IG Group vs Freetrade

IG vs Freetrade Comparison Table 2024
IG Freetrade
4.4
3.5

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.

Freetrade is a London-headquartered investing platform that offers zero-commission trading on thousands of UK, European and US stocks and ETFs through a beginner-friendly platform. Open a standard investment account, a self-invested pension or a stocks and shares ISA and start building a portfolio from as little as £2.

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." "Freetrade provides a simple and affordable way for casual investors to build a diverse portfolio of 6000+ US, UK and European stocks with zero commissions."
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
  • FCA-regulated brand with FSCS cover for investors
  • Thousands of US and UK stocks and hundreds of ETFs to choose from
  • Very competitive pricing vs competitors with low fees and zero commissions
  • Earn interest on uninvested cash with competitive rates
  • Transfer/move ISAs from other accounts
  • News and blog feed updated regularly
  • Built-in customer support via live chat
  • Fast revenue withdrawals
  • Dividends on stocks
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
  • Competitors have larger selection of assets
  • Trading platform lacks deep analytical tools
  • Less suitable for active, high-volume traders
  • Many countries not accepted
  • No leveraged trading
  • No demo account
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
  • Best Online Trading Platform 2020 - British Bank Awards
  • Best Share Trading Platform 2019 - British Bank Awards
  • People’s Choice 2019 - Good Money Guide
  • Best New Investment Service 2019 - Consumer Investment Awards
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting Stocks, ETFs
Demo Account
Yes No
Minimum Deposit
$0 $0
Trading Platforms
  • Web
  • ProRealTime
  • L2 Dealer
  • MT4
  • AutoChartist
  • TradingCentral
  • Own
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots £2
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA FCA
Margin Trading
Yes No
Margin Rate
2.5%
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
Yes No
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 No
Market Maker
Yes No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes No
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
4.3
iOS App Rating
4.6
4.3
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
Yes No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Yes No
Inactivity Fee
$12
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • SEK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • HKD
  • SGD
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. CFD trading not offered
Leverage
1:30 (Retail), 1:250 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
1.0
GBPUSD Spread
0.9
Oil Spread
2.8
Stocks Spread
0.02
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. Forex trading not offered
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
EURUSD Spread
0.8
EURGBP Spread
0.9
Assets
80+
Currency Indices
  • 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. Crypto trading not offered
Spread
Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • ADA
  • DOT
  • DOGE
  • LINK
  • UNI
  • XLM
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
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