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 vs Plus500: both brokers cover a wide range of markets and support forex trading via CFD or spot contracts. Interactive Brokers lists about 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, while Plus500 offers roughly 5,500 symbols and 65 forex pairs. Each broker lets you buy exchange-traded securities (not CFDs) on U.S. exchanges like NASDAQ for Apple (AAPL) and on international exchanges such as the London Stock Exchange for Vodafone (VOD). Neither broker provides copy trading.

For crypto, Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual cryptocurrency as well as trade crypto CFDs, whereas Plus500 offers crypto CFDs only. Reflecting this breadth, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com; Plus500 scores 4.5 stars and ranks #17. If you want the widest selection and access to real crypto alongside CFDs, Interactive Brokers stands out; if you’re focused on CFD trading with thousands of markets, Plus500 is a solid alternative.

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 check key boxes for getting started: each offers a free paper trading (demo) account and a proprietary trading platform you can use in your browser. If you want a downloadable Windows desktop platform, Interactive Brokers has one, while Plus500 does not. Neither broker supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and neither offers copy trading. For charting, Interactive Brokers lets you place trades directly from charts; Plus500 does not include trade-from-chart functionality.

When it comes to platform quality, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, while Plus500 scores 4.5 stars and ranks #14. If you need a powerful desktop experience and trade-from-chart tools, Interactive Brokers is the better fit. If you prefer a straightforward, web-based platform with a free demo to practice, Plus500 is worth a look.

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

Interactive Brokers and Plus500 both deliver daily market commentary, an economic calendar, Trading Central tools, and sentiment gauges. Key differences show up in third‑party research and news: Interactive Brokers streams forex news from major outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, while Plus500 does not. Interactive Brokers also adds TipRanks and Acuity Trading (Signal Centre), which are not available on Plus500. Neither broker offers Autochartist.

For depth and variety of research, Interactive Brokers stands out with a 5-star Research rating and a #3 ranking out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. Plus500 covers the essentials with Trading Central, sentiment, commentary, and a calendar, earning 4.0 stars and a #17 ranking. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want premium news and more third‑party insights; pick Plus500 if you prefer a simpler toolkit focused on the basics.

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 help new traders learn with live online webinars held at least once a month and libraries of 10+ beginner videos. Each also offers 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to go further. Interactive Brokers generally provides a broader, more structured path through its materials, while Plus500 focuses on concise lessons that are quick to absorb. Their webinars and videos cover trading basics and often touch on forex and CFD topics to build confidence step by step.

Independent ratings back this up: ForexBrokers.com gives Interactive Brokers a 5-star Education score and ranks it #1 out of 63 brokers, while Plus500 earns 4.0 stars and ranks #26. If you want the most comprehensive learning experience, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick. If you prefer a simpler set of educational videos and regular webinars, Plus500 is a practical alternative.

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
Trading Fees
Trading Platforms
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
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
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
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	99
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	Plus500 Review