Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers: leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers: real shares and ETFs you own outright.
IG Markets
Regulated in your country IG Markets is allowed by ASIC to onboard clients residing in Australia.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Interactive Brokers
Regulated in your country Interactive Brokers is allowed by ASIC to onboard clients residing in Australia.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders IG Markets and Interactive Brokers are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in Australia.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for crypto traders. Interactive Brokers, on the other hand, is better for day traders and futures traders. Long-term investors, professional traders and high-volume traders can choose either IG Markets or Interactive Brokers.
| Overall score | IG Markets 87 Best 88 Best | Interactive Brokers 83 -4 83 -5 |
|---|---|---|
| Day trading i | ||
| Long-term investing i | ||
| Professional traders i | ||
| High-volume traders i | ||
| Scalpers i | ||
| Swing traders i | ||
| News traders i | ||
| Algo traders i | ||
| Stock traders i | ||
| Crypto traders i | ||
| Futures traders i | ||
| Options traders i |
Regulation
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise IG Markets and the ones that supervise Interactive Brokers.IG Markets and Interactive Brokers are both regulated in Australia, by ASIC.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 | Interactive Brokers 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | ||
| FCA (United Kingdom) i | ||
| ASIC (Australia) i | ||
| CFTC (United States) i | ||
| NFA (United States) i | ||
| SEC (United States) i | ||
| CIRO (Canada) i | ||
| MAS (Singapore) i | ||
| SFC (Hong Kong) i | ||
| JFSA (Japan) i | ||
| FINMA (Switzerland) i | ||
| Tier-2 regulators | ||
| FMA (New Zealand) i | ||
| CBR (Russia) i | ||
| FSCA (South Africa) i | ||
| DFSA (Dubai) i | ||
| CSRC (China) i | ||
| ISA (Israel) i | ||
| LFSA (Malaysia) i | ||
| JSC (Jordan) i | ||
| CMA (Kenya) i | ||
| Tier-3 regulators | ||
| FSA (Seychelles) i | ||
| MMA (Maldives) i | ||
| SCB (Bahamas) i | ||
| FSC (Mauritius) i | ||
| VFSC (Vanuatu) i | ||
| FSC (Belize) i | ||
| CIMA (Cayman Islands) i | ||
| SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i | ||
| FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i | ||
| BMA (Bermuda) i | ||
| BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i | ||
| EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i | ||
Safety
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that IG Markets and Interactive Brokers have in place to protect your money in Australia.Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication. IG Markets is also a licensed bank.
| Section score | IG Markets 78 Best 78 Best | Interactive Brokers 73 -5 73 -5 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1974 | 1978 |
| Parent company i | IG Group Holdings PLC | Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. |
| CEO i | Breon Corcoran | Milan Galik |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | UniCredit Bank AG, UniCredit S.p.A., J.P. Morgan SE, CaixaBank, Citigroup, BNP Paribas | Agricultural Bank of China, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, Banco Santander, Bank Hapoalim, Bank of China, Barclays Bank Ireland, Barclays Bank, Euroclear Bank, HSBC Bank, HSBC Continental Europe, ING Bank, ING Belgium, ING Bank Slaski, J.P. Morgan SE, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, Mizuho Bank, MUFG Bank, NatWest Bank, Oversea Chinese Banking Corporation, Raiffeisen Bank International, Raiffeisen Bank Zrt, Raiffeisenbank a.s., Royal Bank of Canada, Skandinaviska Enskilda Bank, Societe Generale, Standard Chartered Bank, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, UBS Switzerland, United Overseas Bank, Wells Fargo Bank |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 320,000 | 3,337,000 |
| Annual revenue i | US$987,300,000 | US$6,205,000,000 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 97.1K monthly visits | |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with IG Markets and with Interactive Brokers in Australia, both on each trade and on holding the account.Interactive Brokers is better than IG Markets for CFD/FX costs, as Interactive Brokers is cheaper on EUR/USD, at US$2 per lot (against IG Markets' US$9.48), and charges lower US stock CFD fees, at US$0.01 (against IG Markets' US$0.02). Neither IG Markets nor Interactive Brokers charges inactivity fees or account maintenance fees.
Interactive Brokers is better than IG Markets for real stock costs. Neither IG Markets nor Interactive Brokers charges inactivity fees or account maintenance fees.
| Section score | IG Markets 72 -19 75 -4 | Interactive Brokers 91 Best 79 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Broker fees | ||
| Deposit fees i | ||
| Withdrawal fees i | ||
| Overnight fees i | ||
| Inactivity fees i | ||
| Currency conversion fees i | ||
| Discounts on volume i | ||
| Real time market data fee i | ||
| Dividend withholding i | ||
| Account opening fees i | ||
| Account maintenance fee i | ||
| Portfolio management fee i | ||
| Fees on CFDs | ||
| Forex commission per lot i | US$6 | US$2 |
| EUR/USD average standard spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average raw spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average fixed spread i | ||
| EUR/USD total cost per lot i | US$9.475 | US$2 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.36 points | |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.27 points | |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | US$40 | |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | US$0.02 | US$0.005 |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Free, Commission, Percentage | Commission, Percentage |
| US stocks fees (real) i | Free | US$2.1 |
| ETF fees (real) i | Free | US$2.1 |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | US$0.85 | |
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | US$0.65 | |
| Event fees i | ||
| Fees on savings plans | ||
| IRA opening fee i | ||
| IRA maintenance fee i | ||
| 401k opening fee i | ||
| 401k maintenance fee i | ||
Available markets
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with IG Markets and with Interactive Brokers in Australia, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.IG Markets and Interactive Brokers are equally good for CFD/FX markets, since IG Markets offers CFDs on ETFs, and gives access to 18,000 tradable symbols (against Interactive Brokers' 15,000). On the other hand, Interactive Brokers lets you own bonds, crypto, funds and forex outright, and offers futures on indices and commodities. Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks, and let you own stocks and ETFs outright.
IG Markets and Interactive Brokers are equally good for real stock markets, as IG Markets gives access to 18,000 tradable symbols (against Interactive Brokers' 15,000), and offers options on commodities and forex. On the other hand, Interactive Brokers lets you own bonds, crypto, funds and forex outright, and offers futures on indices and commodities. Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers let you own stocks and ETFs outright, and offer options on indices and stocks.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 | Interactive Brokers 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 18,000 | 15,000 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | Indices, Commodities | |
| Options i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Stocks, Indices |
| Assets you can own i | Stocks, ETF | Bonds, Crypto, ETF, Funds, Forex, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that IG Markets and Interactive Brokers make available to their clients in Australia.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for platforms, given that IG Markets offers MetaTrader 4 and AutoChartist, which Interactive Brokers does not. Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer a proprietary platform and TradingView.
| Section score | IG Markets 91 Best 91 Best | Interactive Brokers 80 -11 80 -11 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary platform i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 i | ||
| cTrader i | ||
| Social trading platform i | ||
| Copy trading platform i | ||
| ZuluTrade i | ||
| TradingView i | ||
| Duplitrade i | ||
| Mirror Trader i | ||
| NinjaTrader i | ||
| AutoChartist i | ||
| Real time pricing i | ||
| 5 digit pricing i | ||
| One-click trading i |
Mobile
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of IG Markets and Interactive Brokers in Australia, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for mobile trading, since IG Markets offers the MetaTrader 4 app and mobile trading signals, which Interactive Brokers does not. IG Markets and Interactive Brokers both offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.
| Section score | IG Markets 93 Best 93 Best | Interactive Brokers 80 -13 80 -13 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary app i | ||
| Social trading app i | ||
| Copy trading app i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 app i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 app i | ||
| cTrader app i | ||
| Mobile trading signals i | ||
| Mobile alerts i | ||
| Mobile charting tools i | ||
| Mobile drawing tools i | ||
| Mobile watchlist i | ||
| Smartwatch app i |
Trading features
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that IG Markets and Interactive Brokers allow on their platforms in Australia.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for CFD/FX trading features, since IG Markets offers guaranteed stop losses and VPS hosting, which Interactive Brokers does not, and allows for expert advisors. Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
There is little between IG Markets and Interactive Brokers on real stock trading features, as both offer trailing stops and tier-1 liquidity providers. Interactive Brokers goes a step further, as it offers fractional shares.
| Section score | IG Markets 89 Best 85 | Interactive Brokers 75 -14 85 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | NDD |
| Average execution time i | 14 ms | |
| Slippage occurrence i | 11% | |
| Requotes occurrence i | ||
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1 | 30:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 5:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 2:1 | 2:1 |
| Risk management | ||
| Stop losses i | ||
| Take profits i | ||
| Limit orders i | ||
| Trailing stop i | ||
| Margin call i | ||
| OCO orders i | ||
| Guaranteed stop loss i | ||
| Negative balance protection i | ||
| Minimum trade size (FX) i | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots |
| Minimum trade size (stocks) i | US$1 | US$1 |
| Fractional stocks i | ||
| Trading compliance | ||
| Scalping strategies allowed i | ||
| Hedging strategies allowed i | ||
| Automated trading strategy allowed i | ||
| EAs use allowed i | ||
| HFT strategy allowed i | ||
| VPS use allowed i | ||
| API use allowed i | ||
| Price scraping allowed i | ||
| FIFO rule applies i | ||
Account types
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at IG Markets and at Interactive Brokers in Australia, and of who each one is meant for.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for CFD/FX account types, since IG Markets offers a corporate account, which Interactive Brokers does not. Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for real stock account types, because IG Markets offers a corporate account, which Interactive Brokers does not. IG Markets and Interactive Brokers both offer a stock investing account and a demo account.
| Section score | IG Markets 46 Best 68 Best | Interactive Brokers 41 -5 63 -5 |
|---|---|---|
| Demo account i | ||
| Unlimited demo account i | ||
| Standard account i | ||
| Micro account i | ||
| Cent account i | ||
| Nano account i | ||
| Raw spread account i | ||
| ECN account i | ||
| Swap-free account i | ||
| Islamic account i | ||
| Professional traders account i | ||
| Fixed spread account i | ||
| Spread betting account i | ||
| Copy trading account i | ||
| Corporate account i | ||
| Managed account i | ||
| Stock investing account i | ||
| Margin investing account i | ||
| Savings account i | ||
| Retirement account i |
Account opening
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with IG Markets and with Interactive Brokers in Australia.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for account opening, given that IG Markets offers 14 account base currencies (against Interactive Brokers' 5), supports e-wallets, which Interactive Brokers does not, and offers debit cards, which Interactive Brokers does not. Neither IG Markets nor Interactive Brokers requires a minimum deposit.
| Section score | IG Markets 80 Best 80 Best | Interactive Brokers 60 -20 60 -20 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$0 | US$0 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | US$150 | US$0 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | PayPal | |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | AUD, CAD, CHF, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, NOK, NZD, SEK, SGD, USD, ZAR | AUD, EUR, GBP, HKD, USD |
| Deposit waiting time i | Instant | up to 1 business days |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 1 business days | up to 1 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of IG Markets and Interactive Brokers in Australia, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for customer care, since IG Markets has a website in 12 languages (against Interactive Brokers' 8), and offers a dedicated account manager, which Interactive Brokers does not. IG Markets and Interactive Brokers both offer phone support and live chat.
| Section score | IG Markets 71 Best 71 Best | Interactive Brokers 58 -13 58 -13 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 12 | 8 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish | German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | English, Chinese | German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Chinese |
| Customer support in English i | ||
| Call back request i | ||
| Email support i | ||
| Phone support i | ||
| Live chat i | ||
| Priority customer support i | ||
| Dedicated account manager i | ||
| Cash sweep i | ||
| Stock lending i | ||
| Distributes proceeds i | ||
| Tax withholding agent i | ||
| Tax assistance i |
Learning
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that IG Markets and Interactive Brokers provide to their clients in Australia.IG Markets and Interactive Brokers are equally good for learning, as both offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 | Interactive Brokers 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Education | ||
| Education center i | ||
| Education for beginners i | ||
| Education for advanced traders i | ||
| Webinars i | ||
| Tutorials i | ||
| Glossary i | ||
| Research | ||
| Economic calendar i | ||
| Traders' sentiment i | ||
| Daily market commentary i | ||
| Daily trading ideas i | ||
| News via social media i | ||
| Professional reports i | ||
| Watchlist i | ||
IG Markets vs Interactive Brokers: which one should you choose?
IG Markets
CFD/FX Choose IG Markets if you want a CFD/forex broker with ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4 and expert advisors.
Stocks Choose IG Markets if you want a broker for securities investing with commission-free US stocks and ProRealTime.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Interactive Brokers
CFD/FX Choose Interactive Brokers if you want an online CFD broker with low trading costs and reliable order execution.
Stocks Choose Interactive Brokers if you want a stockbroker with reliable order execution, bonds and futures.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include IG Markets or Interactive Brokers, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
