Plus500 and Interactive Brokers are leading online brokers in 2021 with excellent trading experiences. Plus500 has a minimum deposit fee of US$100 and a reliable funding process. It is a safe broker with licenses from the ASIC, MAS, and FCA. We recommend it for professional traders as it has limited educational materials.
| Broker Name | Plus500 | Interactive Brokers |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 1978 |
| Regulation | FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FMA, MAS, FSA | SEC (USA), FCA (UK) |
| Tradable Assets | Forex, Commodities, Individual shares, ETFs, Options, Cryptocurrencies. | Stock, ETF, Forex, Fund, Bond, Options, Futures, CFD, Crypto, Warrants, Structured Products |
| Min Deposit | $100 | $0 |
| Min Trade | $0 | $0 |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile | Traders Workstation (TWS) |
| Deposit | Free of charge | Free of charge |
| Withdrawals | Free of charge | Free of charge for the first withdrawal in calendar month |
Interactive Brokers has competitive fees with a minimum deposit of $0. It has a proprietary platform, and a professional app, offering access to a virtual trading account. Interactive Brokers has licenses from the IIROC, SFC, FSA, MAS, FINMA, FCA, and CFTC. We recommend it for beginner traders because of its educational materials and research tools.
Both online brokers have strengths and weaknesses. This article discusses the differences between Plus500 and Interactive Brokers.
Top findings from the Plus500 vs. Interactive Brokers review:
- Plus500 is a safe broker with a presence on a stock exchange and a transparent fee structure.
- Interactive Brokers offers professional trading platforms with premium trading tools and tutorials.
- Both brokers offer a demo account to test their platforms.
We recommend Plus500 for professional traders because of its limited educational materials. Interactive Brokers is a better fit for inexperienced traders, as it has many educational tools and tutorials.
Level of experience
Beginner traders prefer Interactive Brokers over Plus500. Interactive Brokers offer access to Trading Central and forex news. This broker has many educational tools, including webinars and investor dictionaries. The virtual trading account available is an excellent learning tool.
Plus500 doesn’t offer educational materials, and it is recommended for experienced traders. It offers some reliable trading tools, including an economic calendar. Plus500 offers a smooth trading experience, but its platforms might be challenging for newcomers.
Fees
Plus500 has an initial deposit of €100, while Interactive Brokers has a $0 fee. Interactive Brokers offers an active trader discount, while Plus500 doesn’t. Both brokers offer a transparent fee structure.
Assets
Both online brokers have an excellent forex offering with access to leading forex pairs, including EUR/USD and AUD/USD. Interactive Brokers provides 105 currency pairs, while Plus500 has 50 available pairs. Interactive Brokers offers access to 7400 CFDs, while Plus500 has 2033.
Trading platform
Plus500 is a leading online broker with a proprietary platform, a desktop, and a web platform. It has limited tools and educational materials. Plus500 has an outstanding mobile app with basic alerts and watch lists. Its platforms are challenging to learn for beginners.
Interactive Brokers offers an excellent trading experience with desktop and web platforms. It provides access to useful educational materials, including forex education, webinars, and advanced trading videos. We recommend Interactive Brokers for traders of all levels of experience.
Banking services
Banking services are important to traders of all levels of experience. Plus500 has a presence on London’s stock exchange, which increases its trustworthiness. It offers many funding options, including credit/debit, bank transfers, PayPal, and Skrill. Interactive Brokers only provides bank transfers for withdrawing and depositing funds.
Final verdict
Plus500 and Interactive Brokers are leading online brokers in 2021. Both have advantages and disadvantages depending on your needs and trading experience. We recommend Plus500 to professional traders who want access to the premium platform. Interactive Brokers is a better choice for beginner traders because of its research and learning tools.
