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
Best price and best Tools
Best price and best Tools for Invest arround the world
Best Trading Platform
Easy, informative, comprehensive, all in one platform
Best Execution, Lowest Fees, Widest Reach
As an active investor, I’ve used multiple platforms over the years, and none come close to what Interactive Brokers (IBKR) offers. Orders are executed quickly and at excellent prices. Commission structures are transparent and among the lowest in the industry. Few other platforms provide this kind of global access. On top of that, the platform is highly reliable, packed with professional-grade tools, and constantly innovating.
Highly recommended for anyone serious about investing.
Access and Fees
Access to (almost) everything for a great price. Good service!
IBKR rocks
I love IBKR platform as its simple and no nonsense and hoping they reduce their fees even more and become more close to UAE government and help both nationals and expats invest and grow their wealth for future generations.
Great platform with wide exposure and helpful resources
Interactive Brokers is a great platform with wide exposure and helpful resources. I get exposure to equity, commodity, crypto etc across the world. It has great resources to learn and even rewards learning. I can access IBKR via browser, app or from desktop. IBKR also offers good interest on free cash in the account.
Trading Platform Designed by Experts
Excellent Trading platform signed by experts. It incorporates quotes, linked charts and linked news. Includes tools to trade options. Bloomberg TV available. Very flexible set up. Prices for trading FOREX are very tight. Algorithmic trades for equities available. Allows complete trading for US treasury bonds and bills.
IB
Interactive Brokers platform is one of the top worldwide
IBKR - Excellent platform available for all Investors
IBKR allows all interested investors to open accounts and participate in the ever-growing investing world, and this is particularly evident and important for Middle East and GCC residents. IBKR excels at providing all the tools required to invest/trade and offers plenty of investable products that other platforms/providers do not have. Highly recommended Investing platform for all.
Most Reliable Broker
I have been using Interactive Brokers for over two years and their executions have been great for my day trading strategies. Deposit and withdrawls are breeze too. Higly recommend.
Amazing platform to trade internationally
Amazing platform to trade internationally, swift processes, easy navigation, great cost!
Interactive Brokers: The Platform I Trust
As a UAE-based investor using IBKR TWS daily, I’ve found Interactive Brokers exceptionally robust, transparent, and cost-effective—with deep market access and rock-solid execution. It’s the platform I trust with my money.
Best investing platform
Very informative and investor friendly.
Best reliable platform in the market
Ease of use, continues development and a very strong technical support.
An excellent platform that allows you to invest in markets around the world.
I have been really impressed with IBKR. The platform makes it easy to invest in markets all over the world at low costs. The tools and research features are very useful, and trade execution is smooth. Overall, it’s a reliable choice for anyone serious about investing
No complaints!
Great Services, great insights, works like a charm
Trustworthy
Professional and competent brokers.
Powerful Platform with excellent rates
Interactive Brokers have a powerful interface with many information and reporting posiibilities. Rates are excellent, wether for trading or currency exchange. I am very satisfied with their services so far.
Highly recommended
I have been using IB for several years as a small investor and I must say that I am very satisfied.
The platform is clear and easy to use; regular alerts and security checks when logging in convey a solid image of reliability.
The support service, which I have dealt with a couple of times, has been fast and punctual.
I have no other terms of comparison, but for me IB offers excellent service, also in terms of transparency.
Good trading platform
Easy to transfer money and trade
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.