Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Vantage, 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 Vantage are two well-regarded online brokers, but they differ significantly in their regulatory standings and trust ratings. Interactive Brokers, established in 1977, is publicly traded and holds an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, which are highly trusted according to ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Vantage, founded in 2009, is not publicly traded and holds two Tier-1 licenses. Furthermore, Interactive Brokers is backed by a near-perfect Trust Score of 99 out of 99, reflecting its high reliability, while Vantage has a Trust Score of 90, placing it in the "highly trusted" category.
While neither Interactive Brokers nor Vantage operates as a bank, their varying licenses and trust ratings reflect different levels of regulatory assurance. Interactive Brokers not only has a significant number of Tier-1 licenses but also holds two Tier-2 licenses, adding another layer of trust. Vantage, on the other hand, holds one Tier-2 license. For potential investors and traders, these differences in regulation and trust ratings can be key factors when choosing between the two platforms.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
When comparing Interactive Brokers and Vantage on commissions and fees, Interactive Brokers stands out with a top-tier ranking for competitive pricing. While precise spread data isn't published, Interactive Brokers offered an average spread of 0.19 pips for EUR/USD in Q3 2024. With commissions starting as low as 0.00002 of the U.S. dollar trade value, their pricing is favorable for active traders, dropping to a minimum $1 per order for those who engage in high volume trading. Interactive Brokers aggregates prices from leading interbank forex dealers and imposes a commission per trade, which ranges from $16 to $40 per million round turn. With a stellar 5-star rating and a #2 ranking out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers presents substantial value for frequent traders.
In contrast, Vantage offers three account types: Standard STP, RAW ECN, and PRO ECN, all contributing to its solid reputation. The Standard account has typical spreads of 1.30 pips on the EUR/USD, while RAW ECN has tighter spreads of 0.15 pips, supplementing a $3 commission per side. Notably, the PRO account provides competitive pricing with a $2 commission per side, though account conditions vary by entity regulation. Vantage introduces benefits such as rebates for active traders, albeit limited to the Standard account with relatively higher spreads. With a respectable 4.5-star rating and ranked #19 out of 62 brokers in ForexBrokers.com's Commissions and Fees category, Vantage remains a viable choice, though it trails behind top pricing leaders.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.30 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.75 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the variety of investment options, Interactive Brokers stands out with a much wider selection compared to Vantage. Interactive Brokers offers an impressive 8,500 tradeable symbols, including exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges. This means clients have the opportunity to buy shares in major companies like Apple and Vodafone. In contrast, Vantage provides access to 1,000 tradeable symbols and does not offer exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges. Both brokers provide forex trading as either CFDs or spot contracts, with Interactive Brokers offering 90 forex pairs compared to Vantage's 61 pairs.
For those interested in cryptocurrencies, Interactive Brokers allows clients to purchase actual cryptocurrencies, as well as cryptocurrency derivatives. Vantage only offers the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives. Furthermore, while Interactive Brokers does not feature copy trading, Vantage does offer this functionality. In terms of recognition, Interactive Brokers is rated five stars and holds the top position among 62 brokers for its range of investments, while Vantage is rated 3.5 stars and stands at the 50th position. This highlights Interactive Brokers as a more comprehensive choice for investors seeking diverse investment opportunities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 61 |
| 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 Vantage both offer a range of trading platforms and tools that cater to diverse trading needs. Both brokers provide simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, ensuring that users can practice and hone their skills before committing real funds. Each offers their own proprietary platforms alongside Windows-based desktop download and web-based browser platforms. However, while Vantage caters to social trading enthusiasts with copy trading and supports popular platforms like MetaTrader 4 and 5 and DupliTrade, Interactive Brokers takes a different approach. It does not offer copy trading or third-party platforms like MetaTrader but excels with a comprehensive suite of in-house tools.
Interactive Brokers clearly stands out in its technical offerings, providing an impressive 85 drawing tools for charting and an unparalleled 659 columns for customizing watch lists. This flexibility allows traders to tailor their interface to best suit their strategies. Both platforms enable trading directly from stock charts, enhancing the user experience. Rated five stars, Interactive Brokers ranks #3 out of 62 brokers for trading platforms and tools by ForexBrokers.com, showcasing its exceptional offerings. Meanwhile, Vantage, with a solid four-star rating and a rank of #21, still presents a strong choice, particularly for those interested in MetaTrader and copy trading services.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and Vantage both excel in providing mobile apps for trading on the go, accommodating both iPhone and Android users. Each offers handy features like stock and forex price alerts, trendline drawing capabilities, and multiple time frame views for ease of analysis. However, Interactive Brokers sets itself apart with advanced functionalities like watchlist symbol syncing—where changes made on the app or desktop automatically update across platforms—and offers a whopping 97 technical studies for detailed chart analysis. In comparison, Vantage provides 30 technical studies and lacks the sync feature, but it compensates by auto-saving chart drawings, a feature missing from Interactive Brokers.
Both apps allow traders to create watchlists with real-time quotes, catering to those who need to track markets closely. Yet, when it comes to user ratings, Interactive Brokers shines with a five-star rating for its mobile trading apps, compared to Vantage's four stars. This distinction is mirrored in rankings, where Interactive Brokers holds a commendable #4 position among 62 brokers in ForexBrokers.com's Mobile Trading Apps category, while Vantage sits at #27. The combination of advanced technical tools and high user satisfaction makes Interactive Brokers a strong contender for those seeking a comprehensive mobile trading experience.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and Vantage both deliver daily market commentary and provide forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. These brokers also offer tools from Trading Central, including Technical Analytics, and feature sentiment-based trading tools that display long and short positions across currency pairs or other instruments. Additionally, both platforms include an economic calendar to keep traders informed about global news events.
However, differences arise with additional research features. Interactive Brokers offers access to TipRanks for market research and another set of tools from Acuity Trading, such as Signal Centre, which Vantage lacks. On the other hand, Vantage provides technical analysis tools from Autochartist, which is not available with Interactive Brokers. Overall, Interactive Brokers earns a perfect 5-star rating for research, ranking 3rd out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, whereas Vantage is rated 4 stars, placing it at 21st in the same category.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 comparing the educational resources available to beginners, both Interactive Brokers and Vantage excel in providing a wide array of materials focused on forex and CFDs. They each offer a minimum of 10 educational pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars, designed to help traders get started. Additionally, both brokers host monthly online webinars and maintain a searchable archive of these sessions, allowing users to learn at their convenience.
Interactive Brokers and Vantage also cater to traders of varying skill levels. They offer sets of videos focused on beginner topics as well as more advanced content for experienced traders. Moreover, both platforms provide an investor dictionary with over 50 terms to enhance understanding. While Interactive Brokers boasts a higher education rating of five stars, compared to Vantage's four stars, it also ranks #3 out of 62 brokers in the education category by ForexBrokers.com, whereas Vantage stands at #24. This indicates that while both offer valuable resources, Interactive Brokers is perceived as somewhat more favorable in the educational arena.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
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 Vantage. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Vantage finished with an overall rank of #26.
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
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 90 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platform & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Interactive Brokers allows investors to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies and trade cryptocurrency derivatives, while Vantage offers only the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives without the ability to buy the actual cryptocurrencies.
Interactive Brokers supports ACH or SEPA transfers and bank wires for account transactions, while Vantage offers a diverse range of deposit and withdrawal options including PayPal, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, but does not support ACH or SEPA transfers.
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 | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platform & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 90 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Vantage Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Research Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 90 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 61 | |
| 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.30 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | 0.75 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Interactive Brokers Review | Vantage Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platform & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 90 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Vantage Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill