Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs StoneX Trading, 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 StoneX Trading are both publicly traded online brokers, and neither is a bank. Interactive Brokers was founded in 1977, while StoneX Trading started in 1983. When it comes to regulation, Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, while StoneX Trading holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license.
According to ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale, a score of 90-99 means a broker is highly trusted, and both Interactive Brokers and StoneX Trading score 99 out of 99. That puts each firm in the highest trust category, making them both strong options for traders who want a broker with extensive oversight and a long operating history.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
StoneX Trading
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1983 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 7 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Interactive Brokers offers very low commissions and fees for forex trading, especially for active traders. It does not publish average forex spreads, but recent Q3 2024 pricing showed an average EUR/USD spread of 0.19 pips, or about 0.59 pips all-in after commission. Forex commissions start at 0.00002 of the U.S. dollar trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order, and can fall even lower for high-volume traders. Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers, making it one of the top choices for low-cost forex trading.
StoneX Trading’s commissions and fees are closer to the industry average for CFDs, forex, and spread betting. Its average EUR/USD spread was 0.74 pips as of July 2023, which keeps overall costs reasonable, though not as low as the best-priced brokers in the market. StoneX also offers rebates for professional traders in the U.K. and Australia, which can help reduce trading costs for higher-volume clients. StoneX Trading is rated 4.5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #16 out of 36 brokers.
Overall, Interactive Brokers is the better pick for traders who want lower forex costs, especially if they trade often or in larger sizes. StoneX Trading may still suit traders looking for average pricing with rebate options, but it does not match Interactive Brokers on fees. In short, both brokers are competitively priced, yet Interactive Brokers stands out as the cheaper option for most forex traders.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
StoneX Trading
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | £100.00 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 1.4 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.65 | 0.9 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the range of investments, Interactive Brokers gives traders access to more listed markets and asset types that many investors look for. It offers around 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, plus exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges. Interactive Brokers also supports buying actual cryptocurrency, which adds another option for those who want direct ownership. StoneX Trading, by contrast, lists more tradeable symbols overall at about 13,500, but it offers fewer forex pairs at 66 and does not provide access to U.S. or international exchange-traded stocks in the same way.
The two brokers also differ in extras. StoneX Trading offers copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, while Interactive Brokers does not. Still, both brokers are rated 5 stars for Range of Investments, showing that each gives traders plenty of choice. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for this category, Interactive Brokers places first out of 36 brokers, while StoneX Trading ranks eighth, which may help explain why Interactive Brokers is often seen as the stronger pick for investors who want a wider mix of traditional markets and direct asset access.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
StoneX Trading
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 13500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 66 |
| 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 StoneX Trading both give traders a wide set of platform choices, including a free paper trading account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based browser platform. Both also let users trade directly from a stock chart. For trading tools, the two brokers appear closely matched in the basic platform features most investors look for.
The main differences are in extra features and overall ratings. StoneX Trading offers copy trading and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while Interactive Brokers does not offer either. Interactive Brokers, however, earns a higher Trading Platforms and Tools score from ForexBrokers.com, with 5 stars and a #2 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with StoneX Trading’s 4.5 stars and #11 ranking. For traders who want a stronger platform experience overall, Interactive Brokers has the edge, while StoneX Trading may appeal more to those who want copy trading or MT4 access.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
StoneX Trading
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 88 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and StoneX Trading both make it easy to trade from a phone, since each offers iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, and watchlist syncing between the mobile app and the online account. Both apps also let users draw trendlines on stock or forex charts, which can help with basic chart review on the go. For overall mobile access, both brokers cover the key features most traders look for.
Where Interactive Brokers stands out is charting depth, with 155 technical studies in its mobile app compared with 88 at StoneX Trading. Interactive Brokers also earns a 5-star rating for mobile trading apps and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while StoneX Trading holds a 4.5-star rating and ranks #9. One area where StoneX Trading has the edge is that it automatically saves chart drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
StoneX Trading
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 88 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and StoneX Trading both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus an economic calendar that tracks upcoming global events. Each also offers Trading Central tools and a sentiment feature that helps show long and short positioning across currency pairs and other markets. Neither broker includes Autochartist research tools.
Where Interactive Brokers stands out is in the extra research depth it offers. It includes market research from TipRanks and Acuity Trading, while StoneX Trading does not. That difference is reflected in their overall research ratings and rankings: Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers for research, while StoneX Trading scores 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #10. For traders who want more built-in research support, Interactive Brokers has the edge.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
StoneX Trading
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 and StoneX Trading both give beginners a wide range of learning tools, including forex and CFDs education with at least 10 topic-specific pieces, monthly online webinars, and plenty of beginner and advanced video lessons. That means new traders can find step-by-step material on both platforms, while more experienced users can also dig into higher-level trading content.
Where Interactive Brokers stands out is in its Education score and ranking. It earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers for Education on ForexBrokers.com, while StoneX Trading scores 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #9. In simple terms, both brokers support learning well, but Interactive Brokers offers the stronger overall education package for beginners and beyond.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
StoneX Trading
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 StoneX Trading. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while StoneX Trading finished with an overall rank of #8.
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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StoneX Trading
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
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Interactive Brokers and StoneX Trading differ in their cryptocurrency offerings: Interactive Brokers lets clients buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency but does not offer crypto CFDs, while StoneX Trading does not provide delivered crypto purchases yet does offer cryptocurrency CFDs.
Interactive Brokers and StoneX Trading both support ACH/SEPA transfers and bank wires for funding, but StoneX Trading also offers PayPal while neither broker supports Skrill or Visa/Mastercard transfers.
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 | StoneX Trading | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | StoneX Trading Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | StoneX Trading | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1983 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 7 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 13500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 66 | |
| 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 | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 1.4 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.65 | 0.9 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | £100.00 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 88 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 88 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | StoneX Trading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | StoneX Trading Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | StoneX Trading | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | StoneX Trading Review |
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