Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG vs GBE brokers, 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.
When comparing IG and GBE brokers, IG stands out as a longstanding financial entity since being founded in 1974. Unlike GBE brokers, which began in 2013, IG is publicly traded and also operates as a bank. This adds a layer of confidence when considering their regulatory framework. IG boasts eight Tier-1 licenses, which are trusted by ForexBrokers.com, in contrast to GBE brokers' single Tier-1 license. Additionally, IG holds two Tier-2 licenses, whereas GBE brokers have none. Consequently, IG achieves an impressive Trust Score of 99, indicating they are highly trusted, while GBE brokers attain a Trust Score of 71, suggesting an average level of risk.
Both brokers aim to offer solid trading services, but IG's extensive regulatory approval and banking status provide a stronger assurance to investors. GBE brokers, while meeting average trust standards with one Tier-1 license, may suit those who are willing to engage with a broker with a shorter market presence and a moderate risk profile. Ultimately, IG's comprehensive regulatory standing and long history make it a preferred choice for traders seeking a higher degree of trust and credibility.
| Feature |
IG
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2013 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of IG and GBE Brokers, IG stands out with a 5-star rating, ranked #8 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Known for its scalability, IG provides several execution methods, including its Forex Direct accounts that cater to active traders requiring large order execution. The typical spreads for IG's main Forex Direct account average 0.62 pips, with an all-in cost of 0.82 pips once factoring in per trade commissions. For CFD accounts, IG offers competitive spreads that average 0.69 pips during peak trading sessions, which compares favorably to the industry average. They also have active trader rebate programs with discounts up to 20% for high-volume professional traders, along with premium perks where applicable.
IG's DMA account further enhances its offering for more seasoned traders. Requiring a £1,000 minimum deposit, it features a tiered pricing scheme based on monthly trading volumes. For those trading over a billion dollars in volume, the commission drops significantly, resulting in an effective spread of 0.82 pips. This makes the DMA account particularly appealing to those seeking cost-efficient trading options. However, GBE Brokers has a 4-star rating and is positioned at #36, lacking transparent spread data in this analysis, which can be a factor when evaluating its overall cost-effectiveness compared to IG.
Both brokers offer unique advantages, yet IG’s extensive trading tools, flexible fee structures, and numerous account types provide a slight edge for serious traders looking for versatility and value. While GBE Brokers remains a viable choice, particularly for those prioritizing different factors beyond mere spreads and commissions, IG's tailored services and active rebate schemes might provide the additional value sought by frequent and high-volume traders.
| Feature |
IG
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $500 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing IG and GBE brokers, IG stands out with a significantly larger selection of tradeable symbols, offering 19,537 compared to GBE's 500. Both brokers provide forex trading with IG offering a broader range of 97 forex pairs, whereas GBE offers 71. Additionally, IG facilitates access to exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, allowing investors to purchase shares like Apple and Vodafone. In contrast, GBE brokers do not provide direct access to these securities, focusing instead on CFD trading and other derivatives.
IG is rated highly with a 5-star rating for the range of investments, ranking #4 out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, GBE brokers hold a 3.5-star rating, ranking #44. While neither platform allows for the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies, both offer cryptocurrency derivatives. GBE sets itself apart by providing a copy trading feature, which could appeal to those interested in mirroring the trades of experienced investors. Overall, when considering the variety of investments, IG emerges as a more comprehensive choice for diverse trading opportunities.
| Feature |
IG
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 71 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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 IG and GBE Brokers regarding their trading platforms and tools, both offer simulated trading through a demo account, catering to traders who wish to practice without risking real money. IG impresses with its in-house developed proprietary platform, while GBE Brokers does not have this feature. However, both brokers provide Windows-based desktop and web-based trading platforms, enabling flexibility across devices. Traders looking for a social trading experience may prefer GBE Brokers, which supports copy trading, unlike IG. While both brokers offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4), GBE Brokers also provides MetaTrader 5 (MT5), giving an edge to those seeking the latest MetaTrader technology.
IG stands out with a higher rating in trading platforms and tools, scoring 5 stars compared to GBE Brokers' 4 stars. This is reflected in their respective rankings, where IG is placed 2nd among 62 brokers, whereas GBE Brokers ranks 57th according to ForexBrokers.com. IG also offers slightly more in terms of charting capabilities, with 20 drawing tools compared to GBE Brokers' 15. Both brokers allow trading directly from stock charts, but GBE Brokers provides more fields for watch lists, with seven available compared to IG's five. Overall, IG's suite of tools and platforms seems more tailored for a premium trading experience, while GBE Brokers offers additional features like newer MetaTrader support and copy trading for traders interested in these areas.
| Feature |
IG
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 5 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both IG and GBE Brokers offer solutions compatible with iPhones and Android devices. They provide essential features like stock and forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines, and view multiple time frames for charts. However, IG outshines GBE Brokers in a few key areas. It offers 33 technical studies for charting compared to GBE Brokers' 30. Furthermore, IG's app syncs watchlists seamlessly between the mobile platform and the user's online account—an option that GBE Brokers lacks, potentially making trade management easier for users of IG's app.
Both brokers enable the creation of real-time watchlists and autosave drawings. However, in terms of user satisfaction and expert reviews, IG's mobile app receives higher accolades. It holds a 5-star rating and is ranked as the top mobile trading app out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, GBE Brokers receives a 4-star rating, positioned at rank 57. These differences highlight IG's superior standing in the eyes of users and reviewers, making it a potentially more appealing choice for traders who prioritize a seamless mobile experience.
| Feature |
IG
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 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.
When comparing IG and GBE brokers, IG stands out significantly in market research offerings. Both brokers provide daily market commentary and an economic calendar displaying global events. However, IG outpaces GBE brokers by delivering forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, which GBE brokers lacks. Furthermore, IG supports traders with advanced tools like Autochartist, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading, whereas GBE brokers do not offer these tools, limiting the breadth of research available to its users.
IG's comprehensive suite of market research tools and reliable news sources has earned it a 5-star rating for research and a remarkable #2 rank out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, GBE brokers is rated with 3 stars and is ranked #61, highlighting a significant gap in their research capabilities. For traders who rely heavily on a variety of research tools and timely market insights, IG provides a far more robust research platform compared to GBE brokers.
| Feature |
IG
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| 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 it comes to providing educational resources for new traders, IG offers a wealth of options that cater to beginners and seasoned traders alike. IG provides beginners access to over 10 educational pieces focused on forex or CFDs, along with the convenience of monthly online webinars that keep clients
| Feature |
IG
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IG is better than GBE brokers. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while GBE brokers finished with an overall rank of #56.
IG offers the ultimate comprehensive trading package, featuring excellent trading and research tools, industry-leading education, and an extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
IG
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 71 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platform & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Both IG and GBE Brokers provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives rather than actual, delivered cryptocurrencies.
Both IG and GBE Brokers offer a range of deposit and withdrawal options including ACH, SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires; however, only GBE Brokers provides the additional option of using Skrill 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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platform & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Research Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| Regulation | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2013 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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 | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $500 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 5 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 33 | 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 | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IG Review |
| Overall | IG | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platform & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill