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.
Founded in 1974, IG stands out as a highly trusted name in the world of online brokers. With a maximum Trust Score of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, IG offers strong reassurance for its customers. The firm is publicly traded, reflecting a level of transparency and reliability conducive to investor confidence. Additionally, as a bank, IG carries a higher level of financial backing and regulation. This reputation is supported by its impressive regulatory credentials, holding 8 highly trusted Tier-1 licenses and 2 trusted Tier-2 licenses.
On the other hand, Spreadex, which started operations in 1999, presents a different profile. It maintains a Trust Score of 71, placing it in the average risk category according to ForexBrokers.com. Unlike IG, Spreadex is not publicly traded and does not have the additional financial security status of a bank. Regulatory-wise, Spreadex holds just 1 highly trusted Tier-1 license and lacks any Tier-2 licenses, possibly providing a narrower scope of regulatory assurance compared to IG. This makes Spreadex a more modest alternative in terms of global trust and financial backing.
| 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 |
Looking at commissions and fees, IG earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #8 of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Spreadex earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #28 of 63. IG tends to suit active and high‑volume traders thanks to direct market access (DMA) and volume-based pricing, whereas Spreadex offers straightforward spread-only pricing.
On IG, the Forex Direct (DMA) account averaged a 0.62‑pip spread on EUR/USD in July 2023, with typical all‑in costs around 0.82 pips after commission. Commissions use a tiered schedule that ranges from about $60 per million at lower volumes to roughly $20 round‑turn per million at the highest tiers. IG’s spread‑only CFD account averaged about 0.69 pips during the main trading hours that month (about 22 hours per day), widening during thinner liquidity; across all sessions the global average was about 0.98 pips (IG US averaged 1.18 pips on EUR/USD). Qualified professionals can also access Active Trader rebates of 10% to 20% that can trim effective costs further.
Spreadex reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.81 pips in January 2024, with a 0.6‑pip minimum achieved around 60% of the time. That’s competitive for simple, spread‑only pricing, but IG’s DMA option and volume discounts can deliver lower effective costs for frequent traders or larger tickets. As always, actual spreads vary by market conditions, time of day, and account type.
| Feature |
IG
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | 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.
IG vs Spreadex: when it comes to range of investments, IG lists about 19,537 tradable symbols compared with Spreadex’s 10,000. IG also offers 97 forex pairs versus 52 at Spreadex, and both brokers support forex trading via CFDs and spot. Each earned a 5/5 rating for Range of Investments, with IG ranked #4 of 63 brokers and Spreadex ranked #14 by ForexBrokers.com.
Asset access is a key difference. IG lets you buy exchange-traded shares (not CFDs) on U.S. markets as well as international exchanges, while Spreadex does not offer direct share dealing. For crypto, IG supports both actual coins and cryptocurrency CFDs; Spreadex offers crypto CFDs only. Neither broker offers copy trading.
| 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 vs Spreadex: For trading platforms and tools, these online brokers diverge in scope. IG earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Spreadex holds 4 stars and ranks #47. Both provide free demo (paper) accounts and proprietary, in‑house platforms, but IG offers a wider selection.
IG supports a web platform, a Windows desktop download, and MetaTrader 4; MetaTrader 5 is not available. Spreadex offers a web platform and its own proprietary interface, but no Windows desktop app and no MT4 or MT5. Neither broker offers copy trading. Both let you place trades directly from charts. If you want desktop software or MT4, IG is the stronger option; if you only need a web platform, Spreadex may suit your needs.
| 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) | No | 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 iPhone and Android trading apps with price alerts for stocks and forex. If you want a best-in-class mobile experience, IG stands out: ForexBrokers.com rates it 5 stars and ranks it #1 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while Spreadex earns 4 stars and ranks #47. IG also syncs watchlists between its mobile app and web platform; Spreadex does not.
For charting on the go, IG’s app includes 33 technical studies, lets you draw trendlines, and automatically saves your drawings. Spreadex supports trendline drawing too, but the number of technical studies isn’t provided and drawings don’t auto-save. Both cover the essentials for trading on the move, but IG offers more tools and better continuity across devices.
| 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 cover the basics of market research very well. Each provides daily market commentary, an economic calendar for global events, forex news from leading outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, Autochartist tools for technical analysis, and a sentiment gauge showing long/short positioning. Neither broker includes Trading Central.
Where IG pulls ahead is in extra third‑party research. IG adds TipRanks insights and tools from Acuity Trading (such as Signal Centre), which help turn headlines and data into clearer trade ideas. That edge is reflected in ratings: IG earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Spreadex scores 4 stars and ranks #32. If you want more in-depth, integrated research add‑ons, IG is the stronger pick; if you only need core market coverage, Spreadex still does the job.
| 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.
IG vs Spreadex for beginner education: IG clearly leads. IG runs ongoing client webinars at least once a month, and offers 10+ beginner trading videos plus 10+ advanced videos to help you progress from the basics to more complex forex and CFD concepts. Spreadex provides 10+ beginner videos, which is great for getting started, but it does not host monthly educational webinars and does not offer 10+ advanced videos—so there’s less depth when you’re ready to level up.
Independent ratings back this up: IG earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Spreadex holds 4 stars and ranks #45. If you want a fuller learning path with webinars and advanced coverage, IG is the stronger pick. If you mainly need straightforward beginner videos, Spreadex can work as a simpler starting point.
| 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 #39.
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 | 71 |
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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 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Spreadex Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Spreadex | |
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| Regulation | IG | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| 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 (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 | 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 SCA 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 | 0.98 | 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 | £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 | 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) | No | 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 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Spreadex Review |
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