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 Admirals and IronFX in terms of trading platforms and tools, both brokers provide simulated or paper trading options with free virtual demo accounts, making them accessible for beginners. Admirals stands out by offering both MetaTrader 4 and the upgraded MetaTrader 5 platforms, while IronFX only provides MetaTrader 4. Although both brokers support Windows-based desktop trading and web-based platforms, only Admirals has developed its proprietary trading platform, giving users exclusive features. While both brokers include copy trading, they do not offer DupliTrade or ZuluTrade options.
Charting tools and customization options further differentiate the two brokers. Admirals offers a much broader range of charting drawing tools, with 106 options compared to IronFX's 15, which may appeal to more advanced traders looking for detailed analysis opportunities. Both brokers allow for direct trading from stock charts and provide seven columns for watch lists. In terms of ratings, Admirals scores 4 stars for trading platforms and tools, ranking 20th out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX earns 3.5 stars and a lower ranking of 60th. This information suggests that Admirals might be the preferred choice for traders who value diverse platform options and extensive charting capabilities.
| 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 comprehensive mobile trading apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. Users enjoy the convenience of setting stock or forex price alerts and drawing trend lines on charts. Additionally, each app permits the viewing of multiple time frames, whether daily, weekly, or intraday, and supports the auto-saving of chart drawings. Admirals and IronFX further enable traders to create watchlists with real-time quotes, though neither offers watchlist symbol syncing with online accounts. This means users will need to manage watchlists separately on the app and web platforms.
In terms of technical analysis, both apps come equipped with 30 technical studies for charting. However, Admirals seems to stand out slightly, earning a 4-star rating for its mobile trading experience, while IronFX receives a 3.5-star rating. This difference is echoed in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where Admirals is placed at #28 out of 62 brokers, whereas IronFX holds the #61 spot. The ratings and rankings suggest that Admirals may offer a slightly more refined and user-friendly mobile trading experience than IronFX.
| 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
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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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) | No | 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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