Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trade Nation vs IronFX, 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.
Trade Nation and IronFX are both well-regarded online brokers, though they have different regulatory standing and history. Trade Nation, established in 2014, holds two Tier-1 licenses, considered highly trusted, and one Tier-2 license, indicating a strong level of trust. It has a Trust Score of 85, falling within the trusted category according to ForexBrokers.com. Despite not being a bank or a publicly listed company, Trade Nation offers a reliable platform for traders.
Founded in 2010, IronFX carries three Tier-1 licenses, reflecting a high level of trust. Although it does not have any Tier-2 licenses, it still boasts a respectable Trust Score of 83, signifying its solid reputation. Like Trade Nation, IronFX is neither a bank nor a publicly traded entity. Both firms offer dependable options for those entering the trading market, each demonstrating a commitment to secure trading environments.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
Trade Nation and IronFX differ significantly in their approach to commissions and fees, offering distinct advantages and drawbacks to traders. Trade Nation stands out with its competitive fixed-spread pricing model on its proprietary platform, maintaining a fixed spread distance even as prices fluctuate, which is usually set at 0.6 pips for the popular EUR/USD currency pair. Although the spreads briefly widen to 1.4 pips during the daily rollover period, Trade Nation's pricing remains transparent and considered reliable, with an average spread closer to 1 pip overall. Traders can choose from three account types, including options on the MetaTrader platform with varying commission structures, such as a Raw Spread account featuring a commission of $3.50 per side ($7 per round-trip) per standard lot, and a commission-free account with higher spreads. Overall, Trade Nation’s fixed-spread approach and variety of account options contribute to its commendable 5-star rating and a high ranking of #7 out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category according to ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, IronFX primarily offers variable pricing, with spreads generally appearing higher than industry averages. For the Standard variable spread account, IronFX lists a typical spread of 1.8 pips, although specific date ranges aren't provided, leading to potential variability in costs across different account types. Interestingly, their zero fixed-spread account starts with no spread but imposes an $18 commission per lot, with spreads widening to 3 pips overnight. This pricing strategy indicates room for improvement, but still provides flexibility for traders who seek diverse options. For its pricing and fee structures, IronFX is awarded a 4-star rating and holds a placement of #47 out of 62 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Commissions and Fees rankings.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.6 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.6 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing Trade Nation and IronFX on their range of investment offerings, both brokers present a variety of options for forex trading enthusiasts. Trade Nation boasts a substantial selection with 1,000 tradeable symbols, though IronFX offers just 340, showcasing a difference in the breadth of tradable assets. However, IronFX leads slightly in terms of forex pairs, providing 83 compared to Trade Nation's 46. Both platforms offer forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, catering to those interested in this popular asset class. Unfortunately, neither broker provides direct access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, limiting options for those seeking to invest in individual stocks across major markets.
Despite these limitations, Trade Nation and IronFX both enable copy trading and the purchase of cryptocurrency derivatives, though not actual cryptocurrencies. These features make both suitable for traders looking to explore cryptocurrency markets without directly holding the digital assets. With both brokers earning a rating of 3.5 stars out of five for their range of investments, Trade Nation slightly edges out IronFX in this category with a higher ranking of #38 compared to IronFX's #51, according to ForexBrokers.com. This indicates a marginal preference for Trade Nation among reviewers in terms of available investment options.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1000 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 83 |
| 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 Trade Nation and IronFX, both brokers offer some enticing features in their trading platforms and tools, although they cater to different preferences. Both providers allow users to experience simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, supporting novice traders and those wanting to refine their strategies. While both brokers provide desktop and web-based platforms, Trade Nation goes a step further with its proprietary platform, distinguishing itself from IronFX, which relies on third-party integrations. Furthermore, both platforms support MetaTrader 4, a favorite among traders, though neither offers MetaTrader 5, DupliTrade, or ZuluTrade. Copy trading is available with both brokers, catering to those looking to mirror experienced traders' strategies.
Trade Nation offers a wider array of tools with 39 drawing tools for charting compared to IronFX's 15, though both leave chart trading capabilities to IronFX. The watchlists further showcase their differences, with Trade Nation providing 14 columns (fields) compared to IronFX's 7, offering more customized options for tracking market movements. These offerings have earned Trade Nation a higher rating of 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, compared to IronFX's 3.5 stars. Ranked 44th out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, Trade Nation holds a superior position compared to IronFX, which is ranked 60th, suggesting that Trade Nation might be a more comprehensive choice for those seeking varied trading tools and functionalities.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | 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 | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 39 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 14 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Trade Nation and IronFX offer iPhone and Android apps, catering to users on both platforms. When it comes to alerts, both provide stock and forex price notifications to keep traders updated on market movements. However, Trade Nation takes the lead with watchlist symbol syncing, a feature not available with IronFX, allowing watchlists to stay seamless across devices.
Focusing on charting tools, Trade Nation offers a more extensive selection with 99 technical studies as compared to IronFX's 30. Both apps support drawing trendlines and viewing various time frames, with auto-saving of these drawings being a shared feature. They also enable the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes. User ratings and rankings reflect these differences, with Trade Nation rated at 4 stars and ranked 45th, while IronFX has a 3.5-star rating, coming in at 61st according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 99 | 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.
Trade Nation and IronFX both provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, essential features for anyone looking to stay updated on market trends. However, while IronFX boasts tools from Trading Central to assist with technical and fundamental analysis, Trade Nation takes a different approach by offering a sentiment-based trading tool that gives insights into the ratio of long or short positions on various instruments. In terms of additional resources, Trade Nation incorporates research tools from Acuity Trading, including Signal Centre, which can be invaluable for traders seeking diverse perspectives.
In contrast, IronFX offers an economic calendar that highlights global news events to aid decision-making, a feature absent in Trade Nation's lineup. According to ForexBrokers.com, IronFX earns a slightly higher research rating with 4 stars compared to Trade Nation's 3.5 stars. In a ranking of 62 brokers, IronFX claims the 28th spot for research excellence, while Trade Nation trails at 42nd place. This suggests that while both platforms provide solid research facilities, IronFX edges ahead in certain technical resource areas.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Both Trade Nation and IronFX provide educational resources for beginners interested in forex and CFDs trading, each offering a collection of at least ten educational pieces such as articles, videos, and archived webinars. However, the two platforms differ significantly in certain areas. While IronFX provides a searchable archive of past webinars, Trade Nation does not offer this feature. When it comes to video content, Trade Nation excels by providing comprehensive educational videos designed for both beginners and experienced traders, whereas IronFX primarily focuses on beginner content.
In terms of additional learning tools, both brokers feature an investor dictionary containing over 50 key terms, which is particularly helpful for newcomers to the trading world. According to ForexBrokers.com rankings, Trade Nation holds the 41st position, with a 3.5-star rating, indicating strong educational offerings. Conversely, IronFX, despite ranking slightly lower at 44th position, receives a higher overall education rating of 4 stars. While both brokers have valuable resources tailored for beginner traders, your choice may depend on whether you prefer access to a wide range of videos for all skill levels or prioritizing a platform with archived webinars.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 Trade Nation is better than IronFX. Trade Nation finished with an overall rank of #34, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.
Trade Nation’s well-designed, easy-to-use trading app is an innovative trading platform that’s great for beginner forex and CFD traders. However, if you’re a seasoned trader, you may find that Trade Nation lacks advanced features compared to the best trading platforms.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
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IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 83 |
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Both Trade Nation and IronFX provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, yet neither allows for the purchase of actual delivered cryptocurrency.
Both Trade Nation and IronFX do not support ACH, SEPA transfers, or PayPal for account funding or withdrawals, but they do offer Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires as available options.
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 | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
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| Regulation | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 85 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1000 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 83 | |
| 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 | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.6 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.6 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | 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 | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 14 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 39 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | No | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 99 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Education | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Trade Nation Review |
| Overall | Trade Nation | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trade Nation Review |
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