Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs VT Markets, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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.
Interactive Brokers, established in 1977, is a well-regarded online brokerage firm that boasts a Trust Score of 99 out of 99, indicating a very high level of trust. As a publicly traded company, it provides transparency and accountability to its clients. Although it is not a bank, Interactive Brokers holds nine Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, signifying its strong regulatory standing and high level of trustworthiness as per ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, VT Markets was founded in 2016 and is not publicly traded. With a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 70 out of 99, it is categorized as an average risk broker. VT Markets is also not a bank, but it holds one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license. This shows it is regulated, though it has a more limited regulatory framework compared to Interactive Brokers, aligning with its average trust level.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
When it comes to comparing commissions and fees, Interactive Brokers and VT Markets each offer distinct advantages for forex traders. Interactive Brokers shines with an impressive rating of 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category, thanks to its competitive pricing. Although specific average spreads aren't published, the broker's EUR/USD spread averaged 0.59 pips—including commission—during Q3 2024. Fees for forex trades start at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the trade value, with a minimum of $2 per order. This could decrease to as low as 0.08 basis points for very active traders, demonstrating an appealing option for those trading large volumes.
On the other hand, VT Markets offers two main account options: Raw ECN and Standard STP. While the Standard STP account is commission-free, it features a higher typical spread of 1.2 pips on EUR/USD trades. Meanwhile, the Raw ECN account has a more competitive effective spread of 0.83 pips, thanks to a combination of a 0.23 pip average spread and additional commission fees. VT Markets earns a solid 4.5-star rating and is ranked #20 out of 63 brokers in this same category, reflecting its competitive edge.
For those focused on costs, choosing between these two brokers may depend on your trading volume and preference for account types. Interactive Brokers’ cost structure is highly favorable for active traders due to volume-based discounts and robust execution options. Conversely, VT Markets offers simplicity and low entry barriers with a $100 minimum deposit, making it a viable choice for those preferring lower initial investment and straightforward fee structures.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| 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 VT Markets both offer a variety of investment options, but they differ significantly in their range of offerings. Interactive Brokers stands out with an impressive 8,500 tradeable symbols, including 90 forex pairs, making it a top choice for those seeking a wide array of investment opportunities. In addition to forex, it allows clients to trade exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international markets, such as Apple shares on NASDAQ and Vodafone shares on the London Stock Exchange. Furthermore, Interactive Brokers provides the ability to purchase both actual cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency derivatives, which adds an additional layer of versatility for investors diversifying their portfolios.
In contrast, VT Markets offers 1,000 tradeable symbols, which includes 39 forex pairs. While it also facilitates trading on international exchanges, it does not provide access to U.S. exchange-traded securities. VT Markets supports cryptocurrency derivatives but doesn't enable the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies. Nonetheless, VT Markets caters to investors interested in automated strategies by offering copy trading—a feature not available with Interactive Brokers. Overall, Interactive Brokers receives a 5-star rating for its range of investments and ranks first among 63 brokers, whereas VT Markets holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks thirty-ninth, reflecting its more limited but still respectable range of investment choices.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 39 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 VT Markets both offer free virtual demo accounts, allowing traders to engage in simulated or paper trading without financial risk. However, when it comes to platform offerings, Interactive Brokers distinguishes itself with its proprietary platform, developed in-house, while VT Markets does not have a proprietary platform. Both brokers provide a Windows-based desktop download option and a browser-based trading platform, giving traders flexibility in how they access their accounts. While Interactive Brokers does not support the popular MetaTrader platforms—MT4 and MT5—VT Markets offers both, catering to users who favor these industry-standard platforms. Additionally, VT Markets supports copy trading, a feature not available with Interactive Brokers, allowing traders to replicate the strategies of successful peers. However, neither broker offers integration with DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
For those focused on charting tools, Interactive Brokers impresses with 85 drawing tools, compared to VT Markets' 30, and offers the ability to trade directly from stock charts. A key strength of Interactive Brokers is its extensive watchlist customization, providing an impressive 659 fields for watch lists compared to VT Markets’ 7. Rated 5 stars for its trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers ranks 3rd out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, while VT Markets, with a 4-star rating, lands at the 47th position. This highlights Interactive Brokers as a robust choice for those seeking comprehensive and customizable trading tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 15 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When choosing between Interactive Brokers and VT Markets for mobile trading, both platforms offer apps for iPhone and Android users, allowing you to trade on the go. Each app provides features like stock and forex price alerts, multiple time frames for chart analysis, and the capability to draw trendlines. Watchlists with real-time quotes are another common feature. Where these platforms differ is in the ability to sync watchlists across their mobile and online platforms; Interactive Brokers has this feature, while VT Markets does not, which may be a consideration for those who frequently switch between devices.
Charting capabilities also set them apart. Interactive Brokers offers 97 technical studies, more than triple the 30 studies provided by VT Markets. Despite both lacking auto-save functionality for chart drawings, Interactive Brokers seems to shine with its range of technical analysis tools. This might contribute to its higher rating of 5 stars versus VT Markets' 4 stars for mobile trading apps. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers is ranked 4th out of 63 brokers, well ahead of VT Markets, which is ranked 44th. These insights could be crucial for traders who rely heavily on mobile app functionalities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and VT Markets both provide valuable daily market commentary and Forex news from premier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. While neither broker offers technical tools from Autochartist, both include resources from Trading Central, such as Technical Analytics, and offer sentiment-based trading tools to track position ratios in various instruments. Additionally, both brokers support traders with access to economic calendars showcasing global news events.
Despite these similarities, Interactive Brokers stands out with its inclusion of features from TipRanks and Acuity Trading, which VT Markets lacks. This gives Interactive Brokers an edge in market research offerings, reflected in its higher 5-star research rating compared to VT Markets' 3.5 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers is ranked at an impressive #3 position out of 63 brokers, while VT Markets trails behind at #36, showcasing a more comprehensive research framework at Interactive Brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| 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, Interactive Brokers and VT Markets both provide various tools to help new traders get started with forex and CFDs trading. Both brokers offer at least 10 educational pieces such as articles, videos, and webinars, with Interactive Brokers also hosting regular online educational webinars. Additionally, Interactive Brokers has a searchable archive of past webinars, which VT Markets lacks. For those looking for beginner-friendly video content, both brokers have a substantial library with at least 10 videos each tailored to new traders.
Interactive Brokers stands out with its advanced educational offerings, including more than 10 detailed videos for seasoned traders, and a well-rounded investor dictionary explaining over 50 investing terms. VT Markets matches this with a similar investment dictionary, but does not offer advanced video content. The higher quality and variety of educational materials at Interactive Brokers have earned it a 5-star rating for education and a top 3 ranking among 63 brokers, while VT Markets has a 3.5-star rating and ranks 55th in the same category.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 VT Markets. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while VT Markets finished with an overall rank of #44.
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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VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 70 |
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Interactive Brokers allows users to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency, while both Interactive Brokers and VT Markets offer the ability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.
Interactive Brokers supports ACH and SEPA transfers, as well as bank wire deposits and withdrawals, while VT Markets provides more varied options, including Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, but lacks ACH and SEPA transfer capabilities.
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 | VT Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | VT Markets Review |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 70 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 39 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 15 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | VT Markets Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | VT Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | VT Markets Review |
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