IG Index vs FXTM

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

IG Index vs FXTM Comparison Table 2024
IG Index FXTM
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4.4
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4
IG Index is ranked #19 among CFD brokers. FXTM is ranked #51 among CFD brokers.
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. FXTM is a top-rated forex and CFD broker established in 2011 and operating across 4 continents. The company is secure and regulated by leading authorities, including the FCA and CySEC. Offering 1000+ trading markets and three account types, they cater to all levels of trader.
71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Pros
  • 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
  • The broker delivers an excellent charting environment for traders, with over 30 technical tools offered in the MT4 platform, plus a range of additional platform indicators for monitoring spreads, orders, pivot levels and more
  • Beginners can access a strong range of free educational materials and short-term market insights, including a podcast hosted by the brand’s expert team
  • FXTM offers free VPS hosting for active traders looking for 24/7 uninterrupted connection with up to 99.9% uptime
  • The broker has a good reputation with multiple industry awards and oversight from top-tier regulators like the CySEC
  • Customer support is reliable and available in 30+ languages, making FXTM a top choice among global traders
  • Negative Balance Protection is available to clients registering with the EU and UK entities
Cons
  • 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
  • It’s a shame that ETFs and bond products are not available, and the selection of stocks is not extensive compared to competitors like AvaTrade
  • Spreads are mediocre in the commission-free accounts, with typical EUR/USD spreads around 1.9 pips - the industry average is around 1.2 pips
  • Withdrawal fees apply, including a 30 EUR fee on bank wire withdrawals
  • There are limited e-wallet payment options compared to alternatives
Awards
  • 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
  • Best Trading Experience 2021 - World Finance Awards
  • Best Online Leveraged Trading Services 2021 - Global Business Awards
  • Best Forex Education Partner Nigeria 2021 - World Business Outlook
  • Best Trading Experience 2020 - World Finance Awards
  • Best ECN Broker 2020 - DayTrading.com
FCA Regulated
Yes Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting Forex, CFDs, Indices, Commodities, Stocks
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $10
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA CySEC, FCA, FSCA, FSC
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.

FXTM deliver a great mobile trading experience. Fast, secure and easy-to-use, the app supports both MetaTrader 4 and 5 and delivers real time quotes, all trading execution types and full account maintenance. The charting facilities are also among the best of any mobile app. Download it today.

iOS App Rating
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4.6
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4.8
Android App Rating
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4
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4.4
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
2.5%
MetaTrader 4
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5
No Yes
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No No
Autochartist
Yes No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
Yes No
STP Account
No Yes
ECN Account
No Yes
DMA Account
Yes No
MAM Account
No Yes
PAMM Account
No Yes
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
Yes No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
Yes Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes Yes
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
Yes No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Yes No
Inactivity Fee
$12 $5
Islamic Account
No Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • SEK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • HKD
  • SGD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Copper
  • Oil
  • Palladium
  • Silver
  • Sugar
  • Coffee
  • Wheat
  • Natural Gas
  • Soybeans
  • Orange Juice
  • Nickel
  • Steel
  • Iron
  • Precious Metals
  • Aluminium
  • Lithium
  • Cannabis
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Natural Gas
  • Oil
  • Precious Metals
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. FXTM’s CFD offering spans 250+ forex, stocks, commodities and indices, plus crypto CFDs at the global entity. Leverage up to 1:30 is available from the CySEC-regulated branch, though highly seasoned traders can also access massive 1:2000 rates from the global entity.
Leverage
1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro) 1:30
FTSE Spread
1.0 1.3
GBPUSD Spread<
0.9 0.2
Oil Spread
2.8 5.0
Stocks Spread
0.02 0.1
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. FXTM offers a strong range of 60+ currency pairs - more than many competitors including AvaTrade. There’s also 6 currency indices for traders looking to diversify their forex portfolios. The brand’s ECN account offers competitively low spreads from 0 pips, with equally low commissions up to $2 per lot.
Assets
80+ 50+
GBPUSD Spread
0.9 0.2
EURUSD Spread
0.8 0.1
EURGBP Spread
0.9 0.6
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • AUD
  • NZD
Cryptocurrency
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. Cryptocurrency CFDs are available on 11 popular digital coins for those using the international entity. Bitcoin is available, alongside popular altcoins like Avalanch and Dogecoin. Spreads are floating and minimum lot sizes from 0.01 are available.
Spread
Variable Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • ADA
  • DOT
  • DOGE
  • LINK
  • UNI
  • XLM
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XRP
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
IG Index FXTM
71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
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