An overall comprehensive side-by-side comparison of IG vs Interactive Brokers. IG is a large forex broker that has been in operation since 1974, offering South Africans over 19,000 tradable markets and a selection of reliable trading platforms. But how does IG compare to another giant in forex and CFD trading with an equally impressive 99/99 trust score, Interactive Brokers?
IG vs Interactive Brokers Review – 24 Key Point Quick Overview (2026):
- ☑️ Overall Comparison
- ☑️ Regulation Comparison
- ☑️ Assets Comparison
- ☑️ Fees Comparison
- ☑️ Account Types Comparison
- ☑️ Trading Conditions Comparison
- ☑️ Deposit Options Comparison
- ☑️ Trading Platforms Comparison
- ☑️ Analytical Tools Comparison
- ☑️ Educational Resources Comparison
- ☑️ Forex Majors Offered Compared
- ☑️ IG vs Interactive Brokers
- Which offers better pricing – IG or Interactive Brokers
- Which broker offers more security when trading Forex and CFDs?
- Which broker offers the superior trading platform?
- Do these brokers both offer MetaTrader?
- How many Forex pairs can I expect from these brokers?
- Is it safe to trade with IG?
- Is it safe to trade with Interactive Brokers?
- Who is IG?
- Who are Interactive Brokers?
- Is IG a good broker?
- Is Interactive Brokers a good broker?
- Who is the Overall Winner?
Min Deposit
USD 0
Regulators
FCA, BaFin, FINMA, DFSA, MAS, ASIC, FSCA
Trading Platform
MT4
Crypto
Yes
Total Pairs
80
Islamic Account
No
Trading Fees
Low
Account Activation
24 Hours
Overall Comparison
| 🔍 Features | 🏛️ IG | 🏛️ Interactive Brokers |
| 🔄 General comparison | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 🏛️ Regulation | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 📊 Spreads and fees | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 📈 Trading Platforms | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 📱 Trading Apps | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 🛠️ Analytical Tools | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 🎓 Educational Resources | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| ⭐ Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
| ⭐ Best in class | ✔️ |
Regulation Comparison
| 🔍 Features | 🏛️ IG | 🏛️ Interactive Brokers |
| ⭐ Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
| 📅 Year founded | 1974 | 1978 |
| 📊 Publicly Traded | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 🇿🇦 Licensed in South Africa | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| 🥇 Tier-1 Regulation | 8 | 9 |
| 🥈 Tier-2 Regulation | 3 | 0 |
| 🥉 Tier-3 Regulation | 1 | 0 |
Assets Comparison
| 🔍 Features | 🏛️ IG | 🏛️ Interactive Brokers |
| 📊 Forex | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Number of Forex pairs | 100 | 91 |
| 📊 CFDs | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Bonds | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Commodities | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 ETFs | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Treasuries | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| 📊 Indices | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Options | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Futures | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Precious Metals | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Energies | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Individual Shares | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 US Stock Trading | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 International Stock Trading | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Cryptocurrency CFDs | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| 📊 Physical Crypto | ❌ No | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Total Tradable Instruments | 19537 | 7400 |
Fees Comparison
| 🔍 Features | 🏛️ IG | 🏛️ Interactive Brokers |
| 💰 Average Spread for EUR/USD | 0.1 pips | 0.6 pips |
| 💰 Commissions Charged | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💰 ECN Execution | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💰 Market Maker Execution | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| 💰 Inactivity Fee | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💰 Currency Conversion Fees | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💰 Deposit Fee | ❌ No | ✔️ Yes (Mexico only) |
| 💰 Withdrawal Fee | ❌ No | ✔️ Yes (Applied after 1 free withdrawal) |
Account Types Comparison
| 🔍 Features | 🏛️ IG | 🏛️ Interactive Brokers |
| 📒 Standard Account | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📒 Cent Account | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| 📒 Commission-Free Account | ❌ No | ✔️ Yes |
| 📒 ECN Account | ❌ No | ✔️ Yes |
| 📒 Demo Account | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| ☪️ Islamic/Swap-Free Account | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| 📒 Managed Accounts | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📒 Share Dealing Account | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
Trading Conditions Comparison
| 🔍 Features | 🏛️ IG | 🏛️ Interactive Brokers |
| 📊 Hedging | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Scalping | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Dynamic Leverage | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| 📊 Beginner Trading | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Professional Trading | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📊 Copy/Social Trading | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
Deposit Options Comparison
| 🔍 Features | 🏛️ IG | 🏛️ Interactive Brokers |
| 💳 Bank wire | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💳 MasterCard | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| 💳 PayPal | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| 💳 Skrill | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| 💳 Neteller | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| 💳 Minimum Deposit | R4250 ZAR / $250 | R0 ZAR / $0 |
Trading Platforms Comparison
| 🔍 Features | 🏛️ IG | 🏛️ Interactive Brokers |
| 💻 Desktop Platform | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📱 Mobile App | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💻 Social Trading | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| 💻 MetaTrader 4 | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| 💻 MetaTrader 5 | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| 💻 cTrader | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| 💻 DupliTrade | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| 💻 ZuluTrade | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| 💻 Proprietary Platform | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
Analytical Tools Comparison
| 🔍 Features | 🏛️ IG | 🏛️ Interactive Brokers |
| 📅 Economic Calendar | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📈 Social Sentiment | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📈 Trading Central | ❌ No | ✔️ Yes |
| 📈 AutoChartist | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| 📈 Forex News Sources | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📈 Daily Market Commentary | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 📈 Virtual Private Server (VPS) | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| 📈 Trading View | ❌ No | ✔️ Yes |
| 📈 Blog | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
Educational Resources Comparison
| 🔍 Features | 🏛️ IG | 🏛️ Interactive Brokers |
| 🎓 Offers education | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| ℹ️ Webinars | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| ℹ️ Beginner training videos | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| ℹ️ Advanced training videos | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| ℹ️ Tutorials | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| ℹ️ eBooks | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| ℹ️ Glossary | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
Forex Majors Offered Compared
| 🔍 Features | 🏛️ IG | 🏛️ Interactive Brokers |
| 💱 GBP/USD | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💱 USD/JPY | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💱 EUR/USD | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💱 USD/CHF | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💱 USD/CAD | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💱 NZD/USD | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
| 💱 AUD/USD | ✔️ Yes | ✔️ Yes |
IG vs Interactive Brokers
Min Deposit
USD 0
Regulators
CFTC, NFA, IIROC, FCA, CBI, ASIC, SFC, MNB, CSSF
Trading Platform
Proprietary Platforms
Crypto
Yes
Total Pairs
91
Islamic Account
No
Trading Fees
Low
Account Activation
24 Hours
We have poured over hundreds of brokers to find the best-in-class Forex brokers for 2026. Here, we take a closer look at IG vs Interactive Brokers.
Which offers better pricing – IG or Interactive Brokers
If you trade foreign exchange (Forex) often, you will appreciate IG Markets’ commission-free pricing, which is among the best in the industry.
A price spread of 0.1 pips on DMA options is the lowest possible spread, making IG the winner in this category. With a minimum cost of 0.10%, the commission-based CFD offer is about par, but the volume-based rebate program brings the effective trading charge down to a more reasonable level.
With a minimum cost of 0.10%, the commission-based CFD offer is about par, but the volume-based rebate program brings the effective trading charge down to a more reasonable level.
Interactive Brokers has extremely competitive trading conditions, but not as low as IG, with minimal spreads of 0.6 pips for a cost of $6 per transaction.
However, the initial charges for CFDs might be as low as 0.05%. Overnight leveraged positions are subject to swap rates charged by both brokers, and traders might be subject to costs from external payment processors.
Which broker offers more security when trading Forex and CFDs?
Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer superior security when South Africans trade forex and CFDs. IG Markets is regulated by 8 Tier-1, three Tier-2, and one Tier-1 regulators while Interactive Brokers is regulated by nine Tier-1 regulators.
Both IG and Interactive Brokers are publicly listed on stock exchanges, and both have stringent policies regarding client fund security, investor protection, and transparency in trading environments and overall pricing.
Which broker offers the superior trading platform?
Interactive Brokers offers a superior trading platform. With regards to asset availability and automated trading, Interactive Brokers is on par with IG Markets.
However, while exclusively using its own Trader Workstation (TWS), it offers superior instructional and trading features to those offered by IG Markets.
In addition to IG Markets’ own web-based trading platform, customers can use MetaTrader 4, ProRealTime, and L2 Dealer. IG Markets offers competitive pricing and transaction execution, making it an ideal platform for algorithmic trading.
IG provides CFDs for market trading, writes CFDs, and keeps high-quality trading tools in stock for other retail brokers.
Do these brokers both offer MetaTrader?
Interactive Brokers does not offer MetaTrader while IG offers only MetaTrader 4.
How many Forex pairs can I expect from these brokers?
IG and Interactive Brokers are remarkably close in their forex instrument offering, with IG offering 100 while Interactive Brokers provides access to 91 pairs, which is still a very impressive number when compared to other brokers in the industry.
However, IG shines through as the top broker when considering that there are over 19,000 tradable instruments compared to Interactive Brokers’ 7,400. Another benefit that IG has over Interactive Brokers is that South Africans can participate in social/copy trading, while IBKR does not offer this.
Is it safe to trade with IG?
Yes, it is safe to trade with IG. As a forex and CFD broker with a 99 out of 100 total Trust Score, IG provides a low-risk trading environment.
Eight Tier-1 Regulators, who have a high degree of confidence, three Tier-2 Regulators, who have a medium level of trust, and one Tier-3 Regulator have all awarded IG a license (low trust).
Tier-1 regulators who have strict authority over IG include:
- Financial Markets Authority (FMA)
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
- Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin)
- Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA)
- Japanese Financial Services Authority (JFSA)
- Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
- Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
Since the funds are stored in segregated bank accounts under the supervision of trustee arrangements and subject to the norms and regulations governing those institutions, investing money in an IG account is risk-free.
Because IG and its creditors do not have ownership of the money, they contend that they are not permitted to charge, lien, set off, or withhold it. subsequently, the cash cannot be transferred to IG for use by the broker.
Barclays and Lloyds are only two of the reputable top-tier banks with which IG has separate accounts.
Because of this, IG distributes client cash around several financial institutions since it is unable to retain all of them in one place. In addition, IG is protected from its creditors by a ring-fencing system.
Subsequently, IG is not permitted to use client money for things like internal operating costs, contracts for hedging with other counterparties, or as a margin for hedging operations.
Only professional customers, like other financial institutions, and qualifying counterparties who have signed a written agreement describing how their cash and assets will be handled separately are exempt from this need, and this is also known as a title transfer.
All clients would get their pro rata share of any funds or assets put aside for them if Interactive Brokers entered liquidation, minus any costs paid by the liquidators.
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the last-resort compensation fund for clients of regulated financial services businesses, will compensate any shortfall in funds up to a maximum of 85,000 GBP.
Its goal is to safeguard small businesses and individual investors, sometimes known as “retail consumers,” who were formerly patrons of British financial services corporations that are no longer in operation.
Is it safe to trade with Interactive Brokers?
Yes, it is safe to trade with Interactive Brokers. It is no exaggeration to say that Interactive Brokers is among the most popular online trading platforms in the world.
They provide a wide variety of high-quality trading platforms, some of which have robust trading tools. This will allow you to carefully examine the markets and make calculated trades.
The broker provides a wealth of learning materials for newcomers. Opportunity-generating market data and analyses are readily available.
Interactive Brokers is well-regulated by the following Tier-1 regulatory entities:
- NYSE FINRA SIPC as well as US SEC and CFTC under Interactive Brokers LLC
- Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) under Interactive Brokers Canada, Inc.
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom under Interactive Brokers (UK) Limited.
- Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) in Luxembourg under Interactive Brokers Luxembourg SARL.
- Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) under Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited.
- Central Bank of Hungary (Magyar Nemzeti Bank or MNB) under Interactive Brokers Central Europe Zrt.
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) under Interactive Brokers Australia Pty, Ltd.
- Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) under Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Limited.
- Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte, Ltd.
If you are looking for a broker to trust with your money, go no further than Interactive Brokers, which has a large capital base and is registered and regulated by authorities in close to a dozen key nations.
At the time of writing, IBKR has a market capitalization of 22,71 billion USD. In addition, IBKR has equity capital of $10.48 billion and the company is 76.5% privately held.
Interactive Brokers has over 1.8 million registered accounts and daily revenue trades of over 2.5 million USD and $7.1 billion in excess regulatory capital.
Up to $500,000 in securities and $250,000 in cash (up to a total of $750,000 per client) are insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) in an investment account kept with Interactive Brokers in the United States.
If you have more than $250,000 in cash on hand, you could take advantage of the Insured Bank Deposit Sweep Program provided by Interactive Brokers. This program gives up to $2.5 million in FDIC protection on top of the SIPC insurance.
The level of security may vary depending on your location and the legal constraints that Interactive Brokers abides by in countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, India, and Japan where it maintains customer assets.
🏆 10 Best Forex Brokers in South Africa
| Rank | Broker | Broker Review | Regulators | Minimum Deposit | Visit Broker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 |  | Read Review | ASIC, FSA, CBI, BVI, FSCA, FRSA, CySEC, ISA, JFSA | $100 |  |
| 🥈 |  | Read Review | FSCA, FCA, DFSA, FSA, CMA | $0 | |
| 🥉 |  | Read Review | CySEC, MWALI, FSCA | $25 | |
| 4 |  | Read Review | ASIC, CySEC, FSA, SCB | $200 | |
| 5 |  | Read Review | CBCS, CySEC, FCA, FSA, FSC, FSCA, CMA | $10 | |
| 6 |  | Read Review | FSA, FSC, FSCA | $20 | |
| 7 |  | Read Review | FSC, FSCA | $50 | |
| 8 |  | Read Review | ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FSA, FSC, CMA | $100 | |
| 9 |  | Read Review | ASIC, CySEC, IFSC, DFSA, FCA | $5 | |
| 10 |  | Read Review | FSA, CySEC, FSCA, FSC | $10 | |
Who is IG?
Founded in 1974 and listed on the London Stock Exchange as IGG (LON: IGG), IG is a low-risk broker for trading contracts for difference (CFD) and foreign exchange (FX).
The trading interfaces offered by IG are some of the most user-friendly in the industry, and they make it easy to perform anything from market research to trade execution to account management.
It is not surprising that IG is a worldwide leader in online trading and the top CFD provider in the world given its 178,000 clients scattered across five continents, wide product selection, affordable prices, long-standing firm operations, and stellar reputation.
Due to regulatory limitations, most reputable online forex brokers avoid the American market. The decision by IG to re-enter this market in 2019 demonstrates the company’s dedication to creating a genuinely global presence.
The fact that IG receives its liquidity from a wide range of top liquidity sources allows the broker to provide small spreads, low fees, and quick transaction execution.
This is a satisfactory solution for those who want to engage in regular trading and wish to save expenses without sacrificing quality. For your success, helpful trading resources and information are provided.
IG is your best choice if security is your top priority, and you want to have access to the broadest range of trading tools and services. IG offers the best price and spreads by offering a ton of liquidity and modern trading tools.
They are dedicated to doing everything necessary to ensure a successful transaction when it comes to providing customer service. When dealing with this broker, you can be sure that your limit or at-quote orders will always be completed at or above the price you choose.
Although IG does not keep any of the gains from positive slippage, it does provide guaranteed stops to assist you in preventing losses from negative slippage.
Who are Interactive Brokers?
Thomas Peterffy started the Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. and now serves as its chairperson. As a leading securities business with over $10.48 billion in equity capital, Interactive Brokers has expanded organically over the last 44 years.
Over 150 global markets are accessible via Interactive Brokers’ broker/dealer services. IBKR’s broker dealer agency business gives institutional and professional traders around the world direct access to online trade execution and clearing services.
This is provided by IBKR for a wide range of electronically traded products, such as stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, gold, crypto, and funds. Trading volume at Interactive Brokers Group and its subsidiaries exceeds 2,019,000 transactions per day.
Interactive Brokers has around 2,650 personnel working out of locations in the United States, Switzerland, Canada, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Australia, Hungary, Russia, Japan, India, China, Singapore, Ireland, and Estonia.
The SEC, FINRA, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and other regulatory bodies throughout the globe all oversee IBKR.
IBKR’s brokerage services are simplified, with an emphasis on wide market access, cheap fees, and high-quality transaction execution. Stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds may all be traded on 135 markets from a unified account.
With the release of the Impact Dashboard in late 2026, the firm made it easier to assess investments via an SRI perspective.
Is IG a good broker?
Yes, IG is a good broker. With over 19,000 tradeable assets, amazing learning resources and research tools, and low rates, IG is a market-leading broker.
IG is already accessible on five continents, including the United States, and has enormous potential for years to come.
IG’s spreads, commission costs, and trade execution times are all low due to the company’s sizable liquidity pools, which are derived from a select few top liquidity providers. IG also has a stellar reputation within the sector.
This is advantageous if you want to trade often and want to spend as little cash as possible on trading commissions while retaining the same degree of quality. Additionally, you will gain access to some top-notch trading resources to aid you in your trading endeavors.
Is Interactive Brokers a good broker?
Yes, Interactive Brokers is a good broker. Trading a wide variety of securities is made easy by the services offered by Interactive Brokers.
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is interesting since it has always been a leader in the industry rather than a follower. It has added cryptocurrency trading to its fee-free IBKR Lite service, which was previously available to traders with lesser volume.
When it comes to trading a broad range of assets on a worldwide scale, IBKR has remained a frontrunner despite the fee structure changes that have rocked the financial services sector. Advanced traders are the target audience for Interactive Brokers.
When first starting, many people find this platform to be too complicated to use effectively. As you can see below, Interactive Brokers provides access to four different worldwide markets where you can trade foreign currency.
Foreign exchange transactions are processed only via the IDEAL PRO trading platform. Interactive Brokers’ FX Browser Tool, which collects data on forex trades, is an especially useful feature.
The system analyses the 15 most recent foreign exchange transactions involving the same currency pair that happened within a time frame of 15 minutes or less. To evaluate your trading performance, the FX Browser Tool will compare your transactions to those of nearby, comparable deals.
Who is the Overall Winner?
Both IG and Interactive Brokers are some of the best CFD and forex brokers, but IG is the overall winner in terms of trading conditions and range of markets. Both brokers welcome high-frequency traders, software engineers, and algorithmic trading solutions.
When it comes to the cost of trading foreign currency, IG Markets offers the lowest commissions and has the best assortment of trading platforms.
In exchange for access to its proprietary trading platform, Interactive Brokers provides its customers with what is the most competitive commission-based pricing structure in the industry.
Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers provide webinars, which are useful for new traders, although Interactive Brokers has more in-depth materials.
Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers provide their customers with a prominent level of security and liquidity, making them equally good options.
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