Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs ACY Securities, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Interactive Brokers, established in 1977, and ACY Securities, founded in 2011, stand as notable entities in the online brokerage industry. Interactive Brokers is publicly traded, allowing greater transparency, while ACY Securities remains privately owned. Neither of the two companies functions as a bank, ensuring they are focused solely on providing brokerage services. Interactive Brokers distinguishes itself with an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, the highest level of regulatory trust, along with two additional Tier-2 licenses. This robust regulatory framework reflects its commitment to security and reliability. In contrast, ACY Securities holds a single Tier-1 license, lacking any Tier-2 validations, suggesting a less extensive regulatory backing.
The Trust Score provided by ForexBrokers.com further cements Interactive Brokers' reputation, as it achieves a perfect score of 99 out of 99, placing it firmly in the highly trusted category. Meanwhile, ACY Securities receives a Trust Score of 75, indicating an average level of risk. These scores reflect the brokers’ adherence to safety standards and reliability, informing potential users about the different levels of assurance they can expect. For traders seeking a highly trusted brokerage platform with extensive regulatory oversight, Interactive Brokers appears to hold the edge over ACY Securities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities offer distinct approaches to commissions and fees for forex trading, catering to different types of traders and preferences. Interactive Brokers boasts competitive pricing, though its average forex spreads are not publicly disclosed. For EUR/USD transactions, traders can expect an all-in spread of approximately 0.59 pips, factoring in both commissions and spread costs. Forex commission rates start at 0.2 basis points but can decrease to 0.08 basis points for highly active traders. Notably, Interactive Brokers charges a minimum of $2 per order, which may increase costs for trades involving less than 100,000 currency units. Overall, Interactive Brokers achieves a stellar rating of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #2 among 62 brokers in this category.
In contrast, ACY Securities offers three account types designed to meet a broad range of trading styles and budgets. The Standard account has no commission but comes with slightly wider average spreads of 1.2 pips on the EUR/USD. For those seeking tighter spreads, the ProZero and Bespoke accounts offer reduced average spreads of 0.25 pips, albeit with commissions ranging from $5 to $6 per round turn. However, Australian residents benefit from even more competitive rates with a reduced commission of $3 per round turn on the ProZero account, bringing effective spreads down to 0.55 pips. ACY Securities receives a commendable 4.5-star rating and is positioned at #21 out of 62 brokers in terms of commissions and fees.
Ultimately, both Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities deliver competitive options for forex traders but with unique fee structures tailored to different market needs. While Interactive Brokers excels with its low all-in forex spreads and flexible commission discounts for high-volume traders, ACY Securities appeals with customizable account options and favorable trading costs for Australian clients. These offerings align with their respective rankings and star ratings, signaling each broker’s strengths in forex pricing strategies.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.85 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers stands out with an extensive offering for investors, providing 8,500 tradeable symbols and access to a vast 90 forex pairs. The platform accommodates both beginner and advanced traders with diverse options, including spot forex contracts and CFDs. Notably, Interactive Brokers allows its clients to directly invest in U.S. and international exchange-traded securities like Apple and Vodafone. Cryptocurrency enthusiasts will also find value, as the platform facilitates the purchase of both actual cryptocurrencies and derivatives. With these comprehensive offerings, Interactive Brokers earns a top-tier rating of five stars and ranks first among 62 brokers for its range of investments.
In comparison, ACY Securities offers a meeting ground for traders through its 2,200 tradeable symbols and a respectable 66 forex pairs, available as both spot contracts and CFDs. While ACY Securities lacks the option to invest directly in exchange-traded securities, it supports copy trading, catering to those looking to mirror successful strategies. Although actual cryptocurrencies aren't on the menu, derivatives are readily available for trading. These features contribute to ACY Securities' commendable four-star rating and a respectable placement at rank 30 for its variety of investment choices in ForexBrokers.com's review of 62 brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 2200 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 66 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools of Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities, both brokers offer impressive features like simulated trading accounts and proprietary platforms. They provide various ways to trade, including desktop platforms for Windows and web-based platforms. However, a key difference lies in the variety of third-party platforms offered: ACY Securities includes popular options like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which Interactive Brokers does not support. Additionally, ACY Securities supports copy trading, while Interactive Brokers does not provide this feature.
In terms of charting tools, Interactive Brokers outshines ACY Securities with 85 drawing tools compared to just 15 offered by ACY. The watch list customization is another standout feature for Interactive Brokers, offering 659 columns, while ACY Securities provides just 7. Both brokers allow traders to execute trades directly from stock charts. Overall, Interactive Brokers earns a 5-star rating for its trading platforms and tools, ranking third among 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. ACY Securities, while commendable with a 4-star rating, ranks 41st in the same category, indicating a robust but less comprehensive offering than Interactive Brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities both offer trading apps for iPhone and Android, making them accessible to a wide range of users. They both provide essential tools like stock and forex price alerts, real-time quotes, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. However, Interactive Brokers has a clear edge with its watchlist symbol syncing feature, allowing seamless integration between the mobile app and online accounts. In contrast, ACY Securities lacks this functionality, which may impact users who frequently switch between devices.
When it comes to technical analysis, Interactive Brokers offers a more comprehensive experience with 97 technical studies for charting, compared to ACY Securities' 30. Both apps allow traders to view different time frames on charts. ACY Securities stands out by automatically saving chart drawings, whereas Interactive Brokers does not. Despite this, Interactive Brokers garners a higher user rating of 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 62 brokers for mobile trading apps by ForexBrokers.com, significantly outperforming ACY Securities, which holds a 4-star rating and ranks at #40.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities both provide daily market commentary and offer an economic calendar to keep you informed about upcoming global events. However, Interactive Brokers leads in providing in-depth market research, including forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters. In contrast, ACY Securities does not have access to such premier news providers. Furthermore, Interactive Brokers offers research tools from well-known companies like Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading, which ACY Securities does not provide.
Interactive Brokers further enhances its research offerings with a sentiment-based trading tool that provides insights into long and short positions for various instruments. ACY Securities lacks this feature, which contributes to its lower research rating of 3.5 stars compared to Interactive Brokers' impressive 5-star rating. This superior accumulation of resources and tools at Interactive Brokers places it third in the Research category among 62 brokers ranked by ForexBrokers.com, while ACY Securities is positioned at rank 44.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities for educational resources tailored to beginners, both platforms provide a strong foundation in forex and CFD education, featuring a minimum of 10 educational items such as articles, videos, and webinars. Both brokers also offer monthly live webinars and provide access to a searchable archive of recorded sessions, making it easy for learners to find information on specific topics. Both platforms excel in offering beginner-focused educational videos, ensuring that new traders have a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips.
However, where Interactive Brokers stands out is in its provision of advanced educational videos ideal for experienced traders, alongside an investor dictionary that defines over 50 investing terms. This is where ACY Securities falls short, lacking both a comprehensive investor dictionary and the same depth of advanced video resources. Consequently, Interactive Brokers earns a 5-star rating for education and ranks #3 out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ACY Securities garners a modest 3.5 stars and ranks #43. For those seeking a comprehensive educational journey, especially beyond the beginner phase, Interactive Brokers offers a more enriched experience.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than ACY Securities. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while ACY Securities finished with an overall rank of #41.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 75 |
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Interactive Brokers provides the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency as well as cryptocurrency derivatives, while ACY Securities offers only cryptocurrency derivatives without the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency.
Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities both support ACH or SEPA transfers and bank wires for depositing and withdrawing account funds, yet they differ as ACY Securities uniquely offers Skrill, Visa, and Mastercard services, while neither broker provides PayPal options.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ACY Securities Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 2200 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 66 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.85 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | No |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ACY Securities Review |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ACY Securities Review |
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