Pocket Option vs IG Index

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

Pocket Option vs IG Index Comparison Table 2025
Pocket Option IG Index
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4.2
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4.7
Pocket Option is ranked #1 among binary options brokers. IG Index is ranked #7 among CFD brokers.
Review
Review
Founded in 2017, Pocket Option is a binary options broker providing high/low contracts for forex, stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Attracting more than 100,000 active users worldwide, the platform remains a favourite among emerging 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
  • Pocket Option now offers an 'AI Trading' feature that evaluates signals, technical indicators, and trader insights to identify the best trade direction and expiration time. This provides a more automated trading experience.
  • Over the years, Pocket Option has won several annual awards from DayTrading.com, including the notable 'Best Binary Broker 2025' after enhancing its trading tools.
  • The web platform excels in its simple design and ease of use, attracting novice traders interested in speculating on leading markets with minimal effort.
  • The MetaTrader platforms provide robust analysis and technical summaries tailored for short-term traders.
  • The variety of payment options surpasses most competitors, offering traders in numerous countries swift, secure, and convenient deposit processes.
  • Traders with a deposit of over $1,000 may receive a 2% or higher payout increase, access to more assets, and enjoy exclusive benefits.
  • The sign-up process is swift and seamless, completing in under two minutes.
  • 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 MISA provides limited oversight and inadequate investor protection for retail traders.
  • The 4-hour cap on binary contract durations limits long-term trading strategies. Options such as Videforex provide contracts with up to one-month terms, offering greater flexibility for traders.
  • Pocket Option presents a streamlined version of MT4 and MT5, lacking the comprehensive charting tools that experienced traders seek.
  • Although binary brokers such as IQCent provide returns reaching 98% based on evaluations, others typically offer competitive payouts up to 92%.
  • To gain access to over 250 assets, a deposit of $1000 is required. Without this deposit, traders will only have access to a selection of 130 assets.
  • 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 Binary Broker 2025 - DayTrading.com
  • Best Binary Broker Runner Up 2023 - DayTrading.com
  • Best Binary Broker 2022 - 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
No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Yes
Instruments
Binary Options, Currencies, Commodities, Stocks, Indices, Cryptos CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting
Bonus
50% Deposit Bonus
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$50 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
$1 0.01 Lots
Regulator
MISA FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA, FINMA, CONSOB, AFM
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

Pocket Option delivers an excellent mobile trading experience directly through mobile and tablet browsers, without needing a native app. You can easily customize charts using the settings at the top while placing trades in one click is a breeze using the ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ buttons at the bottom of the screen. The interface also adapts seamlessly to horizontal viewing, mirroring the desktop layout for a consistent user experience.

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.
iOS App Rating
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rating full
4
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4.6
Android App Rating
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4.2
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4
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
2.5%
MetaTrader 4
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5
Yes No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No Yes
Autochartist
No Yes
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No Yes
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No 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 No
Robo Advisor
No Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No Yes
Market Maker
No Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Auto Trading
Yes Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime
Copy Trading
Yes No
Copy Trading Platform
Pocket Option offers an intuitive social trading platform. Here, you can explore the 'Top Ranked Trades' leaderboard and more to discover traders to follow. This service is accessible around the clock and includes vibrant community chats. Advice: assess traders by analysing trade volume and profits over months, instead of a few days.
Social Trading
Yes No
Trade Signals
Yes Yes
VPS Hosting
No Yes
Tournaments
Yes No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No Yes
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No Yes
Inactivity Fee
$0 $12
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • SEK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • HKD
  • SGD
Commodities
  • Silver
  • Gold
  • Natural Gas
  • Oil
  • Palladium
  • Platinum
  • 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
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
1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
1.0
GBPUSD Spread<
0.9
Oil Spread
2.8
Stocks Spread
0.02
Forex
You can trade binary and OTC options on over 40 currency pairs, or more than 55 pairs if you deposit £1,000 or more. Payouts typically reach a fair 81%, and with a minimum trade of just £1, this broker is ideal for novice traders. Additionally, the MT4 and MT5 platforms are available for those with more 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
55+ 80+
GBPUSD Spread
N/A 0.9
EURUSD Spread
N/A 0.8
EURGBP Spread
N/A 0.9
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
Pocket Option provides a limited selection of cryptocurrencies, featuring over 10 digital coins like Bitcoin and more than 65 tokens for those depositing £1000. The platform's built-in analytics tool assists traders in identifying potential trades, and its daily signals service simplifies the process of seizing short-term crypto opportunities. 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
N/A Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • BCH
  • LINK
  • AAVE
  • ALGO
  • TLM
  • ALPP
  • ANT
  • AVAX
  • AXS
  • BNB
  • ADA
  • CHZ
  • COMP
  • ATOM
  • DASH
  • MANA
  • DGB
  • DOGE
  • ENJ
  • EOS
  • FIL
  • GLMR
  • ILV
  • ICP
  • KAVA
  • LTC
  • MKR
  • MASK
  • MIOTA
  • XMR
  • ALICE
  • NEAR
  • NEO
  • NULS
  • OMG
  • DOT
  • MATIC
  • QTUM
  • REEF
  • XRP
  • SANTOS
  • SC
  • SOL
  • STX
  • XLM
  • STORJ
  • DATA
  • SUN
  • XTZ
  • SAND
  • THETA
  • TRX
  • UNI
  • VET
  • WAVES
  • YFI
  • YGG
  • ZEC
  • 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
Binary Options
Pocket Option provides ultra-short-term contracts, starting from just 5 seconds, on an intuitive platform ideal for novice traders. Payout rates exceed 90%, comparable with competitors, and the 'Double Up' and 'Rollover' functions enable additional earning possibilities. On the downside, its range of over 130 assets is less extensive than that of brokers such as Quotex, which offer more than 400 options. Digital 100s binary options trading is exclusively for Pro clients. Traders can bet on the likelihood of specific events with predetermined gains and losses. Binary options cover forex, indices, commodities, and various other announcements.
Payout
92%
Expiration Times
5 seconds - 4 hours
Boundary Options
No No
Ladder Options
No Yes
Pocket Option 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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