Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Libertex, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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Interactive Brokers and Libertex differ clearly on trust and oversight. Interactive Brokers, founded in 1977 and listed on a stock exchange, is rated 99 out of 99 by ForexBrokers.com, which places it in the highly trusted range. It holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, adding to its strong regulatory profile. It is not a bank.
Libertex, founded in 1997 and not publicly traded, also is not a bank, but its regulatory standing is more limited. ForexBrokers.com gives it a Trust Score of 79 out of 99, which falls in the average risk range. Libertex holds 1 Tier-1 license and 1 Tier-2 license, so traders comparing the two will generally see Interactive Brokers as the more regulated and better trusted option.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1997 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Interactive Brokers and Libertex both offer pricing that can appeal to forex traders, but they take different approaches. Interactive Brokers uses a commission-based model with tight pricing and low overall costs for larger trades, including an estimated EUR/USD effective all-in spread of 0.59 pips after commission in Q3 2024. Its forex commission starts at 0.00002 of the U.S. dollar trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order, and can get even lower for very active traders. This makes IBKR especially attractive for higher-volume traders, though small trades can feel expensive because of the minimum charge. Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #2 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.
Libertex also offers competitive pricing on its main forex pairs, with a recent published EUR/USD spread of 0.3 pips, though this is a single-day figure rather than a long-term average. On its proprietary platform, forex trading costs 5 euros per side per 100,000 units, while MT4 and MT5 charge 6 euros per side. Libertex also has a low $10 minimum deposit, a 10 euro inactivity fee that only starts after six months without activity, and free international wire transfers. For traders who keep balances higher, deposit-based discounts can reduce fees further. Libertex is rated 4 stars and ranked #21 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.
In simple terms, Interactive Brokers is usually the better pick for cost-conscious, active forex traders who want very low commission-based pricing and can meet the minimum trade size more easily. Libertex is still a solid option, especially for traders who like a simple setup, a low starting deposit, and clear platform-based pricing, but its fees generally place it behind Interactive Brokers overall.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.226 | 0.3 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.226 | 1.3 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers offers a much wider range of investments than Libertex, making it a stronger choice for traders who want access to more markets and product types. It has 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, compared with Libertex’s 1,573 symbols and 46 forex pairs. Interactive Brokers also lets clients buy exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, such as Apple and Vodafone shares, while Libertex does not offer these types of stocks.
There are also key differences in crypto and extra features. Interactive Brokers allows clients to buy actual cryptocurrency, but not crypto CFDs, while Libertex offers crypto CFDs but not delivered crypto. Libertex does include copy trading, which Interactive Brokers does not. Overall, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers, while Libertex is rated 4 stars and ranks #25, showing that Interactive Brokers has the broader investment selection.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1573 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | No | 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.
Interactive Brokers and Libertex both give traders a choice of paper trading, desktop software, and web-based access, so each platform can be tested before putting real money on the line. Both also let users trade directly from charts, which can make order placement faster and more convenient. The biggest difference is that Interactive Brokers offers its own in-house trading platform, while Libertex does not.
When it comes to extra tools, Libertex stands out for copy trading plus support for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which may appeal to traders who want familiar third-party software and the option to follow other traders. Interactive Brokers does not offer copy trading or MT4/MT5, but it still receives a higher overall score for trading platforms and tools, with 5 out of 5 stars and a #2 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with Libertex’s 4 stars and #26 ranking.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 43 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Interactive Brokers and Libertex offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and both include price alerts plus watchlist syncing between the app and the client’s online account. That means traders can keep track of market moves and see the same watchlists across devices with either broker. In overall mobile app ratings, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead with 5 stars, while Libertex holds a 4-star rating.
The biggest difference is in charting tools. Interactive Brokers offers 155 technical studies in its mobile app and lets users draw trendlines on stock or forex charts, which gives active traders more ways to study price action on the go. Libertex does not offer technical studies in its app and does not support trendline drawing. That gap is reflected in rankings too, with Interactive Brokers placed #4 out of 36 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps by ForexBrokers.com, compared with Libertex at #27.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 0 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, Interactive Brokers has the edge over Libertex. Interactive Brokers offers daily market commentary, research from TipRanks, and tools from Acuity Trading, along with forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. It also includes Trading Central analysis, sentiment data that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. By comparison, Libertex also provides forex news, Trading Central tools, sentiment data, and an economic calendar, but it does not offer daily commentary, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading research.
This difference is reflected in independent ratings and rankings. Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com Research category. Libertex scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #25 out of 36, making Interactive Brokers the stronger choice for traders who want more market insights and research resources in one place.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice for beginners who want to learn before they trade. It offers forex and CFDs education, monthly online client webinars, and at least 10 beginner videos plus 10 advanced videos, giving new traders and more experienced users plenty of material to work through. Its Education rating is 5 stars, and it ranks #1 out of 36 brokers in the Education category at ForexBrokers.com.
Libertex offers some educational support, but it falls behind Interactive Brokers in both depth and variety. It does not meet the benchmark for monthly educational webinars, nor does it provide at least 10 beginner videos or 10 advanced videos focused on trading topics. It also ranks #33 out of 36 for Education and holds a 4-star rating, making it the weaker option for beginners looking for a wide range of learning resources.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 Interactive Brokers is better than Libertex. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Libertex finished with an overall rank of #32.
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.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 |
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Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency, while Libertex does not; however, Libertex offers cryptocurrency CFDs and Interactive Brokers does not, making Interactive Brokers better for direct crypto ownership and Libertex suited to CFD trading.
When comparing Interactive Brokers vs Libertex for deposits and withdrawals, both support ACH or SEPA transfers and bank wires, but Libertex also offers PayPal and Skrill while Interactive Brokers does not, making Libertex the more flexible option for funding methods.
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 | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Libertex Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1997 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| 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 | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1573 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | No | 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 | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.226 | 0.3 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.226 | 1.3 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 43 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 155 | 0 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Libertex Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Libertex | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Libertex Review |
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