Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Markets.com, 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 Markets.com differ significantly in their regulatory backgrounds and trust ratings. Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers boasts a Trust Score of 99 out of 99, making it highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com. It holds 9 Tier-1 licenses, which are the most trusted type, along with 2 Tier-2 licenses. Interactive Brokers is publicly traded, but it does not operate as a bank.
Meanwhile, Markets.com, established in 1999, has a Trust Score of 93. It holds 3 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, reflecting a strong, though slightly lesser, level of regulatory confidence. Unlike Interactive Brokers, Markets.com is not publicly traded and also does not function as a bank. Both brokers offer secure platforms, but their different levels of regulatory oversight and public ownership set them apart for traders seeking peace of mind in their online trading experience.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
When it comes to trading costs, Interactive Brokers and Markets.com offer distinct experiences for their users. Interactive Brokers stands out with a competitive pricing model, offering low commissions on forex trades. Forex commissions start at 0.00002% of the trade value with a minimum of $2 per order, translating to an effective all-in spread around 0.59 pips for the popular EUR/USD pair. For particularly active traders, these commissions can further drop, offering affordability for high-volume trades. Furthermore, Interactive Brokers aggregates prices from 17 major interbank forex dealers, ensuring clients receive top-tier pricing and execution without the typical markup on spreads.
On the other hand, Markets.com does not disclose its average spreads, making direct comparisons challenging. This lack of transparency may make it difficult for traders to gauge expected trading costs precisely. Despite this limitation, both beginners and more experienced traders may find Markets.com to be a user-friendly platform. However, for cost efficiency, Interactive Brokers holds a significant advantage.
In terms of overall rankings, Interactive Brokers shines with a 5-star rating, securing the impressive 2nd spot out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category. Meanwhile, Markets.com earns a 3.5-star rating and ranks 49th. This disparity underscores Interactive Brokers' commitment to offering one of the best pricing models in the industry, making it an attractive choice for those prioritizing low costs in their trading activities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| 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 Markets.com both provide forex trading options through CFDs or spot contracts, catering to forex enthusiasts seeking versatile trading experiences. Interactive Brokers stands out with an extensive offering of 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, making it a comprehensive platform for those interested in a wide array of investment opportunities. In contrast, Markets.com hosts 2,179 tradeable symbols and 57 forex pairs, giving traders a more focused selection. Notably, Interactive Brokers allows its clients to buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, providing access to shares like Apple and Vodafone. On the other hand, Markets.com does not support the trading of exchange-traded securities, which may limit investors looking for direct share investments.
For traders interested in cryptocurrency, Interactive Brokers offers the ability to purchase actual cryptocurrencies, as well as derivatives, broadening the scope for crypto investments. Markets.com, however, only deals with cryptocurrency derivatives, which might appeal to traders preferring not to manage actual coins. A unique feature of Markets.com is its support for copy trading, allowing users to replicate strategies from experienced traders, which is not available on Interactive Brokers. Rated five stars by ForexBrokers.com for its range of investments, Interactive Brokers secures the top spot among 62 brokers, while Markets.com is rated at four stars and ranked at 29th, indicating a respectable, yet more limited range of investment options.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 2179 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 57 |
| 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.
Interactive Brokers and Markets.com both provide substantial trading platforms with their own features, making them popular choices among traders. Both brokers offer simulated (paper) trading, allowing users to practice without risking real money. Each also provides proprietary platforms developed in-house, catering to traders' specific needs, with options for both Windows-based desktop downloads and web-based platforms. However, Interactive Brokers focuses more on traditional trading experiences without offering copy trading or MetaTrader support, unlike Markets.com, which supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 along with copy trading capabilities. Despite this, Interactive Brokers shines with features like 85 drawing tools for charting and the ability to trade directly from stock charts, topped off with a massive 659 fields in their watchlists.
When evaluating these platforms' overall performance and tools, Interactive Brokers comes out on top with a perfect 5-star rating and is ranked third out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. This is largely due to the breadth of tools and customization options they offer, such as detailed watch lists, making it suitable for advanced traders seeking depth in their market analysis. Conversely, Markets.com, while rated a respectable 4 stars and ranked 26th, appeals to traders looking to leverage social trading features and popular MetaTrader platforms, albeit with fewer customization options like just 6 columns for watchlists. Overall, Interactive Brokers caters to traders valuing technical depth and vast options, while Markets.com offers a platform for those prioritizing flexibility and social trading features.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 89 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 4 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 6 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both Interactive Brokers and Markets.com make strides in offering functionality for traders on-the-go. Each provides iPhone and Android apps that include essential features like stock and forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Both also allow for syncing watchlists between the app and the user's online account, so changes are seamlessly reflected across platforms. However, Interactive Brokers stands out with a robust selection of 97 technical studies available for charting, far exceeding what's offered on Markets.com's platform, which depends on the default capabilities of its MT4 integration.
Another standout feature of Interactive Brokers is the ability to view different time frames such as daily, weekly, or intraday on charts within its app, a feature that Markets.com lacks. Both apps support the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes, although neither saves chart drawings automatically. Overall, Interactive Brokers received a superior rating for its mobile trading app, earning 5 stars and a notable #4 ranking out of 62 brokers. In comparison, Markets.com holds a 4-star rating and is ranked #33. This makes Interactive Brokers a highly regarded choice for users who prioritize comprehensive tools and user-friendly features in a mobile trading app.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both Interactive Brokers and Markets.com offer daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders stay informed. While neither broker includes tools from Autochartist, Interactive Brokers excels by providing research tools from Trading Central, which Markets.com does not. Both platforms support a sentiment-based trading tool to help traders understand market positions. However, Interactive Brokers goes further by offering comprehensive market research from TipRanks as well as research tools from Acuity Trading, setting them apart from Markets.com in terms of research and analysis capabilities.
Interactive Brokers features an economic calendar similar to that of Markets.com, displaying significant global economic events. When rated for research, Interactive Brokers attains a perfect five-star rating, ranking them as the third out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Markets.com holds four stars and is ranked seventeenth. Interactive Brokers' extensive array of research tools and higher rankings make it a preferred choice for traders seeking in-depth market insights, although both brokers provide valuable data for informed trading decisions.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | 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 educational resources for beginners, Interactive Brokers stands out as a strong option compared to Markets.com. Interactive Brokers provides a wealth of educational materials, such as over 10 pieces focused on forex and CFDs, including articles and videos. They also offer monthly webinars and maintain a searchable archive of past webinars, making it easy for beginners to catch up on missed sessions. Additionally, beginners can benefit from their selection of more than 10 videos covering essential trading topics to build foundational knowledge. Moreover, Interactive Brokers goes a step further with an investor dictionary featuring definitions of over 50 investing terms, aiding beginners in their learning journey.
On the other hand, Markets.com provides a more limited educational experience. Although they do offer monthly webinars and beginner-focused videos, they lack specialized forex and CFDs education and a searchable archive of recorded webinars. Additionally, they do not provide an investor dictionary, which could be a valuable resource for those new to trading. In terms of ratings, Interactive Brokers earns a top score of 5 stars for education, ranking 3rd out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Markets.com is rated 4 stars, ranking 34th. This highlights Interactive Brokers as a more comprehensive educational choice for beginner traders.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| 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 Interactive Brokers is better than Markets.com. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Markets.com finished with an overall rank of #23.
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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Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 |
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Interactive Brokers provides the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency and offers cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas Markets.com does not offer actual cryptocurrency purchases but does provide cryptocurrency derivative options.
Interactive Brokers and Markets.com differ in their fund transfer options, with Interactive Brokers supporting ACH or SEPA transfers and bank wires, while Markets.com offers Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires but does not support ACH, SEPA, or PayPal for deposits and withdrawals.
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 | Markets.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 2179 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 57 | |
| 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 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| 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 | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 6 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 89 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 4 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | No | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Markets.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review |
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