Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs PU Prime, 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 PU Prime differ a lot when it comes to trust and oversight. Interactive Brokers was founded in 1977, is publicly traded, and is not a bank, but it holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, giving it a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99. Under ForexBrokers.com’s rating scale, that places it in the highly trusted range.
PU Prime was founded in 2015, is not publicly traded, and is also not a bank. It holds 1 Tier-1 license and 2 Tier-2 licenses, with a Trust Score of 79 out of 99, which puts it in the average risk category. For traders comparing regulation and overall trust, Interactive Brokers stands out as the more established and more heavily regulated choice.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
PU Prime
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2015 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Interactive Brokers comes out ahead on commissions and fees, earning a 5-star rating and the #1 ranking out of 36 brokers. Its forex pricing is commission-based rather than spread-marked up, which can make costs very competitive for active traders. For example, IBKR’s average EUR/USD spread was about 0.19 pips in Q3 2024, with an estimated all-in cost of 0.59 pips after commission. Forex commissions start at 0.00002 of the U.S. dollar trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order, though very high-volume traders may qualify for lower rates.
PU Prime is more flexible, offering account types for different styles of trading, but its costs vary more by plan. Its Standard and Cent accounts include the trading cost in the spread, with spreads starting at 1.3 pips and no separate commission. For traders who want lower spreads, the Prime account starts at 0.0 pips with a $3.50 commission per side, while the ECN account lowers that commission to $1 per side, though it requires a much larger minimum deposit. PU Prime is rated 4.0 stars and ranked #22 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
In simple terms, Interactive Brokers is usually the better choice if keeping trading costs low is your top priority, especially for forex. PU Prime may appeal more to beginners or traders who want smaller starting deposits and simpler pricing on some account types, but its overall fee structure is less competitive than IBKR’s. For commissions and fees, the edge clearly goes to Interactive Brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
PU Prime
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50.00 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 1.3 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.626 | 0.9 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, Interactive Brokers offers a much wider selection than PU Prime. Interactive Brokers provides access to about 8,500 tradeable symbols and 100 forex pairs, while PU Prime offers around 1,000 symbols and 55 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading, but Interactive Brokers also lets clients buy exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international markets, such as U.S. shares and overseas stocks. It also allows trading in actual cryptocurrency, while PU Prime does not offer delivered crypto.
PU Prime does have a few features Interactive Brokers does not, including copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. Even so, Interactive Brokers leads overall for investment choice, earning 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranking #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with PU Prime’s 4.0 stars and #29 ranking. For traders who want the broader market access, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
PU Prime
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 55 |
| 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 PU Prime both give traders the basics they need, including free paper trading, Windows desktop software, web-based platforms, and the ability to place trades directly from a chart. The main difference is that Interactive Brokers also offers its own in-house platform, while PU Prime does not. On the other hand, PU Prime stands out for copy trading and support for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which may appeal to traders who want a familiar third-party setup and the option to follow other traders.
When it comes to overall trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers has the edge. It earns a 5-star rating and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s platform category, compared with PU Prime’s 4.0-star rating and #25 ranking. If you want a broker with a top-tier platform experience and a proprietary desktop and web offering, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick. If you prefer MT4, MT5, or copy trading features, PU Prime may be the better fit.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
PU Prime
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 87 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and PU Prime both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each includes price alerts plus the ability to draw trendlines on charts. That said, Interactive Brokers gives mobile users more charting depth, with 155 technical studies compared with PU Prime’s 14. It also stands out for watchlist symbol syncing, so changes made in the app and online account stay aligned, while PU Prime does not offer that feature.
For traders who care about mobile app quality, Interactive Brokers has the edge overall. It is rated 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while PU Prime is rated 4.0 stars and ranks #27. One area where PU Prime does have an advantage is automatic saving of chart drawings, which Interactive Brokers does not provide in its mobile app.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
PU Prime
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 14 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers offers a wider range of market research tools than PU Prime, making it a stronger choice for traders who want more built-in analysis and news. Both brokers provide daily market commentary and an economic calendar, and both include Trading Central tools. However, Interactive Brokers also adds forex news from major outlets like Bloomberg and Reuters, sentiment tools, TipRanks research, and Acuity Trading signals, while PU Prime does not offer these extras. On the other hand, PU Prime includes Autochartist, which Interactive Brokers does not.
Overall, Interactive Brokers stands out for research, with a 5-star rating and a #3 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com in the Research category. PU Prime is rated 3.5 stars and does not have a listed ranking in this category, so it may suit traders who only need the basics, but Interactive Brokers is better for those who want deeper market insight.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
PU Prime
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for learning support, Interactive Brokers and PU Prime both offer a wide range of education tools. Each broker provides forex or CFD-focused learning materials, online client webinars at least once a month, and at least 10 beginner and 10 advanced videos covering trading topics. That means both platforms give new traders plenty of ways to build skills and learn at their own pace.
Even so, Interactive Brokers stands out more in this area. It earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers for education at ForexBrokers.com, while PU Prime is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #29. For beginners who want the strongest mix of educational content and overall learning support, Interactive Brokers is the clearer choice.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
PU Prime
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
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 PU Prime. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while PU Prime finished with an overall rank of #34.
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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PU Prime
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 |
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Interactive Brokers allows clients to buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency, while PU Prime does not; however, PU Prime offers cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas Interactive Brokers does not.
When comparing Interactive Brokers vs PU Prime for account funding and withdrawals, both brokers support ACH or SEPA transfers and bank wires, neither offers PayPal, and only PU Prime supports Skrill, making PU Prime the more flexible choice for e-wallet funding options.
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 | PU Prime | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | PU Prime Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | PU Prime | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2015 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | 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 | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 55 | |
| 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 | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 1.3 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.626 | 0.9 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | ||
| Order execution: Market Maker | No |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50.00 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 87 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 14 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | PU Prime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | PU Prime Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | PU Prime | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | PU Prime Review |
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