IG Group vs CityIndex

IG vs CityIndex Comparison Table 2024
IG CityIndex
4.4
4.4

Founded in 1974, IG is part of IG Group Holdings Plc, a publicly traded (LSE: IGG) brokerage. The brand offers spread betting, CFD and forex trading across an almost unrivalled selection of 17,000+ markets, with a range of user-friendly platforms and investing apps. For 50 years, IG has maintained its position as an industry leader, excelling in all key areas for traders.

City Index is an established and award-winning forex, CFD and spread betting broker with top-tier global regulation, including in the UK (FCA) and Australia (ASIC). With 30+ years in the industry, 13,500+ instruments and 24/5 customer support, City Index is a solid pick for aspiring traders.

Customer Reviews
4
Comment by Reviewer
"IG continues to provide a comprehensive package with an intuitive web platform and best-in-class education for beginners, plus advanced charting tools, real-time data, and fast execution speeds for experienced day traders." "City Index is best for new and intermediate traders looking for a wide selection of assets on user-friendly platforms."
Pros
  • IG is amongst the best in terms of its range of instruments, which includes stocks, forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies, providing ample diversification opportunities
  • The proprietary web-based platform continues to caters to traders of all levels, with advanced charting tools and real-time market data useful for day trading
  • The IG app offers a superb mobile trading experience with a clean design that helped it secure Runner Up at our Best Trading App award
  • As a well-established broker, IG operates under strict regulatory guidelines in multiple jurisdictions, maintaining a high level of trust
  • IG offers an extensive collection of professional and engaging educational resources, including webinars, articles, and analysis
  • The ProRealTime advanced charting platform is free as long as certain modest monthly trading activity requirements are met
  • Thousands of instruments including thematic indices and interest rates that are not available at many alternatives
  • Industry-leading platforms including MT4, plus access to cutting-edge third-party tools like TradingView
  • Excellent reputation with over 1 million account holders and tier-one regulatory oversight
  • Tight spreads from 0.5 pips on EUR/USD and competitive commissions on CFD shares
  • A free demo account with unrestricted access to all markets and trading tools
  • Extended hours trading on 70+ popular shares including Amazon and Tesla
  • No minimum deposit to get started
Cons
  • Beginners might find IG’s fee structure complex, with various fees for different types of trades or services, potentially leading to confusion or unexpected charges
  • While there is negative balance protection in the UK and EU, there is no account protection or guaranteed stop losses for US clients
  • IG has discontinued its swap-free account, reducing its appeal to Islamic traders
  • Stock and CFD spreads still trail the cheapest brokers like CMC Markets based on tests
  • IG applies an inactivity fee of $12 per month after 2 years, deterring casual investors
  • Cryptocurrency trading not available in all locations
  • No Islamic account for Muslim traders
  • $15 monthly inactivity fee
  • US traders not accepted
Awards
  • Best Customer Service 2022 - Online Money Awards
  • Best Spread Betting Provider 2022 - Online Money Awards
  • Best Platform for the Active Trader 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
  • Best Multi Platform Provider 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
  • Best Finance App 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Cryptos, Options, Commodities, Bonds
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $0
Trading Platforms
  • Web
  • ProRealTime
  • L2 Dealer
  • MT4
  • AutoChartist
  • TradingCentral
  • MT4
  • TradingView
  • TradingCentral
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA ASIC, FCA, MAS
Margin Trading
Yes No
Margin Rate
2.5% 2.5%
STP Account
No Yes
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
Yes Yes
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
Yes No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
Yes No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android Yes
App Review

IG offers a superb all-round trading app. One of the pioneers of mobile trading, the application has been developed and refined over many years, meaning it is now among the best trading apps. Quick response, user-friendly layout, access to full charting and a stable and reliable application. It also offers guaranteed stops – an important risk management tool not available on many apps we’ve tested.

Android App Rating
4
2.8
iOS App Rating
4.6
3.8
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes Smart Signals
VPS Hosting
Yes No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
Yes No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Yes Yes
Inactivity Fee
$12 £12
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • SEK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • HKD
  • SGD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • AUD
  • CZK
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
IG offers a huge selection of 17,000+ CFDs, providing more trading opportunities than most CFD brokers. Traders can go long or short on popular markets like stocks, currencies, commodities and cryptos, while custom price alerts and the IG Academy continue to enhance the trading experience. Trade 5,000+ CFDs from a single account with no hidden fees and free live market data. The suite of markets is impressive vs alternatives, including access to shares, indices, commodities and bonds.
Leverage
1:30 (Retail), 1:250 (Pro) 1:30 (Retail), 1:50 (Accredited Investor), 1:200 (Sophisticated Investor), 1:300 (Wholesale Investor), 1:400 (Professional Trader). Varies with jurisdiction.
FTSE Spread
1.0 1 pt
GBPUSD Spread
0.9 0.8 pips
Oil Spread
2.8 0.4
Stocks Spread
0.02 Variable
Forex Trading
IG offers an above-average suite of 80+ currency pairs on its proprietary web platform, mobile app or MetaTrader 4, with more advanced charts and forex analysis tools available on the ProRealTime software. Forex spreads are competitive based on tests, starting from 0.1 pips on majors like the EUR/USD. Trade a wide selection of 80+ currency pairs with spreads from 0.5 pips and industry-favorite platforms. City Index has 40+ years experience in forex trading with liquidity from tier-one banks.
Forex App

IG offers a superb all-round trading app. One of the pioneers of mobile trading, the application has been developed and refined over many years, meaning it is now among the best trading apps. Quick response, user friendly layout, access to full charting and a stable and reliable application. Top marks.

GBPUSD Spread
0.9 0.8
EURUSD Spread
0.8 0.5
EURGBP Spread
0.9 0.8
Assets
80+ 84
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
IG's modest selection of 11 crypto CFDs trails top crypto brokers like Vantage which offers 40+ tokens. That said, it stands out with its crypto index, which tracks the value of the top 10 digital currencies by market cap and provides a holistic way to speculate on the value of the crypto market. Go long or short on popular digital currencies with ultra-tight spreads and fast order executions. Leverage also allows traders to magnify their purchasing power.
Spread
Variable BTC 0.5%, ETH 1%
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • ADA
  • DOT
  • DOGE
  • LINK
  • UNI
  • XLM
  • BCH
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XRP
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
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