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Rankings updated October 2026

Kraken vs Interactive Brokers

Your capital is at risk. Trade only with funds you can afford to lose.

Kraken

3.9/5

#20 in our crypto broker rankings

Antigua And Barbuda flag Accepts traders from AAB

Rating breakdown

  • Regulation & trust3.01.5 lower than Interactive Brokers (4.5)
  • Assets & markets3.80.9 lower than Interactive Brokers (4.7)
  • Fees & costs3.90.4 lower than Interactive Brokers (4.3)
  • Platforms & tools3.50.2 higher than Interactive Brokers (3.3)
  • Accounts & banking3.80.3 higher than Interactive Brokers (3.5)
  • Education3.01.3 lower than Interactive Brokers (4.3)
  • Research1.52.9 lower than Interactive Brokers (4.4)
  • Customer support3.80.8 higher than Interactive Brokers (3.0)

Interactive Brokers’s score. Numbers show the difference.

Higher rated

Interactive Brokers

4.3/5

Antigua And Barbuda flag Doesn't accept traders from AAB. See available CFD brokers

Not available in your countryRead Interactive Brokers review

Rating breakdown

  • Regulation & trust4.51.5 higher than Kraken (3.0)
  • Assets & markets4.70.9 higher than Kraken (3.8)
  • Fees & costs4.30.4 higher than Kraken (3.9)
  • Platforms & tools3.30.2 lower than Kraken (3.5)
  • Accounts & banking3.50.3 lower than Kraken (3.8)
  • Education4.31.3 higher than Kraken (3.0)
  • Research4.42.9 higher than Kraken (1.5)
  • Customer support3.00.8 lower than Kraken (3.8)

Kraken’s score. Numbers show the difference.

Kraken vs Interactive Brokers comparison table 2026
KrakenInteractive Brokers
OverviewKraken is a leading cryptocurrency exchange with a proprietary trading terminal and a list of 600+ tradeable crypto tokens. Up to 1:5 leverage is available with stable rollover fees on spot crypto trading and up to 1:50 on futures.Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a premier brokerage, providing access to over 170 markets across 40 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.
Customer Reviews
4.5
Based on 2 customer reviews
3.5
Based on 4 customer reviews
Trustpilot Score
3.2
3
Comment by Reviewer“Kraken will suit traders looking for a diverse list of cryptos including Bitcoin and a good security track record.”“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.”
Pros
  • Kraken, via Payward, secured VARA authorization in the UAE, so it can offer local clients Dirham funding and trading pair
  • Kraken Pro offers perpetual futures through a CFTC-regulated venue
  • Kraken enables accredited US investors to lock their cash and stablecoins up for fixed periods from 3 to 18 months with competitive fixed APY of up to 7%
  • 3D secure required
  • Low exchange fees on Kraken Pro
  • With low commissions, tight spreads and a transparent fee structure, IBKR delivers a cost-effective environment for short-term traders.
  • IBKR continues to deliver unmatched access to global stocks with tens of thousands of equities available from 100+ market centres in 24 countries, most recently the Saudi Stock Exchange.
  • Interactive Brokers has launched a unified interface that integrates prediction markets across three top exchanges: Kalshi, CME Group, and ForecastEx, with products where users can trade yes/no contracts on political, economic, and climate events, with fixed $1 payouts per contract, 24/6 market access, and interest on eligible held positions.
  • 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.
Cons
  • Low leverage on spot trading
  • Insider data breach and extortion incident affecting customer data in April 2026
  • Slow verification process on Pro account
  • Slow verification times
  • Does not support many newer altcoins
  • IBKR was fined $11.8m by the US OFAC in 2025 for providing services in sanctioned jurisdictions. It was also fined $125k by FINRA in 2025 for municipal bond disclosure failures.
  • TWS’s learning curve is steep, and beginners may find it challenging to navigate the platform and understand all the features.
  • 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.
  • 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.
Awards–
  • Best US Broker 2025 - DayTrading.com
InstrumentsCryptos, xStocks, Pre-IPO Perpetual FuturesStocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies, CFDs
Demo AccountYesYes
Minimum Deposit$10$0
Trading Platforms
  • Kraken App
  • Kraken Pro
  • Kraken Futures
  • AlgoTrader
  • Quantower
  • Trader Workstation (TWS)
  • IBKR Desktop
  • GlobalTrader
  • Mobile
  • Client Portal
  • AlgoTrader
  • OmniTrader
  • TradingView
  • eSignal
  • TradingCentral
  • ProRealTime
  • Quantower
Payment Methods
Minimum TradeVariable$1
RegulatorFINTRAC, AUSTRAC, CySEC, CBISEC, FINRA, CFTC, NFA, CIRO, FCA, CBI, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS
Margin TradingYesYes
Margin Rate–5.5% - 6.13% (depending on account tier)
STP AccountNoYes
ECN AccountNoNo
DMA AccountNoYes
MAM AccountNoYes
PAMM AccountNoNo
LAMM AccountNoNo
Demat AccountNoYes
AI / Machine LearningNoYes
Robo AdvisorNoYes
Negative Balance ProtectionNoYes
Market MakerNoNo
P2P TradingNoNo
Spot TradingYesYes
Mobile AppsYesiOS & Android
App ReviewWe've tested Kraken in a live account and it's an intuitive app, especially compared to alternatives like Binance. You can explore tokens, manage your portfolio, and set up a buy, recurring buy, sell or convert assets in a few taps after pressing the '+' icon in the bottom menu. 2FA and biometric login make for a secure mobile experience, while it's one of the few crypto apps to offer a route to secure potential prop funding from your palm.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
4.2
4.5
iOS App Rating
4.7
4.3
Auto TradingKraken Futures is integrated in other platforms which have bots: Bookmap, Caspian, FMZ Quant, Gunbot, HaasOnline, Hyndor, MarginTWS API
Copy TradingNoNo
Social TradingNoNo
VPS HostingNoNo
TournamentsNoNo
Demo CompetitionsNoNo
Ethical InvestingNoYes
Custodial AccountNoNo
Guaranteed Stop LossNoNo
Inactivity Fee$0$0
Islamic AccountNoNo
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • CHF
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • INR
  • JPY
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • AED
  • HUF
Stock Exchanges–
Commodities–
CFD Trading
OverviewCFD trading not offeredOver 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.
Leverage–1:50
FTSE Spread–0.005% (£1 Min)
GBPUSD Spread–0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Oil Spread–0.25-0.85
Stocks Spread–0.003
Forex Trading
OverviewForex trading not offeredIBKR 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 over 100 complex order types, including brackets, scale, and one-cancels-all (OCA) orders.
GBPUSD Spread–0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURUSD Spread–0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURGBP Spread–0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Assets–100+
Cryptocurrency
OverviewKraken is a specialized crypto exchange and supports more than 600 cryptocurrencies. These include all of the established tokens like Bitcoin as well as some altcoins. Traders can make trades on spot crypto markets with up to 1:5 leverage or on futures with up to 1:50. Fees are low and the platform is super easy to pick up.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.
Spread0-0.26% average0.12%-0.18%
Coins
  • AAVE
  • ALGO
  • ANT
  • REP
  • REPV2
  • BAT
  • BAL
  • XBT
  • BCH
  • ADA
  • LINK
  • COMP
  • ATOM
  • CRV
  • DAI
  • DASH
  • MANA
  • XDG
  • EWT
  • EOS
  • ETH
  • ETC
  • FIL
  • FLOW
  • GNO
  • ICX
  • KAVA
  • KEEP
  • KSM
  • KNC
  • LSK
  • LTC
  • MLN
  • XMR
  • NANO
  • OCEAN
  • OMG
  • OXT
  • PAXG
  • DOT
  • QTUM
  • XRP
  • SC
  • XLM
  • STORJ
  • SNX
  • TBTC
  • USDT
  • XTZ
  • GRT
  • TRX
  • UNI
  • USDC
  • WAVES
  • YFI
  • ZEC
  • BNB
  • BTC
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
Crypto LendingNoNo
Crypto MiningNoNo
Crypto StakingYesNo
Auto Market MakerNoNo