Interactive Brokers
The nearest a private investor gets to Wall Street: institutional-quality access to almost every asset class.
Fact sheet
What kind of broker is it?
With Interactive Brokers you connect directly to 150+ markets in 33 countries. The tool for doing so is Trader Workstation (TWS), which no other platform open to retail clients equals in power: Smart Routing, algorithmic execution and sophisticated order types are all built in. Its forex runs on an institutional basis in the ECN style. The broker is American, trades on NASDAQ as IBKR, and answers to a long list of regulators including the SEC, FINRA, CFTC/NFA, FCA, ASIC and MAS.
Where the points come from
These points measure fit, not rank. When a broker gets 5.0 for something, we judged it by the demands of its own category and did not compare it with every other broker.
The good and the not so good
In its favour
- A NASDAQ company valued at $30+ billion
- Trade directly on 150+ exchanges
- ECN forex at 0.1 pip + commission, the lowest spreads in the industry
- Borrowing on margin costs less than almost anywhere in retail
- Holds tier-1 licences wherever it matters
- A single account holds stocks, options, futures, bonds and forex
Against it
- Expect weeks, not days, to feel at home in TWS
- Institutional-grade vetting slows account approval
- Retail-focused brokers answer support queries faster
- Historically had activity-fee thresholds (IBKR Lite waives them)
- Legacy structure: an inactivity fee below $2,000 with little activity
Is it right for you?
For professionals, options traders, forex traders and active investors across asset classes who accept a complex platform as the price of institutional-grade execution and costs. If TWS sounds like too much, it probably is.
Trading CFDs means trading with leverage, and losing money is a real and high risk. Check that this broker may legally serve residents of your country before you deposit. Its full risk warning is on its official website.