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Interactive Brokers vs IG Index

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

Interactive Brokers vs IG Index Comparison Table 2025
Interactive Brokers	IG Index

4.3	4.7
Interactive Brokers is ranked #33 among CFD brokers.	IG Index is ranked #7 among CFD brokers.
Review	Review
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.	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
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.	IG stands out with its extensive range of instruments, offering stocks, forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Additionally, it has recently introduced US-listed futures and options, along with an AI Index. These options enhance opportunities for diversification in trading. 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
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.	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. Based on tests, stock and CFD spreads remain less competitive than the lowest-cost brokers, such as CMC Markets. IG imposes a monthly inactivity fee of $12 after two years, discouraging occasional traders.
Awards
Best US Broker 2025 - DayTrading.com	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
FCA Regulated
Yes	Yes
Instruments
Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, CFDs, Cryptocurrencies	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting
Demo Account
Yes	Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0	$0
Payment Methods
ACH Transfer Cheque Debit Card Wire Transfer	Credit Cards Debit Card Mastercard PayPal Visa Wire Transfer
Minimum Trade
$100	0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, SEC, FINRA, CFTC, CBI, CIRO, SFC, MAS, MNB, FINMA, AFM	FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA, FINMA, CONSOB, AFM
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.	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
4.3	4.6
Android App Rating
4.5	4
Margin Trading
Yes	Yes
Margin Rate
1.55 - 2.59%	2.5%
MetaTrader 4
No	Yes
MetaTrader 5
No	No
cTrader
No	No
AlgoTrader
Yes	No
OmniTrader
Yes	No
TradingView
Yes	Yes
Autochartist
No	Yes
eSignal
Yes	No
Trading Central
Yes	Yes
STP Account
Yes	No
ECN Account
No	No
DMA Account
Yes	Yes
MAM Account
Yes	No
PAMM Account
No	No
LAMM Account
No	No
Demat Account
No	No
AI / Machine Learning
Yes	No
Robo Advisor
Yes	Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes	Yes
Market Maker
No	Yes
P2P Trading
No	No
Spot Trading
Yes	Yes
Auto Trading
Capitalise.ai & TWS API	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
Yes	Yes
Custodial Account
No	No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No	Yes
Inactivity Fee
$0	$12
Islamic Account
No	No
Account Currencies
USD EUR GBP CAD AUD INR JPY SEK NOK DKK CHF AED HUF	USD EUR GBP CAD AUD JPY ZAR SEK DKK CHF HKD SGD
Commodities
Gold Zinc Aluminium Natural Gas Soybeans Lead Precious Metals Lean Hogs	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
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.	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
1:50	1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
0.005% (£1 Min)	1.0
GBPUSD Spread<
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value	0.9
Oil Spread
0.25-0.85	2.8
Stocks Spread
0.003	0.02
Forex
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.	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
100+	80+
GBPUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value	0.9
EURUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value	0.8
EURGBP Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value	0.9
Currency Indices
	USD
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.	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
0.12%-0.18%	Variable
Coins
BTC LTC ETH XRP	BTC BCH LTC ETH ADA DOT DOGE LINK UNI XLM
Crypto Lending
No	No
Crypto Mining
No	No
Crypto Staking
No	No
Auto Market Maker
No	No

Interactive Brokers	IG Index
Review	Review
	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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