Global Prime vs IG Index

Global Prime or IG – which is better for UK traders 2026? Compare Global Prime and IG in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

Global Prime vs IG Comparison Table 2026

Global Prime	IG
3.8	4.8
Global Prime is ranked #40 among CFD brokers.	IG is ranked #1 among CFD brokers.
Review	Review
Global Prime, a regulated trading broker, offers access to over 150 markets. Traders can begin without a minimum deposit, leveraging options that differ by region. The firm holds a strong trust score and a reputable ASIC license.	Established in 1974, IG is a unit of IG Group Holdings Plc, listed on the LSE as IGG. It provides access to over 17,000 markets through intuitive platforms and apps. For half a century, IG has remained an industry leader, excelling in all vital aspects for traders.
	Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% 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
Centralised access to the interbank funding market, coupled with enhanced liquidity distribution through Gold-i Matrix Net, facilitates rapid trades. Swap fees have been slashed by more than half through a collaboration with BidFX. Minimum deposit reduced to £0, enhancing accessibility for novice traders. Comprehensive investment options offering over 150 assets, including cryptocurrencies. Benefit from rapid execution speeds starting at 10ms. Diverse deposit methods available without any charges.	IG excels with its diverse instruments, offering stocks, forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Additionally, it provides US-listed futures, options, and an AI Index, ensuring varied diversification opportunities. IG secured a crypto asset license from the FCA, enabling its return to the UK market. It now offers buying, selling, and storage services for over 55 digital tokens with fees starting at 1.49%, all under FCA regulation. The web-based platform supports traders at every level, offering advanced charting tools and real-time market data vital for trading. Additionally, IG now includes TradingView integration. The IG app provides an excellent mobile trading experience with an intuitive design, earning it the Runner Up position in our 'Best Trading App' award. As a seasoned broker, IG adheres to stringent regulatory standards across various regions, ensuring significant trust. IG provides a wide range of professional and engaging educational materials, such as webinars, articles, and analyses, tailored for traders. The ProRealTime advanced charting platform remains free, provided traders meet modest monthly activity requirements.
Cons
Clients from the US and certain Canadian provinces, such as Ontario, are not eligible. The selection of account types is limited.	Beginners may find IG's fees complicated, as they vary depending on the trades or services. This could cause confusion and unexpected costs. In the UK and EU, negative balance protection is available. However, US clients lack account protection and guaranteed stop losses. IG has ended its swap-free account, diminishing its attractiveness to Islamic traders. IG imposes a monthly inactivity fee of $12 to $18 after two years, discouraging occasional investors.
FCA Regulated
No List of FCA Regulated Brokers	Yes
Instruments
Forex, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, shares, bonds	CFDs (not in US), Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting (UK only)
Demo Account
Yes	Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0	$0
Payment Methods
Credit Card FasaPay Mastercard Neteller PayPal Skrill Visa Wire Transfer	Credit Card Debit Card Mastercard PayNow PayPal Visa Wire Transfer
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots	0.01 Lots
Regulator
ASIC, VFSC	CFTC, NFA, FCA, BaFin, ASIC, FINMA, MAS, JFSA, FMA, DFSA, BMA
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android	iOS & Android
Trading App
	IG provides an excellent trading app. As a mobile trading pioneer, it has evolved over the years into a top-tier app. Expect swift responses, an intuitive interface, comprehensive charting, and dependable performance. Additionally, it includes guaranteed stops, a crucial risk management feature absent in many apps we've evaluated.
iOS App Rating
4.8	4.6
Android App Rating
4.6	4
Margin Trading
Yes	Yes
Margin Rate
	1.0% – 1.5% for Forex, 3.0% – 3.4% for Shares, Indices, and Commodities
MetaTrader 4
Yes	Yes
MetaTrader 5
Yes	No
cTrader
No	No
AlgoTrader
No	No
OmniTrader
No	No
TradingView
Yes	Yes
Autochartist
Yes	Yes
eSignal
No	No
Trading Central
No	Yes
STP Account
Yes	No
ECN Account
Yes	No
DMA Account
No	Yes
MAM Account
No	No
PAMM Account
No	No
LAMM Account
No	No
Demat Account
No	No
AI / Machine Learning
Yes	Yes
Robo Advisor
No	Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes	Yes
Market Maker
No	Yes
P2P Trading
No	No
Spot Trading
No	Yes
Auto Trading
Yes	Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime
Copy Trading
Yes	No
Copy Trading Platform
Engage with and replicate the trades of seasoned investors using Global Prime's unique copy trading service. You can mirror over 40 diverse strategies on the widely-used Myfxbook Autotrade platform.
Social Trading
Yes	No
Trade Signals
	Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes	Yes
Tournaments
No	No
Demo Competitions
No	No
Ethical Investing
No	Yes
Custodial Account
No	No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No	Yes
Inactivity Fee
	$12
Islamic Account
No	No
Account Currencies
USD EUR GBP CAD AUD SGD	USD EUR GBP CAD AUD JPY ZAR SEK DKK CHF HKD SGD
Commodities
Gold Copper Oil	Gold Copper Oil Palladium Silver Sugar Coffee Wheat Natural Gas Soybeans Orange Juice Nickel Steel Iron Precious Metals Aluminium Lithium Cannabis Lean Hogs Cattle
CFD
Global Prime provides trading options across over 150 international markets, covering forex, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and bonds. The platform offers competitive spreads, with a raw ECN account starting at zero.	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
1:500 (global), 1:30 (Australia)	1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
0.84	1.0
GBPUSD Spread<
0.64	0.9
Oil Spread
1.6	2.8
Stocks Spread
Variable	0.02
Forex
Global Prime offers traders access to 48 forex pairs, including major, minor, and exotic pairs. Enjoy tight spreads starting at 0.9 with no commission or from 0 with a $7 round turn fee. Trading is facilitated through the top-tier MT4 platform, allowing for micro lot trading. The New York-based server ensures low latency, optimising your trading experience.	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
48	80+
GBPUSD Spread
0.75	0.9
EURUSD Spread
0.16	0.86
EURGBP Spread
0.85	0.9
Currency Indices
	USD
Cryptocurrency
Global Prime offers an extensive selection of 35 crypto CFDs, including well-known tokens such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, alongside less mainstream options like Sandbox and Avalanche. Commissions are competitive at 0.1%, with leverage options available in certain regions.	IG provides an expanding range of over 100 crypto CFDs and digital assets for trading and storage. Distinguished by its crypto index, it monitors the top 10 digital currencies by market cap, offering a comprehensive market speculation approach. In the UK, its crypto options were enhanced by obtaining an FCA digital asset license, allowing regulated trading and investment in popular crypto coins. Additionally, IG has broadened its spot crypto services to Australia, France, and Singapore.
Spread
Floating	Variable
Coins
BTC BCH LTC ETH XRP	BTC ETH SOL XRP BCH ADA TIA LINK EOS HBAR ICP LTC NEAR NEO ONDO PEPE DOT POL SHIB XLM SUI TRX TON UNI DOGE AAVE APT ARB AVAX CRYPTO10
Crypto Lending
No	No
Crypto Mining
No	No
Crypto Staking
No	No
Auto Market Maker
No	No
Global Prime	IG
Review	Review
	Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% 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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