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Head to head

CPT Markets vs Interactive Brokers

CPT Markets is licensed by FSCA in South Africa and UAE CMA in the United Arab Emirates, 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 $500 at CPT Markets and $0 at Interactive Brokers. Neither offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

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

CPT 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
CPT MarketsRegulatedRead the profile
Interactive BrokersStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
CPT MarketsSouth Africa
Interactive BrokersUnited States

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Not yet checked
Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
Official websites
  • cptmarkets.com
  • cptfx.com
  • 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
CPT Markets (PTY) Ltd
Interactive Brokers LLC
Regulator
FSCA
South Africa
CFTC / NFA
United States
Regulation level
Regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
FSP 45954
Check the register
NFA ID 0258600 (futures commission merchant)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
South African residents, through the South African website and terms
US residents; also clears and carries many accounts opened through the UK company
All licences held
  • FSCA (South Africa)
  • Belize FSC (Belize (international clients))
  • UAE CMA (United Arab Emirates)
  • 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
No
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
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
Up to 1:1000
1:30 on major pairs for CFDs (UK, EU, Australia)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • All accounts: Up to 1:1000
  • 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
Not yet checked
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
  • CPT app
  • CPT desktop platform
  • Copy trading
  • MAM
  • Trader Workstation (TWS)
  • IBKR Desktop
  • Client Portal
  • IBKR Mobile
  • IBKR APIs
Markets
Forex, indices, metals, energies, commodities, futures, stocks and crypto 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
Not yet checked
  • Bank transfer
Withdrawal fee
Not yet checked
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
  • CPT Markets (PTY) Ltd is authorised by the FSCA (FSP 45954), confirmed on the FSCA register
  • CPT Markets Limited is listed as active on the Belize FSC register, for trading and arranging transactions in securities
  • Says client funds are fully segregated
  • MetaTrader 4 and 5 plus its own app, copy trading and MAM accounts
  • 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
  • Clients outside South Africa are likely to sign with the Belize company, which holds an offshore licence
  • The UAE company is licensed only for introduction and promotion, not for dealing
  • Its risk warning says you can lose more than your deposit; we found no negative balance protection policy
  • No minimum deposit, typical spread or commission rate is published for the Classic or ECN accounts; the Prime account starts at USD 500
  • 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:

  • CPT Markets: The FX and CFD contracts on our online facility are traded on a margin or leverage basis, a type of trading that carries a high degree of risk to your capital. The price of the contract you make with us may change quickly, and your profits and losses may be more than your initial investment or deposit. If you do not hold sufficient funds to meet your margin requirements, we may close your open positions immediately and without notice. It is possible to lose more than your initial deposit. Trading these products is not suitable for all investors. Make sure that you understand and accept the risks before trading on a margin or leverage basis and can sustain potential losses.
  • 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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