Nexo or Interactive Brokers – which is better for UK traders 2026? Compare Nexo and Interactive Brokers in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
Nexo, a centralized crypto exchange established in 2018 in Bulgaria, operates in nearly 200 jurisdictions from Switzerland. It offers spot and futures trading, cold wallet storage, and fiat on-ramps for purchasing crypto tokens. Registered with reputable financial entities like ASIC, Nexo provides distinctive services, including a credit card.
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.
Pros
A well-regarded crypto exchange, established in 2018, has initiated steps towards regulatory compliance.
Nexo Pro is an intuitive platform tailored for traders, offering robust charting tools that enhance strategic trading.
The trading platform features essential tools such as asset-specific newsfeeds and social media analysis.
Traders can utilise perpetual futures to take long or short positions on crypto assets, thereby enhancing strategic opportunities.
Nexo's platform facilitates cryptocurrency lending and borrowing through its staking and credit features, offering traders some of the most competitive yields in the market.
Traders receive bonuses and incentives, such as complimentary trading funds given to lenders and cashback through the exchange's native Nexo token.
IBKR is a highly respected brokerage, regulated by top-tier authorities, ensuring the integrity and security of your trading account.
Interactive Brokers has introduced a single platform linking prediction markets on Kalshi, CME Group, and ForecastEx. Users can trade yes/no contracts on political, economic, and climate events, with fixed $1 payouts. Enjoy 24/6 market access and earn interest on eligible 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.
Cons
High deposit and withdrawal fees for cards and e-wallets may deter many traders from using these convenient payment methods.
Limited educational resources diminish its attraction for newcomers, who may discover more valuable materials with leading platforms such as eToro.
Elevated maker/taker fees result in higher derivative trading costs compared to alternative exchanges.
The selection of tokens is broad relative to many crypto brokers, yet it remains limited when compared to similar crypto exchanges such as Kraken.
TWS has a steep learning curve, making it difficult for newcomers to navigate and grasp its features.
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.
Awards
Best Cryptocurrency Wallet – FinTech Breakthrough Awards, 2023
Best Use of Crypto and/or Blockchain in Financial Services – PAY360 Awards, 2022
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.
iOS App Rating
3.8
4.3
Android App Rating
4
4.5
Margin Trading
Yes
Yes
Margin Rate
0.50% – 1.50% (IBKR Pro markup), 2.50% (IBKR Lite markup)
MetaTrader 4
No
No
MetaTrader 5
No
No
cTrader
No
No
AlgoTrader
No
Yes
OmniTrader
No
Yes
TradingView
No
Yes
Autochartist
No
No
eSignal
No
Yes
Trading Central
No
Yes
STP Account
No
Yes
ECN Account
No
No
DMA Account
No
Yes
MAM Account
No
Yes
PAMM Account
No
No
LAMM Account
No
No
Demat Account
No
Yes
AI / Machine Learning
No
Yes
Robo Advisor
No
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
Yes
Market Maker
No
No
P2P Trading
No
No
Spot Trading
Yes
Yes
Auto Trading
Capitalise.ai, TWS API
Copy Trading
No
No
Social Trading
No
No
VPS Hosting
No
No
Tournaments
No
No
Demo Competitions
No
No
Ethical Investing
No
Yes
Custodial Account
No
No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No
No
Inactivity Fee
$0
Islamic Account
No
No
Account Currencies
USD
EUR
GBP
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
AUD
INR
JPY
SEK
NOK
DKK
CHF
AED
HUF
Commodities
Gold
Zinc
Aluminium
Natural Gas
Soybeans
Lead
Precious Metals
Lean Hogs
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.
Leverage
1:30
FTSE Spread
0.005% (£1 Min)
GBPUSD Spread<
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Oil Spread
0.25-0.85
Stocks Spread
0.003
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.
Assets
100+
GBPUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURGBP Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Cryptocurrency
Nexo provides trading on approximately 100 tokens, such as Bitcoin. Users can buy, sell, and exchange digital assets directly on the platform or trade in over 500 pairings. Additionally, digital assets serve as collateral for fiat loans or can earn passive income through the ‘smart staking’ feature.
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.