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Head to head

Axi vs IG

Axi is licensed by ASIC in Australia; FCA in the United Kingdom; CySEC in the European Union and DFSA in Dubai (DIFC), UAE. 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 $0 at Axi and $250 at IG. Only IG offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

Facts last checked: Axi on 20 October 2026, IG on 20 October 2026.

Axi 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
AxiStrictly regulatedRead the profile
IGStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
AxiAustralia
IGUnited Kingdom

Overview

Founded
2007
1974
Headquarters
Sydney, Australia
London, United Kingdom
Official websites
  • axi.com
  • axi-solaris.com
  • ig.com
  • www.ig.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
AxiCorp Financial Services Pty Ltd
IG Markets Ltd
Regulator
ASIC
Australia
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
AFSL 318232
Check the register
195355
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Australian residents
UK residents (CFDs and share dealing); also international accounts for South African clients
All licences held
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
  • 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
No
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus); none for the St Vincent 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, Australia); up to 1:1000 at the St Vincent company
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pairs (UK: 1:30
  • Currency pairs (St Vincent company): up to 1:1000
  • 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
20% (liquidation level, St Vincent 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
  • Axi Trading Platform
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • IG web platform
  • Mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • ProRealTime
  • L2 Dealer
  • TradingView
Markets
Forex, metals, commodities, indices, share CFDs, crypto CFDs and perpetual futures CFDs
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
  • Debit card
  • Credit card
  • Bank transfer
  • PayPal
Withdrawal fee
Free above US$50 or for the full balance; otherwise an administration fee of US$25 may apply (St Vincent company)
Free by card and bank transfer (UK)
Inactivity fee
10 a month in USD, EUR, GBP and most other account currencies after 12 months without trading (St Vincent company)
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
  • Licensed by ASIC, the FCA and CySEC, all strict regulators
  • Published commissions per currency on the Premium account (for example $4.50 or €4.00 per standard contract)
  • Bank transfers and payments under US$50,000 a month are free to deposit
  • 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 AxiTrader LLC, a St Vincent and the Grenadines company (4303 LLC 2025) that is registered, not licensed; its risk warning says you can lose substantially more than your initial investment.
  • Axi publishes minimum spreads only, not typical spreads
  • The St Vincent company charges a monthly inactivity fee after 12 months and may charge US$25 for withdrawals under US$50
  • The FSCA's OTC derivative provider list shows AxiCorp Financial Services Pty Ltd's application as Withdrawn, so Axi has no South African licence we could confirm.
  • 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:

  • Axi: Over-the-counter derivatives are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing substantially more than your initial investment rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how over-the-counter derivatives work and whether you can afford to take the high level of risk to your capital.
  • 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.

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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