Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Fidelity International, 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, Interactive Brokers offers better pricing than Fidelity International 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 - Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year, while Fidelity International would cost £127.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year, while Fidelity International would cost £108 or £180 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year, while Fidelity International would cost £144 or £360 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year, while Fidelity International would cost £270 or £990 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £0 per year, while Fidelity International would cost £1000 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 exploring online brokers, Interactive Brokers and Fidelity International present distinct options in terms of available investments. Interactive Brokers offers a versatile range of trading choices, including shares, cryptocurrencies, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), contracts for difference (CFDs), corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. Its expansive array of investment options earns Interactive Brokers a stellar 5-star rating and a #2 ranking in investment choices among 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com. In contrast, Fidelity International provides access to share trading, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts, and offers advisor services, resulting in a commendable 4.5-star rating and a #12 ranking.
While both brokers allow for trading in shares, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts, it's the availability of more varied instruments like cryptocurrencies, CFDs, and bonds that distinguishes Interactive Brokers. On the other hand, Fidelity International’s strength lies in providing advisory services that cater to investors seeking professional guidance, despite the absence of crypto or bond options. The choice ultimately depends on whether the investor prioritizes a broader range of investment products with Interactive Brokers or benefits from personalized advice with Fidelity International.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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Fidelity International
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing Interactive Brokers and Fidelity International, both platforms offer the capability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends on their charts. However, Interactive Brokers stands out in the charting department, providing an impressive array of 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators, compared to Fidelity International's 5 drawing tools and 21 indicators. Notably, while both allow overlaying indexes and stocks on charts, only Interactive Brokers allows users to add personal notes to their charts, adding a layer of customization for the traders.
Both Interactive Brokers and Fidelity International provide browser-based trading platforms and facilitate the creation of stock price alerts, ensuring that traders remain informed of market movements. While neither offers real-time market data, each platform includes features valuable to traders, such as chart overlays and corporate event displays. For UK traders seeking extensive charting tools and advanced chart functionality, Interactive Brokers may be the more appealing choice, offering more extensive capabilities for technical analysis. Nonetheless, Fidelity International remains a competent option for those who prioritize simplicity and straightforward features.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Fidelity International
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 21 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 5 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
For UK investors comparing retirement account options, both Interactive Brokers and Fidelity International provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). Interactive Brokers, known for its comprehensive trading platform, caters well to those looking for diverse investment opportunities. Meanwhile, Fidelity International offers an extensive range of investment funds and educational resources, appealing to both new and experienced investors. With both offering ISAs and SIPPs, choosing between them may depend on individual preferences for trading platforms and investment support, ensuring that either choice can help meet long-term savings and investment goals effectively.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile app offerings of Interactive Brokers and Fidelity International for UK users, both brokers provide apps for iPhone and Android devices. Interactive Brokers' app is highly rated, securing a perfect 5-star rating by UK.StockBrokers.com and ranked #4 out of 18 brokers for its mobile app features. In contrast, Fidelity International's mobile app receives a respectable 4-star rating and stands at #15 in the rankings. Interactive Brokers clearly leads in mobile app excellence, offering a more highly praised and competitive mobile trading experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing Interactive Brokers and Fidelity International for their beginner investor educational resources, both platforms provide valuable learning opportunities. Each offers educational webinars that are accessible live and on-demand, covering essential topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement. Interactive Brokers is rated 4.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com and ranks #8 out of 18 brokers for beginner education. Meanwhile, Fidelity International holds a higher rating of 5 stars and ranks slightly better at #7. For UK investors seeking comprehensive educational tools, both brokers are strong contenders, with a slight edge given to Fidelity International for its top rating.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Fidelity International
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing market research features between Interactive Brokers and Fidelity International for UK users, both platforms excel in providing a comprehensive range of resources. They each offer research reports for funds, allowing investors to make informed decisions. Users can also access insights into portfolio allocation by asset class with both brokers, making it easy to see how investments are distributed. Shares, ETFs, and funds research are available on both platforms, providing a broad spectrum of analytical tools for investors. However, Interactive Brokers has a slight edge with the addition of CFDs research, which Fidelity International does not offer. Both brokers supply extensive bonds research, rounding out their market research capabilities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Fidelity International
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Brokers or Fidelity International? 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.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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Fidelity International
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Comparing online brokers, Interactive Brokers stands out by offering cryptocurrency trading, while Fidelity International does not provide this service, potentially making Interactive Brokers more appealing to traders interested in digital assets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity International | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Fidelity International Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity International | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity International | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £1000 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £1.50 or £7.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £1.50 or £7.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £1.50 or £7.50 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £15 | £127.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £36 | £108 or £180 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | £144 or £360 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | £270 or £990 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £14.85 | £105 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £90 - £875 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £500 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £1,000 - £2,000 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £2,000 | |
| 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 | £7.50 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £7.50 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £30 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity International | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity International | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 21 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 5 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity International | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity International | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity International | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Fidelity International Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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