Interactive Brokers review 2026
Interactive Brokers is a Nasdaq-listed global broker offering direct access to interbank-style forex quotes alongside stocks, options and futures on more than a hundred markets.
Dossier Score for Global
Overall rating in progress: 30% of criteria assessed
Our assessment
Strengths
- Listed on Nasdaq with very large capital reserves
- Tier 1 licences across the US, UK, EU, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore
- Commission-based forex with tight institutional-style spreads
Weaknesses
- Platform is complex for beginners
- No MetaTrader, no copy trading
- Forex is spot, with minimum commissions per order
Best for Experienced, well-capitalised traders who want one account for every market.
How this Dossier Score adds up
The score is calculated by a published formula from the five components below. It changes with your country, because the first component follows the company that would hold your account.
Methodology v1.1. How the Dossier Score is calculated. Commissions are not an input.
Regulation and legal entities
A broker brand is usually several companies. The one you open an account with decides your leverage limit, whether you have negative balance protection, and which compensation scheme, if any, covers you.
| Legal entity | Regulator | Licence no. | Max. leverage | Our check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers LLC Serves you United States | CFTC/NFA Tier 1 | 0258600 | 1:50 | Not yet verified by us Open register |
| Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited Serves you United Kingdom, FSCS up to £85,000 | FCA Tier 1 | 208159 | 1:30 | Not yet verified by us Open register |
| Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited Serves you Ireland, ICS up to €20,000 | CBI Tier 2 | C423427 | 1:30 | Not yet verified by us Open register |
| Interactive Brokers Australia Pty Ltd Serves you Australia | ASIC Tier 1 | 453554 | 1:30 | Not yet verified by us Open register |
| Interactive Brokers Canada Inc. Serves you Canada | CIRO Tier 1 | To be confirmed | Varies | Not yet verified by us Open register |
| Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Limited Serves you Hong Kong | SFC Tier 1 | ADI249 | Varies | Not yet verified by us Open register |
| Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte Ltd Serves you Singapore | MAS Tier 1 | To be confirmed | Varies | Not yet verified by us Open register |
Key facts
- Founded
- 1978
- Headquarters
- United States
- Publicly listed
- NASDAQ: IBKR
- Group regulators
- CFTC/NFA, FCA, CBI, ASIC, CIRO, SFC, MAS
- Minimum deposit
- $0
- Platforms
- Own platform, TradingView
- Execution
- DMA
- Copy trading
- No
- Islamic account
- No
- Demo account
- Yes
Accounts and fees
Spreads we measured
We have not measured live spreads for this broker yet. Until we do, cost does not count towards its rating.
Platforms and execution
Interactive Brokers offers Own platform, TradingView. Execution model as described by the broker: DMA.
Deposits and withdrawals
We have not run our own deposit and withdrawal test with this broker yet. When we do, the log appears here with dates and times.
Country availability
Pick your country in the header to see which Interactive Brokers entity would serve you.
Questions readers ask
Is Interactive Brokers regulated?
Interactive Brokers operates through 7 legal entities in our database, holding licences or registrations with: CFTC/NFA, FCA, CBI, ASIC, CIRO, SFC, MAS. Which entity you sign up with depends on where you live, and so does the protection you get. Check the licence number on the regulator's own register before you deposit.
What is the minimum deposit at Interactive Brokers?
Interactive Brokers advertises a minimum first deposit of $0 on its entry-level account. The amount can differ by entity, account type and payment method.
Which trading platforms does Interactive Brokers offer?
Interactive Brokers offers: Own platform, TradingView. Platform availability can vary between its entities.
Is Interactive Brokers a safe broker?
No broker is risk-free. Our Global Dossier Score for Interactive Brokers is 91 out of 100. The score reflects the regulator tier of the entity that serves you, the group's other licences, company structure and track record. It says nothing about whether trading will be profitable for you.
CFDs and leveraged forex are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Most retail accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.
Alternatives that share a regulator
| Broker | Dossier Score | Entity serving you | Min. deposit | Platforms | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMC Markets Founded 1989 Listed | 91 | CMC Markets UK plc FCA #173730 Tier 1 | $0 | Own platformMT4TradingView | Review Visit siteAffiliate link |
| City Index Founded 1983 Listed | 89 | StoneX Financial Ltd FCA #446717 Tier 1 | — | Own platformMT4TradingView | Review Visit siteAffiliate link |
| Swissquote Founded 1996 Listed Bank | 89 | Swissquote Bank Ltd FINMA Tier 1 | $1,000 | MT4MT5Own platform | Review Visit siteAffiliate link |
Dossier Score, entity and regulator are shown for the company that would serve your country. Buttons marked “Affiliate link” may earn us a commission. Unmarked buttons go to the broker's own site and earn us nothing.