Comparison of Interactive Brokers and Plus500
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Broker | ||
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2008 |
| Broker Type | DMA | MM |
| Dealing | A-book | B-book |
| Execution | Market | Instant |
| Regulation | SEC, FINRA, FCA, CBI, CIRO, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS | CySEC, FCA, ASIC, NZ FMA, FSCA, SFSA, EFSA, MAS, CFTC, NFA |
| Platforms | Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, IBKR GlobalTrader, FXTrader | Plus500 |
| Spread | ⬊ Low | ⮕ Average |
| Maximum Leverage | 1:50 | 1:30 |
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $100 |
| Base Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, HKD, SGD, SEK, NOK, DKK, NZD, PLN, HUF, CZK, MXN, ZAR, TRY, ILS, KRW, CNH, AED, SAR, MYR, TWD | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, SEK, NOK, CZK, PLN, HUF, TRY, SGD |
| Funding Methods | Bank Wire, ACH, SEPA/Bank Transfer, Check, Wise/Instarem, Online Bill Pay | Bank Wire, Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Skrill |
| Inactivity Fee | ✖ | $10 per month after 3 months |
| Interest on Margin | ✔ | ✖ |
| Withdrawal Fee | First withdrawal each month free; subsequent bank wires ~ $10 | ✖ |
| Investor Protection | SIPC, FSCS, ICS | UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), Investor Compensation Fund (ICF), Financialcommission.org |
| Protection Size | $500 000 / £85 000 | £85 000 / €20 000 |
| Segregated Accounts | ✔ | ✔ |
| Negative Balance Protection | ✔ | ✔ |
| Guaranteed Stop Loss | ✖ | ✔ |
| Copy Trading | ✖ | ✖ |
| VPS | ✖ | ✖ |
| MAM/PAMM | ✖ | ✖ |
| Scalping Allowed | ✔ | ✖ |
| EAs/Robots | ✔ | ✖ |
| Depth of Market (DOM) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tradable Assets (CFDs) | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Forex, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies, Commodities, CFDs | Currencies, Indices, Stocks, ETFs, Metals, Energies, Soft Commodities |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Plus500 Review |
About Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a global multi-asset broker founded in 1977. Regulated on four continents, IBKR offers direct market access to 150+ exchanges in 33 countries, tight pricing on FX, and some of the lowest commissions in the industry. Clients trade via the powerful Trader Workstation, streamlined Client Portal, or mobile apps, choose from 20+ base currencies, and benefit from SIPC/FSCS investor protection and ESMA-mandated negative balance protection for CFDs.
Pros
- Tier-1 regulation in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, Asia
- Access to 150+ markets across 33 countries and 26 currencies
- Ultra-low spreads and volume-based commissions
- Advanced Trader Workstation plus simple mobile & web platforms
- No minimum deposit for cash accounts and no inactivity fee
- Negative balance protection for EU retail CFD traders
Cons
- Minimum FX order size ~ 20 000 units limits small accounts
- Trader Workstation has a steep learning curve
- No credit/debit-card funding options
- Customer support is not 24/7
About Plus500
Plus500 is a leading CFD broker known for its simple and intuitive trading platform. Founded in 2008 and regulated by top-tier authorities such as the FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), and ASIC (Australia), Plus500 provides a secure trading environment with access to a wide range of instruments, including forex, indices, commodities, shares, and ETFs. The broker is particularly praised for its user-friendly web and mobile platforms, which offer a streamlined trading experience without unnecessary complexity. While Plus500 excels in providing competitive spreads and no commission fees, it does not support third-party platforms like MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5, which may deter traders who rely on advanced charting and automated trading tools. Additionally, educational resources are somewhat limited compared to competitors, making it less ideal for traders seeking in-depth learning materials. Despite these drawbacks, Plus500 remains a popular choice for traders who prioritize ease of use and access to diverse trading instruments.
Pros
- Regulated by top-tier authorities (FCA, CySEC, ASIC)
- Simple and intuitive proprietary trading platform
- Wide range of tradable instruments, including forex, stocks, and commodities
- Competitive spreads and no commission on trades
- User-friendly mobile app with real-time notifications
- Free and unlimited demo account for practice
Cons
- No support for MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
- Limited educational resources for beginner traders
- Inactivity fees for dormant accounts
- No phone-based customer support; only live chat and email
Interactive Brokers & Plus500 Regulation
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
Companies | Interactive Brokers LLC, Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Ltd, Interactive Brokers Ireland Ltd, Interactive Brokers Canada Inc., Interactive Brokers Australia Pty Ltd, Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Ltd, Interactive Brokers India Pvt. Ltd, Interactive Brokers Securities Japan Inc, Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte. Ltd | Plus500CY Ltd, Plus500UK Ltd, Plus500AU Pty Ltd, Plus500SEY Ltd, Plus500EE, Plus500SG Pte Ltd, Plus500US Ltd |
Countries | United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia | Cyprus, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Seychelles, Estonia, Singapore, United States |
Regulators | SEC, FINRA, FCA, CBI, CIRO, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS | CySEC, FCA, ASIC, NZ FMA, FSCA, SFSA, EFSA, MAS, CFTC, NFA |
Investor Protection | SIPC, FSCS, ICS | UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), Investor Compensation Fund (ICF), Financialcommission.org |
Investor Protection Size | $500 000 / £85 000 | £85 000 / €20 000 |
Publicly Traded | ||
Segregated Accounts | ||
Guaranteed Stop Loss | ||
Negative Balance Protection |
Companies
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers LLC, Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Ltd, Interactive Brokers Ireland Ltd, Interactive Brokers Canada Inc., Interactive Brokers Australia Pty Ltd, Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Ltd, Interactive Brokers India Pvt. Ltd, Interactive Brokers Securities Japan Inc, Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte. Ltd
Plus500
Plus500CY Ltd, Plus500UK Ltd, Plus500AU Pty Ltd, Plus500SEY Ltd, Plus500EE, Plus500SG Pte Ltd, Plus500US Ltd
Countries
Interactive Brokers
United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia
Plus500
Cyprus, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Seychelles, Estonia, Singapore, United States
Regulators
Interactive Brokers
SEC, FINRA, FCA, CBI, CIRO, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS
Plus500
CySEC, FCA, ASIC, NZ FMA, FSCA, SFSA, EFSA, MAS, CFTC, NFA
Investor Protection
Interactive Brokers
SIPC, FSCS, ICS
Plus500
UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), Investor Compensation Fund (ICF), Financialcommission.org
Investor Protection Size
Interactive Brokers
$500 000 / £85 000
Plus500
£85 000 / €20 000
Publicly Traded
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Segregated Accounts
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Negative Balance Protection
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Account Types
| Account | Interactive Brokers | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
Market Maker Account | ||
| Account Name | — | CFD |
| Min Deposit | — | $100 |
| Lot Size | — | 0.01 |
| Spread Type | — | Floating |
| Execution | — | Instant |
| Min Spread | — | 0.6 |
| Fee | — | No |
| Max Leverage | — | 1:30 |
| Stop Out | — | 100% |
| Margin Call | — | 100% |
DMA Account | ||
| Account Name | IBKR Pro | — |
| Min Deposit | $0 | — |
| Lot Size | 0.01 | — |
| Spread Type | Floating | — |
| Execution | Market | — |
| Min Spread | 0.1 | — |
| Fee | $4 per 1 lot | — |
| Max Leverage | 1:50 | — |
| Stop Out | 50% | — |
| Margin Call | 100% | — |
| Additional Features | ||
| Demo Account | ||
| VIP Account | ||
| Swap-Free Account | ||
| Copy Trading | ||
| VPS | ||
| PAMM/MAM Accounts | ||
Market Maker Account
Account Name
Interactive Brokers
—
Plus500
CFD
Min Deposit
Interactive Brokers
—
Plus500
$100
Lot Size
Interactive Brokers
—
Plus500
0.01
Spread Type
Interactive Brokers
—
Plus500
Floating
Execution
Interactive Brokers
—
Plus500
Instant
Min Spread
Interactive Brokers
—
Plus500
0.6
Fee
Interactive Brokers
—
Plus500
No
Max Leverage
Interactive Brokers
—
Plus500
1:30
Stop Out
Interactive Brokers
—
Plus500
100%
Margin Call
Interactive Brokers
—
Plus500
100%
DMA Account
Account Name
Interactive Brokers
IBKR Pro
Plus500
—
Min Deposit
Interactive Brokers
$0
Plus500
—
Lot Size
Interactive Brokers
0.01
Plus500
—
Spread Type
Interactive Brokers
Floating
Plus500
—
Execution
Interactive Brokers
Market
Plus500
—
Min Spread
Interactive Brokers
0.1
Plus500
—
Fee
Interactive Brokers
$4 per 1 lot
Plus500
—
Max Leverage
Interactive Brokers
1:50
Plus500
—
Stop Out
Interactive Brokers
50%
Plus500
—
Margin Call
Interactive Brokers
100%
Plus500
—
Additional Features
Demo Account
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
VIP Account
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Swap-Free Account
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Copy Trading
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
VPS
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
PAMM/MAM Accounts
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Funding and Fees
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
Base currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, HKD, SGD, SEK, NOK, DKK, NZD, PLN, HUF, CZK, MXN, ZAR, TRY, ILS, KRW, CNH, AED, SAR, MYR, TWD | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, SEK, NOK, CZK, PLN, HUF, TRY, SGD |
Deposit and withdrawal methods | Bank Wire, ACH, SEPA/Bank Transfer, Check, Wise/Instarem, Online Bill Pay | Bank Wire, Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Skrill |
Inactivity fee | $10 per month after 3 months | |
Interest on margin | ||
Withdrawal fee | First withdrawal each month free; subsequent bank wires ~ $10 |
Base currencies
Interactive Brokers
USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, HKD, SGD, SEK, NOK, DKK, NZD, PLN, HUF, CZK, MXN, ZAR, TRY, ILS, KRW, CNH, AED, SAR, MYR, TWD
Plus500
USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, SEK, NOK, CZK, PLN, HUF, TRY, SGD
Deposit and withdrawal methods
Interactive Brokers
Bank Wire, ACH, SEPA/Bank Transfer, Check, Wise/Instarem, Online Bill Pay
Plus500
Bank Wire, Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Skrill
Inactivity fee
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
$10 per month after 3 months
Interest on margin
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Withdrawal fee
Interactive Brokers
First withdrawal each month free; subsequent bank wires ~ $10
Plus500
Trading Platforms and Conditions
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
Trading Platforms | Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, IBKR GlobalTrader, FXTrader | Plus500 |
Execution Speed | 4 ms | 0 ms |
Scalping | ||
Expert Advisors (EAs) | ||
Depth of Market (DOM) | ||
Spread | low | average |
Trading Platforms
Interactive Brokers
Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, IBKR GlobalTrader, FXTrader
Plus500
Plus500
Execution Speed
Interactive Brokers
4 ms
Plus500
0 ms
Scalping
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Expert Advisors (EAs)
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Depth of Market (DOM)
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Spread
Interactive Brokers
low
Plus500
average
Trading Assets
| Asset | Interactive Brokers | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
Currencies | 87 | 65 |
Indices | 23 | 36 |
Stocks | 8139 | 1550 |
Cryptocurrencies | 11 | 0 |
Bonds | 87 | 0 |
Metals | 4 | 5 |
Energies | 10 | 7 |
Soft Commodities | 15 | 10 |
ETFs | 532 | 96 |
Currencies
Interactive Brokers
87
Plus500
65
Indices
Interactive Brokers
23
Plus500
36
Stocks
Interactive Brokers
8139
Plus500
1550
Cryptocurrencies
Interactive Brokers
11
Plus500
0
Bonds
Interactive Brokers
87
Plus500
0
Metals
Interactive Brokers
4
Plus500
5
Energies
Interactive Brokers
10
Plus500
7
Soft Commodities
Interactive Brokers
15
Plus500
10
ETFs
Interactive Brokers
532
Plus500
96
Education and Analytics
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
Economic Calendar | ||
Indicators | ||
Robots | ||
Signals | ||
Autochartist | ||
Expert Analytics | ||
News Feed | ||
Education Articles | ||
Webinars | ||
Seminars |
Economic Calendar
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Indicators
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Robots
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Signals
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Autochartist
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Expert Analytics
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
News Feed
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Education Articles
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Webinars
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Seminars
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Customer Support
| Contact | Interactive Brokers | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
Email | help@interactivebrokers.com | support@plus500.com |
Phone | +18774422757 | — |
Facebook | ||
LinkedIn | — | |
YouTube | YouTube | — |
Instagram | ||
Twitter |
Email
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
Phone
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
—
LinkedIn
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
—
YouTube
Interactive Brokers
Plus500
—
Which Broker is Better?
After comparing Interactive Brokers and Plus500, Plus500 comes out ahead as our overall pick. It ranks higher in our internal scoring and delivers a stronger balance of pricing (spreads/fees), platform experience, and product range. That said, the runner-up may still be a better fit if you prioritize specific needs—like a particular account type, funding method, or niche instruments. This is not financial advice; always choose a broker that matches your goals and local regulatory requirements.
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Andriy Bondarenko
Broker Analyst
Andriy is a seasoned expert in broker reviews with over a decade of experience in finance and trading. Under his leadership, the team produces in-depth and unbiased analyses of leading trading platforms.