59.7% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider
- Experts highlight Interactive Brokers Trading Platform as a top choice for advanced traders, winning accolades for its sophisticated tools and extensive market access. While the platform excels in pricing and execution capabilities, it may be overly complex for some retail users, with a noted need for improved customer service response times.
- Across 1375 user reviews on Good Money Guide, averaging 4.6/5, customers frequently commend the platform's low costs, broad market access, and advanced trading tools. However, some users express concerns regarding the complexity of the desktop interface and occasional delays in customer support. Overall, the platform is praised for its reliability and comprehensive service, making it suitable for both novice and experienced investors.
Interactive Brokers Trading Platform Expert rating
Our expert rating is the average of the areas listed here, each scored out of 5 by our team.Our experts have rated Interactive Brokers Trading Platform across five key areas of our review framework.
- Pricing5.0
- Market Access5.0
- Online Platform5.0
- Customer Service4.0
- Research & Analysis5.0
Pros
- Low cost
- Wide market range
- Investment accounts
Cons
- Complex desktop platform
- Customer service can be slow
See full expert review
Our verdict
Overall, Interactive Brokers, as the pioneer of the online trading industry, remains one of the best all-round online trading platforms for sophisticated investors and traders. We rank Interactive Brokers as the best online trading platform as it is exceptionally good for sophisticated trading. It offers by far the most access to the most markets through DMA futures, options, physical shares and CFDs. it also has the most advanced execution tools for retail traders, including complex order types such as VWAP, pairs trading, iceberg, and algorithmic trading.
60% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Is Interactive Brokers trading platform any good?
Interactive Brokers won "best trading platform" in our 2024 and 2023 awards as they offer an exceptionally advanced platform for advanced traders, but also a very simple interface for beginners. They also scored very highly in our annual survey for pricing and market range.
We rank Interactive Brokers as the best online trading platform as it is exceptionally good for sophisticated trading. It offers by far the most access to the most markets through DMA futures, options, physical shares and CFDs. it also has the most advanced execution tools for retail traders, including complex order types such as VWAP, pairs trading, iceberg, and algorithmic trading.
When I was testing the trading platform, one thing that is immediately obvious though is that the desktop version is almost too good for retail traders and most will only use a small percentage of its capabilities. However, new traders should not be put off by its institutional-grade offering. The heavy-duty Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation is available as a download on PC, but there is also a simplified web-based version that is very simple to use called Portal.
On the web-based Portal trading platform, you can execute trades as physical deals, CFDs, futures and options (on the widest range of stocks). There are lots of webinars (with the founder Thomas Peterffy and his team) that cover trading strategy. You can also evaluate your portfolio based on how ethical your positions are. There are stock scanners, fund scanners, bond scanners, a fundamentals explorer for hunting out undervalued stocks and you can convert currency at some of the best exchange rates around.
IBKR also gives you more control over your currency exposure. Most other trading platforms automatically convert currency when you trade instruments outside your base currency but IBKR lets you do it manually on a per-trade or ad hoc basis.
What does Interactive Brokers trading platform look like?
Customer reviews for Interactive Brokers
Customer ratings come from reviews left on this site. Every review is read and approved before it is published.Based on 1,375 reviews
- Excellent74%
- Very good14%
- Basic7%
- Poor2%
- Bad2%
Read customer reviews
Great service provided at nominal fees
Great UI, Analysis tools, Reasonable fee structure
Best
Trading permissions are not easy but user friendly so I can recommend to friends to get them open a IBKR account to get them started :) I use almost all features
Speed and good tools
Fast execution
Comprehensive
Advanced tools. Professional platform. Excellent value
Professional
Fundemental information, technical analysis and educational material
Efficient
It provides efficient access to a wide range of financial markets & products with very low fees.
Simply perfect
Provides a widespread access to trading from the comfort of my home or while I'm the road.
Global Excellence
Trading platform ease and usability
I Steven Talewa already have been selected for the reasons
I Steven Talewa have been with capital.com online trading but I am now using interactive brokers because capital.com never showed my five years dividends funds, and went missing don't know where are my future funds in... and I'm not sure what happened to my future and past dividends paid into which company or people.. to me I Steven Talewa of Tari Hela Province of Papua New Guinea have been missing out and waited for so long years and now I'm using or selected interactive brokers to my online trading or can pay into my personal bank account and manage my assets and tradestation trading
Excellent
Superb comprensive app that is genuinely easy to use and navigate even as a new user. The lowest fees, that they revisit to keep competitive. Comprehensive investment fund choices. Excellent UK based customer services that are responsive & knowledgeable. It is rare that I cannot find an answer to what I need on the II App though as it is genuinely exceptional compared to others.
I have no affiliation to II other than having been a customer for my SIPP, SS ISA & GIA for circa 8 years.
easy site to navigate
easy to trade options
Full range service
Offers many trading options and best cost structure
Perfect
Everything
Great value and service
Cost
Tuned in.
Provides a customer focused investment service that offers good value for money and is tuned in to customer needs vis SIPP, ISAs, equity investing etc.
Interactive Brokers it's the best for retail investors
I never had a margin call from them; they're really caring for retail investors.
Straightforward
Interactive Investor stands out because it combines flat‑fee pricing, a wide range of global investments, and strong regulatory protection. It has a modern design that feels more like a fintech than a traditional broker. Its straightforward messaging - using terminology the average person can actually understand, and accessible platform gives it a youthful, fresh feeling, while still offering the depth and tools experienced investors expect.
cost efficient
a
Best international shares dealer
I Steven Talewa was been with Capital.com and my online stock market trading ID number is 21444883 and I'm enjoy capital.com,s weekly education and Monday market news updates but I find their dividends reports lacks transparency for long-term holders and now 2026 I votes for interactive brokers because I'm moving from a CFD platform to a professional broker to ensure my dividends from Microsoft and Apple are paid correctly and transparently
Value
Keeps costs down but offers a wide range of funds
Richard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison sites established in 2015. With a career spanning two decades as a broker, he brings extensive expertise and knowledge to the financial landscape.
Having worked as a broker at Investors Intelligence and a multi-asset derivatives broker at MF Global (Man Financial), Richard has acquired substantial experience in the industry. His career began as a private client stockbroker at Walker Crips and Phillip Securities (now King and Shaxson), following internships on the NYMEX oil trading floor in New York and London IPE in 2001 and 2000.
Richard’s contributions and expertise have been recognized by respected publications such as The Sunday Times, BusinessInsider, Yahoo Finance, BusinessNews.org.uk, Master Investor, Wealth Briefing, iNews, and The FT, among many others.
Under Richard’s leadership, the Good Money Guide has evolved into a valuable destination for comprehensive information and expert guidance, specialising in trading, investment, and currency exchange. His commitment to delivering high-quality insights has solidified the Good Money Guide’s standing as a well-respected resource for both customers and industry colleagues.