Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Pepperstone vs IronFX, 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.
Pepperstone and IronFX, both established in 2010, are online brokers that offer similar regulatory standings but differ in trust scores and license holdings. Both privately held and not listed on any stock exchange, neither broker is operated as a bank. In terms of Trust Scores provided by ForexBrokers.com, Pepperstone stands out with a near-perfect score of 95, suggesting high levels of trust, while IronFX is rated at 83, marking it as a trusted broker, though slightly less trustworthy than Pepperstone.
When comparing their regulatory licenses, Pepperstone holds three Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, highlighting its strong regulatory compliance. IronFX, on the other hand, holds three Tier-1 licenses but lacks any Tier-2 licenses. This difference in licensing underscores Pepperstone's broader regulatory coverage, which can be an important consideration for traders prioritizing security and trust in their online trading experience.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
Pepperstone’s pricing stands out most on its Razor account, which uses a commission-based model on TradingView, MetaTrader (MT4/MT5), or cTrader. As of July 2024, the EUR/USD averaged 0.10 pips in spread; once you factor in the commission-equivalent of 0.70 pips, the all-in cost is about 0.80 pips—around the industry average. Its commission-free Standard account averaged 1.1 pips on EUR/USD, making it pricier than Razor. Pepperstone also offers volume-based rebates for eligible professional clients: in the UK/EU, spread rebates start at 15% from £20 million in monthly forex volume and rise to 25% above £200 million; in Australia, discounts range from 10% (from 100 lots over three months) up to 30% for more than 3001 lots per month.
IronFX’s fees tend to be higher. The broker lists a typical 1.8-pip spread for its Standard variable account (no date range provided). Its zero fixed-spread account starts at a 0-pip spread but adds a $18 per lot commission, and spreads widen to 3 pips overnight. Pricing varies by account type, but overall trading costs appeared above the industry average in our review context.
Bottom line: for spreads and all-in costs, Pepperstone’s Razor account generally undercuts IronFX’s Standard pricing, and its volume-based rebates can further reduce expenses for high-volume professionals. Pepperstone: 4.5/5 stars for Commissions and Fees, ranked #11 out of 63 brokers. IronFX: 4/5 stars for Commissions and Fees, ranked #47 out of 63 brokers.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Pepperstone delivers a wider overall range of investments with 1,726 tradable instruments, while IronFX lists 340. When it comes to currencies, IronFX edges ahead with 83 forex pairs compared to Pepperstone’s 65. Both brokers let you trade forex via CFDs and spot. Neither offers direct share dealing on U.S. or international exchanges, and both provide crypto trading only through CFDs—not actual coins. Copy trading is available with both.
For range of investments, Pepperstone earns 4 stars and ranks 27th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX scores 3.5 stars and ranks 52nd. In short: pick Pepperstone if you want more overall instruments, or choose IronFX if having more forex pairs matters most.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1726 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 83 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
Pepperstone and IronFX both cover the essentials for trading platforms and tools: each offers a Windows desktop platform and a web (browser) platform, copy trading, chart trading, and MetaTrader 4 (MT4). The key differences are that Pepperstone also provides MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and has its own proprietary platform, while IronFX does not offer MT5 or an in-house platform.
Both brokers include a free demo account for simulated (paper) trading, which is helpful for testing strategies. For platform quality, ForexBrokers.com rates Pepperstone 4 stars and ranks it #22 out of 63 in Trading Platforms and Tools, while IronFX holds 3.5 stars and ranks #62. If you want MT5 and an in-house platform option, Pepperstone is the stronger pick; if you only need MT4 with desktop and web access, IronFX can fit the bill.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Pepperstone vs IronFX: both brokers offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, 30 built-in technical studies for charting, trendline drawing, and auto-saving of your chart annotations. For traders focusing on forex or stocks/CFDs, both mobile platforms cover essential tools for analysis and order timing on the go.
The key difference is watchlists: Pepperstone syncs watchlist symbols between its mobile app and your online account, while IronFX does not. Ratings also tilt in Pepperstone’s favor—ForexBrokers.com scores Pepperstone’s mobile trading apps at 4 stars and ranks it #21 out of 63 brokers, compared with IronFX at 3.5 stars and ranked #63 out of 63. If you value watchlist syncing and a higher-rated experience, Pepperstone is the stronger choice; if you only need core charting and alerts, IronFX still covers the basics.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Pepperstone and IronFX both deliver daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (from sources like Bloomberg/Reuters/Dow Jones), and handy economic calendars covering global events. The key differences are in the tools: Pepperstone includes Autochartist and a sentiment-based trading tool that shows long/short ratios, while IronFX does not. By contrast, IronFX offers Trading Central research, which Pepperstone doesn’t. Pepperstone does not use TipRanks or Acuity Trading; IronFX’s use of TipRanks or Acuity Trading isn’t specified.
For overall research quality, Pepperstone earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #12 of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX scores 4 stars and ranks #29. If you value Autochartist and sentiment data, Pepperstone may suit you best; if you prefer Trading Central’s insights, IronFX is the better fit.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Pepperstone and IronFX both cater to beginner traders with video-based learning. Pepperstone goes further by running monthly educational webinars and offering at least 10 beginner videos plus at least 10 advanced videos, giving newcomers a clear path from basics to more complex forex and CFD topics. IronFX provides at least 10 beginner videos but does not host monthly webinars and does not meet the same depth for advanced video lessons, so its learning track is more focused on getting started rather than progressing.
For Education, Pepperstone is rated 4.5/5 and ranks #17 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX is rated 4/5 and ranks #44. If you want live sessions and room to grow beyond the basics, Pepperstone is the stronger pick. If you’re after a simple, video-led introduction to trading, IronFX can still do the job.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Pepperstone is better than IronFX. Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #16, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.
Pepperstone offers a growing range of tradeable markets, good-quality research, and support for multiple social copy trading platforms.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 95 | 83 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Pepperstone vs IronFX: both online brokers do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both provide cryptocurrency CFD trading.
In funding methods, Pepperstone offers ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire transfers but not Skrill, whereas IronFX does not offer ACH/SEPA and its support for PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires is not specified.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 95 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| Regulation | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1726 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 83 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Pepperstone Review |
| Overall | Pepperstone | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 95 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill