Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG vs Spreadex, 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.
Comparing online brokers IG and Spreadex: IG, founded in 1974, is publicly traded and a bank, while Spreadex, launched in 1999, is privately held and not a bank. In regulation, IG holds 8 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted); Spreadex holds 1 Tier-1 license and 0 Tier-2 licenses.
On trust, ForexBrokers.com rates IG at 99/99 and Spreadex at 70/99. Under its scale, 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 should not be trusted—placing IG in the highly trusted group and Spreadex in the average risk bracket.
| Feature |
IG
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 1999 |
| 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 | 0 |
When comparing commissions and fees, IG comes out ahead of Spreadex for most active and cost-conscious traders. IG is rated 5 stars and ranked #7 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees by ForexBrokers.com. Its pricing is not the cheapest in the market, but it is competitive, especially for higher-volume traders. IG’s Forex Direct DMA account is its best-value option, with average EUR/USD spreads of 0.62 pips in July 2023 and an all-in cost of about 0.82 pips after commission. Its CFD pricing was also solid, with typical spreads around 0.69 pips during main trading hours.
Spreadex is simpler on pricing but less competitive overall. It is rated 4 stars and ranked #25 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees. For EUR/USD, Spreadex reported average spreads of 0.81 pips in January 2024, with a minimum spread of 0.6 pips available 60% of the time. That makes it a decent choice for traders who want straightforward spread-based pricing, but it does not match IG’s lower-cost options for active traders or those trading larger volumes.
Overall, IG offers better value for commissions and fees, particularly if you trade often or qualify for volume-based discounts. Spreadex is still competitive, but IG’s lower effective costs, rebate options, and DMA pricing give it the edge in this category.
| Feature |
IG
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.91 | 0.81 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | N/A |
| 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.
When it comes to range of investments, IG offers more choice than Spreadex. IG has 19,537 tradeable symbols and 97 forex pairs, while Spreadex provides 10,000 symbols and 52 forex pairs. Both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both support cryptocurrency CFDs. However, only IG lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, and only IG gives access to exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, such as Apple and Vodafone shares.
Neither broker offers copy trading, but IG stands out for its wider market access overall. Despite both firms earning 5 stars for Range of Investments, ForexBrokers.com ranks IG higher at #4 out of 36 brokers, compared with Spreadex at #13. For traders who want a broader selection of markets and real shares, IG has the stronger offering.
| Feature |
IG
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 10000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 52 |
| 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 and Spreadex both give traders a free demo account, a proprietary platform, and a web-based trading platform, so each broker covers the basics well for online trading. Both also let you trade directly from a chart, which is useful for placing orders quickly while watching price moves. Neither broker offers copy trading, so traders looking for a social trading feature will need to look elsewhere.
Where IG stands out is choice: it offers both a Windows desktop platform and the popular MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms, while Spreadex does not offer a desktop download, MT4, or MT5. That wider platform mix helps make IG a stronger pick for traders who want more flexibility and tools. This is reflected in ForexBrokers.com’s ratings too, with IG earning 5 stars and ranking #1 out of 36 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, compared with Spreadex’s 4 stars and #34 ranking.
| Feature |
IG
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| 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) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 58 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IG and Spreadex both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each lets you set stock or forex price alerts. Both apps also support trendline drawing on charts, which can help with basic chart analysis while you trade on the go. That said, IG stands out for a more feature-rich mobile experience, with 33 technical studies in its app, auto-saving chart drawings, and watchlist syncing that keeps your mobile and online accounts aligned.
Spreadex covers the essentials, but it does not sync watchlists between mobile and web, and it does not auto-save chart drawings in the app. It also does not list technical studies for its mobile charts in the same way IG does. These differences show in the ratings too: IG earns 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Spreadex is rated 4 stars and ranks #33.
| Feature |
IG
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
IG and Spreadex both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, forex news from top names such as Bloomberg and Reuters, Autochartist, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking global events. Both brokers also miss out on Trading Central tools, so in that area they are evenly matched.
The main difference is that IG goes further with added research from TipRanks and Acuity Trading, which Spreadex does not offer. That extra depth helps explain why IG is rated 5 stars for Research and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers, while Spreadex is rated 4 stars and sits at #27, making IG the stronger pick for traders who want more market insight.
| Feature |
IG
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| 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.
When it comes to learning support for beginners, IG comes out ahead of Spreadex. IG offers forex and CFD education, monthly online educational webinars, at least 10 beginner videos, and at least 10 advanced videos for more experienced traders. It is also rated 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #7 out of 36 brokers for this category, which points to a wide range of learning material for traders at different stages.
Spreadex does provide at least 10 beginner trading videos, but it does not offer monthly educational webinars and does not appear to meet the standard for forex or CFD education with 10 or more dedicated pieces on those topics. It also lacks at least 10 advanced educational videos. As a result, Spreadex is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #33 out of 36, making IG the stronger choice for traders who want more structured educational resources.
| Feature |
IG
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Spreadex. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while Spreadex finished with an overall rank of #32.
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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Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 70 |
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Compared to Spreadex, which only offers cryptocurrency trading via CFDs, IG lets you buy both actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and crypto CFDs, making it the more versatile choice for digital asset traders.
IG vs Spreadex: IG supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire transfers, while Spreadex offers bank wires only (no ACH/SEPA or PayPal); neither broker supports Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability isn’t 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 | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Spreadex Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Spreadex | |
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| Regulation | IG | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 70 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IG | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IG | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 10000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 52 | |
| 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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.91 | 0.81 | |
| 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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | $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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IG | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 58 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IG | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IG | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Spreadex Review |
| Overall | IG | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Spreadex Review |
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