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Interactive Brokers vs Plus500 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Plus500, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 8500
Plus500
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: €50 info
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 5500 info

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 logoInteractive Brokers
Plus500 logoPlus500
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 and Plus500 offer distinct approaches to commissions and fees, reflecting their diverse target markets. Interactive Brokers is renowned for its competitive forex pricing, even though it doesn't publicize its average forex spreads. During Q3 2024, the EUR/USD spread was approximately 0.19 pips, translating to an all-in spread of 0.59 pips after commission. Forex commissions with Interactive Brokers start at 0.00002 of the USD trade value, with a minimum charge of $2 per order. Active traders can benefit from significant discounts, dropping fees as trading volumes increase. This competitive fee structure has earned Interactive Brokers a 5-star rating and the #2 rank among 63 brokers for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com.

Plus500 offers straightforward pricing without commission fees but tends to have higher spreads compared to industry leaders. For instance, EUR/USD spreads were 1.5 pips on average in April 2024, which is slightly above the industry standard. While Plus500 doesn’t offer direct discounts to retail traders, it does provide cash rebates for those qualifying as Professional clients. Despite this, its fee structure is less accommodating to active traders, contributing to its 4-star rating and #23 rank in the commissions and fees category as reviewed by ForexBrokers.com.

In summary, Interactive Brokers appeals to cost-conscious traders, especially those engaging in high volume trading, with its low commission rates and potential discounts. Plus500, while offering commission-free trading with straightforward pricing, may not be as financially attractive to active traders due to its higher spreads. This comparison highlights the importance of considering trading styles and priorities when choosing a broker, with Interactive Brokers offering more advantages for active forex traders seeking lower costs.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Plus500 logoPlus500
Minimum Deposit info $0 €50 info
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info 1.3 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.59 info 1.3 info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

Interactive Brokers and Plus500 both offer a wide range of investment options, making them appealing for varied financial strategies. Interactive Brokers shines with access to an impressive 8500 tradeable symbols, including a comprehensive selection of 90 forex pairs available either as CFDs or spot contracts. Plus500, while offering fewer tradeable symbols at 5500, also provides forex trading as CFDs with a choice of 65 pairs. Both platforms grant access to U.S. and international exchange-traded securities such as prominent stocks like Apple and Vodafone, but neither supports copy trading. Notably, Interactive Brokers allows clients to purchase real cryptocurrencies, whereas Plus500 only offers cryptocurrency derivatives.

The wider array of investment choices and offerings at Interactive Brokers grants it a top rating of five stars for its range of investments, outperforming Plus500's still commendable 4.5 stars. Ranking evaluations from ForexBrokers.com place Interactive Brokers at the apex of the investment variety category, securing the 1st position among 63 brokers. Plus500 holds the 21st rank, reflecting its strong but lesser market coverage in comparison. Each platform’s ratings highlight their respective strengths in meeting diverse trading needs, with Interactive Brokers positioned as a versatile leader in the market.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Plus500 logoPlus500
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes info
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 5500 info
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 65
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No No
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) 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 traders with excellent platforms and tools, but they differ in several key areas. Both brokers offer proprietary, web-based platforms and free virtual demo accounts, making it easy for users to practice and enhance their trading strategies. However, Interactive Brokers stands out with its Windows-based desktop platform, offering a more comprehensive charting experience with 85 drawing tools and the ability to trade directly from stock charts. In contrast, Plus500, while still offering a solid platform, does not support a desktop download or allow trading directly from charts, providing 36 drawing tools for charting use.

When it comes to customization, Interactive Brokers excels with an impressive 659 columns available for watch lists compared to Plus500's 10. Although neither broker supports copy trading or popular platforms like MetaTrader 4 and 5, they both maintain a competitive edge in their own right. Interactive Brokers has received a perfect five-star rating for Trading Platforms and Tools, securing the #3 spot among 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Plus500, with its 4.5-star rating and ranking of #14, still offers a commendable platform, but falls slightly behind in versatility and features compared to Interactive Brokers.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Plus500 logoPlus500
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes No
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 115
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 85 36
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes No
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 10

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

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers and Plus500 both offer comprehensive mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users, catering to both stock and forex traders. With features like price alerts and watchlist syncing, both apps ensure that updates made on mobile devices are reflected in the user's online account. They also allow users to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames on stock and forex charts. However, neither app saves chart drawings automatically, so users must manually save their work before closing the app.

When it comes to charting tools, Plus500 edges ahead by offering 115 technical studies compared to Interactive Brokers' 97. Yet, Interactive Brokers shines in mobile trading app ratings, receiving a perfect 5-star score and ranking 4th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Plus500 follows closely with a 4.5-star rating and a 14th place ranking. Both apps allow the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes, making them excellent picks for traders seeking mobile flexibility.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Plus500 logoPlus500
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 115
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No No
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

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 logoInteractive Brokers
Plus500 logoPlus500
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes No
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

When comparing the educational resources offered by Interactive Brokers and Plus500 for beginners, both online brokers provide substantial content on forex and CFDs. Each platform offers over ten educational pieces that cater to those interested in currency trading topics. Whether you are learning through articles, videos, or archived webinars, both brokers provide the resources needed to enhance your understanding. They also hold regular online webinars, offering at least one session per month and maintain a searchable archive of past webinars to facilitate continuous learning. This ensures that both beginners and experienced traders have access to valuable educational content at their convenience.

Interactive Brokers stands out with its comprehensive educational offerings, providing over ten beginner-friendly videos and an equal number of advanced videos for more experienced traders. Additionally, Interactive Brokers offers an investor dictionary featuring definitions of over 50 investing terms, a resource not present with Plus500. As a testament to its superior educational resources, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #3 among 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Plus500, though highly competent, is rated 4.0 stars and ranked #31, which reflects a slightly less comprehensive offering for those seeking to deepen their financial knowledge.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Plus500 logoPlus500
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes info
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes info
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes No

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 logoInteractive Brokers
Plus500 logoPlus500
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 99
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Plus500?

Interactive Brokers and Plus500 differ in their cryptocurrency offerings, with Interactive Brokers allowing users to purchase both actual cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas Plus500 only provides access to cryptocurrency derivatives.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Interactive Brokers supports ACH, SEPA, and bank wire transfers for depositing or withdrawing funds but does not offer PayPal, Skrill, or card payments, whereas Plus500 provides flexible options including PayPal, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, yet lacks ACH and SEPA transfer support.




announcementPlease 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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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Interactive Brokers Plus500
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 99
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review Plus500 Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers Plus500
Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) info
Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) info
Research Gallery (click to expand) info
Education 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 (SFC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes Yes
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info Yes No
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 No No
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No Yes
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) info Yes Yes
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info No No
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. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No No
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) 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 info 0.59 info 1.3 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.59 info 1.3 info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
Inactivity Fee info No Yes
Execution: Agency Broker info Yes No
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
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers Plus500
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes No
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
cTrader info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers Plus500
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 10
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 115
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 85 36
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 Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 115
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No No
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers Plus500
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers Plus500
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes info
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes info
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes No
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers Plus500
GBP/USD info Yes Yes info
USD/JPY info Yes Yes info
EUR/USD info Yes Yes info
USD/CHF info Yes Yes info
USD/CAD info Yes Yes info
NZD/USD info Yes Yes info
AUD/USD info Yes Yes info
Review Interactive Brokers Review Plus500 Review
Overall Interactive Brokers Plus500
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 99
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review Plus500 Review
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