150+ markets
Interactive Brokers Review
The only perfect 10.0 for tradable assets in our dataset, at costs among the lowest in the industry. Support is the reason it does not rank higher.
A powerhouse for serious traders, let down by support
Interactive Brokers has operated since 1978 and is one of the most heavily regulated and respected brokers in the world, overseen by the SEC and FINRA in the US, the FCA in the UK and ASIC in Australia, among others. It offers access to more global markets than almost any broker we review, at costs that are among the lowest in the industry. It is a genuine powerhouse for serious and professional traders.
This review covers all ten sectors we score, from regulation and costs to mobile apps and account types, based on our standard testing framework.
Ten sectors, scored out of 10
Click any row for the reasoning. The overall score is our published headline rating, curated by hand rather than averaged.
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Regulation and safety
Regulation is Interactive Brokers’ strongest area. It is regulated across multiple top-tier jurisdictions, including the SEC and FINRA in the United States, the FCA in the United Kingdom, ASIC in Australia and the Central Bank of Ireland, among others. This is about as comprehensive a regulatory footprint as exists among retail-accessible brokers.
Client assets are held in segregated accounts and, depending on the entity you deal with, may be covered by investor protection schemes such as SIPC in the US or the FSCS in the UK. The specific protections depend on which regional entity you are onboarded with.
Fees and spreads
Interactive Brokers is known for very low costs. It offers tiered and fixed commission structures, low margin rates and, through IBKR Lite, commission-free trading on US-listed stocks and ETFs for eligible clients. For active traders and investors dealing across global markets, the overall cost of trading is among the most competitive we review.
Historically IBKR charged inactivity and data fees on some account types, though many of these have been reduced or removed in recent years. As pricing and fee structures are detailed and can change, it is worth confirming the current schedule directly on the IBKR site before opening an account.
Account opening and support
Support is the clear weak point, and the main reason Interactive Brokers does not rank higher overall. Customer support consistently draws criticism in independent reviews for being slow, hard to reach and difficult to navigate, particularly for retail clients who are used to the responsive live chat offered by newer brokers. It scored the lowest of any broker in our current lineup on this measure.
The platform itself also has a steep learning curve. Trader Workstation is enormously powerful but can be overwhelming for beginners, and account opening involves more paperwork than the streamlined onboarding of retail-focused rivals. This is a broker built for capable, self-directed traders rather than those who want their hand held.
Key details at a glance
Fees and costs summary
Platforms and tools
Interactive Brokers is the most institutional broker we cover, and its score card reads like it. Markets and tradable assets is a perfect 10.0, the only one we award in that sector, alongside a perfect 10.0 for regulation across the SEC, FINRA, FCA and ASIC. Platforms and education both score 9.0 and costs 8.5. Then it falls off a cliff on everything retail: support 4.0 and copy trading 3.0, both the lowest or near-lowest in our pool, with mobile 6.5 and accounts 6.5. If you are a capable, self-directed trader who wants global market access at institutional pricing and will never need to phone anyone, nothing else here comes close. If you are learning, or you value being able to reach a human, this is the wrong broker.
We have reviewed brokers independently since 2017. Every score comes from opening and funding a real account, placing trades, contacting support and requesting a withdrawal, not from marketing material. Scores are revised whenever conditions change rather than once a year.
Our overall rating is curated, not averaged, so a serious failure in one sector cannot be offset by an unrelated strength. See the full scoring report for the methodology and every broker’s data.
Fees, pricing and terms are based on information published by Interactive Brokers and our own research, and can change without notice. This review is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Trading carries a risk of losing money.