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Head to head

Admirals (Admiral Markets) vs Interactive Brokers

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. Interactive Brokers is licensed by CFTC / NFA in the United States; CIRO in Canada; FCA in the United Kingdom; Central Bank of Ireland in the European Union; ASIC in Australia; MAS in Singapore and DFSA in Dubai (DIFC), UAE. 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 $0 at Interactive Brokers. Only Admirals (Admiral Markets) offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

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

Admirals (Admiral Markets) profileInteractive Brokers 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
Interactive BrokersStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
Admirals (Admiral Markets)United Kingdom
Interactive BrokersUnited States

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Tallinn, Estonia (Admirals Group AS)
Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
Official websites
  • admiralmarkets.com
  • admirals.com
  • admiralmarkets.com.cy
  • interactivebrokers.com
  • interactivebrokers.co.uk
  • interactivebrokers.ie
  • interactivebrokers.com.au
  • interactivebrokers.ca
  • interactivebrokers.com.sg
  • ibkr.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Admiral Markets UK Ltd
Interactive Brokers LLC
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
CFTC / NFA
United States
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
595450
Check the register
NFA ID 0258600 (futures commission merchant)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
UK residents
US residents; also clears and carries many accounts opened through the UK company
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • CMA (Kenya)
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
  • CFTC / NFA (United States)
  • CIRO (Canada)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • Central Bank of Ireland (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • MAS (Singapore)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
No
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus); none for the Seychelles company
SIPC (US, securities only); FSCS in limited circumstances (UK); Irish Investor Compensation Scheme (Ireland); CIPF (Canada)

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 for CFDs (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 pair CFDs: 1:30
  • Non-major currency pair: 1:20
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
30% (Seychelles company)
Not yet checked

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
  • Trader Workstation (TWS)
  • IBKR Desktop
  • Client Portal
  • IBKR Mobile
  • IBKR APIs
Markets
80 currency pairs, metal, energy, index, stock, ETF and crypto CFDs, plus real stocks and ETFs on Invest.MT5
Spot forex, plus forex, index, metal and share CFDs (CFDs not offered to US or Canadian residents)
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Not yet checked
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
  • Bank transfer
Withdrawal fee
One free withdrawal a month per payment method, then a fee by method (2% or 3% at the Seychelles company)
Not yet checked
Inactivity fee
10 EUR a month after 24 months without trades (only on a positive balance)
None

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
Phone, chat and secure message support, by region

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
  • Licensed in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and Singapore, all strict regulators
  • Spot forex priced at the quoted interbank spread plus a published commission (0.20 basis points of trade value at the first tier)
  • No account minimum and no inactivity fee
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
  • Spot forex commission has a minimum of USD 2.00 per order, so very small trades cost more in percentage terms.
  • UK accounts are cleared and carried by Interactive Brokers LLC in the US for most products; IBKR says products are only covered by the UK FSCS in limited circumstances.
  • Margin accounts can go negative; IBKR's own disclosures say losses may exceed your original investment
  • IBKR also names companies in Hong Kong, Japan and India; we did not confirm those licences on 2026-10-20 and this profile does not cover them.

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.
  • Interactive Brokers: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 58.9% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with IBKR. You should consider whether you understand how 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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