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.
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 Investor would cost £79.83 per year, while IG would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while IG would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while IG would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while IG would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Investor 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.
Interactive Investor and IG offer UK investors a wide array of options for share trading and ETFs, but their offerings diverge when it comes to more specialized areas of investing. Interactive Investor excels with a comprehensive selection that includes funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts, which are not available with IG. On the other hand, IG distinguishes itself by providing opportunities for CFD trading, a service that Interactive Investor does not offer.
When considering the scope of investment choices, Interactive Investor receives a full 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, securing the third spot among 21 brokers, which showcases their strong standing in the market. Conversely, IG still performs well with a 4.5-star rating but falls behind at the eleventh position. For those focused chiefly on the breadth of investment products, particularly in bonds and funds, Interactive Investor is a notable frontrunner, whereas IG offers additional avenues like CFD trading for the more advanced trader.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | ||
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools of Interactive Investor and IG, both platforms equip users with essential features, such as the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts. Users can also add notes to charts on both platforms, enhancing the experience for those who like to annotate their findings. While Interactive Investor offers 18 drawing tools, IG edges slightly ahead with 19. However, Interactive Investor shines in the realm of technical indicators, offering 104 compared to IG’s 33, providing more options for those who rely on such tools for their trading strategies.
Both Interactive Investor and IG support browser-based trading platforms and allow traders to set up alerts for stock price updates, ensuring they never miss an opportunity. While both offer real-time market data, Interactive Investor provides additional functionalities with the ability to add both index and stock overlays to charts, a feature not available on IG. Overall, Interactive Investor seems to offer a broader range of features for chart enthusiasts, whereas IG provides a slightly larger selection of drawing tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | 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.
Interactive Investor and IG both provide excellent educational resources for beginner investors in the UK. Each offers educational client webinars, including the convenience of on-demand viewing. They cover essential topics such as share trading, with Interactive Investor providing additional insights into funds, while IG skips this area. Both platforms address retirement education comprehensively. Despite receiving a perfect 5-star rating for their beginner education from UK.StockBrokers.com, IG claims the top spot at rank #1 out of 21 brokers, narrowly edging out Interactive Investor, which holds a commendable rank of #2. This comparison highlights that both platforms are great choices for educating new investors, with slight variances in their educational focus areas.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors seeking thorough market research, both Interactive Investor and IG present compelling options, each excelling in different areas. Interactive Investor offers comprehensive research reports across various investment types including funds, shares, ETFs, and bonds. This makes it particularly appealing for those who value detailed insights, as it also provides the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class. On the other hand, IG shines with its in-depth research into CFDs, catering particularly well to those interested in contract for difference trading. While both platforms cover shares and ETFs research, investors interested in bonds might find Interactive Investor more advantageous, whereas CFD enthusiasts might lean towards IG for their needs. Ultimately, your choice may depend on your specific research interests within the investment landscape.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | 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.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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IG
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Investment Choices |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Education |
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While Interactive Investor does not provide crypto trading services, IG offers a comprehensive platform for trading cryptocurrencies, giving investors a robust option in the digital asset space.
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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 | Yes | ||
| Funds | Yes | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | ||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | ||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services |
| 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) | £79.83 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £203.52 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £538.68 | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £71.85 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 - £143.88 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £143.88 | £0 / £96 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £0 - £8 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | £0 - £8 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | £50 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | IG | |
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| 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 | 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 | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Investor | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | ||
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Investor | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | 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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