Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IronFX 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.
IronFX, established in 2010, holds a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 83, indicating a trusted status in the industry. This broker is not publicly traded nor a bank, but it stands out with three Tier-1 licenses, reflecting high regulatory confidence. These licenses affirm IronFX's commitment to safety and security for traders seeking a reliable platform to manage their investments.
In contrast, GBE Brokers began operations in 2013 and has a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 71, categorizing it within the average risk bracket. Like IronFX, GBE Brokers is neither publicly listed nor operates as a bank. However, with a single Tier-1 license, GBE Brokers offers a solid regulatory foundation, although it doesn't match the extensive oversight held by IronFX. Both platforms provide unique offerings, but IronFX's higher trust score and additional licenses may appeal to those prioritizing regulatory assurance.
| Feature |
IronFX
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2013 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing IronFX and GBE Brokers in terms of commissions and fees, IronFX presents noticeable differences. While IronFX offers a zero fixed-spread account starting at zero pips, it comes with a $18 per lot commission, and spreads can widen to 3 pips overnight. The Standard variable spread account typically lists a spread of 1.8 pips, with spreads varying across different account types. Overall, IronFX's pricing strategy has scope for improvement, as their spreads appear higher than the industry average. Despite this, IronFX receives a 4-star rating for its commissions and fees.
On the other hand, GBE Brokers does not provide average spread data, which poses a challenge in making a direct price comparison. Still, it's crucial to note that GBE Brokers also garners a 4-star rating in terms of commissions and fees. Although specific spread information for GBE Brokers is lacking, the consistent rating with IronFX suggests that both platforms hold a fair standing in this area.
When ranked by ForexBrokers.com among 62 brokers, IronFX stands at position #47, while GBE Brokers ranks higher at #36 in the Commissions and Fees category. These rankings highlight a slight edge for GBE Brokers over IronFX, suggesting a potentially more suitable option for those prioritizing commission fees and competitive spreads in their trading experience.
| Feature |
IronFX
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $500 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IronFX and GBE Brokers both offer a solid foundation for online trading through forex and CFDs. IronFX provides access to 340 tradeable symbols, including 83 forex pairs, catering well to those keen on currency trading. In contrast, GBE Brokers expands the choice with 500 symbols, though it includes slightly fewer forex pairs at 71. Neither broker allows direct purchase of exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, narrowing the options for those interested in buying stocks like Apple or Vodafone directly.
Both brokers also support cryptocurrency derivatives without offering direct purchase options for actual cryptocurrencies. Additionally, they both offer copy trading features, which can be appealing to beginners looking to mirror the trades of experienced investors. With each broker earning a 3.5-star rating for their range of investments, IronFX is ranked at number 51, while GBE Brokers is slightly ahead at number 44 according to ForexBrokers.com. This positions GBE Brokers as a slightly more versatile option for traders seeking a broader array of symbols.
| Feature |
IronFX
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 340 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 83 | 71 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | 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 the trading platforms and tools offered by IronFX and GBE brokers, both provide essential features like virtual demo accounts for simulated trading, multiple platform options including Windows and web-based versions, and popular MT4 platform support. Though neither broker has developed its own in-house trading platform or offers advanced features like DupliTrade or ZuluTrade, they deliver a comprehensive trading experience with capabilities such as trading directly from stock charts and robust watchlists, each supporting seven columns. While both cater to copy trading, GBE brokers further enhance their offerings with the MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platform, which IronFX lacks.
Both brokers enable effective charting with an equal number of 15 drawing tools, although specific details on the number of technical indicators offered remain unlisted. In terms of user satisfaction, GBE brokers hold a slight edge with a 4-star rating compared to IronFX’s 3.5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. This is mirrored in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where GBE brokers are positioned slightly higher at #57 out of 62 brokers, in comparison to IronFX’s #60. This slight difference may play a role for traders prioritizing platform adaptability and features in their choice of broker.
| Feature |
IronFX
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | No | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When choosing between IronFX and GBE brokers for mobile trading apps, both platforms offer compatibility with iPhone and Android devices. Users can stay informed with stock and forex price alerts available on both apps. However, neither IronFX nor GBE brokers provide watchlist symbol syncing, meaning updates in a mobile app watchlist won't automatically sync with the online account.
For those interested in technical analysis, both mobile apps feature 30 technical studies for charting, along with options to draw trendlines and view various time frames, such as daily or intraday. IronFX and GBE brokers also allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes, and drawings are automatically saved. Despite these similarities, GBE brokers edges ahead with its mobile trading app being rated at 4 stars, compared to IronFX's 3.5 stars, and ranks higher at 57th place out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX holds the 61st spot.
| Feature |
IronFX
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 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.
IronFX provides a rich set of market research tools that appeal to traders of all levels. It offers daily market commentary and presents forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, ensuring that traders remain updated with reliable information. Moreover, IronFX integrates Trading Central's analytical support, delivering in-depth technical insights. An economic calendar is also accessible, assisting traders in tracking important global economic events. With these features, IronFX secures a respectable 4-star research rating and ranks 28th out of 62 brokers evaluated by ForexBrokers.com.
On the other hand, GBE brokers also offers daily market commentary and provides traders with an economic calendar to help stay informed about key global news events. However, it falls short compared to IronFX in multiple research aspects. GBE brokers lacks forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. Furthermore, it doesn't support additional research tools from companies such as Trading Central or Autochartist, though it does offer a sentiment-based trading tool. Due to these limitations, GBE brokers is rated with 3 stars for research and ranks 61st among 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
IronFX
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, IronFX stands out more compared to GBE Brokers. IronFX makes learning tools easily accessible with over ten educational materials focusing on forex and CFDs, including a range of articles, videos, and archived webinars. This broker also provides a library of previously recorded webinars, ensuring that newcomers have ample resources to sharpen their trading skills. In addition to these materials, IronFX offers a specialized set of beginner-focused videos and a handy investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms. Though they don’t provide monthly live webinars or advanced educational videos, the resources they do offer cater well to helping beginners build their foundational trading knowledge.
On the other hand, GBE Brokers offers fewer resources tailored to the educational needs of beginners, as they currently do not meet the benchmark of offering at least ten pieces of educational content on forex or CFDs. They also lack a library of past webinars and don’t provide specific educational videos for beginners or an investor dictionary. While both brokers do not offer advanced educational videos or regular online client webinars, IronFX's broader suite of beginner resources earns it a higher educational rating of 4 stars compared to GBE Brokers' 3 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com rankings, IronFX claims the 44th spot for education out of 62 brokers, whereas GBE Brokers lag behind at 62nd place.
| Feature |
IronFX
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | 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 IronFX is better than GBE brokers. IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48, while GBE brokers finished with an overall rank of #56.
IronFX has come a long way to rebuild its brand, acquiring multiple regulatory licenses to improve its Trust Score, and creating balanced educational material. That said, pricing is an area where IronFX has room to further improve as spreads appeared higher than the industry average.
| Feature |
IronFX
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GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 71 |
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Both IronFX and GBE brokers do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but do provide options to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing IronFX to GBE brokers, GBE offers more diverse funding options as it supports ACH/SEPA transfers and PayPal, unlike IronFX, while both offer Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wire transfer options for depositing or withdrawing account funds.
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 | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
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| Broker Screenshots | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
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| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) | |||
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| Regulation | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 83 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2013 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 340 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 83 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $500 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | No | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 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 | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IronFX | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IronFX | 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 | |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review |
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