Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Capital.com, 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, is a well-established online broker that enjoys a very high trust rating. With a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, it is backed by an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, reflecting its strong international regulatory standing. Although not a bank, Interactive Brokers is a publicly traded company, providing an additional layer of transparency and confidence for investors and traders looking for a reliable platform.
On the other hand, Capital.com, founded in 2016, is a more recent player in the market. It holds a respectable ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 87, making it a trusted choice among brokers. It is supported by three Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, highlighting its commitment to regulatory compliance. While Capital.com is not publicly traded, it has managed to carve out a niche for itself in the trading world, offering a competitive and trustworthy service without being a traditional bank.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Interactive Brokers and Capital.com are two top-rated online trading platforms, each earning 5 out of 5 stars for their commission and fee structures. Interactive Brokers is acclaimed for its low commission rates, ranking #2 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com in the Commissions and Fees category. For forex trading, Interactive Brokers charges a commission that starts at 0.00002 of the U.S. dollar trade value, with a minimum fee of $2 per order, translating to an effective all-in spread of 0.59 pips for the EUR/USD. For active traders, further discounts are available when trading volumes reach certain thresholds, offering potential savings for high-frequency traders.
On the other hand, Capital.com is also highly regarded, ranked #3 by ForexBrokers.com for its competitive pricing structure. The platform's average spread for the EUR/USD is reported at 0.67 pips, slightly lower than the industry average, making it a solid choice for traders looking to minimize trading costs. Capital.com offers both retail and professional account options, although it's important to note that professional clients might not receive the same level of regulatory protection.
In summary, both Interactive Brokers and Capital.com offer competitive, cost-effective options for forex trading, with pricing structures designed to accommodate different trading styles and volumes. While Interactive Brokers may appeal more to high-volume traders seeking discounts, Capital.com provides an excellent option for those prioritizing low average spreads in their trading activities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $20 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.67 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.67 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| 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 it comes to the range of investments offered, Interactive Brokers and Capital.com each have their own unique strengths. Interactive Brokers provides access to 8,500 tradeable symbols, including 90 forex pairs, allowing for a broad selection to satisfy diverse trading preferences. They also support trading on U.S. and international exchanges, enabling investors to purchase shares like Apple and Vodafone directly. Additionally, Interactive Brokers offers the flexibility of buying actual cryptocurrency as well as cryptocurrency derivatives, giving traders a variety of options in digital assets.
On the other hand, Capital.com offers 3,007 tradeable symbols, with an impressive selection of 125 forex pairs, allowing forex enthusiasts a slightly wider array of currency trading opportunities. However, it does not provide access to exchange-traded securities on either U.S. or international markets, such as direct investment in companies like Apple or Vodafone. While Capital.com only offers cryptocurrency derivatives instead of actual cryptocurrency, its offerings are still competitive, earning it a 4.5-star rating for range of investments compared to Interactive Brokers' 5-star rating. According to ForexBrokers.com, these strengths rank Interactive Brokers as #1 and Capital.com as #22 out of 62 brokers for investment range.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 3007 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 125 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No |
| 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 Capital.com both provide comprehensive trading platforms, each with its own strengths. Both brokers offer free virtual trading accounts, ideal for beginners to practice risk-free. They also have proprietary platforms, available for both Windows-based desktop and web-based use. While Interactive Brokers offers a broad array of 85 drawing tools and allows live trading directly from charts, Capital.com provides 18 drawing tools with the same direct trading capability. However, Capital.com sets itself apart by supporting MetaTrader 4, a popular choice for Forex trading, which Interactive Brokers does not offer. Notably, neither platform supports copy trading or linked services like DupliTrade and ZuluTrade.
Interactive Brokers excels with an impressive 659 columns for watch lists, enabling highly detailed market monitoring compared to Capital.com's 11 columns. This wide-ranging functionality contributes to Interactive Brokers' perfect 5-star rating for its trading platforms and tools, making it the 3rd best out of 62 brokers as ranked by ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, Capital.com boasts a solid 4.5-star rating, securing the 12th spot in the same category. This makes both platforms strong contenders for traders, though Interactive Brokers may edge out for those seeking more advanced tracking and analytics tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 83 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 18 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Interactive Brokers and Capital.com offer iPhone and Android apps, making mobile trading accessible for users regardless of their smartphone preference. When it comes to features like stock or forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts, both apps deliver a solid experience. However, Interactive Brokers holds a leading edge with watchlist symbol syncing, where changes made on either the mobile or online account are synchronized. In contrast, Capital.com does not offer this feature, which may lead to a slightly less convenient experience for users managing their watchlists across platforms.
Interactive Brokers stands out with an impressive 97 technical studies available for charting, compared to Capital.com's 30. Despite this, Capital.com shines with its auto-save feature for chart drawings, which is not available in Interactive Brokers' app. Both apps offer the functionality to create watchlists with real-time quotes and support viewing charts in various time frames like daily or weekly. Interactive Brokers is highly rated for its mobile trading app with a 5-star rating and ranks #4 out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, whereas Capital.com holds a commendable 4.5-star rating and is ranked #12. This nuanced difference suggests that while both apps are highly capable, Interactive Brokers may better cater to those seeking advanced charting options and seamless watchlist management.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Capital.com both provide daily market commentary, giving traders up-to-date insights into market movements. While both platforms offer market research from TipRanks and an economic calendar for monitoring global news events, Interactive Brokers stands out with its access to top-tier forex news sources, such as Bloomberg and Reuters. In contrast, Capital.com does not offer this level of news coverage. Both brokers provide sentiment-based trading tools, which help traders gauge market sentiment through a ratio of long or short positions across various instruments.
Interactive Brokers further expands its research offerings with tools from Trading Central and Acuity Trading, whereas Capital.com lacks these features. This extensive suite of research tools contributes to Interactive Brokers' superior research rating of 5 stars, compared to Capital.com's 4.5 stars. Consequently, Interactive Brokers is ranked #3 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for research, a significant edge over Capital.com's rank of #14. These differences highlight Interactive Brokers as a more comprehensive choice for traders focused on in-depth research capabilities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Interactive Brokers and Capital.com both cater to beginners looking to expand their understanding of forex and CFDs with a wealth of educational resources. They each provide over ten educational materials focused on these subjects, offering articles, videos, and webinars to help newcomers grasp essential concepts. While both platforms deliver beginner-friendly content, Interactive Brokers stands out by offering monthly online educational webinars, a feature not available with Capital.com. Moreover, both platforms provide a searchable archive of past webinars, giving users the flexibility to learn at their own pace.
Additionally, Interactive Brokers and Capital.com present a variety of educational videos tailored to beginners and advanced traders alike, ensuring a comprehensive learning journey. They both include investor dictionaries, each defining at least 50 investing terms, which enhances the learning experience. In terms of educational quality, Interactive Brokers is rated slightly higher at five stars, ranking third out of 62 brokers for education by ForexBrokers.com, whereas Capital.com has a 4.5-star rating and ranks eighth. This nuanced advantage makes Interactive Brokers a compelling choice for those prioritizing education on their trading pathways.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 Capital.com. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Capital.com finished with an overall rank of #10.
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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Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 |
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Interactive Brokers allows users to buy actual cryptocurrencies and offers cryptocurrency derivatives, while Capital.com is limited to offering only cryptocurrency derivatives, not actual cryptocurrencies.
In comparing the deposit and withdrawal options between Interactive Brokers and Capital.com, Interactive Brokers supports ACH, SEPA, and bank wire transfers, whereas Capital.com, which also supports bank wire transfers, offers additional flexibility with the ability to use PayPal, Skrill, and Visa or Mastercard for transactions.
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 | Capital.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Capital.com Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 3007 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 125 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No | |
| 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 | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.67 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.67 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $20 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 83 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 18 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Capital.com Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Capital.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Capital.com Review |
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