Comparison of Interactive Brokers and Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Rakuten Securities Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
| Broker | ||
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1999 |
| Broker Type | DMA | STP |
| Dealing | A-book | A-book |
| Execution | Market | Market |
| Regulation | SEC, FINRA, FCA, CBI, CIRO, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS | SFC |
| Platforms | Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, IBKR GlobalTrader, FXTrader | MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MARKETSPEED FX |
| Spread | ⬊ Low | ⬊ Low |
| Maximum Leverage | 1:50 | 1:20 |
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $1200 |
| 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, HKD |
| Funding Methods | Bank Wire, ACH, SEPA/Bank Transfer, Check, Wise/Instarem, Online Bill Pay | Bank Transfer, FPS, Cheques |
| Inactivity Fee | ✖ | HK$200 annual admin fee after 12 months of inactivity |
| Interest on Margin | ✔ | ✖ |
| Withdrawal Fee | First withdrawal each month free; subsequent bank wires ~ $10 | Bank wire - depends on sender bank |
| Investor Protection | SIPC, FSCS, ICS | Investor Compensation Fund |
| Protection Size | $500 000 / £85 000 | HK$500000 |
| 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 |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Rakuten Securities Hong Kong 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 Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong is the SFC-licensed arm of Rakuten Securities Group, designed for local and expat traders who want a Hong Kong–regulated venue for spot FX. Clients trade 40 currency pairs on MarketSpeed FX or MT4 with tight spreads from 0.5 pip and zero commissions. Accounts denominated in HKD or USD start from HK $10000, leverage is capped at 1:20 under SFC rules, and support is available in English, Cantonese and Japanese.
Pros
- SFC regulation (Type 3 licence) and segregated client funds
- Backed by publicly listed Rakuten Group
- Spreads from 0.5 pip with HK$0 commission
- HKD funding via FPS / local bank transfer
- Regular in-person seminars and bilingual support
Cons
- High minimum deposit HK$10000
- Leverage limited to 1:20 by regulation
- FX-only offering - no metals, indices or crypto
- Annual HK$200 maintenance fee after 12 months of inactivity
Interactive Brokers & Rakuten Securities Hong Kong Regulation
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Rakuten Securities Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
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 | Rakuten Securities Hong Kong Ltd |
Countries | United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia | Hong Kong, Japan |
Regulators | SEC, FINRA, FCA, CBI, CIRO, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS | SFC |
Investor Protection | SIPC, FSCS, ICS | Investor Compensation Fund |
Investor Protection Size | $500 000 / £85 000 | HK$500000 |
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
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong Ltd
Countries
Interactive Brokers
United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Hong Kong, Japan
Regulators
Interactive Brokers
SEC, FINRA, FCA, CBI, CIRO, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
SFC
Investor Protection
Interactive Brokers
SIPC, FSCS, ICS
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Investor Compensation Fund
Investor Protection Size
Interactive Brokers
$500 000 / £85 000
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
HK$500000
Publicly Traded
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Segregated Accounts
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Negative Balance Protection
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Account Types
| Account | Interactive Brokers | Rakuten Securities Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
STP Account | ||
| Account Name | — | Forex Account |
| Min Deposit | — | HK$10000 |
| Lot Size | — | 0.01 |
| Spread Type | — | Floating |
| Execution | — | Market |
| Min Spread | — | 0.5 |
| Fee | — | No |
| Max Leverage | — | 1:20 |
| Stop Out | — | 40% |
| 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 | ||
STP Account
Account Name
Interactive Brokers
—
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Forex Account
Min Deposit
Interactive Brokers
—
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
HK$10000
Lot Size
Interactive Brokers
—
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
0.01
Spread Type
Interactive Brokers
—
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Floating
Execution
Interactive Brokers
—
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Market
Min Spread
Interactive Brokers
—
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
0.5
Fee
Interactive Brokers
—
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
No
Max Leverage
Interactive Brokers
—
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
1:20
Stop Out
Interactive Brokers
—
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
40%
Margin Call
Interactive Brokers
—
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
100%
DMA Account
Account Name
Interactive Brokers
IBKR Pro
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Min Deposit
Interactive Brokers
$0
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Lot Size
Interactive Brokers
0.01
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Spread Type
Interactive Brokers
Floating
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Execution
Interactive Brokers
Market
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Min Spread
Interactive Brokers
0.1
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Fee
Interactive Brokers
$4 per 1 lot
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Max Leverage
Interactive Brokers
1:50
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Stop Out
Interactive Brokers
50%
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Margin Call
Interactive Brokers
100%
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Additional Features
Demo Account
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
VIP Account
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Swap-Free Account
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Copy Trading
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
VPS
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
PAMM/MAM Accounts
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Funding and Fees
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Rakuten Securities Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
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, HKD |
Deposit and withdrawal methods | Bank Wire, ACH, SEPA/Bank Transfer, Check, Wise/Instarem, Online Bill Pay | Bank Transfer, FPS, Cheques |
Inactivity fee | HK$200 annual admin fee after 12 months of inactivity | |
Interest on margin | ||
Withdrawal fee | First withdrawal each month free; subsequent bank wires ~ $10 | Bank wire - depends on sender bank |
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
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
USD, HKD
Deposit and withdrawal methods
Interactive Brokers
Bank Wire, ACH, SEPA/Bank Transfer, Check, Wise/Instarem, Online Bill Pay
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Bank Transfer, FPS, Cheques
Inactivity fee
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
HK$200 annual admin fee after 12 months of inactivity
Interest on margin
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Withdrawal fee
Interactive Brokers
First withdrawal each month free; subsequent bank wires ~ $10
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Bank wire - depends on sender bank
Trading Platforms and Conditions
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Rakuten Securities Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
Trading Platforms | Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, IBKR GlobalTrader, FXTrader | MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MARKETSPEED FX |
Execution Speed | 4 ms | 100 ms |
Scalping | ||
Expert Advisors (EAs) | ||
Depth of Market (DOM) | ||
Spread | low | low |
Trading Platforms
Interactive Brokers
Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, IBKR GlobalTrader, FXTrader
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MARKETSPEED FX
Execution Speed
Interactive Brokers
4 ms
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
100 ms
Scalping
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Expert Advisors (EAs)
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Depth of Market (DOM)
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Spread
Interactive Brokers
low
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
low
Trading Assets
| Asset | Interactive Brokers | Rakuten Securities Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
Currencies | 87 | 40 |
Indices | 23 | 0 |
Stocks | 8139 | 0 |
Cryptocurrencies | 11 | 0 |
Bonds | 87 | 0 |
Metals | 4 | 0 |
Energies | 10 | 0 |
Soft Commodities | 15 | 0 |
ETFs | 532 | 0 |
Currencies
Interactive Brokers
87
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
40
Indices
Interactive Brokers
23
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
0
Stocks
Interactive Brokers
8139
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
0
Cryptocurrencies
Interactive Brokers
11
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
0
Bonds
Interactive Brokers
87
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
0
Metals
Interactive Brokers
4
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
0
Energies
Interactive Brokers
10
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
0
Soft Commodities
Interactive Brokers
15
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
0
ETFs
Interactive Brokers
532
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
0
Education and Analytics
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Rakuten Securities Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
Economic Calendar | ||
Indicators | ||
Robots | ||
Signals | ||
Autochartist | ||
Expert Analytics | ||
News Feed | ||
Education Articles | ||
Webinars | ||
Seminars |
Economic Calendar
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Indicators
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Robots
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Signals
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Autochartist
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Expert Analytics
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
News Feed
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Education Articles
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Webinars
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Seminars
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Customer Support
| Contact | Interactive Brokers | Rakuten Securities Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
Email | help@interactivebrokers.com | support@rakuten-sec.co.jp |
Phone | +18774422757 | +85221190116 |
Facebook | ||
LinkedIn | — | |
YouTube | YouTube | YouTube |
Instagram | — | |
Twitter | — |
Email
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
Phone
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
LinkedIn
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Instagram
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Twitter
Interactive Brokers
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong
—
Which Broker is Better?
After comparing Interactive Brokers and Rakuten Securities Hong Kong, Interactive Brokers 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.
More Comparisons
Interactive Brokers Comparisons
Rakuten Securities Hong Kong Comparisons
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.