Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Vantage, 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 Vantage are two well-regarded online brokers, but they differ significantly in their regulatory standings and trust ratings. Interactive Brokers, established in 1977, is publicly traded and holds an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, which are highly trusted according to ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Vantage, founded in 2009, is not publicly traded and holds two Tier-1 licenses. Furthermore, Interactive Brokers is backed by a near-perfect Trust Score of 99 out of 99, reflecting its high reliability, while Vantage has a Trust Score of 90, placing it in the "highly trusted" category.
While neither Interactive Brokers nor Vantage operates as a bank, their varying licenses and trust ratings reflect different levels of regulatory assurance. Interactive Brokers not only has a significant number of Tier-1 licenses but also holds two Tier-2 licenses, adding another layer of trust. Vantage, on the other hand, holds one Tier-2 license. For potential investors and traders, these differences in regulation and trust ratings can be key factors when choosing between the two platforms.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
Interactive Brokers and Vantage are two prominent online brokers with distinct differences in their commission and fee structures. Interactive Brokers offers highly competitive pricing, with commissions for forex trading starting at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the U.S. dollar trade value and a minimum charge of $2 per order. This can drop further for extremely active traders. However, it's important to note that trading in quantities smaller than 100,000 units becomes relatively more expensive. Interactive Brokers aggregates pricing from 17 interbank forex dealers, ensuring efficient execution without marking up spreads. They also offer discounts for traders reaching certain monthly volumes, like a reduced charge per order when trading over $1 billion monthly. Rated at 5 out of 5 stars, Interactive Brokers ranks #2 among 63 brokers for commissions and fees, making it a top choice for cost-conscious traders.
On the other hand, Vantage’s trading costs vary depending on the account type, with options including the spread-only Standard STP account and the commission-based RAW ECN and PRO ECN accounts. While their pricing aligns with industry averages, the Standard account's spreads are typically around 1.30 pips on the EUR/USD, whereas the RAW account offers lower spreads of 0.15 pips plus a $3 commission per side, totaling 0.75 pips. Vantage’s PRO ECN account provides even more competitive pricing at a commission of $2 per side. However, access to this account depends on specific criteria, such as being categorized as a wholesale client or maintaining a minimum account balance of $10,000 under the Cayman Islands entity. Despite these requirements, Vantage's PRO ECN account remains a cost-effective option. Vantage is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #19 out of 63 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category.
In summary, Interactive Brokers shines for those prioritizing low commissions without hidden spreads, ranking significantly higher in the industry, whereas Vantage offers flexibility through its tiered account structures and rebates, particularly appealing to active traders. Each broker caters to different trading styles and needs, creating options for both cost-focused and account-flexibility-conscious traders.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.30 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.75 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and Vantage both provide forex trading as either a CFD or spot contract, catering to different trading preferences. However, when it comes to the range of investment options, Interactive Brokers significantly outperforms Vantage. It boasts an impressive array of 8,500 tradeable symbols compared to Vantage's 1,000, and it also offers a more extensive selection of 90 forex pairs, whereas Vantage only offers 61 pairs. Additionally, Interactive Brokers provides access to exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, allowing investors to buy stocks like Apple and Vodafone directly. In contrast, Vantage does not offer direct purchase of such stocks, which may limit investment diversification for its users.
Furthermore, Interactive Brokers enables clients to buy actual cryptocurrencies and trade in cryptocurrency derivatives, providing more versatility to those interested in digital assets. Vantage, on the other hand, only supports cryptocurrency derivatives and lacks the feature to buy actual cryptocurrencies. Despite offering the copy trading feature that Interactive Brokers does not, Vantage trails in overall investment offerings. This is mirrored in their ratings, with Interactive Brokers earning a stellar 5-star rating and ranking first among 63 brokers for Range of Investments according to ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, Vantage receives a lower score of 3.5 stars and ranks much further down at 50th place, highlighting a distinct difference in the breadth and depth of investment possibilities available to clients.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 61 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
Interactive Brokers and Vantage each provide a suite of trading tools and platforms tailored to meet the diverse needs of their users. Both offer free virtual demo accounts for simulated trading, allowing investors to practice without risk. While Interactive Brokers and Vantage have developed proprietary platforms for their clients, they also support Windows-based desktop platforms and web-based trading through browsers. While Vantage includes the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platforms, Interactive Brokers does not. Additionally, Vantage offers copy trading and platforms like DupliTrade, which Interactive Brokers does not.
When it comes to charting and customization tools, Interactive Brokers stands out with a larger number of drawing tools, offering 85 compared to Vantage's 15. Both allow users to trade directly from stock charts for convenience and rapid execution. Interactive Brokers also provides extensive watch list customization with 659 columns compared to Vantage's 7. In terms of ratings, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and is ranked 3rd by ForexBrokers.com for trading platforms and tools, while Vantage is rated 4 stars and is ranked 21st. This suggests that Interactive Brokers might be a better fit for users seeking advanced charting and comprehensive customization options, while Vantage could attract those interested in copy trading and MetaTrader platforms.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | Yes |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both Interactive Brokers and Vantage offer apps for iPhone and Android, ensuring you can trade on the go regardless of your device. Both apps also provide stock or forex price alerts, so you won't miss out on any market movements. However, Interactive Brokers takes the lead with its watchlist symbol syncing feature, meaning any changes you make to your watchlists on the mobile app automatically synchronize with your online account. Vantage, unfortunately, lacks this seamless integration.
Looking at charting capabilities, Interactive Brokers offers a significant advantage with 97 technical studies compared to just 30 offered by Vantage. Both apps allow you to draw trendlines and view different time frames, such as daily, weekly, or intraday. However, Vantage's app auto-saves your drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not. Both apps permit the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes, but Interactive Brokers is rated higher for mobile trading apps, earning 5 stars, compared to Vantage's 4 stars. In a ranking by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers is positioned as the fourth out of 63 brokers, while Vantage stands at the 28th spot.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both Interactive Brokers and Vantage provide daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. They also offer sentiment-based trading tools that display the long or short positions across currency pairs, along with an economic calendar to track global news events. For technical analysis, both platforms include tools from Trading Central, but only Vantage integrates with Autochartist for additional technical insights. While Interactive Brokers is rated higher for research with five stars compared to Vantage's four stars, it also holds a stronger position at #3 in rankings by ForexBrokers.com, whereas Vantage stands at #21.
Interactive Brokers distinguishes itself by offering research tools from TipRanks and Acuity Trading, which are not available on Vantage. These aspects make Interactive Brokers a more desirable choice for those relying heavily on varied research tools, while Vantage appeals to users specifically interested in combining Autochartist with their trading strategies. Given these differences, your choice of broker for market research might depend on which specific tools and integrations are more aligned with your trading needs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both Interactive Brokers and Vantage excel by providing a wide range of learning materials to guide novice traders. Interactive Brokers boasts an impressive catalog, featuring over ten educational pieces focused on forex and CFDs. These include articles, videos, and archived webinars that cater to newcomers eager to learn. Additionally, they offer at least ten beginner-friendly videos covering essential trading topics and even provide more advanced educational materials for those looking to deepen their knowledge. To further assist their clients, Interactive Brokers hosts monthly online webinars and maintains a searchable archive, giving users easy access to past sessions. Their investor dictionary includes definitions for over 50 investing terms, ensuring a comprehensive learning journey for traders of all levels. This extensive array of resources has earned Interactive Brokers a 5-star rating for education and a commendable third place in the ForexBrokers.com rankings.
Vantage also prioritizes education by offering a variety of tools aimed at helping beginners grasp the fundamentals of trading. Like Interactive Brokers, Vantage provides a minimum of ten educational resources focused on forex and CFDs, complemented by webinars held monthly. Their searchable archive simplifies finding past webinars, while at least ten beginner videos make complex topics more approachable for new traders. For those with a bit more experience, Vantage also includes advanced educational video content. Furthermore, their investor dictionary offers definitions for over 50 investing terms, rounding out their educational offerings. Although Vantage holds a solid 4-star rating and is ranked 24th by ForexBrokers.com in the education category, their comprehensive approach makes them a valuable resource for those entering the trading world.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | 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 Vantage. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Vantage finished with an overall rank of #26.
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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Vantage
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 90 |
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Interactive Brokers allows investors to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies and trade cryptocurrency derivatives, while Vantage offers only the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives without the ability to buy the actual cryptocurrencies.
Interactive Brokers supports ACH or SEPA transfers and bank wires for account transactions, while Vantage offers a diverse range of deposit and withdrawal options including PayPal, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, but does not support ACH or SEPA 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 | Vantage | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 90 | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Vantage Review |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 90 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.30 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.75 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | Yes | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Vantage Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 90 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Vantage Review |
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