Interactive Brokers Alternatives

The best alternatives to Interactive Brokers are

1. Saxo Bank - Danish investment bank
2. TradeStation Global - UK-based global stockbroker
3. Swissquote - Swiss investment bank
4. CapTrader - Global stockbroker

Let's see in a bit more detail how the Interactive Brokers alternatives compare to Interactive Brokers and each other:

Why are these brokers considered good alternatives to Interactive Brokers? There are many areas based on which Interactive Brokers can be compared with others. When we say a given online broker is a good alternative to Interactive Brokers we mean these brokers are comparable in the following areas:

• The products they offer, meaning you can buy mostly the same things, i.e. stocks, CFDs, options, etc.
• The type of clients they target, i.e. beginners, experienced investors, or day traders.

Interactive Brokers alternatives recommendations

Brokers are different in a number of ways, which means each of them may be suitable for different people. Here's how they compare overall:

• Interactive Brokers is recommended for traders looking for low fees and a professional trading environment
• Saxo Bank is recommended for investors and traders looking for a great trading platform and solid research
• TradeStation Global is recommended for traders and investors looking for low fees and a wide selection of products
• Swissquote is recommended for affluent investors who value safety and are ok with higher fees
• CapTrader is recommended for investors and traders looking for low fees and sophisticated trading platforms

Important factors of finding Interactive Brokers alternatives

So far BrokerChooser has reviewed 91 online brokers in detail, which gives this comparison a solid starting point.

Not only that, but all of these brokers are reviewed using the exact same broker review methodology, which makes everything easily comparable. For each broker, we

• open a live account
• check over 100 criteria, with weighting based on readers' preferences
• refresh data regularly

Whether Interactive Brokers or one of its alternatives is the best choice for you is on the following five broker characteristics that most interest people:

Fees. There are different types of fees that your online brokerage may charge, and both the number and the size of these fees may vary significantly from broker to broker. Both of these aspects can impact your returns and your overall experience. Interactive Brokers is one of the cheaper brokers, so if this is an important consideration for you, make sure you pick a similarly low-cost Interactive Brokers alternative.

Deposit/withdrawal. The number of ways that you can deposit or withdraw money to or from your account matters a lot. For example, while you cannot make a deposit with your credit card at Interactive Brokers, some alternatives might allow you to do that.

Web trading platform. While online brokers are usually available on various platforms like mobile apps, tablet apps or desktop software, most people use them through their web platform in a browser. User-friendly trading platforms that offer many different resources can significantly increase your trading comfort.

Markets and products. A lot of people have specific products they would like to invest in. Knowing whether stocks, forex, mutual funds, and other products are available at the given Interactive Brokers alternative is a must.

Now let's dive into the details of how Interactive Brokers and its alternatives perform in the most important areas!

Saxo Bank, a Danish investment bank founded in 1992, provides online trading and investment services. The company is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including the Danish Financial Services Agency (FSA) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). 

Saxo Bank is a global service provider and its subsidiaries are present in the form of separate legal entities in different regions of the world. The services offered by the various entities may differ slightly, especially with respect to fees and product portfolios. In this review, we tested Saxo Bank UK.

Saxo Bank is considered safe because it has a long track record, a banking background and is regulated by top-tier financial authorities.

Recommended for investors and traders looking for a great trading platform and solid research

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Fees

3.3

Saxo Bank has average trading and non-trading fees overall. Trading fees vary greatly between different asset classes.

Includes spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks and $20k for FX

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Account opening

2.5

Saxo's account opening is fully digital, user-friendly and available in most countries. On the other hand, the minimum deposit is high in certain countries and account verification can take longer.

If you are interested more in Saxo Bank minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

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Deposit and withdrawal

4.8

Saxo provides multiple deposit and withdrawal options free of charge on a user-friendly interface.

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Web trading platform

5.0

Saxo Bank's web trading platform is one of the best among online brokers. While it's easy to use, the platform also provides features tailored for professionals, such as an advanced order panel.

Learn more about Saxo Bank's web trading platform in the detailed Saxo Bank review.

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Markets and products

5.0

Saxo Bank's product portfolio covers all asset classes and a lot of markets globally. Mutual funds are the only areas where the selection could be improved.

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Verdict

Saxo Bank is a great broker, providing a complex and good service.

It offers a user-friendly and well-designed trading platform, backed by great research. The product portfolio covers all asset types and many international markets.

It has some drawbacks though. The fees for bonds, options and futures are high. There is also a high minimum deposit for certain countries. Lastly, there is no live chat or 24/7 customer support.

In general, Saxo Bank is one of the best online brokerage companies out there. By opening an account, you will get a broad, well-developed service constantly adapted to the needs of clients.

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TradeStation Global is a brand of TradeStation International Ltd, which is based in the UK and is regulated by the top-tier Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

TradeStation Global is a combined product offered by Interactive Brokers (IB) and TradeStation for clients outside the EU/EEA. Here are its most important elements:

• The account opening, deposit/withdrawal options, and available products are the same as at Interactive Brokers.
• You can use both Interactive Brokers's and TradeStation's own desktop platform.
• TradeStation Global charges its own fees, and offers its own customer support and educational tools.

Both Interactive Brokers and TradeStation are reputable brokers, regulated by top-tier financial authorities. While Interactive Brokers is listed on the NASDAQ, TradeStation itself is not: only TradeStation's parent company Monex is listed, on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Recommended for traders and investors looking for low fees and a wide selection of products

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Fees

3.9

TradeStation Global has low trading fees, especially for stocks and ETFs. There's no inactivity fee and the first withdrawal each month is free. However, mutual fund fees are high.

Includes spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks and $20k for FX

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Account opening

2.8

TradeStation Global's account opening is fully digital and fast, but the process is complicated, and there's a high $1,000 minimum deposit required in order to use TSG's own desktop platform.

If you are interested more in TradeStation Global minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

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Deposit and withdrawal

3.5

TradeStation Global offers many account base currency options and one free withdrawal per month. The main drawback is that you can only use bank transfer.

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Web trading platform

4.5

You can use your TradeStation Global account to log in to the Interactive Brokers web trading platform. The TSG Client Portal is simple and easy to use even for beginners.

Learn more about TradeStation Global's web trading platform in the detailed TradeStation Global review.

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Markets and products

5.0

With TradeStation Global, you can access the same range of product types and exchanges as at Interactive Brokers. This selection is one of the widest among online brokers.

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Verdict

TradeStation Global has low stock/ETF fees, provides access to a lot of products and markets and has great customer support. The TradeStation Global desktop platform has great charting tools, plenty of indicators, highly customizable watchlists (Radar Screen) and a great programming tool (EasyLanguage).

On the other hand, the deposit and withdrawal process is not user-friendly and you can use only bank transfer. The account opening is complicated, and for full account verification to use the TSG desktop trading platform, a minimum deposit of $1,000 is required.

If you want access to IB's product range and an account with a slightly different fee structure, feel free to try TradeStation Global.

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Swissquote is a Swiss investment bank established in 1996. It has two main trading arms: a Swiss unit for trading stocks, funds, options and futures, and a company in the UK for CFDs and forex.

Formally, Swissquote Bank Ltd is based in Switzerland and is regulated by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), the country's financial regulator.

The other entity, Swissquote Ltd, is Luxembourg and offers CFDs and forex trading. It is regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), Luxembourg's regulator. The purpose of this entity is to grant access to the European markets after Brexit. The UK entity remained only for UK clients

Swissquote is considered safe because Swissquote Bank Ltd has a banking license, it is listed on the Swiss stock exchange, discloses detailed financials regularly and has a long track record.

Here, we focus mainly on the Swiss entity, sometimes referred to as "Swissquote (CH)". Throughout our content, we will refer to the Luxembourg-based entity as "Swissquote Europe (LUX)".

Recommended for affluent investors who value safety and are ok with higher fees

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Fees

2.4

Swissquote charges no inactivity fee and you can trade an impressive selection of funds for favorable fees. On the other hand, trading fees are generally high, including stocks and ETFs fees, and there is a fee for withdrawing your money.

Includes spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks and $20k for FX

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Account opening

4.0

Swissquote offers a fully digital account opening process, although we encountered wait times. There is no minimum deposit for trading accounts, but a high minimum for forex and robo-advisory accounts.

If you are interested more in Swissquote minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

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Deposit and withdrawal

4.6

Depositing at Swissquote is quick with credit/debit card and can be done in several base currencies. On the negative side, you can only withdraw money via bank transfer, and the Swiss entity charges fees.

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Web trading platform

4.3

The Swissquote (CH) eTrading platform has a lot of functions, so many that sometimes it can get complicated. Customizability is good and there is a clear overview of trading fees, but it's easy to get lost on the platform.

Learn more about Swissquote's web trading platform in the detailed Swissquote review.

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Markets and products

5.0

At Swissquote (CH) you can access many markets and trade with a lot of different product types. At Swissquote Bank (LUX) you can trade forex and CFDs too.

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Verdict

Swissquote is an investment bank with a rock-solid background:

• It is Swiss,
• it is listed on an exchange
• and it is a bank. 

It has two main entities, one in the UK and one in Switzerland. If you open an account at the London-based entity you can trade forex and CFDs, while the Swiss entity gives you access to assets ranging from stocks to options.

Swissquote offers a broad range of products across many markets. There are many stocks, mutual funds, and a lot of different other types of products, from bonds to cryptos.

However, nothing is free: Swissquote's trading fees are relatively high. 

All in all, Swissquote is a great stockbroker. As you can trade many products and no inactivity fee is charged, feel free to give it a try.

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CapTrader was founded in Germany in 1997. It is an introducing broker to Interactive Brokers (IB), one of the largest brokers in the world.

• The account opening and deposit/withdrawal options are very similar to Interactive Brokers
• The trading platforms and available products are exactly the same as at Interactive Brokers
• Fees, however, are charged by CapTrader, not by Interactive Brokers
• CapTrader offers its own customer support and educational tools

CapTrader is considered safe because it has a long track record and is regulated by top-tier financial authorities. After Brexit, European users of CapTrader are being served through the Irish licence of Interactive Brokers.

Recommended for investors and traders looking for low fees and sophisticated trading platforms

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Fees

3.5

CapTrader has low stock and ETF fees, and margin rates are also low. On the other hand, forex, options and futures fees are high.

Includes spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks and $20k for FX

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Account opening

1.5

CapTrader's account opening is fully digital, but the positives stop there, as the process is complicated, account verification takes long, and there's a steep €2,000 minimum deposit.

If you are interested more in CapTrader minimum deposit, this overview will help you.

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Deposit and withdrawal

3.0

CapTrader offers one free withdrawal per month and has a decent selection of account base currencies; however, it doesn't accept credit/debit cards and electronic wallets.

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Web trading platform

4.5

CapTrader's WebTrader web platform is user-friendly, has a clear fee report, and is accessible via a safe two-step login process.

Learn more about CapTrader's web trading platform in the detailed CapTrader review.

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Markets and products

5.0

Through CapTrader, you can access an extremely wide range of markets, and virtually all product types imaginable.

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Verdict

CapTrader is a global stockbroker for investors and traders, we recommend this broker mainly for advanced traders.

On the plus side, CapTrader has low stock and ETF fees, a vast range of available markets and products, and diverse research tools.

There are some drawbacks, though. It charges high forex fees, and the account opening process is complicated. The desktop platform is complex and might be hard to get a handle on, especially for beginners.

If you have experience navigating complex platforms and enjoy transparent, low-cost trading, CapTrader could be a great fit for you.

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Interactive Brokers was founded in 1978 and is one of the biggest US-based discount brokers. The broker is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including top-tier ones like the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

As it has licenses from multiple top-tier regulators, Interactive Brokers is considered safe. Having a long track record and publicly disclosed financials while being listed on a stock exchange are also great signs for its safety.

Recommended for traders looking for low fees and a professional trading environment

Fees

4.2

Interactive Brokers has low trading fees and the best margin rates in the industry. For US clients, stock and ETF trading is free if they choose the Lite plan.

Includes spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k

Account opening

3.4

IB's account opening process is fully digital and the required minimum deposit is low. On the negative side, the process is complicated, and account verification takes relatively long.

Learn more about Interactive Brokers minimum deposit here.

Deposit and withdrawal

3.5

Interactive Brokers offers many account base currency options and one free withdrawal per month. The main drawback is that you can only use bank transfer.

Web trading platform

4.5

Interactive Brokers's web platform is simple and easy to use, even for beginners.

Learn more about Interactive Brokers's web trading platform in the detailed Interactive Brokers review.

Markets and products

5.0

Through Interactive Brokers, you can access an extremely wide range of markets, and all product types are available.

Verdict

Interactive Brokers is one of the biggest US-based discount brokers, regulated by several top-tier regulators globally. We recommend this broker mainly for advanced traders.

On the plus side, IB has low fees, a vast range of available markets and products, and diverse research tools. 

There are some drawbacks, though: we weren't satisfied with the level of customer service and the account opening process is complicated. The desktop platform is complex and hard to get a handle on, especially for beginners.

If you have experience navigating complex platforms and enjoy transparent, low-cost trading, Interactive Brokers could be a great fit for you.

Based on our analysis, there are several good alternatives to Interactive Brokers. They all offer similar products and target similar customers. Here's a recap of the results in a table.

Still unsure? Use our broker finder and find the best broker for you or learn more about investing your money.