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Head to head

Interactive Brokers vs Markets4you

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. Markets4you holds only an offshore registration (British Virgin Islands). 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 Interactive Brokers and $0 at Markets4you. Only Markets4you offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

Facts last checked: Interactive Brokers on 20 October 2026, Markets4you on 20 October 2026.

Interactive Brokers profileMarkets4you 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
Interactive BrokersStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Markets4youOffshore registration onlyRead the profile
Comparing
Interactive BrokersUnited States
Markets4youBritish Virgin Islands

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
2007
Headquarters
Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
Road Town, British Virgin Islands
Official websites
  • interactivebrokers.com
  • interactivebrokers.co.uk
  • interactivebrokers.ie
  • interactivebrokers.com.au
  • interactivebrokers.ca
  • interactivebrokers.com.sg
  • ibkr.com
  • markets4you.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Interactive Brokers LLC
E-Global Trade & Finance Group, Inc.
Regulator
CFTC / NFA
United States
BVI FSC
British Virgin Islands
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Offshore registration only
Licence number
NFA ID 0258600 (futures commission merchant)
Check the register
SIBA/L/12/1027
Check the register
Clients this company serves
US residents; also clears and carries many accounts opened through the UK company
International clients (not residents of the US, Japan, Canada, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, Australia or the EEA)
All licences held
  • CFTC / NFA (United States)
  • CIRO (Canada)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • Central Bank of Ireland (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • MAS (Singapore)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
  • BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
Yes
Compensation scheme
SIPC (US, securities only); FSCS in limited circumstances (UK); Irish Investor Compensation Scheme (Ireland); CIPF (Canada)
None

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
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major pairs for CFDs (UK, EU, Australia)
Up to 1:4000
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pair CFDs: 1:30
  • Non-major currency pair: 1:20
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
Not yet checked
Margin call level
Not yet checked
100% on Classic accounts; 50% on Cent accounts
Stop-out level
Not yet checked
20% on Classic accounts; 10% on Cent accounts

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
  • Trader Workstation (TWS)
  • IBKR Desktop
  • Client Portal
  • IBKR Mobile
  • IBKR APIs
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • Markets4you mobile app
Markets
Spot forex, plus forex, index, metal and share CFDs (CFDs not offered to US or Canadian residents)
Forex, metals, indices, commodities, shares and cryptocurrency CFDs
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Yes
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Not yet checked
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
  • E-wallets
  • Local payment methods
Withdrawal fee
Not yet checked
Markets4you says it charges no transfer fee on most methods (marked with an asterisk on its site)
Inactivity fee
None
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Phone, chat and secure message support, by region
24/7 by live chat, messengers and phone

Our notes

Strengths
  • 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
  • No minimum deposit on any account, and cent accounts for very small trade sizes
  • Negative balance protection, and client money held separately from company money
  • Copy trading (Share4you) and PAMM accounts on top of MT4 and MT5
Watch out for
  • 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.
  • Only an offshore licence (BVI FSC); no FCA, ASIC, CySEC or similar licence
  • Says Trade4you International holds Mauritius FSC licence GB21026460; we could not confirm it on the FSC Mauritius register on 2026-10-20, because the register blocked our access
  • Leverage up to 1:4000 and stop-outs at 20% (10% on cent accounts) can wipe out an account fast
  • Spreads are published only as "from" figures

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:

  • 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.
  • Markets4you: Trading complex financial instruments on the Over-the-Counter (OTC) market carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. There is a possibility of losing all your invested capital. Increasing your leverage magnifies both potential gains and losses. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The Company does not issue advice, recommendations or opinion in relation to acquiring, holding or disposing of OTC derivatives. All services are provided on an execution only basis. We strongly recommend that you seek independent financial advice to ensure that these products fit your investment objectives and financial situation. Only trade with funds you can afford to lose without affecting your standard of living.

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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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