InstaForex vs. Interactive brokers
Comparison: InstaForex vs. Interactive brokers – Which broker is better? A quick comparison of platform, fees, deposits, withdrawals and regulation.
Winner of this comparison: Interactive brokers with an overall rating of 50%
Basic information
| Basic information |  InstaForex |  Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | 200 EUR/USD | 10 EUR/USD |
| Spreads | 1.3 EUR/USD | 1 EUR/USD |
| Established | 2007 | 1978 |
| Currency Pairs (Total Forex pairs) | 82 | 22 |
| Country | Cyprus | UK |
| Regulation | Cysec | Authorised in the European Union (EU) |
| Trading app | MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Desktop Platform (Windows), Web Platform |
| Number of CFD asset classes | 6 | 5 |
| Broker type | ECN, MM | ECN, STP |
| Support | Phone, Mail, Chat | Phone, Mail, Chat |
| Funding methods | * Some of the payment methods may not be available in your country. Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, Bank Wire | * Some of the payment methods may not be available in your country. Visa/Mastercard, Bank Wire |
| Real Stocks and ETFs | Yes | Yes |
*The value is indicative from the broker's website. The spread amount is variable.
81.62% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 61 % and 89 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Comparison Result
If you don’t want to read the full comparison, the winner of our review is Interactive brokers, which takes the lead with a rating of 50%, while InstaForex only reaches 48%. InstaForex requires a minimum deposit of 200 EUR/USD, while Interactive brokers sets it at 10 EUR/USD. Conversely, Interactive brokers scores with a lower minimum deposit. For InstaForex, the spread is 1.3 EUR/USD, while for Interactive brokers it is 1 EUR/USD. Lower spreads at Interactive brokers give it the edge. InstaForex offers 82 forex pairs, while Interactive brokers provides 22. A wider selection gives InstaForex the advantage. InstaForex was founded in 2007, while Interactive brokers has been operating since 1978. The older Interactive brokers has the upper hand in this regard. This advantage goes to Interactive brokers, while InstaForex lacks it. InstaForex is overseen by 1 regulatory bodies, while Interactive brokers has 1. In terms of regulation, both are equal. InstaForex supports 2 platforms, while Interactive brokers offers 2. In terms of platform count, both are on the same level.
48%
InstaForex
50%
Interactive brokers
Key Strengths
InstaForex
- Wide range of instruments : InstaForex offers trading with more than 100 currency pairs, CFDs, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
- No minimum deposit : InstaForex has no minimum deposit requirement, allowing you to start trading with any amount.
- Professional education and analysis : InstaForex provides comprehensive educational and analytical tools useful for both beginners and experienced traders.
- Quick deposits : Various deposit methods, including Bitcoin and credit cards, allow for quick and easy account funding.
Interactive brokers
- Extremely low fees
- Wide range of products
- Many great research tools
- Low margin rates
- No inactivity fee and no withdrawal fee
Comparison by Categories
Comprehensive Comparison: InstaForex vs Interactive brokers
InstaForex Interactive brokers Investments
75 % 62 %| Investments | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Currency Pairs (Total Forex pairs) | 82 | 22 |
| CFDs – Total Offered | 2600+ | 100+ |
| Options CFD | No | Yes |
| Share CFDs | Yes | No |
| Forex CFD | Yes | Yes |
| Commodities CFD | Yes | Yes |
| ETF CFD | Yes | Yes |
| Indicies CFD | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency traded as actual | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency traded as CFD | Yes | No |
Cost
60 % 80 %| Cost | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD *The value is indicative from the broker's website. The spread amount is variable. | 1.3 | 1 |
| Deposit from | 200 | 10 |
| Account fee | No | No |
| Inactivity fee | Yes | Yes |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| Withdrawal fees | Yes | No |
| Deposit fees | No | No |
Trading app
29 % 29 %| Trading app | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy-Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Currenex | No | No |
| cTrader | No | No |
Trading Tools
100 % 100 %| Trading Tools | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Financial leverage | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Alerts – Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Charting – Indicators / Studies (Total) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting – Drawing Tools (Total) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting – Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Stop-Loss | Yes | Yes |
| Finacial Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Daily financial news | Yes | Yes |
| Order Type – Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes |
Research
67 % 83 %| Research | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Weekly Webinars | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment – Currency Pairs | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Yes | Yes |
Education
83 % 100 %| Education | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Has Education – Forex | Yes | Yes |
| Has Education – CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos – Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Yes | Yes |
Forex
100 % 100 %| Forex | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes |
Commodities
36 % 100 %| Commodities | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Yes | Yes |
| Silver | Yes | Yes |
| WIT Oil | Yes | Yes |
| Brent Oil | Yes | Yes |
| Coffee | No | Yes |
| Cocoa | No | Yes |
| Soybeans | No | Yes |
| Rice | No | Yes |
| Corn | No | Yes |
| Platinum | No | Yes |
| Palladium | No | Yes |
Indicies
100 % 100 %| Indicies | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| DAX 40 | Yes | Yes |
| S&P 500 | Yes | Yes |
| Nasdaq | Yes | Yes |
| Dow Jones | Yes | Yes |
| Nikkei | Yes | Yes |
Cryptocurrencies
40 % 0 %| Cryptocurrencies | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | Yes | No |
| Litecoin | No | No |
| Ethereum | Yes | No |
| Ripple | Yes | No |
| Neo | No | No |
| Stellar | No | No |
| Cardano | Yes | No |
| Tron | No | No |
| Monero | No | No |
| EOS | No | No |
Regulations
17 % 17 %| Regulations | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Cysec | Yes | No |
| ASIC (Australia) | No | No |
| FCA (UK) | No | No |
| Authorised in the European Union (EU) | No | Yes |
| CFTC Registered (USA) | No | No |
| FINMA (Switzerland) | No | No |
Support
100 % 100 %| Support | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Chat | Yes | Yes |
| Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes |
Overall
48 % 50 %| Overall | InstaForex | Interactive brokers |
|---|
Our Recommendations
Best for Interactive brokers
Thanks to comprehensive educational materials and a user-friendly platform, Interactive brokers is an ideal choice for new traders.
Best Platform
Both brokers offer excellent trading platforms with similar features and user-friendliness.
Lowest Costs Interactive brokers
offers competitive spreads and lower fees, making it ideal for active traders.
InstaForex Interactive brokers