Interactive Brokers vs eToro 2025
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs eToro, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs eToro, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Your capital is at risk.
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, eToro offers better pricing than Interactive Brokers for share dealing.
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.
Interactive Brokers and eToro both let UK investors buy shares, trade crypto, and invest in ETFs. The key difference is product range: eToro offers CFD trading, while Interactive Brokers does not. Conversely, Interactive Brokers provides access to funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts, which eToro does not. Neither platform offers advisor services.
For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #2 out of 21, while eToro earns 4.5 stars and ranks #15. If you want a wider mix of investments including funds and bonds, Interactive Brokers may fit better. If you prefer share dealing, crypto, and the option to trade CFDs, eToro could be the simpler pick.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
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For UK traders comparing trading tools, eToro edges ahead on charting. It offers 56 drawing tools versus 16 at Interactive Brokers, and 106 technical indicators compared with 94. Both platforms are available in your browser and support price alerts, but neither shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts.
eToro also lets you add notes to charts and apply index or stock overlays, options that Interactive Brokers lacks. If you want real-time market data, eToro includes it, while Interactive Brokers does not. Overall, eToro delivers a more feature-rich charting setup, whereas Interactive Brokers covers the essentials.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 106 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 56 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
When comparing online brokers Interactive Brokers and eToro for UK investors focusing on retirement accounts, it’s noteworthy that both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), enabling tax-efficient savings. However, Interactive Brokers further caters to retirement planning by providing Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) accounts, a crucial option that eToro does not currently support. This distinction could be significant for those prioritizing a comprehensive retirement strategy, making Interactive Brokers a versatile choice for investors looking to maximize their retirement savings options.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors assessing the mobile trading options offered by Interactive Brokers and eToro, both platforms deliver highly rated iPhone and Android apps. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both apps hold a perfect rating of 5 stars. Interactive Brokers distinguishes itself slightly, securing the 4th position out of 21 brokers for mobile app quality, while eToro closely follows at 5th place. Whether you prefer Interactive Brokers or eToro, both provide top-notch mobile apps to suit your trading needs.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing broker education, Interactive Brokers offers more: it runs client webinars and keeps them on demand, and covers share trading, funds and retirement, while eToro has no webinars or archive and focuses on share trading only. Independent ratings from UK.StockBrokers.com back this up, with Interactive Brokers at 5/5 stars and ranked 8th of 21 for beginner education, versus eToro at 4.5/5 stars and 11th. If you want webinars and broader topics, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; if you only need share trading basics, eToro still performs well.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When considering market research features, Interactive Brokers and eToro both provide valuable resources, but with some differences. Interactive Brokers excels with its extensive range of research reports, offering insights into shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds. eToro matches Interactive Brokers by delivering research on shares and ETFs, but does not extend this service to funds or bonds. Both platforms allow users to see portfolio allocation by asset class, aiding in strategic investment decisions. These distinctions may help investors in the UK choose the platform that best aligns with their research needs.
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Brokers or eToro? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Brokers to be a better trading platform overall.
Interactive Brokers is a sophisticated trading platform aimed at confident and institutional-grade investors. For newer investors, Interactive Brokers is more intimidating, though it's worth exploring the platform to see if you could save money or access more investments compared to other brokers.
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Both Interactive Brokers and eToro provide cryptocurrency trading options, making them competitive choices for investors seeking diverse trading platforms that cater to the emerging demand in digital currencies.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | eToro Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | $50 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £0 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 106 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 56 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | eToro Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |