Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG vs Markets4you, 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.
IG and Markets4you are both online brokers with distinct profiles, differentiating by their founding years, public trading status, and banking affiliations. IG, established in 1974, is a publicly traded company and operates as a bank. In contrast, Markets4you, founded in 2007, doesn't enjoy the same public trading status or banking credentials. These foundational differences set the two apart, providing IG with a longstanding presence in the financial market, whereas Markets4you is relatively new to the scene.
When it comes to regulatory backing, IG holds a significant advantage with 8 Tier-1 licenses, signaling a high level of trust according to ForexBrokers.com. It also has 2 Tier-2 licenses, enhancing its credibility further. On the Trust Score scale, IG earns a stellar 99 out of 99, reflecting its top-tier reliability. Meanwhile, Markets4you does not hold any Tier-1 or Tier-2 licenses and its Trust Score of 61 suggests a higher risk. For traders focusing on security and reliability, IG stands out as a more trusted choice.
| Feature |
IG
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When considering commissions and fees, IG stands out for its competitive pricing, particularly for active traders using its Forex Direct accounts. While IG may not be the cheapest broker available, it offers scalable execution options for various trading needs. For its main Forex Direct account, spreads are close to the industry average, with a spread of 0.62 pips in July 2023, and an all-in cost of 0.82 pips when including a per-trade commission equivalent of 0.2 pips. IG's CFD accounts offer average spreads of 0.69 pips during peak trading hours, slightly better than the industry standard, though spreads can increase to 1.03 pips during less active periods. For traders meeting high-volume requirements, IG provides active trader rebates with discounts up to 20% for those trading over £300 million monthly, considerably lowering effective costs.
IG also provides an opportunity for higher volume traders to use its Direct Market Access (DMA) account, offering an advanced tiered pricing model. With Forex Direct, traders can access the L2 Dealer platform, requiring a minimum of £1,000. The DMA account's average spreads for EUR/USD were 0.62 pips in July 2023, with commissions as low as $10 per million for high-volume traders, leading to an effective all-in spread of 0.82 pips. In terms of ratings, IG earns a 5-star rating for its commissions and fees, ranking #8 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, reflecting its favorable cost structure and execution capabilities.
In comparison, Markets4you offers less transparency with its commission and fee structure as average spread data is unavailable. Consequently, it is rated 3.5 stars for commissions and fees, and ranks #53 out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category according to ForexBrokers.com. This portrays Markets4you as less competitive in terms of cost efficiency compared to IG, making IG a more appealing choice for those who prioritize cost-effectiveness in trading.
| Feature |
IG
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $0 |
| 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 | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| 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 it comes to an extensive selection of investment options, IG stands out with a sweeping array of 19,537 tradeable symbols, which significantly dwarfs the 150 symbols available through Markets4you. This includes a larger variety of forex pairs, with IG offering 97 compared to Markets4you's 43. Additionally, those interested in trading exchange-traded securities can do so directly on both U.S. and international exchanges through IG, where investors can purchase shares like Apple or Vodafone. Conversely, Markets4you does not support the direct purchase of securities on these exchanges, which might be limiting for some traders.
Both IG and Markets4you provide opportunities in the realm of forex trading, available as CFDs or spot contracts, and allow trading of cryptocurrency derivatives—not the actual cryptocurrencies themselves. However, IG does not offer copy trading, a feature available with Markets4you that can appeal to those interested in mimicking the strategies of successful traders. These factors culminate in IG's impressive 5-star rating for its range of investments and a #4 global ranking in this category by ForexBrokers.com, whereas Markets4you holds a 3.5-star rating and stands at #58. These distinctions might steer ambitious traders toward IG for a more comprehensive trading experience.
| Feature |
IG
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 150 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 43 |
| 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 Markets4you, both brokers provide a comprehensive range of trading platforms and tools for their users. IG and Markets4you each offer simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice without financial risk. They both feature proprietary platforms developed in-house and have options for Windows-based desktop downloads as well as browser-based trading platforms. However, IG does not support copy trading, whereas Markets4you does. Additionally, both support the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) platform, but only Markets4you offers MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Neither broker integrates with third-party services like DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
For charting, IG provides 20 drawing tools, surpassing Markets4you's 15, though specifics on technical indicators are unspecified for both. IG's platform shines with the ability to trade directly from a stock chart and offers five columns for watch lists, compared to the seven available from Markets4you. Rated by industry standards, IG earns a full five stars for its trading platforms and tools, ranked #2 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Markets4you, while offering solid options, falls slightly behind with a four-star rating and a ranking of #52, indicating IG's superior standing in the trading tools category.
| Feature |
IG
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 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.
Both IG and Markets4you offer mobile trading apps that are available on iPhones and Android devices, catering to traders who want access to stock and forex markets on the go. With both platforms, users can set price alerts, draw trendlines on charts, and view different time frames such as daily or weekly intervals. Creating a watchlist with real-time quotes is straightforward on each app, making it easy for traders to keep tabs on their investments.
However, there are some noteworthy differences between the two. IG stands out with a feature allowing watchlist symbol syncing, ensuring that changes made in the mobile app or online account are mirrored across devices. While IG offers 33 technical studies for its charting functions, Markets4you provides slightly fewer with 30. These differences contribute to their ratings; IG earns an impressive 5 stars for its mobile trading app experience and ranks #1 out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, Markets4you holds a 4-star rating and is placed at #50 in the same category.
| Feature |
IG
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Markets4you, both brokers offer daily market commentary and forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders stay well-informed on the latest financial developments. They also provide tools from Autochartist to aid in technical and fundamental research. However, a key difference lies in the availability of resources from Trading Central, where only Markets4you includes these valuable analytical tools. On the other hand, IG stands out by offering a sentiment-based trading tool that reveals long or short positions across different currency pairs, a feature absent from Markets4you's offerings.
IG further distinguishes itself with research tools from TipRanks and Acuity Trading, such as the Signal Centre, providing traders with deeper insights and analytics. While both IG and Markets4you offer an economic calendar covering global news events, IG's overall research capabilities receive top marks with a five-star rating. It ranks impressively as the second among 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com in the research category. In contrast, Markets4you lands a 3.5-star rating and ranks 47th, highlighting the broader research benefits that traders can access with IG.
| Feature |
IG
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| 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 between IG and Markets4you, IG emerges as a compelling choice. IG offers a rich library of educational content, with over 10 articles, videos, and webinars primarily focused on forex and CFDs. For those eager to participate live or catch up later, IG hosts at least one webinar each month and provides a searchable archive of past sessions. Beginners will find value in IG's collection of more than 10 videos specifically designed to introduce trading topics, along with advanced educational videos for the seasoned traders seeking deeper knowledge. Plus, IG supports new investors with a comprehensive dictionary of over 50 trading terms, making it a friendly guide for anyone starting their trading journey.
Markets4you also provides a solid foundation with its library of educational materials centered around forex and CFDs, including a searchable archive of recorded webinars. However, it does not offer regular monthly webinars, nor does it provide a tailored collection of beginner-focused or advanced trading videos. Additionally, without an investor dictionary, newcomers may find themselves seeking explanations elsewhere. When it comes to educational value, IG earned a robust 5-star rating and is ranked as the top choice out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for educational resources, while Markets4you received a 3.5-star rating and is ranked 25th in the same category. For beginners eager to learn, IG offers a more comprehensive educational experience.
| Feature |
IG
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 Markets4you. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while Markets4you finished with an overall rank of #55.
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
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Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 61 |
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Both IG and Markets4you do not provide the option to purchase actual, delivered cryptocurrency, but they both offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
IG provides multiple account funding options including ACH, SEPA, PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transfers, whereas Markets4you offers Visa, Mastercard, bank wire transfers, and Skrill, but does not support ACH, SEPA, or PayPal 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 | IG | Markets4you | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 61 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Markets4you | |
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| Regulation | IG | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 61 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IG | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 150 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 43 | |
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | IG | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | No | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | No | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | No | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | No | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | No | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | No | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | No | |
| Review | IG Review |
| Overall | IG | Markets4you | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 61 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |
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