Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG vs Capital.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Alongside the cost per trade, most UK online brokers also charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual management fee, which varies based on the account type and balance. Based on our thorough review, IG offers better pricing than Capital.com for share dealing.
Assuming a £30,000 portfolio size, here are the total annual costs for share dealing with both brokers, given different monthly activity scenarios.
5 trades per year - IG would cost £136 per year, while Capital.com would cost N/A per year.
12 trades per year - IG would cost £96 per year, while Capital.com would cost N/A per year.
36 trades per year - IG would cost £108 per year, while Capital.com would cost N/A per year.
120 trades per year - IG would cost £360 per year, while Capital.com would cost N/A per year.
3 fund trades per year - IG would cost £0 per year, while Capital.com would cost £20 per year.
What type of trader are you?
New to the world of investing? See our picks for the Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners. More experienced traders should read our guide to the Best UK Trading Platforms for Active Traders.
For UK investors evaluating online brokers, IG and Capital.com offer distinctly different investment choices. IG provides access to share trading, ETFs, and investment trusts, whereas Capital.com primarily focuses on CFD trading. Neither broker offers crypto trading, spread betting, funds trading, or bonds, making them similar in these respects. However, the distinct advantage of share and ETF trading with IG may appeal to those who seek diversification through these avenues.
In terms of recognition, IG receives a commendable 4.5-star rating for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing it 11th out of 18 brokers. Conversely, Capital.com is rated lower at 2.5 stars with no specific ranking, reflecting its narrower range of available options. For UK investors keen on a broader spectrum of opportunities, IG could be the more suitable choice, especially for those interested in UK shares and ETFs.
| Feature |
IG
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| Funds | No | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When choosing between online brokers, UK traders may find IG and Capital.com offer distinct tools catering to chart enthusiasts. IG allows users to display corporate events like earnings and dividends directly on charts, an option unavailable with Capital.com. While both platforms offer a solid number of drawing tools—19 for IG and 18 for Capital.com—Capital.com stands out with a more extensive range of technical indicators, offering 77 compared to IG's 33. Both brokers enable users to annotate charts, though neither supports adding index or stock overlays.
For ease of access, both IG and Capital.com provide browser-based platforms, enriched with real-time market data and alert functionalities for stock price updates. Whether you value the integration of corporate events on charts or need a wealth of technical indicators, your choice between IG and Capital.com will depend on your specific trading strategy and charting needs.
| Feature |
IG
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 77 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 18 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing IG and Capital.com for retirement accounts in the UK, IG stands out by offering both Stocks and Shares ISA and Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) accounts, providing investors with tax-efficient ways to save for retirement. In contrast, Capital.com does not provide these specialized retirement account options, focusing mainly on regular trading accounts. Choosing between the two depends on whether retirement savings features are a priority, making IG a more suitable choice for individuals seeking to invest in ISAs or SIPPs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors seeking intuitive mobile trading platforms, both IG and Capital.com deliver solid options. IG offers both iPhone and Android apps, earning a perfect 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for its mobile app, and is ranked second among 18 brokers. Similarly, Capital.com provides apps for iPhone and Android users, garnering a commendable 4.5-star rating by the same reviewer, although its overall rank among brokers is not specified. Both platforms aim to enhance the trading experience with user-friendly interfaces, making them suitable choices for traders on the go.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors seeking educational resources, IG stands out with a comprehensive learning platform, offering client webinars that are available both live and on-demand. IG covers essential topics like share trading and retirement, making it an ideal choice for those looking to learn the ins and outs of investing. On the other hand, Capital.com does not provide any such client webinars or on-demand access, and its educational materials are notably lacking in key areas such as share trading and retirement planning. IG's dedication to education has earned it a 5-star rating and the top rank among 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com, whereas Capital.com trails behind with a 3.5-star rating and does not appear on the same ranking list.
| Feature |
IG
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features between online brokers IG and Capital.com for UK investors, several differences emerge. IG excels with its comprehensive research reports for funds and offers extensive resources, including shares, ETFs, and CFDs research, though it misses out on portfolio allocation insights. On the other hand, Capital.com lacks in-depth reports on funds, shares, or ETFs, but it compensates with the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class and also provides research for CFDs. Neither broker offers research on bonds or funds. These distinctions make IG suitable for those prioritizing detailed market reports, while Capital.com might appeal to investors interested in understanding their portfolio distribution.
| Feature |
IG
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | No |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, IG or Capital.com? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found IG to be a better trading platform overall.
IG is an investment platform aimed at experienced investors looking to make frequent trades on the stock market, with thousands of shares, trusts and ETFs to trade. It offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use trading platform that is used by both private and professional investors.
| Feature |
IG
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Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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Both IG and Capital.com do not offer crypto trading options for their users, making them less suitable for investors interested in cryptocurrency markets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | IG | Capital.com | |
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| Review | IG Review | Capital.com Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | IG | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | No | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | No | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Funds | No | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | IG | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £20 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0-£10 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | N/A | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £136 | N/A | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £96 | N/A | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | N/A | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | N/A | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 / £96 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 / £96 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 / £96 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 / £96 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 - £8 | N/A | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 - £8 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £50 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | IG | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 77 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 18 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | IG | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | No | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
| Education | IG | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | IG | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | IG Review | Capital.com Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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