Firstrade vs IG Index

Firstrade or IG Index – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare Firstrade and IG Index in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

Firstrade vs IG Index Comparison Table 2024
Firstrade IG Index
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4
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4.4
Firstrade is ranked #72 among UK brokers. IG Index is ranked #19 among CFD brokers.
Review
Review
Firstrade is a US-headquartered discount broker-dealer with authorization from the SEC. The company is also a member of FINRA/SIPC. With welcome bonuses, powerful tools and apps, plus commission-free trading, Firstrade Securities is a popular online brokerage. It is also quick and easy to open a new account. Founded in 1974, IG is part of IG Group Holdings Plc, a publicly traded (LSE: IGG) brokerage. The brand offers spread betting, CFD and forex trading across an almost unrivalled selection of 17,000+ markets, with a range of user-friendly platforms and investing apps. For 50 years, IG has maintained its position as an industry leader, excelling in all key areas for traders.
71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Pros
  • SIPC member
  • Low OTC fees
  • Crypto trading
  • Premarket trading
  • Accepts US traders
  • No minimum deposit
  • Commission-free investing
  • Regulated by SEC and FINRA
  • Multiple customer support options
  • Access to education, research, and tools
  • Stop limit and trailing stop orders supported
  • Mobile app with advanced features and analysis
  • IG is amongst the best in terms of its range of instruments, which includes stocks, forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies, providing ample diversification opportunities
  • The proprietary web-based platform continues to caters to traders of all levels, with advanced charting tools and real-time market data useful for trading
  • The IG app offers a superb mobile trading experience with a clean design that helped it secure Runner Up at our Best Trading App award
  • As a well-established broker, IG operates under strict regulatory guidelines in multiple jurisdictions, maintaining a high level of trust
  • IG offers an extensive collection of professional and engaging educational resources, including webinars, articles, and analysis
  • The ProRealTime advanced charting platform is free as long as certain modest monthly trading activity requirements are met
Cons
  • No copy trading
  • Some withdrawal fees
  • No 24/7 customer support
  • No forex or futures trading
  • No demo/paper trading account
  • Visa Credit/debit card deposits and withdrawals not accepted
  • Beginners might find IG’s fee structure complex, with various fees for different types of trades or services, potentially leading to confusion or unexpected charges
  • While there is negative balance protection in the UK and EU, there is no account protection or guaranteed stop losses for US clients
  • IG has discontinued its swap-free account, reducing its appeal to Islamic traders
  • Stock and CFD spreads still trail the cheapest brokers like CMC Markets based on tests
  • IG applies an inactivity fee of $12 per month after 2 years, deterring casual investors
Awards
  • Best for ETF & Active Investor Commission & Fees - 2019
  • Best Customer Service 2022 - Online Money Awards
  • Best Spread Betting Provider 2022 - Online Money Awards
  • Best Platform for the Active Trader 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
  • Best Multi Platform Provider 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
  • Best Finance App 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
FCA Regulated
No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Yes
Instruments
Stocks, ETFs, Options, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Cryptos, Fixed CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting
Demo Account
No Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
$1 0.01 Lots
Regulator
SEC, FINRA FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

IG offers a superb all-round trading app. One of the pioneers of mobile trading, the application has been developed and refined over many years, meaning it is now among the best trading apps. Quick response, user-friendly layout, access to full charting and a stable and reliable application. It also offers guaranteed stops – an important risk management tool not available on many apps we’ve tested.
iOS App Rating
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4.6
Android App Rating
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4
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
4.50% 2.5%
MetaTrader 4
No Yes
MetaTrader 5
No No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No No
Autochartist
No Yes
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No Yes
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
No Yes
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No Yes
Market Maker
Yes Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
No Yes
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No Yes
Custodial Account
Yes No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No Yes
Inactivity Fee
$0 $12
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • SEK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • HKD
  • SGD
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Copper
  • Oil
  • Palladium
  • Silver
  • Sugar
  • Coffee
  • Wheat
  • Natural Gas
  • Soybeans
  • Orange Juice
  • Nickel
  • Steel
  • Iron
  • Precious Metals
  • Aluminium
  • Lithium
  • Cannabis
CFD
IG offers a huge selection of 17,000+ CFDs, providing more trading opportunities than most CFD brokers. Traders can go long or short on popular markets like stocks, currencies, commodities and cryptos, while custom price alerts and the IG Academy continue to enhance the trading experience.
Leverage
1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
1.0
GBPUSD Spread<
0.9
Oil Spread
2.8
Stocks Spread
$0 per trade 0.02
Forex
IG offers an above-average suite of 80+ currency pairs on its proprietary web platform, mobile app or MetaTrader 4, with more advanced charts and forex analysis tools available on the ProRealTime software. Forex spreads are competitive based on tests, starting from 0.1 pips on majors like the EUR/USD.
Assets
80+
GBPUSD Spread
0.9
EURUSD Spread
0.8
EURGBP Spread
0.9
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
Take positions on dozens of leading cryptocurrencies with low fees and 24/7 investing. Traders need just $1 to start speculating on popular tokens like Bitcoin. Clients can also buy cryptos instantly in a few straightforward steps. IG's modest selection of 11 crypto CFDs trails top crypto brokers like Vantage which offers 40+ tokens. That said, it stands out with its crypto index, which tracks the value of the top 10 digital currencies by market cap and provides a holistic way to speculate on the value of the crypto market.
Spread
Variable Variable
Coins
  • ALGO
  • AVAX
  • BAT
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ADA
  • LINK
  • ATOM
  • CRO
  • CRV
  • MANA
  • DOGE
  • ETH
  • ETC
  • FTM
  • LTC
  • LRC
  • MATIC
  • REN
  • SHIB
  • SOL
  • XLM
  • SUSHI
  • GRT
  • UNI
  • YFI
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • ADA
  • DOT
  • DOGE
  • LINK
  • UNI
  • XLM
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
Firstrade IG Index
Review
Review
71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
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