Interactive Brokers vs Plus500 2025

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.

Regulation

Interactive Brokers, founded in 1977, and Plus500, established in 2008, both enjoy top-tier credibility in the online brokerage world. They each have a perfect 99 Trust Score rating on ForexBrokers.com, indicating they are highly reliable. Both firms are publicly traded, offering transparency and investor oversight. Although neither is a bank, they are distinguished by their regulatory approvals: Interactive Brokers holds nine Tier-1 licenses while Plus500 has six, reflecting their strong compliance with top financial regulatory bodies worldwide.

On the Tier-2 license front, Plus500 takes a slight lead with three approvals compared to Interactive Brokers' two. These licenses further underscore the general trustworthiness and security for users trading with these brokers. Whether you choose Interactive Brokers or Plus500, both options provide extensive regulatory backing, granting consumers peace of mind when trading online.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Year Founded info	1977	2008
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	Yes
Bank info	No	No
Tier-1 Licenses info	9	6
Tier-2 Licenses info	2	3
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	2

Fees

Interactive Brokers earns 5/5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers, while Plus500 scores 4.0/5 stars and ranks #24 out of 63. The difference shows up most clearly in forex trading costs: Interactive Brokers typically delivers lower all-in pricing on major pairs, whereas Plus500’s costs tend to be higher for everyday and active traders.

Interactive Brokers does not publish average forex spreads, but Q3 2024 data shows its EUR/USD spread averaged 0.19 pips, or about 0.59 pips all-in after commission. Its commission starts at 0.00002 of the U.S. dollar trade value per side (minimum $2 per order), which works out to roughly 0.40 pips in commission on a $100,000 EUR/USD round trip, plus the prevailing spread. Smaller trade sizes feel the minimum more, while very high-volume traders can reduce the minimum to $1.50 per order above $1 billion in monthly volume and to $1 at $5 billion. IBKR charges a commission instead of marking up spreads and aggregates quotes from multiple interbank dealers.

Plus500 generally prices above the industry average and does not discount for retail clients. In April 2024, its average EUR/USD spread was 1.5 pips, which is higher than Interactive Brokers’ effective all-in cost on the same pair. Plus500 offers cash rebates only to Professional clients, so most traders won’t see lower fees as their volume grows. In short: Interactive Brokers (5/5 stars, #2/63) is the stronger pick on pure trading costs, while Plus500 (4.0/5 stars, #24/63) is simpler but typically pricier on spreads.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Minimum Deposit info	$0	€50 info
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.59 info	1.3 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.65 info	1.3 info
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Range of investments

Interactive Brokers offers a wider range of investments than Plus500. It lists about 8,500 tradeable symbols versus Plus500’s 5,500, and 90 forex pairs compared with 65 at Plus500. Both support forex trading (CFD or spot) and let you buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, so you can trade well-known stocks at either broker. Neither platform offers copy trading. For overall breadth, Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers for Range of Investments, while Plus500 scores 4.5 stars and ranks #22.

Cryptocurrency access is another key difference. Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual crypto in addition to trading crypto CFDs, whereas Plus500 offers crypto only through CFDs. If you want the widest mix of instruments—stocks across global markets, a larger set of forex pairs, and both real and CFD-based crypto—Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice, while Plus500 still covers the essentials with a simpler lineup.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes info
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	5500 info
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	65
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	Yes	Yes info
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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account.

Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers and Plus500 both provide free paper trading (demo accounts) and their own in-house platforms. Interactive Brokers offers a downloadable Windows desktop platform plus a web platform, while Plus500 focuses on its web platform and does not provide a Windows desktop download. Neither broker supports copy trading, MetaTrader 4 (MT4), or MetaTrader 5 (MT5). If trading straight from charts matters to you, Interactive Brokers allows chart-based order entry; Plus500 does not.

For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers at 5 stars and ranks it #3 out of 63 brokers, versus Plus500 at 4.5 stars and #14 out of 63. In short, Interactive Brokers suits traders who want a desktop and web experience with chart trading, while Plus500 appeals to those who prefer a straightforward, browser-based platform with an easy demo to get started.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	No
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	115
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	No

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers and Plus500 both offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts and watchlist syncing, so changes you make on mobile show up in your online account. For charting, both apps let you draw trendlines, though neither app auto-saves drawings. If you care about built-in indicators, Plus500 provides 115 technical studies, while Interactive Brokers offers 97.

In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earned 5 stars and ranked #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while Plus500 received 4.5 stars and ranked #14. Choose Plus500 if having more indicators matters most; pick Interactive Brokers if you want a higher-rated overall mobile app experience.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	97	115
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

When comparing market research offerings, Interactive Brokers and Plus500 both provide daily market commentary to keep investors informed. However, Interactive Brokers has a distinct advantage by delivering forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, which Plus500 does not. Both brokers offer technical analysis tools from Trading Central and sentiment-based trading tools that display the ratio of long to short positions, providing valuable insights for traders. While Interactive Brokers also provides additional market research from companies like TipRanks and Acuity Trading's Signal Centre, Plus500 does not include these features in its offerings.

In terms of research tools, both brokers feature an economic calendar to help traders stay ahead of global news events. However, the quality and depth of market research place Interactive Brokers ahead of Plus500, as reflected in their ratings. With a research score of 5 out of 5 stars and a remarkable #3 ranking out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers excels in delivering comprehensive research services. In contrast, Plus500 holds a 4-star rating and is ranked #19, indicating a solid but less extensive offering compared to Interactive Brokers.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	No
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	Yes	Yes
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	Yes	No
Acuity Trading info	Yes	No
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers vs. Plus500 for beginner education: both brokers give new traders plenty of ways to learn. Each runs online client webinars at least once a month and offers at least 10 beginner-friendly videos, plus 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up. If you like learning through videos and live sessions, either platform will fit the bill.

Where they differ is in third-party ratings. ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers’ education 5 stars and ranks it #3 out of 63 brokers, while Plus500 earns 4.0 stars and ranks #31. If top-rated education is your priority, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice; if you’re after straightforward learning materials, Plus500 still provides helpful content for new traders.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Webinars info	Yes	Yes info
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than Plus500. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14.

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	Plus500
Overall Rating info
Trust Score info	99	99
Range of Investments
Commissions & Fees
Platforms & Tools
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Plus500?

What funding options does each broker offer?

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Overall Rating	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Overall Rating info
Commissions & Fees
Range of Investments
Platforms & Tools
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	99
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	Plus500 Review

Broker Screenshots	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info

Regulation	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Trust Score info	99	99
Year Founded info	1977	2008
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	Yes
Bank info	No	No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info	9	6
Tier-2 Licenses info	2	3
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	2

Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info	Yes	No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info	Yes	No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info	Yes
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info	Yes	No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info	No	Yes
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	Yes info

Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info	No	Yes
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info	No	Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info	Yes	Yes info
India (SEBI Authorised) info	Yes	No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info

Investments	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes info
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	5500 info
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	65
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	Yes	Yes info
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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account.

Cost	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.59 info	1.3 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.65 info	1.3 info
Inactivity Fee info	No	Yes
Order execution: Agency info	Yes	No
Order execution: Market Maker info	No	Yes

Funding	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Minimum Deposit info	$0	€50 info
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No

Trading Platforms	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	No
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
cTrader info	No	No

Trading Tools	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	115
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	No
Charts can be saved info	Yes	Yes

Mobile Trading	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	97	115
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Research	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	No
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	Yes	No
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Education	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Webinars info	Yes	Yes info
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Major Forex Pairs	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info	Yes	Yes info
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	Plus500 Review

Overall	Interactive Brokers	Plus500
Overall Rating info
Commissions & Fees
Range of Investments
Platforms & Tools
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	99
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	Plus500 Review