Firstrade vs IG Index
Firstrade or IG Index – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare Firstrade and IG Index in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
| Firstrade | IG Index |
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| Firstrade is ranked #56 among UK brokers. | IG Index is ranked #7 among CFD brokers. |
| Firstrade, based in the US, operates as a discount broker-dealer and is authorised by the SEC. The firm is a member of both FINRA and SIPC. Firstrade Securities stands out as a leading online brokerage, offering enticing welcome bonuses, robust tools and apps, and commission-free trading. Opening a new account is straightforward and efficient. | Founded in 1974, IG is a part of IG Group Holdings Plc, a publicly listed brokerage (LSE: IGG). The company provides spread betting, CFD, and forex trading, offering access to over 17,000 markets. Its platforms and investing apps are notably user-friendly. Over the past 50 years, IG has consistently been an industry leader, excelling in all essential areas for traders. |
| 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. | |
| Pros | |
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| Cons | |
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| Awards | |
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| FCA Regulated | |
| No | 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, FINMA, CONSOB, AFM |
| 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. |
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| iOS App Rating | |
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| Android App Rating | |
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| 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 | Yes |
| Autochartist | |
| No | Yes |
| eSignal | |
| No | No |
| Trading Central | |
| Yes | 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 | |
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| Commodities | |
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| CFD | |
| IG provides over 17,000 CFDs, giving traders more opportunities than most brokers. Investors can trade long or short on key markets such as equities, forex, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Additionally, customised price alerts and the IG Academy enrich 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 provides an extensive selection of over 80 currency pairs through its own web platform, mobile app, or MetaTrader 4. For advanced charting and forex analysis, the ProRealTime software is available. Testing shows forex spreads are competitive, beginning at 0.1 pips on major pairs such as EUR/USD. | |
| Assets | |
| 80+ | |
| GBPUSD Spread | |
| 0.9 | |
| EURUSD Spread | |
| 0.8 | |
| EURGBP Spread | |
| 0.9 | |
| Currency Indices | |
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| Cryptocurrency | |
| Engage in trading across a wide range of top cryptocurrencies with minimal fees and all-day access. Traders can begin speculating on popular tokens such as Bitcoin with as little as £1. Additionally, clients can purchase cryptocurrencies instantly through a few simple steps. | IG offers a limited range of 11 crypto CFDs, lagging behind leading brokers such as Vantage, which provides access to over 40 tokens. Nonetheless, IG distinguishes itself with its crypto index, tracking the top 10 digital currencies by market capitalisation. This index offers traders a comprehensive method to speculate on the overall value of the crypto market. |
| Spread | |
| Variable | Variable |
| Coins | |
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| Crypto Lending | |
| No | No |
| Crypto Mining | |
| No | No |
| Crypto Staking | |
| No | No |
| Auto Market Maker | |
| No | No |
| Firstrade | IG Index |
| 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. | |
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