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.
Trade Nation and IronFX both offer simulated trading with free virtual demo accounts, making it easy for beginners to practice without any financial risk. Trade Nation stands out with a proprietary platform developed in-house, while IronFX does not offer this feature. Both brokers provide Windows-based desktop platforms, as well as web-based platforms accessible through browsers. In terms of trading tools, both brokers support copy trading and MetaTrader 4 but do not offer MetaTrader 5, DupliTrade, or ZuluTrade. Despite these similarities, Trade Nation edges ahead with its proprietary platform and a higher rating of four stars for trading platforms and tools, as opposed to IronFX's 3.5 stars.
When it comes to charting capabilities and ease of use, Trade Nation offers a more extensive set of 39 drawing tools, compared to IronFX's 15. However, IronFX allows for direct trading from a stock chart, a feature absent in Trade Nation's offerings. For organizing market information, Trade Nation provides 14 columns for watch lists, double the number available on IronFX. This added depth in watch list customization and chart tools contributes to Trade Nation's higher ranking of #45 out of 62 brokers in ForexBrokers.com's Trading Platforms and Tools category, well above IronFX’s ranking at #60.
| 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) | 99 | 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.
When comparing the market research offerings of online brokers Trade Nation and IronFX, several key differences emerge. IronFX provides daily market commentary, a feature that Trade Nation lacks, helping traders keep abreast of market movements. Both brokers deliver forex news from prestigious sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring access to reliable information. However, when it comes to technical analysis tools, IronFX edges out with resources from Trading Central, while Trade Nation does not offer similar tools. Despite this, Trade Nation provides a sentiment-based trading tool that shows position ratios, a feature IronFX does not include.
Trade Nation stands out with research tools from Acuity Trading, which IronFX does not feature in their lineup. Conversely, IronFX offers an economic calendar detailing significant global news events, giving traders a comprehensive view of market impacts, whereas Trade Nation does not. In terms of research ratings, IronFX holds a slightly better score with 4 stars compared to Trade Nation's 3.5 stars. In a broader ranking by ForexBrokers.com, IronFX is placed at #28 out of 62 brokers, whereas Trade Nation is ranked #42, reflecting IronFX's stronger focus on research capabilities.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | 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.
When it comes to educational resources, both Trade Nation and IronFX offer a solid collection of beginner-friendly content to help aspiring traders get started in the world of forex and CFDs. Trade Nation provides an engaging array of over ten educational pieces, including articles and videos dedicated to beginners. Furthermore, it features at least ten beginner educational videos that thoughtfully address trading topics for novices. However, Trade Nation does not include offerings like online client webinars or an archive of past webinars. It also lacks a comprehensive investor dictionary and advanced educational videos for experienced traders.
Similarly, IronFX meets the beginner's educational needs with over ten articles and videos focused on forex and CFDs, along with at least ten videos tailored specifically for beginners. Unlike Trade Nation, IronFX provides access to a searchable archive of previously recorded webinars, offering learners an additional resource to deepen their understanding. Although it also doesn’t provide advanced trading videos or regular live webinars, IronFX stands out with an investor dictionary that clearly defines over 50 investing terms. Rated 4 stars for education, IronFX holds a slightly better ranking than Trade Nation, which has 3.5 stars, despite being ranked #44 out of 62 brokers compared to Trade Nation's #42. Both brokers thus deliver valuable learning tools for beginners, with IronFX offering a broader array of informational resources.
| 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 | No | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | 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) | 99 | 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 | No | 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 | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | 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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