it's clear both firms are highly reputable in the financial world. IG, established in 1974, is a publicly traded financial institution with impressive regulatory credentials, highlighted by its possession of 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses. Saxo, founded in 1992, is not traded on a stock exchange but operates as a bank with 7 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license. Both brokers boast a perfect Trust Score of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, signifying that they are highly trusted by industry standards.
Despite differences in their history and public trading status, IG and Saxo share strong regulatory standings. IG’s long-standing presence since 1974 is complemented by its status as a publicly listed bank, reflecting transparency and financial stability. In contrast, Saxo, although younger and privately held, still maintains a robust presence through its banking operations and regulatory prowess. With their consistent high Trust Scores, both brokers demonstrate a strong commitment to security and reliability, offering peace of mind to their clients.
| Feature |
IG
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 1992 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 7 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of IG and Saxo for forex trading, both brokers are top contenders with a five-star rating, according to industry rankings. IG, ranked #8 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, appeals to high-volume traders by offering scalable execution options and competitive pricing through its Forex Direct accounts. Traders on IG benefit from average spreads as low as 0.62 pips, and active traders can enjoy further discounts through a tiered rebate system. For those utilizing IG's Forex Direct platform, commission structures are determined by trading volume, which can dramatically lower effective spreads for high-volume traders.
On the other hand, Saxo, ranked #9, is acclaimed for its superior pricing across various account types. Saxo offers three account tiers—Classic, Platinum, and VIP—each with different pricing structures, catering to traders from beginners to seasoned investors. While the average spreads for the Classic account start slightly higher at 1.1 pips, they drop to 1.0 and 0.9 pips for Platinum and VIP accounts, aligning closer to the industry average. Saxo's commission-free model, which capitalizes on spreads, offers savings particularly for those who maintain larger account balances. Additionally, Saxo waives custody fees for traders involved in securities lending, providing added value for share traders.
Both brokers offer unique benefits tailored to various trading needs. IG shines by providing tailored execution methods and substantial rebates for active trading, while Saxo excels with its strong overall pricing and account flexibility. Whether you prioritize execution options or account perks, both IG and Saxo deliver competitive and high-rated services for forex trading enthusiasts.
| Feature |
IG
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | 1.1 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | 0.9 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IG and Saxo both deliver a very wide range of investments and allow forex trading via CFDs and spot. Saxo lists more total markets, with about 71,000 tradeable symbols and 190 forex pairs, while IG offers roughly 19,537 symbols and 97 forex pairs. Both earned 5 stars for Range of Investments, with Saxo ranked #3 and IG close behind at #4 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
When it comes to asset types, both brokers let you buy exchange‑traded shares on U.S. markets (like Apple) and on international exchanges (such as Vodafone). Each supports cryptocurrency CFDs; however, only IG also lets you buy actual crypto, not just derivatives. Neither platform offers copy trading. If you want the largest menu of markets and currency pairs, Saxo stands out; if direct crypto ownership matters alongside a broad selection of markets, IG is a strong pick.
| Feature |
IG
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 71000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 190 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
In an IG vs Saxo comparison for trading platforms and tools, both brokers check the key boxes. Each offers a free demo account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform, plus the convenience of placing trades directly from charts. Neither supports copy trading. Platform compatibility is a key difference: IG offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while Saxo does not; neither broker offers MetaTrader 5 (MT5).
Both brokers earn 5 stars for Trading Platforms & Tools, with ForexBrokers.com ranking Saxo #1 out of 63 brokers and IG close behind at #2. Specific counts for technical indicators and watchlist columns were not provided. If you need MT4, IG is the better fit; if you want the highest-ranked in-house platform experience, Saxo leads the pack.
| Feature |
IG
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 61 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IG vs Saxo: both offer polished mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. You can set stock and forex price alerts in either app, and watchlists sync between mobile and web, so changes carry over automatically. Chart tools are practical on both platforms—you can draw trendlines and your drawings auto-save, keeping your analysis in place across sessions.
For charting depth, Saxo includes 64 technical studies, while IG offers 33. Even with that difference, both apps earn top marks: IG’s mobile app is rated 5 stars and ranked #1 for Mobile Trading Apps by ForexBrokers.com out of 63 brokers, and Saxo also holds a 5-star rating and the #2 spot. If you want the highest-ranked overall mobile experience, choose IG; if you prefer more built-in indicators, Saxo edges ahead on charting tools.
| Feature |
IG
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 64 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings of IG and Saxo, both brokers deliver high-quality services with some unique differences. IG and Saxo provide daily market commentary and share forex news updates from reputable sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders are well-informed. They also offer technical analysis tools from Autochartist, helping users make informed trading decisions. However, neither broker includes research tools from Trading Central. Additionally, both brokers present sentiment-based trading tools that highlight the ratio of long and short positions in the market and offer economic calendars to keep traders updated on global events.
IG and Saxo stand out in their research capabilities, each earning a 5-star rating for their offerings. While IG offers additional research tools from companies like TipRanks and Acuity Trading, Saxo doesn't provide these resources. Notably, Saxo ranks slightly higher in research on ForexBrokers.com, holding the top position among 63 brokers, while IG follows closely in second place. Thus, both platforms offer extensive market research, catering to the needs of traders with slightly different emphases.
| Feature |
IG
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
IG and Saxo both make it easy for beginners to learn trading. Each offers forex and CFD education with well over 10 pieces of content, including articles, videos, and archived webinars. You’ll find monthly live webinars at both brokers, plus at least 10 beginner-focused videos that break down key topics in plain language—useful if you’re just getting started and want a clear learning path.
As you progress, both brokers also provide at least 10 advanced videos for taking your skills further. Education quality is high at each—both are rated 5 out of 5 stars—yet IG stands out in industry rankings, placing #1 out of 63 brokers for Education, while Saxo ranks #13. If top-ranked education is your priority, IG edges ahead; if you prefer Saxo’s platform, you’ll still get a strong, beginner-friendly library.
| Feature |
IG
|
Saxo
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 IG is better than Saxo. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while Saxo finished with an overall rank of #3.
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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Saxo
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
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IG vs Saxo: IG lets you buy real (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, while Saxo offers only crypto CFDs and does not support purchasing actual cryptocurrencies.
IG vs Saxo deposits and withdrawals: IG offers ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires (no Skrill), while Saxo offers bank wires only (no ACH/SEPA, PayPal, or Skrill); Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | Saxo | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Saxo Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Saxo | |
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| Regulation | IG | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 1992 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 7 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | 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 | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IG | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 71000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 190 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | 1.1 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | 0.9 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IG | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | IG | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IG | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 61 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IG | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 33 | 64 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IG | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Saxo Review |
| Overall | IG | Saxo | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Saxo Review |
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