Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG vs Interactive Brokers, 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, IG offers better pricing than Interactive Brokers 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 - IG would cost £0 per year, while Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year.
12 trades per year - IG would cost £0 per year, while Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year.
36 trades per year - IG would cost £0 per year, while Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year.
120 trades per year - IG would cost £0 per year, while Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year.
3 fund trades per year - IG would cost £0 per year, while Interactive Brokers 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.
IG and Interactive Brokers both provide a wide range of investment options for UK investors, but their offerings differ in some key areas. IG allows for share trading, ETF trading, and CFD trading, offering investment trusts as well. However, IG does not offer crypto trading, spread betting, funds trading, or the trading of corporate and government bonds. In contrast, Interactive Brokers covers all the ground IG does, plus it extends its services to include crypto, funds, and corporate and government bonds trading. Both platforms do not offer advisor services for their clients. These diverse choices make Interactive Brokers a more versatile choice for investors looking for a broader array of investment types.
When rated by UK.StockBrokers.com, IG scores 4.5 stars for its investment choices, while Interactive Brokers earns a perfect 5 stars. In terms of rankings among 18 UK brokers for investment options, IG holds the 11th spot, whereas Interactive Brokers claims a much higher position at 2nd place. This distinction indicates that while both platforms are strong contenders, Interactive Brokers might be more suitable for those who seek a wider variety of investment opportunities.
| Feature |
IG
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | Yes | No |
| 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.
When comparing the trading tools of IG and Interactive Brokers for UK traders, both platforms offer the ability to display corporate events, such as earnings, splits, and dividends, directly on charts. While IG provides 19 drawing tools and 33 technical indicators, Interactive Brokers impresses with 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators. Both platforms allow users to add notes to charts and offer browser-based trading, catering to traders who appreciate versatile chart annotation and accessibility. However, a critical difference arises with overlay options; IG does not support index or stock overlays, whereas Interactive Brokers offers both, granting users enhanced analytical capabilities.
For those keen on receiving updates and data in real time, IG presents an edge with its real-time market data, a feature not available with Interactive Brokers. Both platforms let traders set alerts for stock price updates, ensuring they remain informed about market movements. Overall, while Interactive Brokers delivers a more comprehensive array of charting tools and overlay options, IG provides essential real-time data to better respond to market dynamics swiftly.
| Feature |
IG
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 96 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 80 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
For UK investors exploring online brokers with retirement account options, both IG and Interactive Brokers present compelling choices. IG provides Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), offering flexible solutions for tax-efficient savings and retirement planning. Similarly, Interactive Brokers caters to UK investors by also offering ISAs and SIPPs, thus enabling users to strategically manage their investments and retirement funds. Both platforms grant access to these essential accounts, allowing investors to maximize their savings potential while planning for the future.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Both IG and Interactive Brokers offer comprehensive mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, catering to the diverse needs of traders in the UK. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, these platforms are highly rated, with each receiving a perfect 5-star rating for their mobile apps. However, in a comparison of 18 brokers, IG slightly edges ahead in user rankings by securing the number two spot, while Interactive Brokers follows closely in fourth place. This subtle difference may influence traders seeking top-tier mobile trading experiences.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK looking for educational resources, both IG and Interactive Brokers offer a strong selection of tools and content, including live and on-demand client webinars that cover a wide array of topics. IG provides comprehensive education on share trading and retirement, while Interactive Brokers extends its educational content to include funds as well. However, IG stands out with a top rating of 5 stars and ranks first among 18 brokers for beginner education according to UK.StockBrokers.com. In contrast, Interactive Brokers, with a slightly lower rating of 4.5 stars, is ranked eighth in the same category, making IG the preferred choice for those prioritizing educational support.
| Feature |
IG
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing IG and Interactive Brokers for market research features, both platforms provide research reports for funds, enabling investors to gather essential insights. While IG does not offer portfolio allocation by asset class, Interactive Brokers does, providing more detailed investment tracking. Both platforms excel in shares and ETFs research, catering to various investment needs. However, Interactive Brokers holds an edge with comprehensive research on funds and bonds, areas where IG lacks coverage. Both brokers offer CFDs research, ensuring traders have access to necessary market data. For UK investors seeking in-depth research capabilities, Interactive Brokers may present a more versatile option.
| Feature |
IG
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, IG or Interactive Brokers? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found IG to be a better trading platform overall.
IG is an investment platform aimed at experienced investors looking to make frequent trades on the stock market, with thousands of shares, trusts and ETFs to trade. It offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use trading platform that is used by both private and professional investors.
| Feature |
IG
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Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
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| Ease of Use |
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While both IG and Interactive Brokers provide robust trading platforms, Interactive Brokers stands out by offering cryptocurrency trading, whereas IG does not.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | IG | Interactive Brokers | |
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| Review | IG Review | Interactive Brokers Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | IG | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | IG | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £3 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £3 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £3 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £15 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £36 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £108 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £360 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £0 / £14.85 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 / £96 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 / £96 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 / £96 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 / £96 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 - £8 | £3 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 - £8 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £50 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Interactive Brokers | |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | IG | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 96 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 80 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
| Research | IG | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
| Education | IG | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | IG | Interactive Brokers | |
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| Review | IG Review | Interactive Brokers Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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