FP Markets vs Interactive Brokers

FP Markets or Interactive Brokers – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare FP Markets and Interactive Brokers in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

FP Markets vs Interactive Brokers Comparison Table 2025
FP Markets Interactive Brokers
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4
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4.3
FP Markets is ranked #61 among CFD brokers. Interactive Brokers is ranked #33 among CFD brokers.
Founded in 2005 in Australia, FP Markets is a broker regulated by both ASIC and CySEC. It offers a wide range of tradable assets and provides Standard and Raw accounts suitable for traders of all levels. The platform excels in tools, featuring the MetaTrader suite, user-friendly TradingView, and practical insights from Trading Central and AutoChartist. Interactive Brokers (IBKR), a leading brokerage, offers access to 150 markets across 33 countries and provides extensive investment services. With more than 40 years of experience, this Nasdaq-listed company complies with strict regulations from the SEC, FCA, CIRO, and SFC. It is among the most reliable brokers worldwide for traders.
Pros
  • FP Markets provides an excellent range of trading options, thanks to its broadened commodities offerings and support for more than 10,000 stocks.
  • FP Markets stands out as a highly accommodating broker for platform selection, offering MetaTrader, cTrader, Iress, and the more recent addition of TradingView.
  • FP Markets provides swift and reliable support, accessible 24 hours a day, five days a week, with average response times under one minute during tests.
  • FP Markets offers a smooth onboarding process, featuring cryptocurrency deposits and a choice of more than 10 base currencies, appealing to traders worldwide.
  • FP Markets now offers advanced research tools from Trading Central and Autochartist. These tools assist traders in spotting short-term opportunities by analysing chart patterns, indicators, and other technical elements.
  • IBKR is a highly respected brokerage, regulated by top-tier authorities, ensuring the integrity and security of your trading account.
  • The TWS platform is tailored for intermediate and advanced traders, featuring over 100 order types and a dependable real-time market data feed with exceptional uptime.
  • Interactive Brokers has been awarded Best US Broker for 2025 by DayTrading.com. This accolade highlights its dedication to traders in the US, offering exceptionally low margin rates and access to global markets at minimal expense.
  • The new IBKR Desktop platform combines the top features of TWS with customised tools such as Option Lattice and MultiSort Screeners, providing an impressive trading experience for traders of all skill levels.
  • A wide range of third-party research subscriptions, both free and paid, are available for traders. Additionally, by subscribing to Toggle AI, traders can receive commission rebates from IBKR.
  • IBKR consistently offers unparalleled access to global equities, with thousands of shares available across over 100 market centres in 24 countries, including the recently added Saudi Stock Exchange.
  • While initially targeting seasoned traders, IBKR has recently widened its appeal by eliminating its $10,000 minimum deposit requirement.
  • IBKR offers an economical environment for traders, featuring low commissions, narrow spreads, and a clear fee structure.
Cons
  • The Raw account offers excellent pricing. However, the Standard account has wider spreads, averaging 1.1 pips on EUR/USD, which lags behind the competitive 0.8-pip spread at IC Markets.
  • FP Markets’ Iress platform is exclusively available to Australian clients. The platform is geared towards stock trading rather than forex. Data fees may accumulate quickly unless you are an active trader or hold a high-balance account.
  • FP Markets falls short of leading MetaTrader brokers. Although it provides a Trader's Toolbox on MT4, it offers only 130 instruments, restricting opportunities for serious traders. In contrast, Pepperstone offers 1,300 assets.
  • Traders Hub offers valuable resources such as the Daily Report, Technical Report, Market Insights, and Fundamental Analysis. Yet, it should diversify its daily content and ensure its forex news remains current to compete with market leaders like IG.
  • The learning curve for TWS is quite steep, making it tough for novice traders to navigate and grasp all its features. In contrast, Plus500's web platform is far more accessible for those new to trading.
  • IBKR offers a variety of research tools, but their inconsistent placement across trading platforms and the 'Account Management' webpage creates a confusing experience for users.
  • Support can be sluggish and frustrating. Tests reveal that you may face challenges reaching customer service quickly, which could result in delays in issue resolution.
  • You are limited to a single active session per account, meaning you cannot use both your desktop programme and mobile app at the same time. This restriction can occasionally lead to a frustrating experience for traders.
Awards
  • Best Global Forex Value Broker 2023 - Global Forex Awards
  • Best Forex Partners Programme Asia 2023 - Global Forex Awards
  • Best Forex Broker Europe 2023 - Global Forex Awards
  • Best Global Forex Value Broker 2022 - Global Forex Awards
  • Best Global Forex Value Broker 2021 - Global Forex Awards
  • Best US Broker 2025 - DayTrading.com
FCA Regulated
No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, ETFs, Crypto Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, CFDs, Cryptocurrencies
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$40 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots $100
Regulator
ASIC, CySEC, FSA, CMA FCA, SEC, FINRA, CFTC, CBI, CIRO, SFC, MAS, MNB, FINMA, AFM
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

FP Markets does not provide a proprietary web-based or mobile app, a downside for beginners. However, there are the mobile versions of MT4/MT5, cTrader, and TradingView that offer real-time quotes, advanced charting tools, account management features, and order execution. Australian clients are also exclusively offered access to the Iress mobile platform, which delivers sophisticated features including analytics, module linking, and multiple portfolio management.

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
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4.3
Android App Rating
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4
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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
Yes No
AlgoTrader
No Yes
OmniTrader
No Yes
TradingView
Yes Yes
Autochartist
Yes No
eSignal
No Yes
Trading Central
Yes Yes
STP Account
Yes Yes
ECN Account
Yes No
DMA Account
Yes Yes
MAM Account
Yes Yes
PAMM Account
Yes 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
Yes Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Capitalise.ai & TWS API
Copy Trading
Yes No
Copy Trading Platform
FP Markets has launched its own social copy trading platform and provides access to the MetaTrader signals market. Additionally, it supports Myfxbook, making FP Markets a strong choice for social copy trading. Despite the platform being less user-friendly than cTrader Copy, these features enhance its appeal for traders.
Social Trading
Yes No
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
$0 $0
Islamic Account
Yes No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • JPY
  • CHF
  • HKD
  • SGD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • INR
  • JPY
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • AED
  • HUF
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Natural Gas
  • Oil
  • Platinum
  • Palladium
  • Copper
  • Aluminium
  • Soybeans
  • Corn
  • Wheat
  • Steel
  • Iron
  • Cocoa
  • Cotton
  • Sugar
  • Coffee
  • Gold
  • Zinc
  • Aluminium
  • Natural Gas
  • Soybeans
  • Lead
  • Precious Metals
  • Lean Hogs
CFD
FP Markets provides CFD trading across an excellent range of financial instruments, including stocks, major global indices, commodities, metals, cryptocurrencies, and bonds. Traders benefit from competitive spreads, rapid execution, and leverage up to 1:500, supported by top-tier liquidity. This ensures a smooth and efficient experience for short-term market participants. The platform provides access to over 8,000 CFDs across stocks, indices, forex, and commodities. Suited for experienced traders, the TWS platform includes more than 100 order types and algorithms. It also delivers top-tier market data from trusted sources like Reuters and Dow Jones.
Leverage
1:30 (UK), 1:500 (Global) 1:50
FTSE Spread
1.64 0.005% (£1 Min)
GBPUSD Spread<
1.9 average 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Oil Spread
0.04 0.25-0.85
Stocks Spread
Variable 0.003
Forex
FP Markets is an outstanding choice for forex enthusiasts, offering more than 70 currency pairs, with an expanded range of exotic options. Traders benefit from competitive pricing, with average spreads as low as 0.1 on EUR/USD in the Raw account. IBKR offers a vast range of over 100 forex pairs, including major, minor, and exotic currencies, outstripping most competitors except CMC Markets. Trading is available across multiple platforms with institutional-grade spreads beginning at 0.1 pips. There are also 20 sophisticated order types, such as brackets, scale, and one-cancels-all (OCA) orders, enhancing trading strategies.
Assets
70+ 100+
GBPUSD Spread
0.2 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURUSD Spread
0.1 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURGBP Spread
0.3 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
FP Markets offers CFDs on major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin. Traders can engage in speculation on price fluctuations through these derivatives. However, direct coin ownership is not provided. Additionally, emerging tokens for avid crypto traders are not available on FP Markets. IBKR offers access to Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin at attractive commission rates without the need for a crypto wallet. Furthermore, traders can explore a variety of assets, including crypto indices like the NYSE Bitcoin Index, and futures contracts such as BAKKT Bitcoin Futures.
Spread
17.3 (Bitcoin) 0.12%-0.18%
Coins
  • ADA
  • BCH
  • BTC
  • DOG
  • DOT
  • EOS
  • ETH
  • LNK
  • LTC
  • RPL
  • SOL
  • XLM
  • BTC
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
FP Markets Interactive Brokers
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