Admiral Markets vs Interactive Brokers

Admiral Markets or Interactive Brokers – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare Admiral Markets and Interactive Brokers in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

Admiral Markets vs Interactive Brokers Comparison Table 2024
Admiral Markets Interactive Brokers
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3.5
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4.3
Admiral Markets is ranked #74 among CFD brokers. Interactive Brokers is ranked #8 among CFD brokers.
Review
Review
Admirals is an FCA- and ASIC-regulated broker with an excellent range of leveraged instruments, including forex, stocks, indices, ETFs, commodities, cryptos and more. The broker supports the MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradingCentral platforms. With both spread betting and CFDs available and thousands of instruments, this broker provides more flexibility than most rivals. Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a premier brokerage for experienced traders, providing access to 150 markets in 33 countries, along with a suite of comprehensive investment services. With over 40 years of experience, this Nasdaq-listed firm adheres to stringent regulations by the SEC, FCA, CIRO, and SFC, amongst others, and is one of the most trusted brokers for trading around the globe.
Pros
  • Low minimum deposit from $100
  • MetaTrader 4 platform and app integration
  • Copy trading service with easy account controls
  • Full range of investments including cryptos and spread betting
  • Demo account to test the broker before real-money trading
  • Admirals is a multi-regulated broker with a long list of industry awards and accolades
  • Tight spreads and low to zero commissions mean Admiral Markets is a good option for active traders
  • The low minimum deposit, fractional shares and easy three-step account registration process will appeal to beginners
  • IBKR is one of the most respected and trusted brokerages and is regulated by top-tier authorities, so you can have confidence in the integrity and security of your trading account.
  • The TWS platform has clearly been built for intermediate and advanced traders and comes with over 100 order types and a reliable real-time market data feed that rarely goes offline.
  • The new IBKR Desktop platform takes the best of TWS while adding bespoke tools like Option Lattice and Screeners with MultiSort to create a genuinely impressive trading experience for traders at every level.
  • There's a vast library of free or paid third-party research subscriptions catering to all types of traders, plus you can enjoy commission reimbursements from IBKR if you subscribe to Toggle AI.
  • IBKR continues to deliver unmatched access to global stocks with tens of thousands of equities available from 100+ market centres in 24 countries.
  • While primarily geared towards experienced traders, IBKR has made moves to broaden its appeal in recent years, reducing its minimum deposit from $10,000 to $0.
  • With low commissions, tight spreads and a transparent fee structure, IBKR delivers a cost-effective environment for short-term traders.
Cons
  • Monthly inactivity fee
  • US traders not accepted
  • The demo account expires after 30 days
  • TWS’s learning curve is steep, and beginners may find it challenging to navigate the platform and understand all the features. Plus500's web platform is much better suited to new traders.
  • IBKR provides a wide range of research tools, but their distribution across trading platforms and the web-based 'Account Management' page lacks consistency, leading to a confusing user experience.
  • Support can be slow and frustrating based on tests, so you might find it challenging to reach customer service representatives promptly or encounter delays in resolving issues.
  • You can only have one active session per account, so you can’t have your desktop program and mobile app running simultaneously, making for a sometimes frustrating trading experience.
Awards
  • Best Education & Training (Germany) - 2020
  • Best Forex Broker (Spain) - 2020
  • Best Forex Company - 2019
FCA Regulated
Yes Yes
Instruments
Forex, CFDs, indices, shares, commodities, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, bonds, spread betting Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, CFDs, Cryptocurrencies
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$100 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots $100
Regulator
FCA, CySEC, ASIC, JSC FCA, SEC, FINRA, CFTC, CBI, CIRO, SFC, MAS, MNB
Mobile Apps
Yes iOS & Android
Trading App

The IBKR Mobile app, available on both iOS and Android devices, makes your phone a powerful gateway to your IBKR accounts, offering you the freedom to keep an eye on portfolios, initiate trades, and dive into real-time quotes and charts, all while managing your account activities on the fly. This app stands out for its intuitive design, making it especially welcoming for those just starting their trading journey, providing a smoother and more accessible experience than the more complex TWS platform.
iOS App Rating
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4.3
Android App Rating
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4.5
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
1.55 - 2.59%
MetaTrader 4
Yes No
MetaTrader 5
Yes No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No Yes
OmniTrader
No Yes
TradingView
No No
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No Yes
Trading Central
Yes Yes
STP Account
Yes Yes
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
Yes Yes
MAM Account
No Yes
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No Yes
Robo Advisor
No Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Capitalise.ai & TWS API
Copy Trading
Yes No
Copy Trading Platform
Admiral Markets offers an intuitive copy trading solution where subscribers can mirror the strategies of proven investors while setting their own stop loss and take profit limits in line with their risk appetite.
Social Trading
Yes No
Trade Signals
Yes (MetaQuotes)
VPS Hosting
Yes No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No Yes
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$10 $0
Islamic Account
Yes No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • SEK
  • CHF
  • CZK
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • INR
  • JPY
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • AED
  • HUF
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Natural Gas
  • Orange Juice
  • Copper
  • Platinum
  • Silver
  • Cocoa
  • Cotton
  • Sugar
  • Nickel
  • Lithium
  • Gold
  • Zinc
  • Aluminium
  • Natural Gas
  • Soybeans
  • Lead
  • Precious Metals
CFD
Trade CFDs on forex, stocks, indices, commodities, ETFs, bonds and cryptocurrencies with variable leverage up to 1:30. The broker provides great value to traders with six free trades per day on US, UK and European stocks, tight spreads on forex and low commissions on ETFs. Over 8,000 CFDs are offered on a vast array of instruments, encompassing stocks, indices, forex, and commodities. Moreover, the TWS platform lends itself to seasoned traders, offering a comprehensive selection of over 100 order types and algorithms, alongside premium market data sourced from reputable sources such as Reuters and Dow Jones.
Leverage
1:30 (EU), 1:500 (Global) 1:50
FTSE Spread
0.8 0.005% (£1 Min)
GBPUSD Spread<
1.3 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Oil Spread
0.03 0.25-0.85
Stocks Spread
0.5 0.003
Forex
Trade 80+ major, minor and exotic forex pairs. This is a very competitive range of currency pairs with 50+ exotics to choose from, and traders will benefit from fast execution and support from extra features including a pip calculator. The MetaTrader 4 software was also designed for online forex trading. IBKR presents an extensive range of over 100 major, minor, and exotic forex pairs, surpassing the offerings of nearly all leading alternatives, though not CMC Markets. Forex trading occurs over multiple platforms and boasts institutional-grade spreads starting from 0.1 pips and 20 complex order types, including brackets, scale, and one-cancels-all (OCA) orders.
Assets
50 100+
GBPUSD Spread
1 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURUSD Spread
0.6 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURGBP Spread
1 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
Trade 42 crypto CFDs including 10 crypto cross pairs and 32 fiat pairs with USD and EUR. This is a very competitive offering for a CFD broker that gives diverse and flexible trading options. IBKR lets you purchase and hold Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin at competitive commission rates and without needing a crypto wallet. Additionally, there is a range of other diverse assets to explore, such as crypto indices like the NYSE Bitcoin Index, as well as futures contracts like the BAKKT Bitcoin Futures.
Spread
1% 0.12%-0.18%
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • DSH
  • EOS
  • ETC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XLM
  • XMR
  • XRP
  • ZEC
  • BTC
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
Admiral Markets Interactive Brokers
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