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.
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 Investor 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 Investor would cost £79.83 per year, while IG would cost £136 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while IG would cost £96 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while IG would cost £108 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while IG would cost £360 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 are popular online brokers offering a range of investment choices tailored to various needs. Both platforms enable share and ETF trading, while Interactive Investor stands out with additional options like funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. IG, on the other hand, offers unique access to CFD trading. Neither broker provides avenues for crypto trading or spread betting, and both lack advisor services, making their offerings distinct yet somewhat overlapping.
When evaluated by UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Investor received a commendable rating of five stars for its investment choices, ranking 5th out of 18 brokers. IG earned a solid 4.5 stars, positioned at 10th place in the ranking. This suggests that while both brokers provide solid investment services, Interactive Investor holds an edge in versatility, offering a wider array of investment products that could cater to more diverse investor needs.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | 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 choosing between Interactive Investor and IG for trading tools, both platforms offer a robust set of features. Interactive Investor allows users to display corporate events on charts, similar to IG's offering. Both platforms provide options to add notes to charts and alert users of stock price changes. However, Interactive Investor stands out by allowing users to add both index and stock overlays to charts, whereas IG does not support this capability. Additionally, while IG slightly outpaces Interactive Investor in the number of drawing tools available, Interactive Investor offers a broader array of technical indicators with 104 compared to IG's 33.
Both Interactive Investor and IG provide user-friendly, browser-based trading platforms and real-time market data, making them accessible and timely for online trading activities. Traders looking for diverse chart customization options may lean towards Interactive Investor for its extensive indicator offerings and overlay capabilities. However, IG remains a competent choice with its comprehensive drawing tools and standard features that cater to most trading needs.
| 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 | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When considering retirement accounts, both Interactive Investor and IG provide a range of options for UK investors. Each platform offers Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), which allow you to save or invest up to £20,000 annually without paying tax on the returns. Additionally, both brokers provide Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), giving you the flexibility to manage your retirement investments while benefiting from potential tax advantages. Regardless of whether you choose Interactive Investor or IG, both platforms ensure robust options for building your retirement nest egg via ISAs and SIPPs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile apps of Interactive Investor and IG, both platforms provide iPhone and Android apps to cater to their users' trading needs. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Investor's app garners a respectable rating of 4.5 stars and holds the 12th spot out of 18 brokers for mobile app performance. Meanwhile, IG's mobile app shines brightly with a perfect rating of 5 stars and secures the 6th position. For investors focusing on mobile trading, both brokers offer solid app solutions, with IG having a slight edge in ratings and rankings.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources offered by Interactive Investor and IG, both brokers provide valuable opportunities like educational client webinars that can be watched live or on demand. They each cover essential topics such as share trading and retirement. However, Interactive Investor distinguishes itself by also offering education on funds, a feature IG lacks. Both companies receive top ratings of 5 stars for beginner education from UK.StockBrokers.com, but Interactive Investor holds the leading rank of #1 among 18 brokers, while IG is ranked at #7. This makes Interactive Investor a slightly better choice for those seeking a comprehensive range of beginner investment educational resources.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 Investor and IG, both platforms offer research reports for funds and shares, making them suitable for investors seeking detailed insights. Interactive Investor stands out by providing ETFs, funds, and bonds research, alongside the unique ability to see portfolio allocation by asset class, which IG does not offer. On the other hand, IG differentiates itself by offering research on CFDs, a feature not available with Interactive Investor. This contrast highlights Interactive Investor as a comprehensive planner for diverse asset classes, while IG appeals to those interested in CFDs.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | 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 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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When comparing online brokers Interactive Investor and IG, it's important to note that neither platform offers the option to trade cryptocurrencies, which could influence your choice depending on your investment interests.
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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 | |
| 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 | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0-£10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £3 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £3 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.83 | £136 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | £96 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £203.52 | £108 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £538.68 | £360 | |
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website 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 | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | 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 Investor | 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 Investor | IG | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | IG Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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