IG Group vs TD Ameritrade

IG vs TD Ameritrade Comparison Table 2024
IG TD Ameritrade
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.

TD Ameritrade is a leading discount brokerage offering a vast range of instruments including forex, stocks, futures, options and crypto. The company has nearly 40 years of experience and authorization from the SEC, FINRA and CFTC. Trading takes place via its well-known thinkorswim platform, which offers sophisticated tools and features including stock screeners and calculators.

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." "Traders who want access to a huge range of stocks from a reputable broker with low fees should consider TD Ameritrade. On the downside, we miss access to the familiar MetaTrader 4 software."
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
  • Advanced order types, including OCO and brackets
  • Automated trading capabilities, including robo-advisors
  • Several trading platforms including proprietary award-winning software
  • TD Ameritrade provides rich in-depth research and educational resources
  • Extended 24/7 trading hours allow for international access to the markets
  • The broker facilitates automatic syncing between desktop and mobile trading platforms
  • There is access to over 350 technical studies, 20 drawing tools and 8 Fibonacci tools
  • Active chat rooms to share ideas and communicate with thousands of experienced traders
  • The Economic Data tool allows access to a range of data about the health of global economies
  • Management Services and Essential Portfolios. Reviews of which show high levels of customer satisfaction
  • Portfolio margin gives some users increased leverage by basing margin requirements on total portfolio risk
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
  • CFD trading not available
  • No MT4 or MT5 integration
  • Fractional shares are not offered
  • No direct cryptocurrency trading
  • Broker-assisted trade commissions are around $25
  • Stringent margin maintenance requirements and high fees
  • New traders may be overwhelmed by the vast amount of information and tools available
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 Broker for Beginners 2022 - Investopedia Best Online Broker Awards
  • Best Online Broker for Stock Trading Platform and Research 2022 - NerdWallet's Best-Of Awards
  • #1 Platform & Tools, #1 Active Trading, #1 Options Trading, #1 Customer Service, and #1 Phone Support 2022 - StockBrokers.com Online Broker Review
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting Forex, Stocks, ETFs, Cryptos, Futures, Options, Commodities, Bonds
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $0
Trading Platforms
  • Web
  • ProRealTime
  • L2 Dealer
  • MT4
  • AutoChartist
  • TradingCentral
  • eSignal
  • AutoChartist
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots $0
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA SEC, FINRA, CFTC
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
2.5%
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
Yes Yes
MAM Account
No Yes
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
Yes Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes No
Market Maker
Yes No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes No
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
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.

TD Ameritrade offers currency trading via Android and iOS mobile and tablet apps. Users can speculate on over 75 currency pairs with low fees and advanced trading tools. Deposit funds and manage accounts in a few clicks.

Android App Rating
4
iOS App Rating
4.6
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime Yes - Auto trading available via bots
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
Yes Yes
Custodial Account
No Yes
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Yes No
Inactivity Fee
$12 $0
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • SEK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • HKD
  • SGD
  • USD
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. Trade 70+ forex pairs including majors, minors or exotics via the desktop, mobile or webtrader app with no commission and 1:2 leverage. The choice of currencies is wider than most forex brokers.
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.

TD Ameritrade offers currency trading via Android and iOS mobile and tablet apps. Users can speculate on over 75 currency pairs with low fees and advanced trading tools. Deposit funds and manage accounts in a few clicks.

GBPUSD Spread
0.9 Variable
EURUSD Spread
0.8 Variable
EURGBP Spread
0.9 Variable
Assets
80+ 75+
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. Gain exposure to cryptocurrency markets through OTC crypto trusts, mutual funds and ETFs and Bitcoin futures. This offers portfolio diversification opportunities and trading vehicles beyond standard crypto CFDs.
Spread
Variable Commission fees apply
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • ADA
  • DOT
  • DOGE
  • LINK
  • UNI
  • XLM
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • MBT
  • MET
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
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