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Head to head

Admirals (Admiral Markets) vs IG

Admirals (Admiral Markets) is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom, CySEC in the European Union and CMA in Kenya, and also has an offshore registration. IG is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom; BaFin in the European Union; FINMA in Switzerland; ASIC in Australia; FMA (New Zealand) in New Zealand; MAS in Singapore; JFSA in Japan; CFTC / NFA in the United States; DFSA in Dubai (DIFC), UAE and FSCA in South Africa. The licence that applies to you depends on where you live, so check which company you would contract with before comparing anything else.

Minimum deposits start at $25 at Admirals (Admiral Markets) and $250 at IG. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: Admirals (Admiral Markets) on 20 October 2026, IG on 20 October 2026.

Admirals (Admiral Markets) profileIG profile
Broker 1
Broker 2
Broker 3

Monthly cost uses the account chosen in each slot: cost per lot × your lots. Swap and other fees are extra. The lowest monthly cost is highlighted only as a fact about cost, not as a recommendation.

Broker
Admirals (Admiral Markets)Strictly regulatedRead the profile
IGStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
Admirals (Admiral Markets)United Kingdom
IGUnited Kingdom

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
1974
Headquarters
Tallinn, Estonia (Admirals Group AS)
London, United Kingdom
Official websites
  • admiralmarkets.com
  • admirals.com
  • admiralmarkets.com.cy
  • ig.com
  • www.ig.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Admiral Markets UK Ltd
IG Markets Ltd
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
595450
Check the register
195355
Check the register
Clients this company serves
UK residents
UK residents (CFDs and share dealing); also international accounts for South African clients
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • CMA (Kenya)
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • BaFin (European Union)
  • FINMA (Switzerland)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • FMA (New Zealand) (New Zealand)
  • MAS (Singapore)
  • JFSA (Japan)
  • CFTC / NFA (United States)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
  • FSCA (South Africa)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus); none for the Seychelles company
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); EdW 90% of a claim up to €20,000 (IG Europe); esisuisse up to CHF 100,000 (Switzerland); none in Australia, Singapore, South Africa or the UAE

Costs

Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Spread from
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical EUR/USD spread
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Commission per lot (round turn)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Swap-free account
Yes
Not yet checked

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU); up to 1:1000 at the Seychelles company
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Currency pairs (Seychelles company): up to 1:1000
  • Indices (Seychelles company): up to 1:500
  • Major currency pairs (UK and EU companies): 1:30
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30
  • Other currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
30% (Seychelles company)
50% (UK and EU retail close-out rule)

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Base currencies
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Execution
No accounts listed
No accounts listed

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • MetaTrader WebTrader
  • Admirals Platform
  • Admirals Mobile App
  • StereoTrader
  • IG web platform
  • Mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • ProRealTime
  • L2 Dealer
  • TradingView
Markets
80 currency pairs, metal, energy, index, stock, ETF and crypto CFDs, plus real stocks and ETFs on Invest.MT5
17,000+ markets, including 80+ forex pairs, indices, shares, commodities and options
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Yes
News trading allowed
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
  • Bank transfer
  • Debit or credit card
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Crypto
  • Debit card
  • Credit card
  • Bank transfer
  • PayPal
Withdrawal fee
One free withdrawal a month per payment method, then a fee by method (2% or 3% at the Seychelles company)
Free by card and bank transfer (UK)
Inactivity fee
10 EUR a month after 24 months without trades (only on a positive balance)
None on the UK trading account

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
24 hours a day from 8am Saturday to 10pm Friday (UK time), by phone, web chat and WhatsApp

Our notes

Strengths
  • UK and EU companies licensed by the FCA and CySEC, with client money in segregated accounts
  • Low minimum deposit (25 USD or EUR on Trade.MT5 and Zero.MT5, 1 USD or EUR on Invest.MT5)
  • Fees and charges page lists the inactivity, withdrawal and transfer fees in one place
  • UK, EU and Swiss companies authorised by strict regulators, with client money segregated and a compensation scheme in each
  • Negative balance protection for UK and EU retail clients
  • No inactivity, account or card-deposit fees on the UK trading account
  • Very wide market range, including spread betting for UK clients
Watch out for
  • International clients join Admirals SC Ltd, licensed only in the Seychelles (offshore tier), with leverage up to 1:1000
  • Says Admirals SA (Pty) Ltd is licensed by the FSCA; the FSCA's OTC derivative provider list shows it as Withdrawn, and we could not reach the FSCA FSP register on 2026-10-20 to check its FSP licence.
  • The group also names companies in Jordan, Canada and the UAE; we did not confirm those licences on 2026-10-20.
  • Only one free withdrawal a month per payment method; after 24 months without trades a 10 EUR monthly fee applies
  • Says IG International Limited (for clients outside IG's local offices) is licensed by the Bermuda Monetary Authority; we could not confirm it on the BMA register on 2026-10-20 because the BMA website was unavailable.
  • The Australian IG trading account does not have negative balance protection; only the limited risk account caps losses
  • IG publishes minimum spreads, not typical spreads, so the real cost depends on market conditions
  • Minimum deposit varies by region: £250 in the UK, €300 in the EU, CHF 2,500 in Switzerland

Risk warnings

The buttons to a broker’s website above the table are partner links: we may earn a commission if you open an account through them. That never changes the facts shown here. Trading leveraged products such as forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money rapidly, and most retail accounts lose money. Each broker’s own warning:

  • Admirals (Admiral Markets): CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
  • IG: Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

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Other head-to-head pages

Cost per lot is the typical EUR/USD spread in busy hours × $10, plus any round-turn commission, for one standard lot. “Not yet checked” means we have not confirmed that fact yet. This page compares facts; it does not rank the brokers or recommend either. Confirm costs and licences on each broker’s site and the regulator’s public register before opening an account: see how we review brokers and check a broker yourself.

Nothing on this page is financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.

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