Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor 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, Interactive Investor 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 - Interactive Investor would cost £79.83 per year, while Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Investor 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.
Both Interactive Investor and Interactive Brokers are strong contenders in the world of online brokerage, offering a diverse array of investment options to cater to various investor needs. Interactive Investor provides opportunities for share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate and government bonds, and investment trusts, earning them an impressive 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com. However, their services lack crypto trading, spread betting, and CFD trading. Ranked #5 out of 18 brokers for investment choices, they remain a solid choice for those interested in a broad selection of traditional investment products.
Similarly, Interactive Brokers garners a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for its robust selection of services, including share trading, ETF and funds trading, along with access to corporate and government bonds, and investment trusts. However, like Interactive Investor, they do not provide options for crypto trading or spread betting. A notable advantage for Interactive Brokers is their inclusion of CFD trading, which may appeal to more seasoned investors. Ranked #2 in investment choices, Interactive Brokers stands out as a leading platform for diverse investment strategies.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| 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.
Both Interactive Investor and Interactive Brokers excel in providing detailed charting tools that cater to a wide range of investors. Notably, both platforms allow the visualization of corporate events, such as earnings, splits, and dividends, directly on their charts. They also offer the ability to add notes and overlays—be it index or stock overlays—ensuring that traders have a comprehensive view of market trends. While Interactive Investor provides 18 drawing tools for charting, Interactive Brokers offers a wider selection with 80 drawing tools. However, when it comes to technical indicators, Interactive Investor edges out with 104 indicators compared to Interactive Brokers' 96. Both platforms support browser-based trading and the ability to set alerts for stock price updates.
An essential consideration is the offering of real-time market data, where Interactive Investor has a distinct advantage as it provides this feature, whereas Interactive Brokers does not. Consequently, users seeking up-to-the-minute trading data might find Interactive Investor more appealing. Regardless of these differences, both platforms offer robust tools designed to meet diverse trading needs, and the choice ultimately depends on specific preferences and requirements.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Interactive Brokers
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 96 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 80 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
When comparing online brokers Interactive Investor and Interactive Brokers for retirement accounts, both platforms provide excellent options for individual savings. Interactive Investor offers a comprehensive selection of retirement accounts, including ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts) and SIPPs (Self-Invested Personal Pensions), catering to a broad range of savings needs. Similarly, Interactive Brokers provides access to both ISAs and SIPPs, matching Interactive Investor in offering flexible retirement planning solutions. Each platform allows users to grow their savings with tax advantages, making it easy for investors to choose a suitable retirement account that aligns with their financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Both Interactive Investor and Interactive Brokers provide convenient mobile apps for trading on the go, compatible with iPhone and Android devices. Interactive Investor's app holds a solid rating of 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com and is ranked 12th among 18 brokers for mobile app quality. Meanwhile, Interactive Brokers shines with a superb 5-star rating and secures the 2nd spot in the rankings, indicating a more favorable reception from users for its mobile accessibility and features.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Both Interactive Investor and Interactive Brokers provide comprehensive educational resources that cater to beginner investors. They offer live webinars and archive them for on-demand viewing, covering essential topics like share trading, funds, and retirement planning. While both brokers provide valuable educational content, Interactive Investor edges ahead with a higher beginner education rating of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, compared to Interactive Brokers' 4.5 stars. Furthermore, Interactive Investor is ranked as the top choice for beginner education among 18 brokers, while Interactive Brokers holds the 12th position. These factors make Interactive Investor a more appealing option for novice investors seeking robust educational support.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 Interactive Brokers, both platforms provide robust support for investors. They each offer research reports for funds, enabling informed investment decisions. Both services allow users to view their portfolio allocation by asset class, a critical feature for maintaining balanced investments. Each platform supplies shares, ETFs, and bonds research, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of these key financial instruments. While Interactive Brokers offers additional research on CFDs, Interactive Investor does not provide this feature, making it a consideration for those interested in this specific market. Overall, both platforms offer a wide array of research options, catering to diverse investor needs.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Interactive Brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Investor or Interactive Brokers? 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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Interactive Brokers
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While both Interactive Investor and Interactive Brokers do not offer crypto trading, they provide a wide array of traditional investment options for investors seeking comprehensive financial services.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | Interactive Brokers | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Interactive Brokers Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £3 | |
| 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 | £15 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | £36 | |
| 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 | £0 / £14.85 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 - £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £143.88 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £3 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | Interactive Brokers | |
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| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Investor | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 96 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 80 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Investor | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Investor | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | Interactive Brokers | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Interactive Brokers Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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