Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Admirals vs IronFX, 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.
Admirals, established in 2001, and IronFX, founded in 2010, are two online brokers you might consider. Neither are publicly traded or banks, but they differ significantly in their regulatory standing. Admirals holds four Tier-1 licenses, which indicates a high level of trust, alongside three Tier-2 licenses. These licenses contribute to Admirals achieving a commendable Trust Score of 93 out of 99, as rated by ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, IronFX holds three Tier-1 licenses but does not have any Tier-2 licenses, resulting in a Trust Score of 83. While both brokers are considered trusted, Admirals' higher Trust Score and additional licenses provide a stronger sense of security for potential investors. Whether prioritizing regulatory oversight or years of service, Admirals has the edge in terms of trust and reliability.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
Admirals offers competitive pricing for traders, particularly on their Trade account, which features typical spreads of 0.8 pips. This competitiveness extends to their Zero account type as well, providing options that align closely with industry standards. Due to these attractive costs, Admirals earns a commendable 4.5-star rating in the commissions and fees category, ranking 17th out of 62 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, IronFX has room for improvement when it comes to pricing, as their spreads often appear higher than the industry average. The Standard variable spread account lists a typical spread of 1.8 pips, but this may vary across different account types. For instance, their zero fixed-spread account starts at zero with a significant $18 per lot commission, and spreads can broaden to 3 pips overnight. These factors contribute to IronFX receiving a 4-star rating and placing 47th out of 62 brokers evaluated in the same category by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing Admirals and IronFX, Admirals clearly stands out with its extensive range of investment options. Admirals offers an impressive 8,702 tradable symbols, far surpassing IronFX's 340 symbols. For traders interested in forex, Admirals provides 82 tradable forex pairs, closely matching IronFX's 83 pairs. Admirals also provides access to buying direct exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, such as shares of Apple, and international ones like Vodafone, a feature IronFX lacks. Both platforms offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, crypto derivatives, and copy trading, but Admirals' wider variety of investment avenues contributes to a superior user experience.
Admirals not only offers a broader array of investment options but also receives higher accreditation in the industry. With a 4.5-star rating for its range of investments, Admirals ranks 19th out of 62 brokers, compared to IronFX's 3.5-star rating and 51st rank. While neither broker provides the ability to purchase actual cryptocurrencies, they both enable the trading of cryptocurrency derivatives, allowing traders to explore crypto markets without owning the actual digital assets. Overall, Admirals provides traders with more investment choices and a higher industry ranking, making it a more appealing choice for diverse investment needs.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 83 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | 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 trading platforms and tools, Admirals and IronFX both provide features that cater to diverse trader needs. Admirals stands out by offering a proprietary platform, in addition to popular options like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), giving traders a versatile choice to suit their preferences. IronFX, on the other hand, supports MT4 but does not have a proprietary platform or MT5, slightly limiting platform options. Both brokers ensure accessibility with Windows-based desktop platforms and web-based platforms, while also providing simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts. Copy trading is an option with both Admirals and IronFX, but neither offers DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. Admirals edges forward with its rating of 4 stars for trading platforms and tools, compared to IronFX’s 3.5 stars.
For those who value technical analysis, the two brokers offer distinct advantages. Admirals provides a significant array of 106 drawing tools, giving traders a rich selection to analyze charts. In contrast, IronFX offers only 15 drawing tools. Trading directly from a stock chart is available with both brokers, ensuring convenience and efficiency. Moreover, both Admirals and IronFX allow customization of watch lists with seven fields. In terms of industry rankings, Admirals is positioned at #19 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX is ranked at #60, reflecting Admirals’ stronger performance in the Trading Platforms and Tools category. This comparison shows how Admirals potentially offers a more comprehensive trading experience, especially for those who value proprietary platforms and extensive charting tools.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 106 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Admirals and IronFX provide mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android devices, offering a comprehensive suite of features for on-the-go trading. Admirals and IronFX both support price alerts, multiple charting options with 30 technical studies, and allow users to draw trendlines and view various time frames on their stock or forex charts. Furthermore, they both ensure user convenience with auto-saving drawings and the ability to create watchlists featuring real-time quotes. However, neither currently offers syncing capabilities for watchlists between the mobile app and online account, which could be a consideration for those who frequently switch between devices.
In terms of user reviews and rankings, both apps are generally well-received, but Admirals edges ahead with a four-star rating for its mobile trading app, compared to IronFX's 3.5 stars. This difference is also reflected in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where Admirals sits at #23 out of 62 brokers, significantly higher than IronFX's #61 position. This discrepancy might speak to user preference in trading environments that prioritize reliability and user experience in mobile app execution. If these criteria are important to you, Admirals might be the preferred choice despite both brokers offering similar functionalities.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both Admirals and IronFX provide daily market commentary and offer forex news sourced from top-tier outlets like Bloomberg and Reuters. They each also provide access to Trading Central tools, ensuring robust technical analysis capabilities for users. However, Admirals stands out by offering a greater variety of market research features. Admirals provides a sentiment-based trading tool that outlines the ratio of long and short positions, as well as research resources from TipRanks and Acuity Trading, enhancing the depth of market insights available to its users. IronFX, on the other hand, does not offer these specific tools, potentially limiting the breadth of trading strategies for its users. Despite these differences, both brokers offer comprehensive economic calendars to track global news events.
When assessed by ForexBrokers.com for their research offerings, both Admirals and IronFX received a four-star rating. However, Admirals ranks higher at #15 among 62 brokers, compared to IronFX's rank of #28. This higher placement reflects Admirals' more extensive suite of research tools and resources, potentially providing a more enriched experience for traders who prioritize market research in their trading activities. For those seeking a broader spectrum of research tools and resources, Admirals may offer a more appealing package, while IronFX provides solid foundational research capabilities.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 the educational resources available to beginners from Admirals and IronFX, Admirals stands out with a more comprehensive offering. Both brokers provide a solid foundation in forex and CFDs education, with Admirals and IronFX each offering more than 10 educational pieces such as articles, videos, and webinars focused on these topics. Admirals further enhances its educational experience by hosting monthly online webinars, providing beginners with real-time learning opportunities. IronFX, however, does not offer these regular live webinars. Both brokers maintain searchable archives of recorded webinars, allowing users to learn at their own pace.
In terms of video content tailored for beginners, each broker offers at least 10 videos. Admirals goes a step further, offering advanced educational videos for expert traders, a resource not found with IronFX. On the plus side, both provide an investor dictionary with over 50 terms, helping beginners familiarize themselves with essential trading language. Admirals earns a four-star rating for education and ranks 12th among 62 brokers, demonstrating a superior position in educational offerings. In contrast, IronFX also earns a four-star education rating but ranks 44th, reflecting a less competitive educational scope compared to Admirals.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Admirals is better than IronFX. Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.
Traders choose Admirals for its excellent investor education and advanced MetaTrader features – such as the Supreme add-ons – alongside an extensive range of shares, forex and CFD markets, and premium research content.
| Feature |
Admirals
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IronFX
|
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| Trust Score | 93 | 83 |
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Both Admirals and IronFX do not provide the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they each offer the ability to trade in cryptocurrency derivatives.
Admirals provides a broader range of deposit and withdrawal options compared to IronFX, offering ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, whereas IronFX lacks ACH or SEPA and PayPal options but supports Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires.
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 | Admirals | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admirals Review |
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| Regulation | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes | No |
| Investments | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 83 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | 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 | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.8 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 106 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Admirals | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Admirals Review |
| Overall | Admirals | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admirals Review |
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