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IG vs Interactive Brokers 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

July 31, 2025

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.

IG
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Your capital is at risk.

Fees

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.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

IG vs Interactive Brokers: for UK investors comparing account investment choices, both brokers offer share trading, ETFs, crypto trading, CFDs, and investment trusts. Neither provides advisor services. Spread betting is not specified in the information provided.

The key difference is breadth: IG does not offer funds or bonds (corporate or UK gilts), while Interactive Brokers does offer funds and both corporate and government bonds. Both earn 5/5 for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com, though Interactive Brokers ranks #1 of 21 brokers and IG ranks #6. If you need funds or bonds alongside shares, ETFs, crypto, and CFDs, Interactive Brokers covers more; for core markets, either platform works.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info No Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info Yes No
Crypto Trading info Yes Yes
Advisor Services info No No
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Featured Offers


IG
4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

Trading Tools

For UK traders comparing IG and Interactive Brokers on trading tools, IG stands out for charting extras. IG lets you display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, add notes, and apply both index and stock overlays. It includes 19 drawing tools and 33 technical indicators. Interactive Brokers skips corporate events, notes, and overlays, but offers 16 drawing tools and a larger library of 94 indicators.

Both brokers provide a browser-based platform and price alerts. IG offers real-time market data, while Interactive Brokers does not. If you value context and annotations on charts, IG is the better fit; if you prefer a wider range of indicators, Interactive Brokers may suit you.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 33 94
Charting - Drawing Tools info 19 16
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No

ISAs and SIPPs

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.

Mobile App

For UK traders comparing IG and Interactive Brokers on mobile, both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps, and each earns a 5-star mobile app rating from UK.StockBrokers.com. However, in the latest Mobile Apps ranking, IG places higher at #2 out of 21 brokers, while Interactive Brokers comes in at #5. If you prioritise app experience alongside platform choice, IG edges it on ranking, though both deliver top-rated apps on iOS and Android.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

For UK beginners comparing IG vs Interactive Brokers, both brokers run client webinars and archive them to watch on demand. IG covers funds and retirement but does not offer dedicated share trading education, while Interactive Brokers includes guides on share trading as well as funds and retirement. UK.StockBrokers.com rates both at 5 stars for beginner education; however, IG is ranked #1 out of 21 brokers, versus Interactive Brokers at #4. If share trading lessons matter most, Interactive Brokers has the edge; for overall guidance, IG leads the field.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Education (Share Trading) info No Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

IG vs Interactive Brokers for UK investors: both offer research reports for funds and let you see portfolio allocation by asset class, plus shares and ETF research. Interactive Brokers goes further with dedicated funds research and bonds research, while IG lacks those categories (despite providing fund reports). If you want wider market research across shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds in one place, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you mainly need shares and ETF research with clear allocation tools, IG will suit.

Feature IG logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info No Yes
Research - Funds info No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes

IG vs Interactive Brokers Winner

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 logoIG
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with IG or Interactive Brokers?

Both online broker IG and Interactive Brokers offer crypto trading, giving investors the flexibility to trade digital assets on either platform.

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Overall Rating IG Interactive Brokers
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review IG Review Interactive Brokers Review
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Investments IG Interactive Brokers
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info No Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info No Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info Yes No
Crypto Trading info Yes info
Advisor Services info No No
Trading Fees IG Interactive Brokers
Minimum Deposit info £0 £0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £0 info £3
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £0 info £3
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £0 info £3
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 info N/A info £0
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K info N/A info £0
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m info N/A info £0
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over info N/A info £0
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info N/A 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR)
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info N/A 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR)
ETFs - Fee info £0 £3
Investment Trusts - Fee info £0 £3
Telephone Dealing Fee info £50 £25
Broker Screenshots IG Interactive Brokers
Website Gallery (click to expand)
Home page of the IG website. Home page of the personalized workspace on the IG website. Using the Stock Screener on the IG website. A chart of the BP share price on the IG website.
The home page of the Interactive Brokers website (demo account). The order ticket on the IBKR website. List of available indicators for the charts when viewing a share price on the IBKR website.
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
A stock chart of BP on the IG mobile app. Available chart indicators on the IG mobile app. Total cost of purchasing 1,000 shares of BT Group displayed on the order ticket of the IG mobile app. Order summary on the trade ticket for the IG mobile app. Popular markets tab of the IG mobile app. The explore tab of the IG mobile app. The Top 100 Traders on the IG mobile app.
The home screen of the IBKR mobile app. The customisation screen for the homepage of the IBKR mobile app. The watchlist on the IBKR mobile app. Share price information for Barclays stock on the IBKR mobile app. Viewing a stock chart for Lloyds Bank on the IBKR mobile app. The order ticket on the IBKR mobile app (slide to buy). Order fulfillment screen on the IBKR mobile app. Various order types available on the IBKR mobile app. Setting advanced order conditions on the IBKR mobile app. The Learn page of the IBKR mobile app. IBKR GlobalTrader home page. The trade ticket on the IBKR GlobalTrader mobile app. Order preview for purchasing Apple stock on the IBKR GlobalTrader app.
Education Gallery (click to expand)
IG education Academy
Platforms & Tools IG Interactive Brokers
Web Platform info Yes Yes
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 33 94
Charting - Drawing Tools info 19 16
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No
Research IG Interactive Brokers
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info
Research - Funds info No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info No Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes
Education IG Interactive Brokers
Education (Share Trading) info No Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Overall Summary IG Interactive Brokers
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review IG Review Interactive Brokers Review
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