Head to head
IG vs Swissquote
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. Swissquote is licensed by FINMA in Switzerland; FCA in the United Kingdom; CySEC in the European Union; SFC in Hong Kong 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 $1,000 at Swissquote (the Prime account needs $50,000). Only IG offers negative balance protection and segregated client money.
Facts last checked: IG on 20 October 2026, Swissquote on 20 October 2026.
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
Comparing
IGUnited Kingdom
SwissquotePrime account · Switzerland
Overview
Founded
1974
Not yet checked
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Switzerland
Official websites
- ig.com
- www.ig.com
- swissquote.com
- swissquote.ch
- swissquote.co.uk
- swissquote.eu
- swissquote.cy
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026
Regulation and protection
Company you would contract with
IG Markets Ltd
Swissquote Bank Ltd (Swissquote Bank SA)
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Clients this company serves
UK residents (CFDs and share dealing); also international accounts for South African clients
Swiss residents and international clients not served by a local Swissquote 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)
- FINMA (Switzerland)
- FCA (United Kingdom)
- CySEC (European Union)
- SFC (Hong Kong)
- DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
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
Swiss depositor protection up to CHF 100,000 (Swissquote Bank); FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus)
Costs
Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
$120$12 per lot × 10 lots
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
1.6 pips
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Leverage and margin
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia)
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU); 1:100 standard at Swissquote Bank
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 pairs (UK: 1:30
- EUR/USD and other major pairs (Swissquote Bank): 1:100 (1% margin)
- Gold (Swissquote Bank): 1:50 (2% margin)
Stop-out level
50% (UK and EU retail close-out rule)
30%
Account
Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
$50,000
Platforms and features
Platforms
- IG web platform
- Mobile app
- MetaTrader 4
- ProRealTime
- L2 Dealer
- TradingView
- MetaTrader 4
- MetaTrader 5
- CFXD
- TradingView
- FIX API
Markets
17,000+ markets, including 80+ forex pairs, indices, shares, commodities and options
About 130 currency pairs, metals and CFDs on indices, commodities and bonds
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
- 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
10 units of the account currency a month after 6 months without activity
Support
Customer support
24 hours a day from 8am Saturday to 10pm Friday (UK time), by phone, web chat and WhatsApp
Not yet checked
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
- Forex accounts held with a Swiss bank supervised by FINMA, with Swiss depositor protection up to CHF 100,000
- Subsidiaries licensed by the FCA, CySEC and Hong Kong's SFC
- Spread-only pricing with no commission on forex, and live spreads shown per account on its website
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
- High entry level: $1,000 for Standard, $10,000 for Premium and $50,000 for Prime.
- At Swissquote Bank, Swissquote warns that losses are in theory unlimited and you may have to pay in more if your balance falls below margin
- Inactivity fee of 10 a month in the account currency after only 6 months
- Says Swissquote South Africa (Pty) Ltd holds FSCA licence 43908 (advice and intermediary services); we could not confirm it on the FSCA register on 2026-10-20.
Choose at least one broker above to start comparing.
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.
- Swissquote: Trading leveraged products on the Forex platform, such as foreign exchange, spot precious metals and Contracts for Difference (CFDs), involves significant risk of loss due to the leverage and may not be suitable for all investors. Prior to opening an account with Swissquote, consider your level of experience, investment objectives, assets, income and risk appetite. Losses are in theory unlimited and you may be required to make additional payments if your account balance falls below the required margin level and therefore you should not speculate, invest or hedge with capital you cannot afford to lose, that is borrowed or urgently needed or necessary for personal or family subsistence. Over the past 12 months, 68.22% of retail investors have either lost money when trading CFDs, experienced a total loss of their margin at the closing of their position or ended up with a negative balance after closing their position.
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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.