United States
United Kingdom
Germany
Netherlands
Australia
United Arab Emirates
Canada
Italy
Spain
Austria
Croatia
Serbia
Portugal
CyprusInteractive Brokers vs Robinhood
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
The United States is the one country where we rank both for stocks, and Robinhood comes out ahead there.
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, Robinhood is cheaper on 2 and one is the same.
Both hold top-tier (tier-1) licences: Interactive Brokers from SEC / FINRA, FCA, CBI, ASIC, CIRO, SFC, MAS and JFSA, Robinhood from SEC / FINRA and NYDFS.
- Robinhood is cheaper for US stock orders: $0 per order, compared with $1 per order at Interactive Brokers.Edge: Robinhood
- Neither charges an inactivity fee.
- Robinhood doesn't charge a withdrawal fee; Interactive Brokers charges up to $10.Edge: Robinhood
- We list Interactive Brokers in 12 of the 14 countries we cover and Robinhood in 9. They overlap in 9.Edge: Interactive Brokers
- Only Interactive Brokers offers forex and CFDs.
- Robinhood gets more search attention than Interactive Brokers (Market Signal 80 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.
Stock brokers & investing apps
| Country | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood |
|---|---|---|
| United States | #6 of 971/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers LLC · SEC / FINRA | #1 of 980/100Locally licensed Robinhood Financial LLC · SEC / FINRA |
| Australia | #5 of 871/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers Australia Pty. Ltd. · ASIC | Not listed |
| Austria | #2 of 871/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI | Not listed |
| Canada | #3 of 571/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers Canada Inc. · CIRO | Not listed |
| Croatia | #2 of 871/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI | Not listed |
| Cyprus | #2 of 971/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI | Not listed |
| Germany | #2 of 1271/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI | Not listed |
| Italy | #2 of 1171/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI | Not listed |
| Netherlands | #3 of 1071/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI | Not listed |
| Portugal | #2 of 971/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI | Not listed |
| Spain | #2 of 971/100EU passport Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited · CBI | Not listed |
| United Kingdom | #4 of 771/100Locally licensed Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited · FCA | Not listed |
Crypto exchanges
| Country | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Not listed | #5 of 2172/100EU passport Robinhood Europe UAB · Bank of Lithuania |
| Croatia | Not listed | #5 of 1972/100EU passport Robinhood Europe UAB · Bank of Lithuania |
| Cyprus | Not listed | #5 of 1972/100EU passport Robinhood Europe UAB · Bank of Lithuania |
| Germany | Not listed | #5 of 2172/100EU passport Robinhood Europe UAB · Bank of Lithuania |
| Italy | Not listed | #5 of 1972/100EU passport Robinhood Europe UAB · Bank of Lithuania |
| Netherlands | Not listed | #5 of 1972/100EU passport Robinhood Europe UAB · Bank of Lithuania |
| Portugal | Not listed | #5 of 1972/100EU passport Robinhood Europe UAB · Bank of Lithuania |
| Spain | Not listed | #5 of 1972/100EU passport Robinhood Europe UAB · Bank of Lithuania |
| United States | Not listed | #2 of 674/100Locally licensed Robinhood Crypto, LLC · NYDFS |
Fees and features side by side
| Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Stocks & ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, Crypto | Stocks & ETFs, Options, Crypto |
| Owner | IBG LLC | Robinhood Markets, Inc. |
| EUR/USD all-in cost | 0.6 pips, IBKR Pro (0.20 bps commission + spread from 0.1 pip) | Not verified yet |
| US stock commission | $1 per order | $0 per order |
| Crypto trading fee | Not verified yet | 0.95%, base-tier taker fee on the order book |
| Currency conversion fee | Not verified yet | 0.1% |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
| Withdrawal fee | Up to $10 | None |
| Minimum deposit | $0 (Interactive Brokers LLC) | $0 (Robinhood Financial LLC) |
| Instruments | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Client Portal, IBKR Desktop, Trader Workstation (TWS) | Robinhood app, Robinhood Legend (desktop) |
| Deposit methods | Wire transfer, Electronic funds transfer (SEPA, ACH, BACS), Check (US only) | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal time (stated) | same day or next day (SEPA and bank wire) | standard bank transfer: 1 day on Robinhood (bank may take longer) |
| Demo account | Yes | Not verified yet |
| Support | live chat, email, phone |
Every figure comes from the broker's own pages or its regulator. You'll find the sources in each review (Interactive Brokers, Robinhood).
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)
Robinhood
- Robinhood Financial LLC: SEC / FINRA (Tier 1)
- Robinhood Europe UAB: Bank of Lithuania (Tier 2)
- Robinhood Crypto, LLC: NYDFS (Tier 1)
Interactive Brokers vs Robinhood: common questions
Which is better, Interactive Brokers or Robinhood?
The United States is the one country where we rank both for stocks, and Robinhood comes out ahead there. For reference, Interactive Brokers' best ranking is #2 of 12 stock brokers & investing apps in Germany, and Robinhood's best ranking is #1 of 9 stock brokers & investing apps in the United States.
Is Interactive Brokers cheaper than Robinhood?
Robinhood is cheaper for US stock orders: $0 per order, compared with $1 per order at Interactive Brokers. Neither charges an inactivity fee. Robinhood doesn't charge a withdrawal fee; Interactive Brokers charges up to $10.
Is Interactive Brokers or Robinhood better regulated?
Both hold top-tier (tier-1) licences: Interactive Brokers from SEC / FINRA, FCA, CBI, ASIC, CIRO, SFC, MAS and JFSA, Robinhood from SEC / FINRA and NYDFS. 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 Interactive Brokers and Robinhood where I live?
We list Interactive Brokers in 12 of the 14 countries we cover and Robinhood in 9. They overlap in 9. For stocks, you'll find both on our lists in United States.