Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor vs IG, 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, IG offers better pricing than Interactive Investor 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 Investor and IG are UK online brokers that both let you trade shares, ETFs, and investment trusts. IG also offers crypto and CFD trading, which Interactive Investor does not. By contrast, Interactive Investor gives access to funds, corporate bonds, and UK government bonds (gilts), none of which are available with IG. Neither broker provides adviser services.
For investment choices, both earn 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com. In its ranking of 21 brokers, Interactive Investor places #3, while IG is #11.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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IG
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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 | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Interactive Investor vs IG for charting in the UK: both let you show corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, add notes, and apply index or stock overlays. IG offers 19 drawing tools versus 18 on Interactive Investor, but Interactive Investor stands out on technical indicators with 104 compared with IG’s 33. If you lean on indicators for your analysis, Interactive Investor offers far greater choice; if you prefer a slightly wider set of drawing tools, IG edges it.
Both brokers provide a browser-based trading platform, real-time market data, and price alerts, covering the essentials for active monitoring. In short, each delivers capable charting and alerts, with the main trade-off being Interactive Investor’s larger indicator library versus IG’s marginally broader drawing toolkit.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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IG
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 33 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 19 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
When comparing retirement account options for UK investors, both Interactive Investor and IG provide a variety of choices for building a solid financial future. If you're considering an Individual Savings Account (ISA), both platforms have that option available, giving you a chance to invest with tax advantages. For those looking at a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) to plan their retirement, you can also find these accounts at both Interactive Investor and IG. With access to these popular retirement accounts, whether you're considering an ISA or a SIPP, both Interactive Investor and IG provide flexible options to suit your financial needs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing Interactive Investor and IG, both brokers offer dedicated mobile apps for iPhone and Android users. Interactive Investor's mobile app has achieved a commendable 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and is ranked 7th out of 21 brokers for mobile app performance. Meanwhile, IG has secured a top-tier 5-star rating, placing it in the 2nd spot among competitors for its user-friendly mobile app experience. Whether you choose Interactive Investor or IG, you have accessible options for mobile trading right at your fingertips.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing Interactive Investor and IG, both brokers provide live educational webinars with on‑demand replays and each earns a 5‑star beginner education rating from UK.StockBrokers.com. Interactive Investor covers share trading, funds, and retirement, while IG offers education on funds and retirement but not share trading. Despite that gap, IG ranks #1 out of 21 brokers for beginner education, with Interactive Investor close behind at #2—so choose Interactive Investor for broader topic coverage, or IG for the top-ranked overall learning experience.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing Interactive Investor and IG on market research, both offer research reports for funds, shares and ETF research, and portfolio allocation by asset class. The difference is scope: Interactive Investor also provides dedicated funds and bonds research, while IG has no funds research section and no bonds research. Choose Interactive Investor for wider asset coverage; pick IG if you only need shares/ETF insights and allocation tracking.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Investor or IG? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
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IG
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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In a head-to-head comparison of Interactive Investor vs IG for cryptocurrency trading, Interactive Investor does not offer crypto trading, while IG supports crypto trading, making IG the clear choice for investors seeking access to digital assets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | IG | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | IG Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £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 | £59.88 - £143.88 | N/A | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £143.88 | N/A | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | N/A | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £143.88 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | £50 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | IG | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Investor | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 33 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 19 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Investor | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Investor | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | IG | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | IG Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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