Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Capital.com vs IG
Capital.com vs IG: the differences
| Compare |  Capital.com |  IG |
|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | $0 | £0 |
| Account fee | £0 | €0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Crypto, Bonds, Spread betting | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, Crypto, Spread betting |
| Regulators | FCA, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC |
| Investor protection | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 | EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 65% | 69% |
| Platforms | Web platform, Mobile app, MT4, TradingView | Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView |
| Minimum deposit | £20 | Not confirmed |
| Inactivity fee | £0 | Not confirmed |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Free deposits and withdrawals | Not confirmed |
| Maximum retail leverage | 1:30 | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 2.5% |
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- IG scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.3.
- Regulators: only Capital.com offers FCA, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- Regulators: only IG offers Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC.
- Markets: only Capital.com offers Bonds.
- Markets: only IG offers Options, Futures.
- Platforms: only Capital.com offers Web platform, Mobile app, MT4.
- Platforms: only IG offers Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime.
- Features: only IG offers Fractional shares.
- Pricing model: only Capital.com offers Low fees.
Our verdict on each
Capital.com
Capital.com suits traders who want one account across shares, forex, CFDs, crypto and bonds without a monthly or inactivity charge. UK clients sit under FCA regulation with FSCS protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000. The minimum deposit of £20 is the only cost barrier, above CFI at $0.
IG
IG suits traders who want shares, ETFs, forex, contracts for difference, options, futures, crypto and spread betting under a single roof, with an account fee of €0 and cash interest of 2.5% on uninvested balances. Share dealing runs commission-free, while the retail loss rate is 69%.
Score breakdown
| Area | Capital.com | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.2Account fee of £0, stock trade fee of $0 and no inactivity charge, with free deposits and withdrawals. | 9.3Higher |
| Offer | 9.5 | 9.6HigherCommission-free share dealing, a stock trade fee of £0, an account fee of €0 and cash interest of 2.5%. |
| Trust | 9.1 | 9.5Higher |
Feature by feature
| Markets | Capital.com | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | No | Yes |
| Futures | No | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | No |
| Spread betting | Yes | Yes |
Licences and countries
| Country | Capital.com | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | CySEC HE 354252 Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 984500C46B3B7B69Y904 | Not confirmed |
| Germany | Not confirmed | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) MiCA CASP 213800HFC5G4V293BN91 |
| United Kingdom | FCA 793714 | Not confirmed |
| United States | Not confirmed | SIPC SIPC member 71021 |
How they place
| Ranking | Capital.com | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 65 of 471 | 48 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 28 of 147 | 18 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 26 of 145 | 16 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 22 of 122 | 14 of 122 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Capital.com | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Demo account, Mobile app | Demo account, Mobile app, Fractional sharesCovers more |
| Pricing model | Commission free, Low feesCovers more | Commission free |
| Legal entity | CAPITAL VAULT LTD | IG Europe GmbH |
| Headquarters | Cyprus | Germany |
| Founded | 2016 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Chat, Help centre | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Capital.com | IG | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £20at the median | Not confirmed | £20 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 65%lowest quarter | 69%below the median | 72.05% |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 2.5%below the median | 3% |
Median across 47 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Capital.com
Pros
- No account fee at all, which puts it joint first on that measure in our data (£0).
- No inactivity charge, also joint first in our data, so an unused balance is not quietly billed (£0).
- Stock trades cost $0 under a commission-free model.
Cons
- The minimum deposit of £20 is far higher than CFI, which asks for $0.
- Support runs on chat and help centre, so there is no phone line for questions about a leveraged position.
- Retail accounts lose 65% of money, and the market is open around the clock.
IG
Pros
- Markets list stocks, etfs and forex, so shares, ETFs, forex, contracts for difference, options, futures, crypto and spread betting sit together.
- Regulated by Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC, with client protection of EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
- Platform choice runs Mobile trading, L2 Dealer and ProRealTime.
Cons
- Retail accounts that lose money come to 69%.
- The commission-free model in commission free applies to share dealing, and it does not extend to trading costs on forex, contracts for difference, options or futures.
- Accounts sit with IG Europe GmbH in Germany, so compensation stops at EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
Who each suits
Capital.com
Who it suits
- Traders who want shares, forex, CFDs, crypto and bonds in one account
- UK residents who want FSCS protection alongside a CySEC regulated entity
- People who keep a balance and would otherwise pay inactivity fees
Who should look elsewhere
- eToro, if you want a social platform with copy trading
- Vantage, if you would rather start from a smaller deposit of $5
IG
Who it suits
- Traders who want stocks, etfs and forex reachable from the same account rather than several platforms.
- Share buyers who want dealing on a commission-free basis, since commission free covers their trades.
- EU clients who weight regulation and compensation, given Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC and EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who want a platform built around share dealing and crypto alone should compare CFI, whose stocks, etfs and forex is a shorter, simpler list.
- Investors priced in dollars rather than euros should weigh eToro, where the stock trade fee is $0.
- Anyone weighing only the account charge should know Vantage lists $0, so IG's €0 is not the only way to hold an account cheaply.
Questions about each
Capital.com
What is the minimum deposit at Capital.com?+
The minimum deposit is £20 in the UK. That is higher than CFI at $0 and Vantage at $5. Clients who want a smaller opening balance may prefer a rival on that measure.
What does it cost to open and hold an account?+
There is no account fee, so the account costs £0. There is also no inactivity charge, at £0. Both rank the brand joint first on our data, so an unused balance is not billed.
IG
What does it cost to trade shares with IG?+
Share dealing runs on a commission-free model, with a stock trade fee of £0 and an account fee of €0. Those are the two figures that matter for holding and trading, and both sit at the floor of the site tables. Trading costs on forex, contracts for difference, options and futures are quoted apart from share dealing.
Who regulates IG and is my money protected?+
The regulators are Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC, and the licences listed are MiCA CASP 213800HFC5G4V293BN91 and SIPC member 71021. Client protection in the EU is EU ICS up to EUR 20,000, so a claim against the firm is covered only up to that ceiling. Any balance above the cap is your own exposure.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
- IG vs Nexo
- Capital.com vs Exness
- Capital.com vs iFOREX
- Capital.com vs Plus500
- Capital.com vs FxPro
- Capital.com vs VT Markets
- Capital.com vs BMO InvestorLine
- Capital.com vs ChoiceTrade
- Capital.com vs IC Markets
- Capital.com vs Freedom24
- Capital.com vs Saxo
- Capital.com vs Swissquote
- Capital.com vs Trading 212
- Capital.com vs Scalable Capital
- Capital.com vs CFI
- Capital.com vs Consorsbank
- Capital.com vs ActivTrades
- Capital.com vs XTB
- IG vs NAGA
- IG vs eToro
- Capital.com vs Mintos
- Capital.com vs Bitpanda
- Capital.com vs Robinhood
- IG vs S Broker
- IG vs Kraken
- IG vs EBC Financial Group
- Capital.com vs BlackBull Markets