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Head to head

AMarkets vs Interactive Brokers

AMarkets has no licence we could confirm on a regulator's register. 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 $100 at AMarkets and $0 at Interactive Brokers. Only AMarkets offers negative balance protection. Only Interactive Brokers offers segregated client money.

Facts last checked: AMarkets on 20 October 2026, Interactive Brokers on 20 October 2026.

AMarkets 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
AMarketsRead the profile
Interactive BrokersStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
AMarkets
Interactive BrokersUnited States

Overview

Founded
2007
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Not yet checked
Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
Official websites
  • amarkets.com
  • amarkets.org
  • 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
No licence listed
Interactive Brokers LLC
Regulator
No licence listed
CFTC / NFA
United States
Regulation level
No licence listed
Strictly regulated
Licence number
No licence listed
NFA ID 0258600 (futures commission merchant)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
No licence listed
US residents; also clears and carries many accounts opened through the UK company
All licences held
None listed
  • 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
No
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
No
Compensation scheme
None
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
Up to 1:3000
1:30 on major pairs for CFDs (UK, EU, Australia)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • All account types: Up to 1:3000, depending on instrument
  • 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
20% on Standard; 40% on ECN and Zero
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
  • AMarkets app
  • Web trader
  • Trader Workstation (TWS)
  • IBKR Desktop
  • Client Portal
  • IBKR Mobile
  • IBKR APIs
Markets
44 currency pairs, metals, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, about 400 shares and 19 ETFs (CFDs)
Spot forex, plus forex, index, metal and share CFDs (CFDs not offered to US or Canadian residents)
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Yes
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
  • E-wallet
  • Local payment methods
  • Bank transfer
Withdrawal fee
AMarkets says deposits carry no fee; withdrawals go back to the account or card you paid from
Not yet checked
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
None

Support

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

Our notes

Strengths
  • Three account types with negative balance protection on each
  • Commission-free Standard account; ECN and Zero accounts for raw spreads
  • MetaTrader 4 and 5, its own app and a copy-trading service
  • 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
  • Says AMarkets LTD holds Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) licence T2023284; we could not confirm it on MISA's register on 2026-10-20, because the register sits behind a bot check
  • Its other companies are registrations in the Cook Islands and St Vincent and the Grenadines, not financial licences
  • No licence from a strict regulator; not available in the UK, EU, EEA or US
  • Leverage up to 1:3000 on every account
  • 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:

  • 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.

Open this comparison in the full tool to share a link with your own accounts and companies chosen.

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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