Interactive Brokers vs IUX 2025
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs IUX, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs IUX, 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 Interactive Brokers and IUX, several key differences stand out, particularly in terms of trust and regulatory credentials. Interactive Brokers, established in 1977 and publicly traded, boasts a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, indicating a high degree of trust. It holds 9 Tier-1 licenses, which are highly respected, and 2 Tier-2 licenses, reflecting its solid regulatory standing. Despite not being a bank, Interactive Brokers remains a dependable choice for traders.
In contrast, IUX, founded in 2016, is not publicly traded but still offers competitive trading services. However, its Trust Score of 78 indicates an average risk. IUX holds only 1 Tier-1 license and 1 Tier-2 license, suggesting it may not provide the same level of regulatory reassurance as its counterpart. While both brokers serve as non-banking trading platforms, the distinction in trust and regulatory status is noteworthy for potential users considering which platform to choose.
Feature |
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Year Founded | 1977 | 2016 |
Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
Bank | No | No |
Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 |
Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Interactive Brokers and IUX offer different pricing models tailored to various trading needs. Interactive Brokers is particularly noted for its competitive forex trading fees, which start at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the U.S. dollar trade value, with a minimum fee of $2 per order. This can reduce to 0.08 basis points for highly active traders. The broker charges between $16 and $40 per million round turn in forex and provides discounts for trading volumes exceeding $1 billion per month. Interactive Brokers aggregates prices from 17 major interbank forex dealers, aiming for optimal execution. It holds an impressive rating of 5 stars for commissions and fees, ranking #2 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com.
On the other hand, IUX provides pricing based on different account types. Their Standard and Standard+ accounts have a low entry barrier with a $10 minimum deposit, but they differ in terms of spreads and bonus promotions. For active traders, IUX offers Raw and Pro accounts with a $500 minimum deposit. The Raw account features tight spreads with a $6 commission per standard lot, while the Pro account offers lower spreads without an additional commission. With average spreads reaching 0.6 pips for the Raw account, IUX provides competitive pricing for smaller brokers but lacks the edge of industry leaders. It has a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, placing it at #49 out of 63 brokers in the same category.
In summary, Interactive Brokers excels for larger, high-volume traders seeking lower all-in costs, whereas IUX presents an appealing option for smaller-scale traders with varied account requirements. Both brokers offer strengths that cater to different types of traders, with Interactive Brokers leading in global pricing competitiveness and IUX providing versatile options for budget-conscious clients.
Feature |
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Minimum Deposit | $0 | 10 |
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.9 |
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.6 |
Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, Interactive Brokers (IBKR) outpaces IUX. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs and spot, but IBKR lists about 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, while IUX offers 152 symbols and 34 pairs. IBKR clients can buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges as well as on international exchanges. IUX offers exchange-traded securities on international markets but not on U.S. exchanges.
For crypto access, IBKR lets you buy actual delivered cryptocurrencies and crypto derivatives, whereas IUX limits crypto to derivatives only. Neither broker offers copy trading. Reflecting its wider lineup, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 out of 5 stars and ranks it #1 of 63 brokers for Range of Investments. IUX earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #61 of 63.
Feature |
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Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 152 |
Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 34 |
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No |
Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No |
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Comparing Interactive Brokers and IUX on trading platforms and tools: both provide free paper trading demo accounts, proprietary platforms, Windows desktop downloads, web-based platforms, and the ability to trade right from charts. Neither supports copy trading, MT4, DupliTrade, or ZuluTrade, while only IUX offers MT5. In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers for Platforms and Tools, while IUX earns 3.5 stars and ranks #60.
For charting, IUX lists slightly more drawing tools (89) than Interactive Brokers (85). Where Interactive Brokers clearly pulls ahead is watchlist depth, offering 659 columns compared with IUXโs 46. If you want MT5 access and a solid set of drawing tools, IUX fits the bill. If you value extensive watchlist fields and top-tier platform ratings, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice.
Feature |
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Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No |
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
DupliTrade | No | No |
ZuluTrade | No | No |
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 106 |
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 89 |
Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 46 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and IUX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android with real-time quote watchlists. Key differences stand out: Interactive Brokers supports price alerts and syncs watchlists with your online account, while IUX lacks both features. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, whereas IUX holds 3.5 stars and ranks #61.
For charting, IUX lists 106 technical studies compared with 97 on Interactive Brokers. However, Interactive Brokers lets you draw trendlines, which IUX does not. Both apps allow multiple time frames. If you draw on charts frequently, note that IUX auto-saves drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not. Traders who want alerts, synced watchlists, and trendlines may lean toward Interactive Brokers, while those who prioritize a larger set of studies and auto-save may prefer IUX.
Feature |
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Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No |
Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 106 |
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers outshines IUX for market research. IB delivers daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. It also includes Trading Central tools for technical analysis, a sentiment indicator showing long/short positioning, TipRanks stock research, and Acuity Trading signals. Both brokers provide an economic calendar, and neither offers Autochartist.
These differences are reflected in independent ratings: Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IUX holds 3 stars and ranks #60. If you want extensive news, analysis, and trade ideas, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice; IUX may suit traders who only need an economic calendar and basic market context.
Feature |
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Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
Autochartist | No | No |
Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
TipRanks | Yes | No |
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Interactive Brokers vs IUX for beginner education: Interactive Brokers clearly offers more ways to learn. It provides at least 10 forex and CFD pieces (articles, videos, or archived webinars), runs client webinars at least monthly, and keeps a searchable archive so you can learn on your schedule. Both brokers offer at least 10 beginner-friendly videos, but Interactive Brokers goes further with at least 10 advanced videos and an investor dictionary with 50+ termsโresources IUX does not offer. IUX also lacks dedicated forex/CFD education, live webinars, and a webinar archive, which limits ongoing learning for new traders.
Ratings and rankings reflect the gap. Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. IUX earns 3 stars and ranks #60 out of 63. If you want a deep learning path with live sessions, advanced topics, and a handy glossary, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice. If you only need basic beginner videos, IUX can cover the essentials but offers far fewer extras for growing your skills.
Feature |
|
|
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Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
Client Webinars | Yes | No |
Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than IUX. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while IUX finished with an overall rank of #55.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.
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Overall Rating |
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Trust Score | 99 | 78 |
Range of Investments |
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Commissions & Fees |
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Research |
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Education |
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Interactive Brokers allows for the purchase of actual cryptocurrency and offers cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas IUX only provides access to cryptocurrency derivatives without the ability to buy actual cryptocurrency.
Interactive Brokers supports ACH, SEPA, and bank wire transfers, but lacks PayPal, Skrill, and card options, whereas IUX offers Skrill, Visa, and Mastercard, but does not support ACH or SEPA, while both support bank wire transfers.
Please note:
We review each brokerโs overall global offering โ a โYesโ 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 5Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
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Mobile Trading |
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Research |
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Education |
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Trust Score | 99 | 78 | |
Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Interactive Brokers Review | IUX Review |
Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
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Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
Regulation | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
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Trust Score | 99 | 78 | |
Year Founded | 1977 | 2016 | |
Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
Bank | No | No | |
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 | |
Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
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Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
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Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
Investments | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
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Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 152 | |
Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 34 | |
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No | |
Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No | |
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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). |
Cost | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
---|---|---|---|
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.9 | |
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.6 | |
Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
Funding | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
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Minimum Deposit | $0 | 10 | |
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
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Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No | |
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
cTrader | No | No | |
DupliTrade | No | No | |
ZuluTrade | No | No |
Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
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Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 46 | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 106 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 89 | |
Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
---|---|---|---|
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 106 | |
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Research | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
---|---|---|---|
Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
Autochartist | No | No | |
Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
TipRanks | Yes | No | |
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Education | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
---|---|---|---|
Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
---|---|---|---|
GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
Review | Interactive Brokers Review | IUX Review |
Overall | Interactive Brokers | IUX | |
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Overall Rating |
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Commissions & Fees |
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Range of Investments |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading |
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Research |
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Education |
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Trust Score | 99 | 78 | |
Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Interactive Brokers Review | IUX Review |