Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Exness vs IG
Exness vs IG: the differences
| Compare |  Exness |  IG |
|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | $0 | £0 |
| Markets | Stocks, Forex, CFDs, Crypto, Metals | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, Crypto, Spread betting |
| Regulators | FCA, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, FSCA | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC |
| Investor protection | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 | EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal, Exness Trade App | Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView |
| Minimum deposit | $10 | Not confirmed |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | €0 |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | Not confirmed |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 69% |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | no deposit or withdrawal fee | Not confirmed |
| Maximum retail leverage | 1:Unlimited | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 2.5% |
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Key differences
- IG scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.4.
- Regulators: only Exness offers FCA, CySEC, FSA Seychelles.
- Regulators: only IG offers Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC.
- Exness is licensed in 2 more countries.
- Markets: only Exness offers Metals.
- Markets: only IG offers ETFs, Options, Futures.
- Platforms: only Exness offers MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal.
- Platforms: only IG offers Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime.
- Pricing model: only Exness offers Low fees.
Our verdict on each
Exness
Exness suits beginners and day traders who want to place stock trades without a dealing charge, with a stock trade fee of $0 and an inactivity fee of $0. Regulators listed are the FCA, CySEC, the FSA Seychelles and the FSCA, with FSCS up to GBP 85,000 stated for UK clients.
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 | Exness | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3 | 9.3 |
| Offer | 9.6 | 9.6Commission-free share dealing, a stock trade fee of £0, an account fee of €0 and cash interest of 2.5%. |
| Trust | 9.5 | 9.5 |
Licences and countries
| Country | Exness | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Not confirmed | |
| Germany | Not confirmed | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) MiCA CASP 213800HFC5G4V293BN91 |
| Seychelles | Not confirmed | |
| South Africa | FSCA 51024 | Not confirmed |
| United Kingdom | Not confirmed | |
| United States | Not confirmed | SIPC SIPC member 71021 |
Where these facts come from
Exness
- brokerchampion.com: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- brokeranalysis.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- e-trading.cn.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- exness.org: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- newyorkcityservers.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
IG
- ig.com: 8 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- esma.europa.eu: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Exness | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 45 of 490 | 39 of 490 |
| Forex brokers | 19 of 147 | 15 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 17 of 145 | 13 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 15 of 122 | 12 of 122 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Exness | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Not confirmed | Demo account, Mobile app, Fractional shares |
| Pricing model | Commission free, Low feesCovers more | Commission free |
| Audience | Beginners, Day traders | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | Exness (SC) Ltd | IG Europe GmbH |
| Headquarters | Cyprus | Germany |
| Founded | 2008 | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Exness | IG | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $10at the median | Not confirmed | $10 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | €0at the median | €0 |
| Inactivity fee | $0at the median | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 69%below the median | 70.375% |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 2.5%below the median | 3% |
Median across 99 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Exness
Pros
- A $0 stock trade fee, with the pricing model read as commission-free and low-fee.
- An inactivity fee of $0, so a dormant balance is not billed.
- Deposits and withdrawals carry no charge, so moving money costs nothing.
Cons
- Retail leverage is listed at 1:Unlimited, and 70.15% of retail accounts on this site lose money.
- Regulators listed include the FSA Seychelles and the FSCA alongside the FCA and CySEC, so the entity behind an account can differ by market.
- The market list, stocks, forex and cfds, stops short of ETFs and futures, so share investors wanting those should look elsewhere.
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
Exness
Who it suits
- Beginners and day traders, the audiences the brand names.
- Traders who want a $0 stock trade fee and an inactivity fee of $0 on the same account.
- Desktop and mobile users who want to trade across MT4, MT5 and Exness Terminal.
Who should look elsewhere
- CFI, where the minimum deposit is $0.
- Vantage, with a minimum deposit of $5.
- eToro, which also covers ETFs and futures beyond the markets listed here.
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
Exness
What does Exness charge to buy a stock?+
Share dealing runs at a stock trade fee of $0, and the pricing model is listed as commission-free and low-fee. On this site's stock trade fee ranking Exness sits at 1 of 161, so the per-trade cost sits at the cheap end of the brands compared. Deposits and withdrawals carry no charge either.
Does Exness charge an inactivity fee?+
The inactivity fee is $0, so a dormant account is not billed for sitting still. Exness ranks 1 of 56 on this measure, at the top of the table of brands compared. Some rivals charge for unused accounts, so this saves money for anyone who opens an account and leaves it quiet for a while.
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.
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