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Interactive Brokers vs Orbex

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. Orbex is licensed by FSC Mauritius in Mauritius (international clients), and also has an offshore registration. 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 $100 at Orbex. Only Orbex offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

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

Interactive Brokers profileOrbex 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
OrbexRegulatedRead the profile
Comparing
Interactive BrokersUnited States
OrbexMauritius (international clients)

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
2011
Headquarters
Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
Ebène, Mauritius
Official websites
  • interactivebrokers.com
  • interactivebrokers.co.uk
  • interactivebrokers.ie
  • interactivebrokers.com.au
  • interactivebrokers.ca
  • interactivebrokers.com.sg
  • ibkr.com
  • orbex.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Interactive Brokers LLC
Orbex Global Ltd
Regulator
CFTC / NFA
United States
FSC Mauritius
Mauritius (international clients)
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Regulated
Licence number
NFA ID 0258600 (futures commission merchant)
Check the register
C118023330 (SEC-2.1B Investment Dealer)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
US residents; also clears and carries many accounts opened through the UK company
International clients; Orbex's trading terms name Orbex Global Limited as the counterparty
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)
  • FSC Mauritius (Mauritius (international clients))
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles (international clients))
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 1:500 (1:30 by default when the account is opened)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pair CFDs: 1:30
  • Non-major currency pair: 1:20
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
  • All CFDs, up to 19.99 lots open: Up to 1:500
  • All CFDs, 20 to 39.99 lots open: 1:300
  • All CFDs, 40 lots or more open: 1:100
Margin call level
Not yet checked
100%
Stop-out level
Not yet checked
20%

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
  • MT4 and MT5 web terminals
  • Orbex mobile app
  • FIX API
Markets
Spot forex, plus forex, index, metal and share CFDs (CFDs not offered to US or Canadian residents)
400+ CFDs on forex, stocks, metals, indices, energies and futures
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Yes
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Not yet checked
Yes
News trading allowed
Not yet checked
Yes
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
  • Bank transfer
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Perfect Money
  • UnionPay
  • Bank wire
  • Local payment methods
Withdrawal fee
Not yet checked
0% from Orbex on cards and e-wallets listed on its funding page
Inactivity fee
None
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Phone, chat and secure message support, by region
24/5 live chat, email and phone, plus call-back requests

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
  • Orbex Global Ltd is on the FSC Mauritius register as an investment dealer (SEC-2.1B), licensed since 7 January 2019
  • Says client money is held separately from company money and offers negative balance protection on all accounts
  • Commission-free Starter account from $100, and raw-spread accounts with a published per-lot commission
  • MetaTrader 4 and 5, a FIX API and PAMM accounts
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.
  • Its CySEC licence (124/10, ORBEX Ltd) is shown on the CySEC register as under examination for voluntary renunciation, so new clients are not covered by EU rules or the Cyprus compensation fund, even though the website still mentions the ICF
  • The website names several operating companies (Orbex Global Ltd in Mauritius, Orbex Limited in Seychelles, an Orbex Limited registered in Saint Lucia and Orbex LLC in St Vincent); check which one is named in your agreement
  • Leverage up to 1:500, far above the 1:30 cap that applies in the UK and EU
  • The spreads it publishes are minimums ("as low as"); typical spreads are not published

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.
  • Orbex: Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. Before deciding to trade foreign exchange, you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. There is a possibility that you may sustain a loss of some or all of your investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with foreign exchange trading, and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.

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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