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.
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.
Plus500
Regulated in your country Plus500 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 Interactive Brokers and Plus500 are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in Australia.Interactive Brokers is better than Plus500 for day traders, long-term investors and professional traders. Plus500, on the other hand, is better for crypto traders. Swing traders, news traders and CFD stock traders can choose either Interactive Brokers or Plus500.
| Overall score | Interactive Brokers 83 Best 83 | Plus500 75 -8 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Interactive Brokers and the ones that supervise Plus500.Interactive Brokers and Plus500 are both regulated in Australia, by ASIC.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 100 100 | Plus500 100 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Interactive Brokers and Plus500 have in place to protect your money in Australia.Both Interactive Brokers and Plus500 offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 73 73 | Plus500 72 -1 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1978 | 2008 |
| Parent company i | Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. | Plus500 Ltd |
| CEO i | Milan Galik | David Zruia |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | 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 | N/A |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 3,337,000 | 33,000,000 |
| Annual revenue i | US$6,205,000,000 | US$768,300,000 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | ||
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with Interactive Brokers and with Plus500 in Australia, both on each trade and on holding the account.Interactive Brokers is better than Plus500 for CFD/FX costs, as Interactive Brokers is cheaper on EUR/USD, at US$2 per lot (against Plus500's US$8), does not charge inactivity fees, unlike Plus500, and offers volume discounts, which Plus500 does not. Neither Interactive Brokers nor Plus500 charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
Plus500 does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so Interactive Brokers and Plus500 cannot be compared for real stock costs.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 91 Best 79 | Plus500 64 -27 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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$2 | Free |
| 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$2 | US$8 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.7 points | |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.75 points | |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | US$118.34 | |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | US$0.005 | Free |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission, Percentage | Spread |
| US stocks fees (real) i | US$2.1 | |
| ETF fees (real) i | 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 Interactive Brokers and with Plus500 in Australia, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.Interactive Brokers is better than Plus500 for CFD/FX markets, as Interactive Brokers gives access to 15,000 tradable symbols (against Plus500's 2,800), lets you own bonds, crypto, ETFs, funds, forex and stocks outright, which Plus500 does not, and offers futures on indices and commodities, which Plus500 does not. Both Interactive Brokers and Plus500 offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks.
Only Interactive Brokers can be assessed for real stock markets, since Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 100 Best 100 | Plus500 75 -25 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 15,000 | 2,800 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | Indices, Commodities | |
| Options i | Stocks, Indices | |
| Assets you can own i | Bonds, Crypto, ETF, Funds, Forex, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that Interactive Brokers and Plus500 make available to their clients in Australia.Interactive Brokers is better than Plus500 for platforms, given that Interactive Brokers offers TradingView, which Plus500 does not. Both Interactive Brokers and Plus500 offer a proprietary platform and one-click trading.
Interactive Brokers and Plus500 cannot be set side by side for platforms, as Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Interactive Brokers.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 80 Best 80 | Plus500 72 -8 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Interactive Brokers and Plus500 in Australia, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.Interactive Brokers is better than Plus500 for mobile trading, as Interactive Brokers offers a mobile watchlist, which Plus500 does not. Interactive Brokers and Plus500 both offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.
Interactive Brokers and Plus500 cannot be set side by side for mobile trading, as Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Interactive Brokers.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 80 Best 80 | Plus500 74 -6 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Interactive Brokers and Plus500 allow on their platforms in Australia.Interactive Brokers is better than Plus500 for CFD/FX trading features, because Interactive Brokers offers tier-1 liquidity providers, which Plus500 does not, and allows for scalping and automated trading. Both Interactive Brokers and Plus500 offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
Interactive Brokers and Plus500 cannot be set side by side for real stock trading features, as Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Interactive Brokers.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 75 Best 85 | Plus500 67 -8 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | NDD | Agency |
| Average execution time i | ||
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| 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 Interactive Brokers and at Plus500 in Australia, and of who each one is meant for.Interactive Brokers is better than Plus500 for CFD/FX account types, given that Interactive Brokers offers a micro account and a raw spread account, which Plus500 does not. Both Interactive Brokers and Plus500 offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
There is no like-for-like comparison for real stock account types, as Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 41 Best 63 | Plus500 38 -3 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Interactive Brokers and with Plus500 in Australia.Plus500 is better than Interactive Brokers for account opening, because Plus500 supports e-wallets, which Interactive Brokers does not, credits deposits faster, within the same day (against Interactive Brokers' 1 day), and offers debit cards, which Interactive Brokers does not. That said, Interactive Brokers asks for no minimum deposit at all (against Plus500's US$70).
Interactive Brokers and Plus500 cannot be set side by side for account opening, as Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Interactive Brokers.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 60 -9 60 | Plus500 69 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$0 | US$70 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | US$0 | US$100 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | PayPal, Skrill | |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | AUD, EUR, GBP, HKD, USD | AUD |
| Deposit waiting time i | up to 1 business days | Instant |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 1 business days | up to 3 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of Interactive Brokers and Plus500 in Australia, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.Plus500 is better than Interactive Brokers for customer care, because Plus500 has a website in 29 languages (against Interactive Brokers' 8), and offers a dedicated account manager and priority support, which Interactive Brokers does not. Interactive Brokers and Plus500 both offer live chat and email support.
Only Interactive Brokers can be assessed for customer care, since Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 58 -13 58 | Plus500 71 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 8 | 29 |
| Website languages i | German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Chinese | Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, German, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Croatian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Malay, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Chinese | English |
| 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 Interactive Brokers and Plus500 provide to their clients in Australia.Interactive Brokers is better than Plus500 for learning, given that Interactive Brokers offers professional reports and daily market commentary, which Plus500 does not. Interactive Brokers and Plus500 both offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
Plus500 does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so Interactive Brokers and Plus500 cannot be compared for learning.
| Section score | Interactive Brokers 100 Best 100 | Plus500 80 -20 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
Interactive Brokers vs Plus500: which one should you choose?
Interactive Brokers
CFD/FX Choose Interactive Brokers if you want an online CFD broker with low trading costs and no minimum deposit.
Stocks Choose Interactive Brokers if you want a stockbroker with bonds, funds and options.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Plus500
CFD/FX Choose Plus500 if you want a CFD and forex broker with guaranteed stop-loss orders, for high-volume trading.
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 Interactive Brokers or Plus500, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
