Interactive Brokers vs TopFX 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 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	TopFX
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	TopFX
Minimum Deposit info	$0	Depends on payment method
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.59 info	1.03 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.65 info	0.88 info
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Range of investments

Interactive Brokers offers a wider range of investments than TopFX. You can trade forex as a CFD or spot contract with both brokers, but Interactive Brokers lists about 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, while TopFX has about 655 symbols and 60 pairs. Interactive Brokers also lets you buy exchange-traded stocks in the U.S. and on international markets, something TopFX does not offer. For Range of Investments, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars (ranked #1 of 63) versus TopFX at 3.5 stars (ranked #47 of 63).

Crypto access also differs: Interactive Brokers supports buying actual cryptocurrency as well as crypto CFDs, whereas TopFX offers crypto only as CFDs. If you want copy trading, TopFX provides it, while Interactive Brokers does not. In short, choose Interactive Brokers for the broadest market access across stocks, forex, and crypto; consider TopFX if you prefer CFD trading with copy trading features.

Feature	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. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	No
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) 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 vs TopFX: Both brokers offer free paper trading (demo accounts), Windows desktop and web-based platforms, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. Interactive Brokers also provides a proprietary in-house platform, whereas TopFX does not. The number of built-in technical indicators and watchlist columns was not specified for either broker. In ForexBrokers.com testing, Interactive Brokers earned 5 stars and ranked #3 out of 63 for trading platforms and tools, while TopFX earned 4 stars and ranked #46.

If you want copy trading or MetaTrader 4 (MT4), TopFX has the edge: it supports copy trading and MT4. Interactive Brokers does not offer copy trading, MT4, or MT5, and neither broker supports MT5. Traders who prefer a broker’s own platform may lean toward Interactive Brokers, while those who need MT4 integration or social/copy trading may find TopFX a better fit.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	TopFX
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	30
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes

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

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers vs TopFX: both brokers offer iPhone and Android trading apps and support price alerts. The key usability difference is watchlists—Interactive Brokers syncs your watchlists between mobile and your online account, while TopFX does not, which can matter if you switch between devices.

For charting, Interactive Brokers includes 97 technical studies compared to 30 with TopFX. Both apps let you draw trendlines, but only TopFX auto-saves chart drawings; Interactive Brokers does not. Overall, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks 4th out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while TopFX earns 4 stars and ranks 52nd. If you want more indicators and synced watchlists, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; if auto-saving drawings is a priority, TopFX has that edge.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	TopFX
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	97	30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	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	TopFX
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	Yes
Autochartist info	No	Yes
Trading Central info	Yes	Yes
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	Yes
Acuity Trading info	Yes
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers vs TopFX for beginner education: Interactive Brokers stands out with frequent client webinars (at least monthly) and a large video library that covers both beginner and advanced trading topics, including forex and CFDs. New traders can find step-by-step lessons to build core skills and then move into more advanced material. By contrast, TopFX does not run monthly educational webinars and does not offer at least 10 beginner or 10 advanced videos, so its learning center is thinner for those just getting started.

Ratings back this up. Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while TopFX scores 3 out of 5 stars and ranks #62. If you’re new to trading and want steady webinars plus plenty of beginner-friendly videos on forex and CFDs, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice; TopFX may suit traders who only need a quick overview.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	TopFX
Webinars info	Yes	No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	No
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos 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	TopFX
Overall Rating info
Trust Score info	99	67
Range of Investments
Commissions & Fees
Platforms & Tools
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

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Overall Rating	Interactive Brokers	TopFX
Overall Rating info
Commissions & Fees
Range of Investments
Platforms & Tools
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
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

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 (FSA 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, FSRA, or SCA 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. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	No
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) 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 account info	0.59 info	1.03 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.65 info	0.88 info
Inactivity Fee info	No	No
Order execution: Agency info	Yes	No
Order execution: Market Maker info	No	Yes

Funding	Interactive Brokers	TopFX
Minimum Deposit info	$0	Depends on payment method
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No

Trading Platforms	Interactive Brokers	TopFX
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
cTrader info	No	Yes

Trading Tools	Interactive Brokers	TopFX
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	30
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 Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	97	30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Research	Interactive Brokers	TopFX
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	Yes
Autochartist info	No	Yes
Trading Central info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	Yes
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Education	Interactive Brokers	TopFX
Webinars info	Yes	No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	No
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	No

Major Forex Pairs	Interactive Brokers	TopFX
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info	Yes	Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	TopFX Review

Overall	Interactive Brokers	TopFX
Overall Rating info
Commissions & Fees
Range of Investments
Platforms & Tools
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	67
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	TopFX Review