Interactive Brokers vs Forex.com

Interactive Brokers or Forex.com – which is better for UK traders 2026? Compare Interactive Brokers and Forex.com in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

Interactive Brokers vs Forex.com Comparison Table 2026
Interactive Brokers Forex.com
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4.3
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4.5
Interactive Brokers is ranked #4 among CFD brokers. Forex.com is ranked #7 among CFD brokers.
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) stands as a leading brokerage, offering access to 170+ markets in 40 nations alongside extensive investment services. With 40+ years in finance, this Nasdaq-listed entity complies with regulations from the SEC, FCA, CIRO, and SFC, ensuring global trustworthiness in trading. Established in 2001, FOREX.com is a division of StoneX, a global financial entity catering to over a million clients. It is regulated across the US, UK, EU, Australia, and other regions. The broker offers diverse markets beyond forex and delivers competitive pricing on advanced platforms.
Pros
  • IBKR is a highly respected brokerage, regulated by top-tier authorities, ensuring the integrity and security of your trading account.
  • Interactive Brokers has introduced ForecastTrader, a distinctive zero-commission offering. Users trade yes/no Forecast Contracts on political, economic, and climate events with fixed $1 payouts per contract. Benefit from 24/6 market access and earn up to 3.14% APY on held positions.
  • 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.
  • DayTrading.com awarded Interactive Brokers 'Best US Broker' for 2025, highlighting its dedication to US traders, extremely low margin rates, and affordable global market access.
  • 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.
  • With more than two decades of expertise, strong regulatory governance, and numerous accolades, including a second-place finish in our 'Best Forex Broker' awards, FOREX.com is globally renowned as a reliable trading platform.
  • The in-house Web Trader remains a top-tier platform for budding traders, featuring an elegant design and more than 80 technical indicators for market analysis.
  • FOREX.com provides top-tier forex rates beginning at 0.0 pips, along with attractive cashback rebates up to 15% for dedicated traders.
  • An abundance of educational resources is available, such as tutorials, webinars, and an extensive YouTube channel, designed to enhance your understanding of financial markets.
Cons
  • 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.
  • In 2025, IBKR was fined $11.8m by the US OFAC for operating in sanctioned areas. That same year, FINRA imposed a $125k fine for lapses in municipal bond disclosure.
  • FOREX.com's MT4 platform provides around 600 instruments, a notable reduction compared to the more than 5,500 options on its other platforms.
  • US clients are not protected against negative balances, which means you could end up owing more than your initial deposit.
  • Demo accounts are typically limited to 90 days, hindering effective strategy testing.
Awards
  • Best US Broker 2025 - DayTrading.com
FCA Regulated
Yes Yes
Instruments
Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies, CFDs Forex, CFDs, Stock CFDs, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Options, Crypto
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $100
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
$100 0.01 Lots
Regulator
SEC, FINRA, CFTC, NFA, CIRO, FCA, CBI, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS NFA, CFTC, CIRO, FCA, CySEC, ASIC, SFC, FSA, MAS, CIMA, CMA-UAE
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App
The IBKR Mobile app, for iOS and Android, transforms your phone into a robust portal to access your IBKR accounts. It allows users to monitor portfolios, execute trades, view real-time quotes and charts, and manage account activities seamlessly. With its intuitive design, the app is particularly user-friendly for novices, offering a simpler experience compared to the advanced TWS platform. Alongside the MT4 and Web Trader platforms, the FOREX.com app provides comprehensive trading features in a user-friendly, compact package. With integrated news, analysis, and real-time alerts, it excels on mobile. It surpasses MT4 in mobile charting, offering over 80 indicators and 11 chart types, alongside a more streamlined design.
iOS App Rating
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4.3
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3.6
Android App Rating
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4.5
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3.8
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
0.50% – 1.50% (IBKR Pro markup), 2.50% (IBKR Lite markup)
MetaTrader 4
No Yes
MetaTrader 5
No Yes
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
Yes No
OmniTrader
Yes No
TradingView
Yes Yes
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
Yes No
Trading Central
Yes No
STP Account
Yes Yes
ECN Account
No Yes
DMA Account
Yes Yes
MAM Account
Yes No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
Yes No
AI / Machine Learning
Yes Yes
Robo Advisor
Yes No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Auto Trading
Capitalise.ai, TWS API Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
VPS Hosting
No Yes
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
Yes No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$0 $15
Islamic Account
No Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • INR
  • JPY
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • AED
  • HUF
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • CHF
  • PLN
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Zinc
  • Aluminium
  • Natural Gas
  • Soybeans
  • Lead
  • Precious Metals
  • Lean Hogs
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Silver
  • Cotton
  • Livestock
  • Soybeans
  • Coffee
  • Natural Gas
  • Sugar
  • Wheat
  • Orange Juice
  • Lean Hogs
  • Cattle
CFD
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. With options for both long and short positions on over 5,500 CFDs in forex, stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies, FOREX.com stands out. The platform's unique Web Trader delivers an outstanding experience, featuring more than 80 technical indicators and average execution speeds of merely 20 milliseconds, providing an ideal setting for dedicated traders.
Leverage
1:30 1:30
FTSE Spread
0.005% (£1 Min) 1.0
GBPUSD Spread<
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value 1.3
Oil Spread
0.25-0.85 2.5
Stocks Spread
0.003 0.14
Forex
IBKR offers a wide selection of more than 100 forex pairs, including major, minor, and exotic options, exceeding most competitors except CMC Markets. Trading takes place across various platforms with institutional-quality spreads from 0.1 pips. It supports over 100 advanced order types like brackets, scale, and OCA orders. FOREX.com remains a leading FX broker, providing 80 currency pairs with highly competitive fees. EUR/USD spreads can reach as low as 0.0, with a $7 commission per $100k, making it a standout choice.
Assets
100+ 84
GBPUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value 1.3
EURUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value 1.2
EURGBP Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value 1.4
Cryptocurrency
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. You can trade over 8 cryptocurrencies against USD, EUR, GBP, and AUD with tight spreads, without needing a virtual wallet. Traders can automate their crypto transactions using Expert Advisors (EAs).
Spread
0.12%-0.18% BTC 1.4%, ETH 2%
Coins
  • BTC
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XRP
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
Interactive Brokers Forex.com
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