Interactive Brokers vs eToro 2026

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.

Regulation

Interactive Brokers (founded 1977) and eToro (founded 2007) are online brokers that are publicly traded and not banks. ForexBrokers.com rates trust on a 0–99 scale, where 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted. Interactive Brokers scores 99 and eToro scores 97, placing both in the highly trusted range.

Regulation is a key difference. Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, while eToro holds 4 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2. Tier-1 licenses are viewed as the most trusted by ForexBrokers.com, with Tier-2 also trusted. Both brokers are well regulated, with Interactive Brokers covering more top-tier jurisdictions.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Year Founded info	1977	2007
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	Yes
Bank info	No	No
Tier-1 Licenses info	8	4
Tier-2 Licenses info	2	1
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	1

Fees

Interactive Brokers comes out ahead of eToro on commissions and fees, especially for forex traders. IBKR does not publish average forex spreads, but recent Q3 2024 pricing showed an average EUR/USD spread of 0.19 pips, which works out to an effective all-in spread of about 0.59 pips after commission. Its forex commissions start at 0.2 basis points of trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order, and can fall even lower for very active traders. This makes it a strong choice for higher-volume traders, though smaller trades can feel expensive because of the minimum charge. Interactive Brokers is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.

eToro, by contrast, is more expensive for forex trading, with a typical variable EUR/USD spread of about 1 pip. Since eToro is a market-maker broker, retail traders usually choose it more for its social copy trading tools than for low trading costs. It does offer the eToro Club VIP program, with five tiers from Silver to Diamond for account balances between $5,000 and $250,000, and those tiers can include perks like lower deposit and withdrawal fees, Trading Central access, and a dedicated account manager. eToro is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #22 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.

Overall, Interactive Brokers is the better pick if your main goal is lower trading costs and tighter forex pricing, while eToro may appeal more if you value its platform features and copy trading experience. For pure commissions and fees, IBKR is the clear winner.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$50-$10,000
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.226 info	1
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.226 info	1
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	Yes
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Range of investments

Interactive Brokers and eToro both give investors a wide choice of markets, including forex, U.S. shares, international shares, and actual cryptocurrency. Interactive Brokers offers a larger overall selection, with about 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, compared with eToro’s 7,441 symbols and 65 forex pairs. For investors who want more market choice, that extra range can make a difference.

There are also some clear differences in what each platform offers. eToro includes copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, while Interactive Brokers does not offer copy trading or crypto CFDs. Both brokers let clients buy real stocks on U.S. and international exchanges, and both allow the purchase of actual cryptocurrency. For range of investments, both are rated 5 stars, but Interactive Brokers is ranked #1 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while eToro is ranked #10.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	7441
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	65
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	Yes
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	No	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.

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers and eToro both give traders a free paper trading account, a proprietary platform, a web-based platform, and the ability to trade directly from charts. Both also skip MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. The biggest difference is that Interactive Brokers adds a Windows desktop platform, while eToro does not. eToro, on the other hand, stands out for copy trading, which lets users follow and mirror other traders’ moves, while Interactive Brokers does not offer this feature.

When it comes to trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers scores higher overall, with a 5-star rating and a #2 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com. eToro still performs well, earning 4.5 stars and placing #8. For traders who want a desktop option and a top-rated platform setup, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick. For those who prefer social and copy trading features, eToro may be the better fit.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	No
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	106
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers and eToro both make it easy to trade on the go, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, and watchlist syncing that keeps your mobile watchlists aligned with your online account. Each app also lets users draw trendlines on stock or forex charts, but neither one auto-saves those drawings. For everyday mobile trading needs, both platforms cover the basics well.

Where Interactive Brokers stands out is in charting depth and overall app recognition. Its mobile app offers 155 technical studies, compared with 104 for eToro, which may matter more to active traders who rely on chart tools. Interactive Brokers also earns a higher Mobile Trading Apps rating of 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers, while eToro holds a 4.5-star rating and ranks #10. If mobile charting and app quality are a priority, Interactive Brokers has the edge, though eToro remains a solid choice for mobile trading.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	155	104
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers and eToro both give traders a solid set of market research tools, including daily market commentary, forex news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, sentiment tools, TipRanks research, and an economic calendar for tracking global events. Neither broker includes Autochartist, so that tool is not available on either platform.

The main difference is that Interactive Brokers goes further with added support from Trading Central and Acuity Trading, while eToro does not offer those tools. That extra depth helps explain why Interactive Brokers earns a 5-star Research rating and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers, compared with eToro’s 4.5-star rating and #12 ranking.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	Yes
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	Yes	No
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	Yes	Yes
Acuity Trading info	Yes	No
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers and eToro both give beginners a strong set of learning tools, including forex and CFD education, monthly online webinars, and plenty of video content for both new and more experienced traders. Each broker offers at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, so users can keep learning as their skills grow. For someone who wants a broker with a wide range of teaching materials, both platforms make it easy to get started and continue building knowledge.

That said, Interactive Brokers has the edge overall for education. It earns a 5-star education rating and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com for the Education category, while eToro scores 4.5 stars and ranks #3. In simple terms, eToro is still a very good choice for beginner-friendly learning, but Interactive Brokers stands out as the better option if education is your top priority.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than eToro. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while eToro finished with an overall rank of #9.

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	eToro
Overall Rating info
Trust Score info	99	97
Range of Investments
Trading Fees
Trading Platforms
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

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Overall Rating	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	97
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	eToro Review

Broker Screenshots	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info

Regulation	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Trust Score info	99	97
Year Founded info	1977	2007
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	Yes
Bank info	No	No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info	8	4
Tier-2 Licenses info	2	1
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	1

Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info	Yes	No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info	Yes	No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info	Yes	No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info	Yes
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info	Yes	No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info	No	No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	Yes info

Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info	No	No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info	No	No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) info	Yes	Yes info
India (SEBI Authorised) info	Yes	No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info

Investments	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	7441
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	65
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	Yes
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	No	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	eToro
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.226 info	1
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.226 info	1
Inactivity Fee info	No	Yes
Order execution: Agency info	Yes	Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info	No	Yes

Funding	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$50-$10,000
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	Yes

Trading Platforms	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	No
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
cTrader info	No	No

Trading Tools	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	106
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes
Charts can be saved info	Yes	Yes

Mobile Trading	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	155	104
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info	Yes	No

Research	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	Yes
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	Yes	No
TipRanks info	Yes	Yes
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Education	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Major Forex Pairs	Interactive Brokers	eToro
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info	Yes	Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	eToro Review

Overall	Interactive Brokers	eToro
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	97
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	eToro Review