Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs IG, 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 IG 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 IG would cost £136 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year, while IG would cost £96 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year, while IG would cost £108 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year, while IG would cost £360 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £0 per year, while IG would cost £0 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.
Both Interactive Brokers and IG offer a variety of investment choices, appealing to a range of traders and investors. Interactive Brokers stands out with its extensive range of asset offerings, providing share trading, ETFs, CFD trading, and funds trading. It also allows for trading in both corporate and government bonds, as well as investment trusts, making it a versatile platform for various financial strategies. Though it lacks crypto trading, spread betting, and advisor services, its wide selection has earned it an impressive 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking second among 18 brokers for investment choices.
IG, on the other hand, also offers share and ETF trading, alongside CFD trading and investment trusts. While it does not provide opportunities for crypto trading, spread betting, or dealing in funds or bonds, it still holds a solid 4.5-star rating for its investment options. This positions IG as a commendable choice, ranked tenth out of 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com. Each platform has its strengths, but Interactive Brokers may be ideal for those seeking broader investment options, especially in funds and bonds, while IG offers a reliable alternative for standard trading needs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | 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 comparing the trading tools of Interactive Brokers and IG, both platforms provide robust options for displaying corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends on charts, as well as allowing traders to add notes. Interactive Brokers shines with a wider array of drawing tools—offering 80 compared to IG's 19—and more technical indicators, boasting 96 in contrast to IG’s 33. Additionally, Interactive Brokers provides enhanced flexibility with the ability to add both index and stock overlays to charts, a feature IG does not support. Both brokers include browser-based platforms for convenient access, and alert systems for stock price updates, catering to traders' needs for timely information.
However, real-time market data is where IG takes the lead, offering this essential feature to its users, while Interactive Brokers falls short. This can be a crucial differentiator for traders who rely on immediate market updates to make informed decisions. Overall, Interactive Brokers offers more comprehensive charting tools, but IG compensates with real-time data capabilities, making each platform appealing to different trader preferences.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 33 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 19 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing retirement account options between Interactive Brokers and IG, both platforms offer attractive choices for investors. Interactive Brokers provides Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), catering to those looking to manage their retirement savings and investment returns effectively. Similarly, IG also supports both ISAs and SIPPs, allowing investors to grow and manage their retirement funds with ease. Whether you choose Interactive Brokers or IG, both brokers ensure that you have access to robust retirement account options to suit your financial planning needs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Looking to trade on the go? Both Interactive Brokers and IG offer excellent mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, ensuring you can manage your investments from virtually anywhere. Interactive Brokers’ app is highly acclaimed, receiving a perfect 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and securing the impressive #2 spot among 18 brokers for mobile app performance. Similarly, IG also garners a stellar 5-star rating, although it holds the #6 rank in the same review. Whether you choose Interactive Brokers or IG, you'll find robust mobile platforms tailored to meet your trading needs efficiently.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing beginner investor educational resources, both Interactive Brokers and IG offer educational client webinars and archive these sessions for on-demand viewing, enriching the learning experience for newcomers at their own pace. Both brokers provide resources on share trading and retirement, but Interactive Brokers offers an additional focus on funds, whereas IG does not. In terms of industry recognition, IG is rated higher for beginner education with a 5-star rating and ranks 7th out of 18 brokers according to UK.StockBrokers.com, while Interactive Brokers receives a 4.5-star rating and ranks 12th. These ratings reflect the brokers' commitment to empowering novice investors through comprehensive educational support.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Interactive Brokers and IG, both platforms offer robust research options, with some key differences. Interactive Brokers provides research reports for funds, while IG does not. Additionally, Interactive Brokers allows users to view portfolio allocations by asset class, a feature unavailable on IG. For shares, ETFs, and CFDs research, both brokers offer comprehensive insights, catering to diverse investment needs. However, Interactive Brokers further distinguishes itself by offering bonds research, a feature IG lacks. Thus, while both brokers offer solid research tools, Interactive Brokers delivers a slightly broader range of market research capabilities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Brokers or IG? 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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IG
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While both Interactive Brokers and IG do not offer crypto trading, they each stand as formidable online brokerage platforms for other asset classes.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | IG | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | IG Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0-£10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £3 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £3 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £15 | £136 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £36 | £96 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | £108 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | £360 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £14.85 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £0 / £96 | |
| 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 - £8 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £0 - £8 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £50 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | IG | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 33 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 19 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | IG | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | IG Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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