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Head to head

Exness vs IG

Exness is licensed by FSCA in South Africa, CMA (Kenya) in Kenya, CMA (UAE) in the United Arab Emirates, FCA in the United Kingdom and CySEC in the European Union, 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 $10 at Exness and $250 at IG. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

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

Exness 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
ExnessOffshore registration onlyRead the profile
IGStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
ExnessSeychelles
IGUnited Kingdom

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
1974
Headquarters
Not yet checked
London, United Kingdom
Official websites
  • exness.com
  • exness.eu
  • exness.uk
  • exness.ke
  • ig.com
  • www.ig.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Exness (SC) Ltd
IG Markets Ltd
Regulator
FSA Seychelles
Seychelles
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
Offshore registration only
Strictly regulated
Licence number
SD025 (Securities Dealer)
Check the register
195355
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Clients who sign up through exness.com (Exness assigns the company by country; it names it in the client agreement)
UK residents (CFDs and share dealing); also international accounts for South African clients
All licences held
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
  • FSC (BVI) (British Virgin Islands)
  • FSCA (South Africa)
  • CMA (Kenya) (Kenya)
  • CMA (UAE) (United Arab Emirates)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • 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
None
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
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Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
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Spread from
No accounts listed
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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:Unlimited on some accounts (offshore companies)
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia)
Retail leverage by asset class
Not yet checked
  • 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
60% (Standard); 30% (Pro, Zero, Raw Spread)
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
0% (stocks differ)
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
  • Exness Terminal
  • Exness Trade app
  • IG web platform
  • Mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • ProRealTime
  • L2 Dealer
  • TradingView
Markets
Currency pairs, metals, cryptocurrencies, energies, stocks and indices as 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
Not yet checked
  • Debit card
  • Credit card
  • Bank transfer
  • PayPal
Withdrawal fee
No withdrawal fees from Exness; third-party fees may apply depending on the payment method
Free by card and bank transfer (UK)
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
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
  • Licences confirmed with the FSCA in South Africa, the CMA in Kenya and the UAE's Capital Market Authority
  • Low $10 minimum deposit on the Standard account and no withdrawal fees from Exness
  • Exness says client money is held in segregated accounts and retail accounts have negative balance protection
  • 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
  • Most retail clients join offshore companies (FSA Seychelles or BVI FSC), and the strictly regulated UK and Cyprus companies do not accept retail clients
  • Exness also says it holds licences from the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (Exness B.V., 0003LSI), the FSC of Belize (Forexite Ltd., 9110312), the FSC of Mauritius (Exness (MU) Ltd, GB20025294), the Jordan Securities Commission (Exness Limited Jordan) and an FSCA ODP authorisation for Exness (SC) Ltd. We could not confirm these on the regulators' registers on 2026-10-20.
  • Leverage up to 1:Unlimited and a 0% stop-out mean a position can be closed only when your margin is gone
  • 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:

  • Exness: Risk Warning: Our services relate to complex derivative instruments requiring appropriate knowledge and understanding. Their prices may fluctuate rapidly and may become valueless. Trading involves a high risk of loss, with traders likely to incur losses exceeding the potential for profits. Losses may extend up to the full amount of funds in the trading account. Under no circumstances shall Exness have any liability to any person or entity for any loss or damage in whole or part caused by, resulting from, or relating to any investing activity.
  • 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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