Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs BDSwiss, 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.
Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers has established itself as a highly reliable online broker with a Trust Score of 99 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com. This public company holds an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, adding to its reputation for high trustworthiness and compliance with top-tier regulations. Despite not being a bank, Interactive Brokers operates with a high level of confidence and security for its clients.
BDSwiss, on the other hand, entered the market in 2012 and has garnered an average Trust Score of 73 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com. It holds one Tier-1 license, which indicates a level of trust, but might not match the regulatory clout of its competitors. Privately held and not a bank, BDSwiss serves its clients with a focus on essential regulatory standards, but potential investors might consider their regulatory positioning when choosing between these two brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2012 |
| 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 | 2 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Interactive Brokers stands out with its competitive pricing structure, earning it a stellar 5-star rating and a #2 ranking among 62 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com. Though it doesn't publish average spreads for forex, the all-in spread for EUR/USD during Q3 2024 was 0.59 pips, assuming a starting commission of 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the U.S. dollar trade value with a minimum of $2 per order. This equates to a commission-equivalent of about 0.40 pips, offering some of the lowest rates for forex trading. While IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro accounts do support forex trading, they are not commission-free.
Interactive Brokers charges a commission per trade ranging from $16 to $40 per million round turn, benefiting traders who deal in larger volumes. For those trading over $1 billion in forex monthly, commissions drop to as low as $1 per order when reaching $5 billion per month. The broker also provides a unique aggregated pricing model from 17 interbank forex dealers and specializes in handling large order sizes on a Request For Quote basis, further minimizing market impact and optimizing execution.
In comparison, BDSwiss offers sound order execution but its fees are less competitive, receiving a 4-star rating and a #29 ranking from ForexBrokers.com. Spreads for the Classic account are relatively high at 1.5 pips on EUR/USD. The Raw account fares better with a spread of 0.3 pips plus a $5 commission per side, leading to an effective spread of 1.3 pips. Meanwhile, the VIP account features a 1.2 pips spread, which is slightly more favorable but still higher than leading competitors. Overall, Interactive Brokers provides more cost-effective solutions for forex traders, particularly those with significant trading volumes.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10-$5000 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 1.3 |
| 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.
When comparing Interactive Brokers and BDSwiss, a clear distinction emerges in their range of investments. Interactive Brokers stands out by providing access to 8,500 tradable symbols, including 90 forex pairs. In contrast, BDSwiss offers 1,081 tradable symbols with 53 forex pairs available. Furthermore, Interactive Brokers facilitates trading in exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, allowing clients to own shares like Apple and Vodafone. BDSwiss, on the other hand, does not offer this service. A notable feature of Interactive Brokers is the ability to purchase actual cryptocurrencies alongside cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas BDSwiss only caters to the latter.
Despite BDSwiss offering copy trading—a feature that Interactive Brokers lacks—it still falls short in the range of investments, earning a four-star rating compared to Interactive Brokers' perfect five stars. ForexBrokers.com ranks Interactive Brokers as the best out of 62 brokers for investment variety, while BDSwiss takes the 34th spot. Whether you're interested in extensive access to international stocks or a comprehensive approach to cryptocurrency, Interactive Brokers provides a wider array of options to meet diverse investment objectives.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1081 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 53 |
| 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.
Interactive Brokers and BDSwiss both offer a wealth of options for their trading platforms, starting with simulated trading accounts that can help users get accustomed to their platforms without financial risk. Both brokers provide proprietary platforms, downloadable desktop options for Windows, and web-based interfaces, ensuring flexibility for different trading styles and preferences. Where they differ significantly is in copy trading and supporting MetaTrader platforms. While BDSwiss supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, as well as copy trading features, Interactive Brokers does not offer these options, focusing instead on its in-house tools and capabilities.
When diving into charting features, Interactive Brokers outshines BDSwiss with the availability of 85 drawing tools compared to just 15 from BDSwiss, providing more detailed ways to analyze market trends. Both brokers allow trading directly from the chart, which can help streamline the trading process. When it comes to organizing market data, Interactive Brokers also excels, offering an impressive 659 fields for watch lists compared to BDSwiss's 7. This extensive customizability contributes to Interactive Brokers receiving a superior 5-star rating for its trading platforms and tools, ranked third among 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, BDSwiss earns a respectable 4-star rating, positioned at 24th in the same category.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| 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.
Both Interactive Brokers and BDSwiss offer impressive mobile trading apps, catering to iPhone and Android users alike. They provide essential features such as stock or forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines, and access to various time frames on charts. However, one standout feature of Interactive Brokers is the watchlist symbol syncing, which ensures that any changes made in the mobile app are reflected in the client’s online account. BDSwiss lacks this functionality, which may be a drawback for traders seeking seamless integration across platforms.
When it comes to charting, Interactive Brokers takes the lead with 97 technical studies, significantly higher than BDSwiss's 30. While both apps facilitate creating watchlists with real-time quotes, BDSwiss has the advantage of auto-saving chart drawings—a feature not available with Interactive Brokers. Despite this, Interactive Brokers boasts a 5-star rating for its mobile trading app compared to BDSwiss’s 4-star, and is ranked #4 out of 62 brokers in the Mobile Trading Apps category on ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, BDSwiss is ranked #23, indicating a broader appreciation for the features and user experience offered by Interactive Brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 BDSwiss both provide daily market commentary, keeping traders informed with the latest insights. However, when it comes to forex news from well-known sources like Bloomberg and Dow Jones, Interactive Brokers has the edge, as BDSwiss does not offer this service. For traders seeking tools for technical and fundamental analysis, both brokers provide resources from Trading Central. Yet, BDSwiss stands out with Autochartist offerings, which Interactive Brokers does not include in their services. Additionally, Interactive Brokers supports a sentiment-based trading tool, displaying ratios of long and short positions across various instruments, a feature that is absent from BDSwiss's toolkit.
Research tools from TipRanks and Acuity Trading further enhance Interactive Brokers' offerings, allowing for a comprehensive analysis experience unlike BDSwiss, which lacks these tools. Despite both brokers offering an economic calendar to track significant global economic events, Interactive Brokers is rated higher with five stars for research compared to BDSwiss's four stars. In rankings among 62 brokers, Interactive Brokers secures the impressive 3rd position for research, while BDSwiss is ranked 23rd, revealing a distinct difference in their market research capabilities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| 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 it comes to educational resources for beginners, both Interactive Brokers and BDSwiss provide a variety of learning materials and opportunities. Each broker offers more than 10 educational pieces focused on forex and CFDs, including articles, videos, and recorded webinars. Monthly online webinars are accessible through both platforms, and they maintain a searchable archive for clients to revisit past sessions. Beginners can benefit from more than 10 trading videos tailored to their level provided by each broker, and those advanced in their trading journey are not left behind, with complex topics covered in over 10 advanced videos.
Furthermore, both platforms make it easier for novices by offering an investor dictionary with definitions for at least 50 investing terms. Despite these similarities, Interactive Brokers shines brighter with a five-star rating for education, compared to BDSwiss's four-star rating. This distinction is evident in their respective rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where Interactive Brokers takes the impressive #3 spot, significantly ahead of BDSwiss, which is ranked #19 out of 62 brokers in the education category.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| 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 Interactive Brokers is better than BDSwiss. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while BDSwiss finished with an overall rank of #36.
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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BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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Interactive Brokers provides the opportunity to buy both actual cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency derivatives, while BDSwiss only offers the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives and does not facilitate purchasing actual cryptocurrency.
Interactive Brokers and BDSwiss both support ACH, SEPA transfers, and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals, but unlike Interactive Brokers, BDSwiss also accepts Visa, Mastercard, and Skrill, whereas neither broker supports PayPal.
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 | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | BDSwiss Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | BDSwiss | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2012 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1081 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 53 | |
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 1.3 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | No |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10-$5000 | |
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BDSwiss Review |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | BDSwiss Review |
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