Comparison of IQ Option and Nadex
| Feature | IQ Option | Nadex |
|---|---|---|
| Broker | ||
| Year Founded | 2013 | 2009 |
| Broker Type | MM | MM |
| Dealing | B-book | B-book |
| Execution | Market | Instant |
| Regulation | CySEC, SVGFSA | CFTC |
| Platforms | Quadcode | Nadex Web Platform, NadexGo™ (iOS, Android) |
| Spread | ⮕ Average | - N/A |
| Maximum Leverage | 1:500 | 1:1 |
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $1 |
| Base Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, RUB | USD |
| Funding Methods | Bank Wire, Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard), Skrill, Neteller, Webmoney, Volet.com, Perfect Money, Cardano (ADA), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), XRP (XRP), Tether (USDT) | Debit Card, ACH Bank Transfer, Wire Transfer |
| Inactivity Fee | $10 per month after 90 days | $10 per month after 12 months of inactivity |
| Interest on Margin | ✖ | ✖ |
| Withdrawal Fee | $30 on bank wire; other methods free | Wire withdrawal $25 |
| Investor Protection | ICF | - |
| Protection Size | €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) | Currencies, Indices, Stocks, ETF, Cryptocurrencies, Metals, Energies, Soft Commodities | Currencies, Commodities, Indices, Cryptocurrencies |
| Review | IQ Option Review | Nadex Review |
About IQ Option
IQ Option is a regulated broker founded in 2013. It combines its own award-winning platform with a low $10 entry threshold and $1 trade size, offering 300+ instruments across CFDs and fixed-time options. The broker attracts both beginners and active traders with an intuitive interface, rich charting toolkit and 24/7 multilingual support. While spreads are competitive, availability is limited in a number of jurisdictions and binary options remain high-risk.
Pros
- Low $10 minimum deposit and $1 trade size
- Proprietary platform with 100+ indicators and built-in news feed
- Wide range of instruments (300+), incl. 25+ crypto CFDs
- Free practice account with $10 000 virtual funds
- Fast withdrawals (1-3 days) and many funding methods
- CySEC regulation and segregated client funds
Cons
- Binary options classified as high-risk in many countries
- Inactivity fee after 90 days
- Higher spreads than ECN brokers; no MT4/MT5 support
About Nadex
Nadex (North American Derivatives Exchange) is the only US-based retail exchange offering fully regulated binary options, call spreads, and knock-out contracts. Regulated by the CFTC, Nadex matches orders on an exchange order book, so you trade directly with other participants rather than against the broker. Contracts are cash-settled at $0 or $100, ensuring strictly limited risk, and accounts can be opened with no minimum deposit. Since 2022 Nadex has been part of the Crypto.com group, aiming to expand access to innovative derivatives products while maintaining compliance with US regulations.
Pros
- CFTC-regulated US exchange
- No minimum deposit; $1 minimum contract size
- Transparent, low fees – $1 per side, capped at $50
- Proprietary web & mobile platforms with free real-time data
- Fixed-risk contracts eliminate negative balance risk
- Free unlimited demo account
Cons
- Available mainly to US residents; many states/countries restricted
- Only short-term binary products – no traditional spot FX or CFDs
- Wire withdrawals incur a $25 fee
- No MetaTrader or third-party algorithmic trading support
IQ Option & Nadex Regulation
| Feature | IQ Option | Nadex |
|---|---|---|
Companies | IQ Option Europe Ltd, IQ Option LLC | North American Derivatives Exchange, Inc. (Crypto.com group) |
Countries | Cyprus, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | United States |
Regulators | CySEC, SVGFSA | CFTC |
Investor Protection | ICF | - |
Investor Protection Size | €20 000 | - |
Publicly Traded | ||
Segregated Accounts | ||
Guaranteed Stop Loss | ||
Negative Balance Protection |
Companies
IQ Option
IQ Option Europe Ltd, IQ Option LLC
Nadex
North American Derivatives Exchange, Inc. (Crypto.com group)
Countries
IQ Option
Cyprus, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Nadex
United States
Regulators
IQ Option
CySEC, SVGFSA
Nadex
CFTC
Investor Protection
IQ Option
ICF
Nadex
-
Investor Protection Size
IQ Option
€20 000
Nadex
-
Publicly Traded
IQ Option
Nadex
Segregated Accounts
IQ Option
Nadex
Guaranteed Stop Loss
IQ Option
Nadex
Negative Balance Protection
IQ Option
Nadex
Account Types
| Account | IQ Option | Nadex |
|---|---|---|
Market Maker Account | ||
| Account Name | Standard | — |
| Min Deposit | $10 | — |
| Lot Size | 0.01 | — |
| Spread Type | Floating | — |
| Execution | Market | — |
| Min Spread | 0.5 | — |
| Fee | No | — |
| Max Leverage | 1:500 | — |
| Stop Out | 50% | — |
| Margin Call | 100% | — |
| Additional Features | ||
| Demo Account | ||
| VIP Account | ||
| Swap-Free Account | ||
| Copy Trading | ||
| VPS | ||
| PAMM/MAM Accounts | ||
Binary Options | ||
| Account | Binary Options | Binary Options |
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $1 |
| Option Types | Call/Put, Turbo, Digital Options | Binary Options, Call Spreads, Knock-Outs |
| Minimum Stake | $1 | $1 |
| Payout | from 55% to 95% | from 0% to 100% |
| Expiration Time | from 30 seconds to 30 days | from 5 minutes to 24 hours |
Market Maker Account
Account Name
IQ Option
Standard
Nadex
—
Min Deposit
IQ Option
$10
Nadex
—
Lot Size
IQ Option
0.01
Nadex
—
Spread Type
IQ Option
Floating
Nadex
—
Execution
IQ Option
Market
Nadex
—
Min Spread
IQ Option
0.5
Nadex
—
Fee
IQ Option
No
Nadex
—
Max Leverage
IQ Option
1:500
Nadex
—
Stop Out
IQ Option
50%
Nadex
—
Margin Call
IQ Option
100%
Nadex
—
Additional Features
Demo Account
IQ Option
Nadex
VIP Account
IQ Option
Nadex
Swap-Free Account
IQ Option
Nadex
Copy Trading
IQ Option
Nadex
VPS
IQ Option
Nadex
PAMM/MAM Accounts
IQ Option
Nadex
Binary Options
Account
IQ Option
Binary Options
Nadex
Binary Options
Minimum Deposit
IQ Option
$10
Nadex
$1
Option Types
IQ Option
Call/Put, Turbo, Digital Options
Nadex
Binary Options, Call Spreads, Knock-Outs
Minimum Stake
IQ Option
$1
Nadex
$1
Payout
IQ Option
from 55% to 95%
Nadex
from 0% to 100%
Expiration Time
IQ Option
from 30 seconds to 30 days
Nadex
from 5 minutes to 24 hours
Funding and Fees
| Feature | IQ Option | Nadex |
|---|---|---|
Base currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, RUB | USD |
Deposit and withdrawal methods | Bank Wire, Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard), Skrill, Neteller, Webmoney, Volet.com, Perfect Money, Cardano (ADA), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), XRP (XRP), Tether (USDT) | Debit Card, ACH Bank Transfer, Wire Transfer |
Inactivity fee | $10 per month after 90 days | $10 per month after 12 months of inactivity |
Interest on margin | ||
Withdrawal fee | $30 on bank wire; other methods free | Wire withdrawal $25 |
Base currencies
IQ Option
USD, EUR, GBP, RUB
Nadex
USD
Deposit and withdrawal methods
IQ Option
Bank Wire, Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard), Skrill, Neteller, Webmoney, Volet.com, Perfect Money, Cardano (ADA), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), XRP (XRP), Tether (USDT)
Nadex
Debit Card, ACH Bank Transfer, Wire Transfer
Inactivity fee
IQ Option
$10 per month after 90 days
Nadex
$10 per month after 12 months of inactivity
Interest on margin
IQ Option
Nadex
Withdrawal fee
IQ Option
$30 on bank wire; other methods free
Nadex
Wire withdrawal $25
Trading Platforms and Conditions
| Feature | IQ Option | Nadex |
|---|---|---|
Trading Platforms | Quadcode | Nadex Web Platform, NadexGo™ (iOS, Android) |
Execution Speed | 10 ms | 50 ms |
Scalping | ||
Expert Advisors (EAs) | ||
Depth of Market (DOM) | ||
Spread | average | N/A |
Trading Platforms
IQ Option
Quadcode
Nadex
Nadex Web Platform, NadexGo™ (iOS, Android)
Execution Speed
IQ Option
10 ms
Nadex
50 ms
Scalping
IQ Option
Nadex
Expert Advisors (EAs)
IQ Option
Nadex
Depth of Market (DOM)
IQ Option
Nadex
Spread
IQ Option
average
Nadex
N/A
Trading Assets
| Asset | IQ Option | Nadex |
|---|---|---|
Currencies | 63 | 11 |
Indices | 12 | 5 |
Stocks | 379 | 0 |
Cryptocurrencies | 26 | 18 |
Bonds | 0 | 0 |
Metals | 3 | 2 |
Energies | 3 | 2 |
Soft Commodities | 3 | 0 |
ETFs | 22 | 0 |
Currencies
IQ Option
63
Nadex
11
Indices
IQ Option
12
Nadex
5
Stocks
IQ Option
379
Nadex
0
Cryptocurrencies
IQ Option
26
Nadex
18
Bonds
IQ Option
0
Nadex
0
Metals
IQ Option
3
Nadex
2
Energies
IQ Option
3
Nadex
2
Soft Commodities
IQ Option
3
Nadex
0
ETFs
IQ Option
22
Nadex
0
Education and Analytics
| Feature | IQ Option | Nadex |
|---|---|---|
Economic Calendar | ||
Indicators | ||
Robots | ||
Signals | ||
Autochartist | ||
Expert Analytics | ||
News Feed | ||
Education Articles | ||
Webinars | ||
Seminars |
Economic Calendar
IQ Option
Nadex
Indicators
IQ Option
Nadex
Robots
IQ Option
Nadex
Signals
IQ Option
Nadex
Autochartist
IQ Option
Nadex
Expert Analytics
IQ Option
Nadex
News Feed
IQ Option
Nadex
Education Articles
IQ Option
Nadex
Webinars
IQ Option
Nadex
Seminars
IQ Option
Nadex
Contests
| Feature | IQ Option | Nadex |
|---|---|---|
| Demo Contests | ||
| Is available | ||
| Contests List |
| — |
Demo Contests
Is available
IQ Option
Nadex
Contests List
IQ Option
- Weekend TreatStart Balance: $100 · Prize Pool: $1500 · Period: WeeklyLearn More
- Salary in a DayStart Balance: $100 · Prize Pool: $3,000 · Period: WeeklyLearn More
- Austin 1000Start Balance: $1000 · Prize Pool: $1000 · Period: WeeklyLearn More
- IQ LaunchStart Balance: $100 · Prize Pool: $10000 · Period: WeeklyLearn More
- 72 HoursStart Balance: $100 · Prize Pool: $5000 · Period: Every 2 WeeksLearn More
Nadex
—
Customer Support
| Contact | IQ Option | Nadex |
|---|---|---|
Email | support@iqoption.com | customerservice@nadex.com |
Phone | +35724257707 | +1312-884-0100 |
Facebook | — | |
LinkedIn | — | |
YouTube | YouTube | YouTube |
Instagram | ||
Twitter |
Email
IQ Option
Phone
IQ Option
Nadex
Facebook
IQ Option
—
Nadex
LinkedIn
IQ Option
—
Nadex
Which Broker is Better?
After comparing IQ Option and Nadex, IQ Option 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
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.