Interactive Brokers vs Freetrade

Interactive Brokers vs Freetrade Comparison Table 2023
Interactive Brokers Freetrade
4.3

Interactive Brokers is #1 in our CFD broker rankings.

3.5
United States Flag Traders from US accepted
United States Flag Traders from US not accepted

Interactive Brokers is a leading global brokerage that provides access to a comprehensive offering of stocks as well as forex, futures, metals, bonds and cryptos. The firm has over 40 years experience in the online trading industry and is heavily regulated by SEC, FCA, IIROC, and SFC. Traders use the proprietary Trader Workstation and can access powerful tools and data feeds as well as comprehensive educational resources.

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.

Comment by Reviewer
"Serious traders seeking a regulated broker with unparalleled access to stock markets should look at IB. Their range of stocks can't be beaten." "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
  • Gives retail traders unmatched access to global stocks with tens of thousands available from 100+ market centres in 24 countries
  • Direct market access, including to the FTSE 100 index, the CAC 40 and Germany’s DAX 40
  • You can trade from multiple account types, such as IRA, single registered, joint
  • Proprietary workstation comes with powerful tools and charting capabilities
  • Regulated by some of the world's most reputable bodies including in US
  • You have a reliable real-time market data feed, that rarely goes offline
  • Diverse payment options and account currencies
  • Commission reimbursement with Toggle AI
  • Low commissions and tight spreads
  • 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
  • Due to the pricing structure, this firm can be more expensive for aggressive traders who trade over $100,000 shares a day
  • Platform and web interface are complex and difficult for beginners to pick up
  • Accessing products like CFDs is not straightforward compared to competitors
  • The TWS platform falls short in terms of technical charting
  • Mediocre customer support
  • 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 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
Stocks, Futures, E-minis, Options, CFD, Forex, Crypto, Exchange Linked Warrants Stocks, ETFs
Demo Account
Yes No
Minimum Deposit
$0 $0
Trading Platforms
  • AlgoTrader
  • OmniTrader
  • eSignal
  • TradingCentral
  • Own
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
$100 £2
Regulator
SEC, FCA, IIROC, SFC FCA
Margin Trading
Yes No
Margin Rate
1.55 - 2.59%
STP Account
Yes No
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
Yes No
MAM Account
Yes No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
Yes No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
No No
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes No
Mobile Apps
iOS, Android and Windows Yes
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$0
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • INR
  • JPY
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • HUF
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
Trade leveraged CFDs on thousands of global stocks as well as 13 global indices, 80+ forex pairs, and London gold and silver. Leverage is available in line with regulatory requirements. CFD trading not offered
Leverage
1:50
FTSE Spread
0.005% (£1 Min)
GBPUSD Spread
Commission (.20 pts x trade value)
Oil Spread
N/A
Stocks Spread
From 0.003 per share, variable
Forex Trading
Trade 85 major, minor and exotic forex pairs via CFDs on IB's FXTrader platform with tight spreads and low commissions, or trade forex on the spot market. They offer more FX assets than almost any competitor. Forex trading not offered
GBPUSD Spread
Commission (.20 pts x trade value)
EURUSD Spread
Commission (.20 pts x trade value)
EURGBP Spread
Commission (.20 pts x trade value)
Assets
70+
Cryptocurrency
Buy and hold Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and Litecoin with low commissions of 0.12%–0.18%. Fees are low and the broker offers a secure environment to invest in digital assets. Crypto trading not offered
Spread
Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
More Comparisons
Interactive Brokers
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Freetrade
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