United States
United Kingdom
Germany
Netherlands
Australia
United Arab Emirates
Canada
Italy
Spain
Austria
Croatia
Serbia
Portugal
CyprusIG vs Interactive Brokers
What each one charges, who licenses it, and how they rank against each other country by country.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
The short version
We rank both for forex in 8 countries, and IG comes out ahead in every one of them.
We score each country separately, based on the company that would actually hold your account there, so check your own country in the table below.
Of the 3 fees we could compare, IG is cheaper on 2 and one is the same.
Both hold top-tier (tier-1) licences: IG from FCA, BaFin and ASIC, Interactive Brokers from SEC / FINRA, FCA, CBI, ASIC, CIRO, SFC, MAS and JFSA.
- Both charge the same for EUR/USD: 0.6 pips all-in.
- IG is cheaper for US stock orders: $0 per order, compared with $1 per order at Interactive Brokers.Edge: IG
- IG doesn't charge a withdrawal fee; Interactive Brokers charges up to $10.Edge: IG
- We list IG in 9 of the 14 countries we cover and Interactive Brokers in 12. They overlap in 8.Edge: Interactive Brokers
- Only Interactive Brokers offers crypto.
- Only IG supports TradingView and MetaTrader 4.
- IG gets more search attention than Interactive Brokers (Market Signal 71 vs 61). That tells you how well known it is, not how good it is.
Where you can use each one
Where each one ranks on our list in every country we cover, its Coinish Score there, and the company that would hold your account. If a broker isn't allowed to take clients from a country, it isn't on that country's list.
Forex brokers
| Country | IG | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | #1 of 1677/100Locally licensed IG Australia Pty Ltd · ASIC | #7 of 1667/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers Australia Pty. Ltd. · ASIC |
| Austria | #1 of 2877/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #6 of 2867/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Germany | #1 of 2977/100Locally licensed IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #7 of 2967/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Italy | #1 of 3177/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #7 of 3167/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Netherlands | #1 of 2877/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #6 of 2867/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Portugal | #1 of 2977/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #6 of 2967/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Spain | #1 of 2977/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #7 of 2967/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| United Kingdom | #2 of 1777/100Locally licensed IG Markets Ltd · FCA | #9 of 1767/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited · FCA |
| Canada | Not listed | #4 of 667/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers Canada Inc. · CIRO |
| Croatia | Not listed | #4 of 2667/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Cyprus | Not listed | #5 of 2867/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| United Arab Emirates | #1 of 1175/100Locally licensed IG (DIFC branch) · DFSA | Not listed |
| United States | Not listed | #3 of 467/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers LLC · SEC / FINRA |
CFD brokers
| Country | IG | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | #1 of 1877/100Locally licensed IG Australia Pty Ltd · ASIC | #8 of 1867/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers Australia Pty. Ltd. · ASIC |
| Austria | #1 of 3077/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #7 of 3067/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Germany | #1 of 3177/100Locally licensed IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #8 of 3167/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Italy | #1 of 3377/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #8 of 3367/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Netherlands | #1 of 3077/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #7 of 3067/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Portugal | #1 of 3177/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #7 of 3167/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Spain | #1 of 3177/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #8 of 3167/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| United Kingdom | #2 of 1877/100Locally licensed IG Markets Ltd · FCA | #10 of 1867/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited · FCA |
| Croatia | Not listed | #5 of 2867/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Cyprus | Not listed | #6 of 3067/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| United Arab Emirates | #1 of 1275/100Locally licensed IG (DIFC branch) · DFSA | Not listed |
Stock brokers & investing apps
| Country | IG | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | #2 of 876/100Locally licensed IG Australia Pty Ltd · ASIC | #5 of 871/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers Australia Pty. Ltd. · ASIC |
| United Kingdom | #2 of 776/100Locally licensed IG Markets Ltd · FCA | #4 of 771/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited · FCA |
| Austria | Not listed | #2 of 871/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Canada | Not listed | #3 of 571/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers Canada Inc. · CIRO |
| Croatia | Not listed | #2 of 871/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Cyprus | Not listed | #2 of 971/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Germany | Not listed | #2 of 1271/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Italy | Not listed | #2 of 1171/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Netherlands | Not listed | #3 of 1071/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Portugal | Not listed | #2 of 971/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| Spain | Not listed | #2 of 971/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI |
| United States | Not listed | #6 of 971/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers LLC · SEC / FINRA |
Fees and features side by side
| IG | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Forex, CFDs, Stocks & ETFs, Options | Stocks & ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, Crypto |
| Owner | IG Group Holdings Plc | IBG LLC |
| EUR/USD all-in cost | 0.6 pips, CFD / spread bet (minimum spread 0.6, no commission) | 0.6 pips, IBKR Pro (0.20 bps commission + spread from 0.1 pip) |
| US stock commission | $0 per order | $1 per order |
| Crypto trading fee | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.8% | Not verified yet |
| Inactivity fee | CHF 18 per month after 24 consecutive months with no trading (Swiss accounts; amount differs by region) | None |
| Withdrawal fee | None | Up to $10 |
| Minimum deposit | $0 (IG Markets Ltd) | $0 (Interactive Brokers LLC) |
| Instruments | 17,000+ | Not verified yet |
| Fractional shares | Not verified yet | Yes |
| Platforms | IG web platform, IG trading app, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, TradingView, MT4 | Client Portal, IBKR Desktop, Trader Workstation (TWS) |
| Deposit methods | Debit card, Credit card, Apple Pay, Bank transfer | Wire transfer, Electronic funds transfer (SEPA, ACH, BACS), Check (US only) |
| Withdrawal time (stated) | card 2–5 bank working days; bank transfer 1–3 working days | same day or next day (SEPA and bank wire) |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Support | live chat · 24/7 except Fri 22:00–Sat 08:00 (UK) | live chat, email, phone |
Every figure comes from the broker's own pages or its regulator. You'll find the sources in each review (IG, Interactive Brokers).
Licences
Interactive Brokers
- Interactive Brokers LLC: SEC / FINRA (Tier 1)
- Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited: FCA (Tier 1)
- Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited: CBI (Tier 1)
- Interactive Brokers Australia Pty. Ltd.: ASIC (Tier 1)
- Interactive Brokers Canada Inc.: CIRO (Tier 1)
- Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Limited: SFC (Tier 1)
- Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte. Ltd.: MAS (Tier 1)
- Interactive Brokers Securities Japan Inc.: JFSA (Tier 1)
- Interactive Brokers India Pvt. Ltd.: SEBI (Tier 2)
IG vs Interactive Brokers: common questions
Which is better, IG or Interactive Brokers?
We rank both for forex in 8 countries, and IG comes out ahead in every one of them. For reference, IG's best ranking is #1 of 33 CFD brokers in Italy, and Interactive Brokers' best ranking is #2 of 12 stock brokers & investing apps in Germany.
Is IG cheaper than Interactive Brokers?
Both charge the same for EUR/USD: 0.6 pips all-in. IG is cheaper for US stock orders: $0 per order, compared with $1 per order at Interactive Brokers. IG doesn't charge a withdrawal fee; Interactive Brokers charges up to $10.
Is IG or Interactive Brokers better regulated?
Both hold top-tier (tier-1) licences: IG from FCA, BaFin and ASIC, Interactive Brokers from SEC / FINRA, FCA, CBI, ASIC, CIRO, SFC, MAS and JFSA. Which company you actually sign up with depends on where you live; the country table on this page names it for each one.
Can I use both IG and Interactive Brokers where I live?
We list IG in 9 of the 14 countries we cover and Interactive Brokers in 12. They overlap in 8. For forex, you'll find both on our lists in Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom.