Interactive Brokers vs ICM Brokers

Interactive Brokers vs ICM Brokers Comparison Table 2024
Interactive Brokers ICM Brokers
4.3

Interactive Brokers is #1 in our CFD broker rankings.

1.5
United States Flag Traders from US accepted
United States Flag Traders from US not accepted

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a premier brokerage for experienced traders, providing access to 150 markets in 33 countries, along with a suite of comprehensive investment services. With over 40 years of experience, this Nasdaq-listed firm adheres to stringent regulations by the SEC, FCA, CIRO, and SFC, amongst others, and is one of the most trusted brokers for trading around the globe.

ICM Brokers is a Vanuatu-based broker offering a range of markets including CFDs, forex, futures, and options. The broker does not hold any top-tier licenses and there is limited company information available online.

Customer Reviews
4
Comment by Reviewer
"Interactive Brokers is one of the best brokers for advanced day traders, providing powerful charting platforms, real-time data, and customizable layouts, notably through the new IBKR Desktop application. Its superb pricing and advanced order options also make it highly attractive for day traders, while its diverse range of equities is still among the best in the industry." "ICM Brokers could serve traders that are looking for fixed spreads, high leverage and willing to pay the $250 minimum deposit."
Pros
  • IBKR is one of the most respected and trusted brokerages and is regulated by top-tier authorities, so you can have confidence in the integrity and security of your trading account.
  • The TWS platform has clearly been built for intermediate and advanced traders and comes with over 100 order types and a reliable real-time market data feed that rarely goes offline.
  • The new IBKR Desktop platform takes the best of TWS while adding bespoke tools like Option Lattice and Screeners with MultiSort to create a genuinely impressive trading experience for day traders at every level.
  • There's a vast library of free or paid third-party research subscriptions catering to all types of traders, plus you can enjoy commission reimbursements from IBKR if you subscribe to Toggle AI.
  • IBKR continues to deliver unmatched access to global stocks with tens of thousands of equities available from 100+ market centres in 24 countries.
  • While primarily geared towards experienced traders, IBKR has made moves to broaden its appeal in recent years, reducing its minimum deposit from $10,000 to $0.
  • With low commissions, tight spreads and a transparent fee structure, IBKR delivers a cost-effective environment for short-term traders.
  • Daily technical analysis report on key markets, including EUR/USD and Dow Jones
  • Access to the renowned MetaTrader 4 platform with customizable charting tools
  • Integrated economic calendar for keeping up with market events
  • Highly leveraged trading up to 1:400
Cons
  • TWS’s learning curve is steep, and beginners may find it challenging to navigate the platform and understand all the features. Plus500's web platform is much better suited to new traders.
  • IBKR provides a wide range of research tools, but their distribution across trading platforms and the web-based 'Account Management' page lacks consistency, leading to a confusing user experience.
  • Support can be slow and frustrating based on tests, so you might find it challenging to reach customer service representatives promptly or encounter delays in resolving issues.
  • You can only have one active session per account, so you can’t have your desktop program and mobile app running simultaneously, making for a sometimes frustrating trading experience.
  • Uncompetitive fixed spreads and high commissions
  • Withdrawals must be made via request form
  • Offshore regulation reduces client safety
  • Limited range of trading instruments
  • Narrow range of funding methods
  • Slow customer support upon testing
Instruments
Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, CFDs, Cryptocurrencies Forex, equity CFDs, precious metals, energies, futures
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $250
Trading Platforms
  • Trader Workstation (TWS)
  • IBKR Desktop
  • GlobalTrader
  • Mobile
  • Client Portal
  • AlgoTrader
  • OmniTrader
  • eSignal
  • TradingCentral
  • MT4
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
$100 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, SEC, FINRA, CBI, CIRO, SFC, MAS, MNB VFSC
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
Yes No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes No
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android Yes
App Review

The IBKR Mobile app, available on both iOS and Android devices, makes your phone a powerful gateway to your IBKR accounts, offering you the freedom to keep an eye on portfolios, initiate trades, and dive into real-time quotes and charts, all while managing your account activities on the fly. This app stands out for its intuitive design, making it especially welcoming for those just starting their trading journey, providing a smoother and more accessible experience than the more complex TWS platform.

Android App Rating
4.6
iOS App Rating
3.4
Auto Trading
Capitalise.ai & TWS API Yes
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
Yes 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
Over 8,000 CFDs are offered on a vast array of instruments, encompassing stocks, indices, forex, and commodities. Moreover, the TWS platform lends itself to seasoned day traders, offering a comprehensive selection of over 100 order types and algorithms, alongside premium market data sourced from reputable sources such as Reuters and Dow Jones. CFDs are available to trade on the powerful MT4 platform with a free demo account to test out strategies. With that said, the demo is only available for 20 days, which is disappointing.
Leverage
1:50 1:400 (Retail), 1:100 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
0.005% (£1 Min) 3.5
GBPUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value 3
Oil Spread
0.25-0.85 Floating
Stocks Spread
0.003 Variable
Forex Trading
IBKR presents an extensive range of over 100 major, minor, and exotic forex pairs, surpassing the offerings of nearly all leading alternatives, though not CMC Markets. Forex trading occurs over multiple platforms and boasts institutional-grade spreads starting from 0.1 pips and 20 complex order types, including brackets, scale, and one-cancels-all (OCA) orders. Trade a small range of currency pairs with fixed spreads and high leverage up to 1:400. On the downside, fees are not the most competitive vs other brokers.
GBPUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value 3
EURUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value 2
EURGBP Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value 3
Assets
100+ 20+
Cryptocurrency
IBKR lets you purchase and hold Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin at competitive commission rates and without needing a crypto wallet. Additionally, there is a range of other diverse assets to explore, such as crypto indices like the NYSE Bitcoin Index, as well as futures contracts like the BAKKT Bitcoin Futures. Crypto trading not offered
Spread
0.12%-0.18%
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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