IG vs Saxo Bank

 

An overall comprehensive side-by-side comparison of IG vs Saxo Banks. IG was one of the first brokerage firms created and is a reputable, publicly-listed entity that serves global customers. But how does IG measure up against not only a reputable CFD and forex broker but also a large and prominent banking entity, Saxo Bank?

 

IG vs Saxo Bank Review – 24 Key Point Quick Overview (2025):

1. ☑️ Overall Comparison
2. ☑️ Regulation Comparison
3. ☑️ Assets Comparison
4. ☑️ Fees Comparison
5. ☑️ Account Types Comparison
6. ☑️ Trading Conditions Comparison
7. ☑️ Deposit Options Comparison
8. ☑️ Trading Platforms Comparison
9. ☑️ Analytical Tools Comparison
10. ☑️ Educational Resources Comparison
11. ☑️ Forex Majors Offered Compared
12. ☑️ IG vs Saxo Bank
13. Which offers better pricing – IG or Saxo Bank
14. Which broker offers more security when trading Forex and CFDs?
15. Which broker offers the superior trading platform?
16. Do these brokers both offer MetaTrader?
17. How many Forex pairs can I expect from these brokers?
18. Is it safe to trade with IG?
19. Is it safe to trade with Saxo Bank?
20. Who is IG?
21. Who is Saxo Bank?
22. Is IG a good broker?
23. Is Saxo Bank a good broker?
24. Who is the Overall Winner?

 

 

Overall Comparison

🔍 Features	🏛️ IG	🏛️ Saxo Bank
🔄 General comparison	5/5	5/5
🏛️ Regulation	5/5	5/5
📊 Spreads and fees	5/5	4/5
📈 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	🏛️ Saxo Bank
⭐ Trust Score	99	99
📅 Year founded	1974	1992
📊 Publicly Traded	✔️ Yes	❌ No
🇿🇦 Licensed in South Africa	✔️ Yes	❌ No
🥇 Tier-1 Regulation	8	13
🥈 Tier-2 Regulation	3	0
🥉 Tier-3 Regulation	1	0

 

Assets Comparison

🔍 Features	🏛️ IG	🏛️ Saxo Bank
📊 Forex	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📊 Number of Forex pairs	100	182
📊 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	✔️ Yes
📊 Physical Crypto	❌ No	❌ No
📊 Total Tradable Instruments	19537	40000

 

Fees Comparison

🔍 Features	🏛️ IG	🏛️ Saxo Bank
💰 Average Spread for EUR/USD	0.1 pips	0.6 pips
💰 Commissions Charged	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
💰 ECN Execution	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
💰 Market Maker Execution	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
💰 Inactivity Fee	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
💰 Currency Conversion Fees	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
💰 Deposit Fee	❌ No	✔️ Yes
💰 Withdrawal Fee	❌ No	✔️ Yes (Mutual Fund Withdrawal)

 

Account Types Comparison

🔍 Features	🏛️ IG	🏛️ Saxo Bank
📒 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	🏛️ Saxo Bank
📊 Hedging	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📊 Scalping	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📊 Dynamic Leverage	✔️ Yes	❌ No
📊 Beginner Trading	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📊 Professional Trading	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📊 Copy/Social Trading	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes

 

Deposit Options Comparison

🔍 Features	🏛️ IG	🏛️ Saxo Bank
💳 Bank wire	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
💳 MasterCard	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
💳 PayPal	✔️ Yes	❌ No
💳 Skrill	❌ No	❌ No
💳 Neteller	❌ No	❌ No
💳 Minimum Deposit	R4250 ZAR / $250	R34000 ZAR / $2000

 

Trading Platforms Comparison

🔍 Features	🏛️ IG	🏛️ Saxo Bank
💻 Desktop Platform	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📱 Mobile App	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
💻 Social Trading	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
💻 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	🏛️ Saxo Bank
📅 Economic Calendar	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📈 Social Sentiment	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📈 Trading Central	❌ No	❌ No
📈 AutoChartist	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📈 Forex News Sources	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📈 Daily Market Commentary	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📈 Virtual Private Server (VPS)	✔️ Yes	✔️ Yes
📈 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	🏛️ Saxo Bank
💱 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 Saxo Bank

 

Many hours have gone into examining the best-in-class Forex brokers for 2025. Here, we take a closer look at IG vs Saxo Bank.

 

Which offers better pricing – IG or Saxo Bank

 

Spreads at IG are 0.1 pips on the DMA Account while Saxo Bank’s average spreads are 0.6 pips, which makes IG the clear winner.

Both brokers provide rebates depending on client volume, but because IG requires its traders to qualify for capital-intensive VIP accounts, it can provide lower trading expenses than Saxo Banks, whose fees are proportional to the size of the trader’s portfolio.

In addition, it is cheaper for traders to register a trading account with IG than with Saxo Bank.

 

Which broker offers more security when trading Forex and CFDs?

 

IG and Saxo Bank both have a trust score of 99. Saxo Bank is a Danish investment bank and online brokerage that is mostly owned by the Chinese government, whereas IG is a publicly traded firm as well as a component of the FTSE 250. Thus, both brokers are exceptionally reliable and safe.

 

Which broker offers the superior trading platform?

 

Both IG and Saxo Bank offer superior trading platforms, but IG offers MetaTrader 4 along with 18 extensions and an AutoChartist plugin, making it the winner in this category.

Two of the best trading systems available today are offered by IG and Saxo Capital Markets. One of the most robust MT4 trading environments is maintained IG, which provides 18 extensions in addition to the core product and the AutoChartist plugin.

Both IG and Saxo Bank provide state-of-the-art proprietary trading platforms, but IG additionally offers ProRealTime.

In addition to offering API trading for sophisticated algorithmic trading solutions at IG, Saxo Capital Markets also offers traders the OpenAPI for Excel, services by TradingView, and MultiCharts.

 

Do these brokers both offer MetaTrader?

 

Only IG offers MetaTrader 4 along with providing South Africans with a wide range of plugins that can be used with this powerful, popular trading platform.

 

How many Forex pairs can I expect from these brokers?

 

You can expect 100 forex pairs with IG while Saxo Bank offers 182. However, Saxo Bank offers 40,000 overall instruments over IG’s 19,000.

While both IG and Saxo Capital Markets provide a wide variety of currency pairings, Saxo Bank is the clear winner in offering a larger portfolio of tradable markets. The difference is that the CFD trading experience at IG is superior to that at Saxo Capital Markets.

 

Is it safe to trade with IG?

 

Yes, it is safe to trade with IG. It is no surprise that IG is the leading CFD provider in the world, with over 178,000 customers spread across five continents, a wide range of products, low fees, a solid record of accomplishment in business, and a stellar reputation among traders.

IG US LLC is a CFTC- and NFA-authorized futures commission merchant (#0509630). Moreover, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom has approved and regulates IG Markets Ltd (#195355) and IG Index Ltd (#114059).

 

In addition, IG is also regulated by these additional top entities:

 

• 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)
• Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)

 

These organizations are universally hailed as the best at what they do which is regulating. A company’s legitimacy is enhanced by the fact that it is overseen by a respected governing body.

Traders are willing to take the risk associated with the markets, but they would prefer not to have to worry about other potential threats to their capital, such as counter-party risk.

All customer monies from the United Kingdom and the European Union are kept in separate accounts with Tier 1 institutions.

 

Is it safe to trade with Saxo Bank?

 

Yes, it is safe to trade with Saxo Bank. Established in 1992, Saxo Bank is an online broker as well as a licensed bank that has been operating for 30 years. Saxo Bank is fully licensed and regulated in a whopping fifteen countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Saxo Bank is therefore subject to the most stringent regulatory requirements in the industry. Like AvaTrade and IG, they are among the most strictly regulated brokerages in the world.

Saxo Bank provides a remarkable array of over 40,000 Forex and CFD trading products, and their spreads and fees are quite competitive across all asset classes.

With a perfect Trust Score of 99, Saxo Bank is an extremely safe financial institution. Saxo Bank, unlike many other banks, is not publicly listed but does run a bank and is authorized by thirteen top-tier regulatory agencies, which are considered highly trusted.

 

The following are some of Saxo Bank’s regulations and licenses:

 

• With license number 551422, Saxo Capital Markets UK Limited is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
• The Italian Market Authority – Consob has issued BG SAXO Società di Intermediazione Mobiliare S.p.A. a license.
• The Czech National Bank has given Saxo Bank A/S Czech Republic the registration number 28949587.
• The Bank of the Netherlands has given Saxo Bank A/S Netherlands the registration number 34357130.
• Singapore Saxo Capital Markets Pte. Ltd. is licensed as a supplier of Capital Market Services and an Exempt Financial Advisor and is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
• The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) licenses and oversees Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd.
• The Bank of France has granted Saxo Banque (France) SAS a license as a Credit Institution, with registration number 483632501 R.C.S. Paris.
• Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) has granted Saxo Bank a license to operate in Denmark.
• Saxo Bank – Representative Office is authorized by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates under Registration Number 2017/995/13.
• The registration number for Saxo Bank Securities Ltd. with the Japanese Financial Services Agency (JFSA) is 239.
• The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong (SFC) has issued Saxo Capital Markets Hong Kong Ltd. Licensing under registration number 1395901.
• The registration number for Saxo Capital Markets Australia Pty. Ltd. with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is 126 373 859.

 

Client monies are stored in separate banking accounts from Saxo Bank’s operating funds, as mandated by applicable regulators.

Frequent audits are conducted to make sure everything is in order and the FCA and other regulatory bodies get an audit report every month, with a reliable third-party auditing firm responsible for this inspection.

Customers in the United Kingdom who bank with Saxo are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). This implies that the FSCS insurance further safeguards the cash of qualified customers.

In the event of Saxo Bank’s insolvency, customers are eligible for compensation of up to £85,000. The Danish Guarantee Fund includes Saxo Bank as a member. To those who qualify, the bank will pay up to €100,000 in the event of bankruptcy.

 

 

Who is IG?

 

IG is a London-based trading and investment firm listed on the FTSE 250 of the London Stock Exchange.

IG was the first business of its type when it was created in 1974, and it has been at the forefront ever since with its award-winning platforms and superior services. Today, IG serves more than 178,000 customers throughout the globe.

IG is a supplier of trading and investing services that has a deep dedication to its clientele and has designed its products and services around empowering investors to make informed and lucrative transactions.

As an indication of their dedication, the broker has signed the FX Global Code of Conduct, which promotes industry best practices. Traders from across the globe have ranked IG as the most reliable broker for spread betting and CFD trading, putting them at the top of the leader board.

In addition to placing a focus on the security of client assets, which we will cover in further detail later, IG is licensed and regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom. IG  has won many prestigious accolades and is considered one of the world’s leading forex brokers.

As a drawback, IG imposes a hefty stock CFD cost as well as a substantial monthly price after two years of inactivity; nevertheless, all fees are laid out openly and honestly.

Some traders might not like the lack of a social/trading platform, especially inexperienced traders who would gain the most from its capabilities.

However, the broker could compensate for this with its IG Community, in addition to its superb instructional materials and customer service. While IG is accessible worldwide, country-specific legislation, safeguards, services, and goods differ.

Non-UK/non-European traders will not be subject to UK and EU safeguards, such as negative balance protection. Currently, US traders only have access to Forex because of the regulations and restrictions surrounding CFD trading.

The fact that customer monies are housed in a separate bank account lessens client risk should something happen to the bank. However, monies may be kept outside of the local jurisdiction, which increases the risk possibility.

IG has a parallel trading desk, which increases the possibility of a conflict of interest, although the corporation has a conflict policy that should mitigate the issue.

In addition, IG’s order management system includes safeguards to guarantee the price never exceeds what you asked. Stop-loss orders are available for an additional fee, as is negative balance protection for European Union traders.

Nonetheless, IG does not provide customer money protection to United States retail traders. In addition, to provide an overview of IG’s risk management technology: they are simple to use, and when fully employed, traders are protected from the hazards of leveraged trading.

Free price notifications of market movements, which are useful given how rapidly the market fluctuates, are among the risk-reducing tools, and their trailing stops secure potential gains.

 

Who is Saxo Bank?

 

Founded in 1992, Saxo Bank Group (Saxo Bank) in Denmark positions itself as a leading Fintech expert, with a particular emphasis on multi-asset trading and investing and the delivery of “Banking-as-a-Service” to wholesale customers.

In 1998, the corporation took use of the Internet’s potential as a trading platform, showing its openness to modern technologies. Like many other forex brokers, Saxo Bank’s U.K. branch, Saxo Capital Markets U.K. Ltd (SCML), has not been accepting U.S. clients since 2006.

Saxo’s premier product is SaxoTraderPRO, a downloadable platform designed specifically with experienced traders in mind.

SaxoTraderGo, its web-based platform, has robust trading capabilities and a user-friendly interface and is complemented with a feature-rich mobile app.

Saxo also provides its customers with access to third-party trading tools and application programming interfaces (APIs) to facilitate the development of unique trading apps.

Saxo Bank is like other online brokers in that it facilitates financial transactions and provides clients with access to a variety of trading products. It also provides a few services, including managed portfolios, for those interested.

Investments in a managed portfolio are made and sold on the client’s behalf by a team of Saxo Bank specialists. To ensure that traders always have access to their money, these managed accounts do not impose a lock-in period.

 

Is IG a good broker?

 

Yes, IG is a good broker. IG is a market-leading broker because of its cheap rates, exceptional learning materials and research tools, and more than 19,000 assets that could be traded. IG is already available on five continents, including the United States, and has huge long-term potential.

IG’s spreads, commission fees, and trade execution times are all low because of the company’s vast liquidity pools, which are sourced from a select group of the industry’s leading liquidity providers. Additionally, IG has a superb reputation inside the industry.

This is useful if you like to trade often and spend as little money as possible on trading fees without sacrificing quality. In addition, you will have access to superior trading resources to assist you in your endeavors.

In addition to volume discounts for UK share dealers, traders may take advantage of an attractive rebate program for high-volume FX transactions.

Account listings are outstanding overall, including IG Smart Portfolios and an institutional site, despite the lack of tiered account choices beyond retail and professional.

IG provides access to the FX and stock markets through the Direct Market Access (DMA) platform L2 Dealer, which can be downloaded with the touch of a button. However, the L2 Dealer is unavailable to customers situated in the United States.

This software makes it simple to personalize transactions using order books and link charts. Although shares DMA is suggested for expert traders who like to trade with algorithms and engage in pre- and post-market auctions, it is not advised for novice traders.

 

Is Saxo Bank a good broker?

 

Yes, Saxo Bank is a good broker. If you are an experienced trader, Saxo Bank is a worthwhile consideration. Sophisticated active traders, investors, professionals, and institutions may make use of the company’s extensive range of brokerage services.

Higher account minimums, a wider range of fees, and fewer customer service channels are just some of the challenges that smaller account holders could face.

Most retail traders will have a challenging time moving up the customer tiers required to take advantage of tiered accounts’ decreased trading expenses and additional benefits as equity rises.

Saxo’s team of analysts is second to none, and they regularly update SaxoTraderGo and the company’s social trading platform, TradingFloor.com, with insightful market analysis and ratings.

Traders have the option of using the website or the platform to access the research tools, but a lack of organization and a clumsy search bar makes it a chore to discover what you need.

Although there is a small collection of analyst films accessible on the YouTube website, there is a dearth of resources under the research tab. As is the case with most modern online brokers, Saxo Bank protects traders against negative balances.

Trading fees at Saxo Bank are either included in the spread, the primary means through which the broker makes money, or added as commissions, at rates that are common for the industry.

Advertised minimum bid/ask spreads in foreign exchange for its “classic” account are 0.6 pips. Higher-tier Platinum and VIP accounts have lower average spreads and more benefits, which might be a huge benefit for busy traders.

However, the $200,000 / 3.4 million ZAR minimum required to move tiers will discourage the ordinary retail customer. In addition, when trading other instruments, commission fees on top of the mentioned spread become a factor.

 

Who is the Overall Winner?

 

Both IG and Saxo Bank provide industry-leading services, extensive liquidity, and cheap trading expenses.

However, IG is a better option for traders, whilst Saxo Bank is more suited for investors, but both provide in-house managed themed portfolios. Overall, IG has the lead owing to its superior trading expenses.

 

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