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Home ‣ Compare ‣ Interactive Brokers vs TopFX 2025

Interactive Brokers vs TopFX 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs TopFX, 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
TopFX
3.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: Depends on payment method
  • Trust Score: 67
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 655

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 and TopFX are well-known names in the world of online brokerage, each with distinct features to consider. Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers has established itself as a trusted option, achieving a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, which signifies a high level of trust. Despite not being a bank, Interactive Brokers is publicly traded and holds an impressive array of regulatory credentials, including nine Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses. This strong regulatory standing underscores Interactive Brokers' reputation in the trading community.

Established in 2010, TopFX presents an alternative choice marked by a younger presence in the market. Although TopFX is not publicly traded and does not operate as a bank, it manages a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 67, indicating a higher risk level compared to Interactive Brokers. TopFX holds one Tier-1 license but lacks Tier-2 licenses, which might be a point of consideration for those prioritizing regulatory robustness. Overall, these differences highlight the varying degrees of trust and security that each broker provides, helping traders make informed decisions based on their unique needs.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
TopFX logoTopFX
Year Founded info 1977 2010
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 1
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1

Fees

Interactive Brokers (5 stars; ranked #2 of 63 for Commissions and Fees) generally works out cheaper than TopFX (4 stars; ranked #41 of 63) on EUR/USD based on recent data. In Q3 2024, IBKR’s average EUR/USD spread was 0.19 pips, with an all-in cost around 0.59 pips after commission. TopFX’s RAW account averaged 0.33 pips in July 2024 and, after its commission (about 0.55 pips per round turn), delivered an all-in cost near 0.88 pips. TopFX’s ZERO account is commission-free but carried a higher 1.03-pip average spread on EUR/USD during the same period.

IBKR doesn’t mark up the spread; instead it charges a commission: typically 0.2 basis points per side with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), which equates to about $16–$40 per million round turn. Discounts are available for very active traders, with rates that can drop to 0.08 basis points and minimums that can fall to $1–$1.50 per order at high monthly volumes. Note that the $2-per-side minimum means trades under 100,000 units become proportionally pricier; for example, a $100,000 EUR/USD trade works out to roughly 0.40 pips in commission, plus the spread. TopFX offers two simple choices on MetaTrader and cTrader: the RAW account with a 2.75 EUR per-side commission (5.50 EUR round turn per standard lot) and tighter spreads, or the ZERO account with no commission and wider spreads; the minimum deposit varies by payment method.

Bottom line on costs: IBKR’s all-in pricing on EUR/USD was lower than TopFX’s RAW account in the periods reviewed, and its volume discounts can further benefit high-frequency traders. TopFX’s appeal lies in its straightforward account options and platform flexibility, but on pure spread-plus-commission math, it tends to land closer to the industry average.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
TopFX logoTopFX
Minimum Deposit info $0 Depends on payment method
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info 1.03 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info 0.88 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 vs. TopFX: When it comes to the range of investments, Interactive Brokers offers far more markets to trade, with 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, plus forex as CFD or spot. It also gives access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges (so you can buy shares like Apple or Vodafone), and supports both actual cryptocurrency purchases and crypto derivatives. TopFX also supports forex as CFD or spot, but with 655 tradeable symbols and 60 forex pairs. It does not offer exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international exchanges, and it doesn’t support buying actual crypto; however, it does offer crypto derivatives and copy trading. Interactive Brokers does not offer copy trading.

For range of investments, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #1 out of 63 brokers, while TopFX earns 3.5 stars and ranks #47. Choose Interactive Brokers for the widest market access; consider TopFX if you want copy trading alongside a focused set of forex and CFD markets.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
TopFX logoTopFX
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 655
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 60
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info Yes 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.

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers and TopFX both provide paper trading with free demo accounts, plus web and Windows desktop platforms where you can place trades directly from charts. Interactive Brokers adds an in-house platform, while TopFX relies on third-party options. If you want copy trading, TopFX supports it, whereas Interactive Brokers does not. Platform-wise, TopFX offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4); neither broker supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Neither integrates DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.

For charting and customization, Interactive Brokers stands out with 85 drawing tools versus 15 at TopFX; indicator counts weren’t specified. Watch lists are far more flexible at Interactive Brokers (659 fields) compared with TopFX (7). Reflecting these differences, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #3 out of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, while TopFX earns 4 stars and ranks #46. Choose Interactive Brokers for deeper platform features and powerful customization, or pick TopFX if you value MT4 and access to copy trading.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
TopFX logoTopFX
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 85 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 7

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

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers and TopFX both offer iPhone and Android mobile trading apps for stocks and forex, with price alerts, trendline drawing, multiple time frames, and real-time quote watchlists. The main differences are in charting and syncing: the Interactive Brokers app includes 97 technical studies versus 30 on the TopFX app, and IB syncs your watchlists between mobile and your online account while TopFX does not. For chart drawings, TopFX autosaves your annotations, while Interactive Brokers does not.

In overall quality, ForexBrokers.com rates the Interactive Brokers mobile app 5 stars and ranks it #4 out of 63 brokers, compared with the TopFX app at 4 stars and #52. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want deeper charting and seamless watchlist syncing across devices; pick TopFX if autosaving chart drawings matters most and you’re comfortable with fewer indicators.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
TopFX logoTopFX
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers vs TopFX: For market research, Interactive Brokers delivers daily market commentary alongside top-tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg or Reuters. Both brokers provide Trading Central tools, sentiment gauges showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. TopFX stands out for including Autochartist, while Interactive Brokers does not. On the flip side, Interactive Brokers adds extra depth with TipRanks and Acuity Trading (Signal Centre), tools that TopFX does not indicate as available.

If you want frequent insights and a wider set of research plugins, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick, earning 5 stars for Research and ranking #3 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. TopFX covers the essentials—news, Trading Central, sentiment, calendar—and offers Autochartist, but its Research score is 3 stars with a #61 ranking. Choose Interactive Brokers for daily commentary and premium research add‑ons, or pick TopFX if Autochartist is a must-have.

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

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers offers beginners a wide, well-organized learning path for forex and CFDs. You get at least 10 educational pieces focused on forex/CFDs, monthly live client webinars, and a searchable archive of past sessions. There are 10+ beginner videos to help you get started, 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to go deeper, and an investor dictionary with 50+ terms to clarify jargon. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers.

TopFX provides far less for new traders. It does not currently meet the threshold of 10 forex/CFD educational pieces, does not run monthly educational webinars, and lacks a searchable webinar archive. It also does not offer libraries of 10+ beginner or 10+ advanced videos, and it doesn’t have a 50+ term investor dictionary. As a result, ForexBrokers.com rates TopFX 3 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks it #62 out of 63. For beginners who want structured learning and ongoing webinars, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
TopFX logoTopFX
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes No
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes No
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
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 TopFX. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while TopFX finished with an overall rank of #62.

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
TopFX logoTopFX
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 67
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or TopFX?

Interactive Brokers allows investors to buy both actual delivered cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas TopFX only provides the option to buy cryptocurrency derivatives, not the actual cryptocurrency.

What funding options does each broker offer?

While Interactive Brokers supports ACH, SEPA, and bank wire transfers for funding accounts, it lacks PayPal, Skrill, and card payment options like Visa and Mastercard, whereas TopFX excels by offering a broader range of deposit and withdrawal methods, including PayPal, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transfers, but does not provide ACH or SEPA transfer options.

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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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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers TopFX
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 67
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review TopFX Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers TopFX
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
IBKR mobile watchlist. IBKR Desktop platform charts. Interactive Brokers research Traders Insight daily analysis article detail Interactive Brokers IBKR Podcast video.
TopFX MetaTrader 4 desktop trading platform TopFX MetaTrader 4 desktop trading platform charts TopFX cTrader web trading platform TopFX cTrader desktop trading platform charts TopFX cTrader desktop trading platform TopFX cTrader desktop trading platform algo trading TopFX cTrader desktop market order window
Regulation Interactive Brokers TopFX
Trust Score info 99 67
Year Founded info 1977 2010
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 1
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Interactive Brokers TopFX
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info Yes
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info Yes No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Interactive Brokers TopFX
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) info Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments Interactive Brokers TopFX
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 655
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 60
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info Yes 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 TopFX
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info 1.03 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info 0.88 info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
Inactivity Fee info No No
Execution: Agency Broker info Yes No
Execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Interactive Brokers TopFX
Minimum Deposit info $0 Depends on payment method
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 TopFX
Proprietary Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
cTrader info No Yes
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers TopFX
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 7
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 85 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Interactive Brokers TopFX
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 No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No Yes
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers TopFX
Daily Market Commentary info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No Yes
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers TopFX
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes No
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes No
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes No
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers TopFX
GBP/USD info Yes Yes
USD/JPY info Yes Yes
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF info Yes Yes
USD/CAD info Yes Yes
NZD/USD info Yes Yes
AUD/USD info Yes Yes
Review Interactive Brokers Review TopFX Review
Overall Interactive Brokers TopFX
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 67
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review TopFX Review
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