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Head to head

IG vs Interactive Brokers

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. 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 $250 at IG and $0 at Interactive Brokers. Only IG offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

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

IG 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
IGStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Interactive BrokersStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
IGUnited Kingdom
Interactive BrokersUnited States

Overview

Founded
1974
Not yet checked
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
Official websites
  • ig.com
  • www.ig.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
IG Markets Ltd
Interactive Brokers LLC
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
CFTC / NFA
United States
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
195355
Check the register
NFA ID 0258600 (futures commission merchant)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
UK residents (CFDs and share dealing); also international accounts for South African clients
US residents; also clears and carries many accounts opened through the UK company
All licences held
  • 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)
  • 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); 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
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
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia)
1:30 on major pairs for CFDs (UK, EU, Australia)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30
  • Other currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
  • 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
50% (UK and EU retail close-out rule)
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
  • IG web platform
  • Mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • ProRealTime
  • L2 Dealer
  • TradingView
  • Trader Workstation (TWS)
  • IBKR Desktop
  • Client Portal
  • IBKR Mobile
  • IBKR APIs
Markets
17,000+ markets, including 80+ forex pairs, indices, shares, commodities and options
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
  • Debit card
  • Credit card
  • Bank transfer
  • PayPal
  • Bank transfer
Withdrawal fee
Free by card and bank transfer (UK)
Not yet checked
Inactivity fee
None on the UK trading account
None

Support

Customer support
24 hours a day from 8am Saturday to 10pm Friday (UK time), by phone, web chat and WhatsApp
Phone, chat and secure message support, by region

Our notes

Strengths
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • 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:

  • 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.
  • 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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