Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs easyMarkets, 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 and easyMarkets offer distinct online brokerage experiences, each carrying unique regulatory credentials. Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers stands out as a highly trusted choice with a stellar ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99. This makes it a reliable option for traders seeking security and confidence. Notably, it holds nine Tier-1 licenses, signifying top-tier trust and compliance, and two Tier-2 licenses, elevating its trusted status further. Additionally, being publicly traded adds transparency to its operations.
In comparison, easyMarkets, established in 2001, also offers a secure trading environment with a trust score of 84, which qualifies it as a trusted broker according to ForexBrokers.com. easyMarkets holds two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, showcasing its commitment to adhering to trusted regulatory standards. However, it is not publicly traded, which is a factor some investors may consider when evaluating transparency and accountability. While both brokers are not banks, they provide robust trading platforms, each appealing to different trader preferences and risk appetites.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
When comparing Interactive Brokers and easyMarkets, Interactive Brokers emerges as a top choice for those prioritizing low commissions and fees, particularly in forex trading. Interactive Brokers does not publish its average spreads, but during the third quarter of 2024, the EUR/USD spread averaged 0.19 pips, reaching an effective all-in spread of 0.59 pips. With commission per side starting at 0.00002 of the U.S. dollar trade value and a minimum of $2 per order, Interactive Brokers offers a competitive rate. The company provides discounts for active traders, reducing costs significantly with higher trading volumes and ranks second out of 62 brokers. This impressive offering earns Interactive Brokers a 5-star rating for commissions and fees.
On the other hand, easyMarkets features fixed and variable spreads depending on the platform used. With spread rates for EUR/USD fixed at 0.8 pips on their platform and TradingView, easyMarkets presents a straightforward cost structure. However, costs are notably higher when using MT4 where standard account spreads reach 1.7 pips, though VIP accounts offer more competitive rates at 0.7 pips. MT5 users experience variable spreads beginning from 0.7 pips. Despite these offerings, easyMarkets sits at rank #51 among 62 brokers and holds a 3.5-star rating for commissions and fees.
Overall, Interactive Brokers offers a more appealing fee structure for forex traders, characterized by lower spreads and variable commission rates catering to high-volume traders. easyMarkets, with its fixed spreads, offers simplicity but with generally higher costs, especially for those trading with standard accounts on platforms like MT4. For traders seeking the best balance between cost and service, Interactive Brokers remains a stronger choice.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.8 |
| 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 and easyMarkets both cater to forex traders offering forex trading as a CFD or spot contract. While easyMarkets provides access to 230 tradeable symbols and hosts 63 forex pairs, Interactive Brokers surpasses with a vast array of 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, making it a compelling choice for those seeking diverse forex trading options. Moreover, Interactive Brokers offers the benefit of buying actual cryptocurrencies, a feature not available at easyMarkets, though both platforms do provide cryptocurrency derivatives.
In addition to forex and crypto, Interactive Brokers grants access to exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, allowing investors to directly purchase stocks like Apple and Vodafone. In contrast, easyMarkets lacks the ability to trade exchange-listed securities, limiting its offerings to CFDs. While easyMarkets supports copy trading, Interactive Brokers does not. The extensive investment range available at Interactive Brokers earns it a top ranking and a 5-star rating in the Range of Investments category, compared to easyMarkets’ 3.5-star rating and #54 position, highlighting the significant differences in their investment offerings.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 230 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 63 |
| 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 Interactive Brokers and easyMarkets, both online brokers offer a range of tools and platforms designed to meet the needs of their traders. Interactive Brokers is recognized for its sophisticated proprietary platform, which comes with an extensive 659 fields for watch lists and 85 drawing tools for charting, catering well to those who appreciate detailed data. While easyMarkets also provides a proprietary trading platform and offers additional access to MetaTrader 4 and 5, its charting options include 30 drawing tools, and it provides 8 fields for watch lists, making it suitable for traders looking for simpler options and external platform compatibility.
Furthermore, both brokers support simulated trading through virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice strategies without financial risks. However, easyMarkets edges ahead in social trading opportunities by offering copy trading, while Interactive Brokers does not. This broad toolkit contributes to Interactive Brokers earning a 5-star rating and ranking third out of 62 brokers for trading platforms and tools, whereas easyMarkets garners 4 stars and ranks 35th. This highlights the strengths of Interactive Brokers' platform in delivering comprehensive resources for data-focused traders, while easyMarkets shines with versatile platform opportunities and social trading features.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 15 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 8 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and easyMarkets both provide mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users, allowing traders to access the markets on the go. Both platforms ensure seamless watchlist synchronization, letting users make changes on their mobile devices that automatically reflect in their online accounts. However, when it comes to features like price alerts, Interactive Brokers stands out by offering alerts for stock or forex prices, a functionality not available with easyMarkets. Moreover, Interactive Brokers excels in providing 97 technical studies for its charting options, compared to easyMarkets' 81, which could be a crucial factor for traders who rely heavily on technical analysis.
When exploring charting capabilities, both Interactive Brokers and easyMarkets allow users to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames, such as daily, weekly, or intraday charts. However, neither app supports auto-saving of chart drawings. In terms of staying updated with market conditions, both platforms enable the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes. Yet, in terms of overall mobile trading experience and app ratings, Interactive Brokers receives a notable edge with a 5-star rating and a ranking of #4 out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, easyMarkets has a 4-star rating and is ranked #29. This rating difference may guide traders in selecting the app that best meets their mobile trading needs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 81 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and easyMarkets both provide valuable insights for traders, offering daily market commentary and top-tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. They also equip traders with technical analysis tools from Trading Central, ensuring users have access to essential analytics. Similarly, both platforms feature a sentiment-based trading tool that displays ratios of long and short positions across various instruments, and both provide an economic calendar to track global events affecting markets. However, Interactive Brokers stands out by offering exclusive research from TipRanks and additional tools from Acuity Trading, which easyMarkets does not provide.
The differences in offerings are reflected in their research ratings and rankings. Interactive Brokers is highly esteemed, with a five-star research rating and a prestigious third-place ranking out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, easyMarkets holds a respectable but lower research rating of 3.5 stars and ranks 43rd in the same category. These distinctions suggest that while both platforms cater to market research needs, Interactive Brokers might be more suitable for those seeking comprehensive analysis tools and a broader range of resources.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| 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 for beginners offered by Interactive Brokers and easyMarkets, both online brokers provide a strong foundation for those new to forex and CFDs trading. Interactive Brokers offers an extensive selection of educational materials, featuring over 10 articles, videos, and archived webinars focused on these topics. easyMarkets also exceeds this standard with a similar range of resources. Both platforms cater to beginners with beginner-focused videos and monthly online webinars, along with a comprehensive archive for continued learning.
In terms of providing more advanced trading education, Interactive Brokers and easyMarkets equally offer over 10 videos catering to experienced traders. They also feature investor dictionaries encompassing over 50 investing terms, aiding users in understanding complex jargon. However, when considering overall educational ratings, Interactive Brokers excels with a 5-star education rating and ranks third among 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, easyMarkets holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks 39th, indicating a strong, yet comparatively lesser, educational offering.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 easyMarkets. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while easyMarkets finished with an overall rank of #42.
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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easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 84 |
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Interactive Brokers supports the purchase of actual delivered cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas easyMarkets offers only cryptocurrency derivatives, not the actual digital currencies.
Interactive Brokers and easyMarkets both provide ACH and SEPA transfer options and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals, but easyMarkets additionally supports Skrill and credit card transactions via Visa or Mastercard, 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 | easyMarkets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | easyMarkets Review |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 84 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 230 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 63 | |
| 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 | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | |
| 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 | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 8 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 15 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 81 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | easyMarkets Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | easyMarkets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | easyMarkets Review |
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