Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Exness vs Interactive Brokers
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Exness |  Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $10 | $0Lower |
| Markets | Stocks, Forex, CFDs, Crypto, Metals | Bonds, ETFs, Forex, Funds, Futures, Options, Stocks |
| Regulators | FCA, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, FSCA | SEC, FCA, SIPC |
| Investor protection | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 | SIPC up to USD 500,000 |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal, Exness Trade App | Client Portal, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile, Trader Workstation |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | Not confirmed |
| Margin rate | Not confirmed | 4.38% |
| Options contract fee | Not confirmed | $0.65 |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | no deposit or withdrawal fee | Not confirmed |
| Account types | Not confirmed | ISA, SIPP, IRA, Joint, Corporate |
| Maximum retail leverage | 1:Unlimited | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 3.38% |
Same on both: Stock trade fee ($0).
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Key differences
- Interactive Brokers scores higher overall: 9.6 vs 9.4.
- Regulators: only Exness offers CySEC, FSA Seychelles, FSCA.
- Regulators: only Interactive Brokers offers SEC, SIPC.
- Founded is lower at Interactive Brokers: 1978 vs 2008.
- Exness is licensed in 2 more countries.
- Minimum deposit is lower at Interactive Brokers: $0 vs $10.
- Markets: only Exness offers CFDs, Crypto, Metals.
- Markets: only Interactive Brokers offers Bonds, ETFs, Funds.
- Platforms: only Exness offers MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal.
- Platforms: only Interactive Brokers offers Client Portal, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile.
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.
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers suits investors who want a single account across ISA, SIPP, IRA, joint and corporate holdings, with stocks, bonds, funds, forex, options and futures behind it. It ranks 1 of 213 brands on minimum deposit at $0, and stock trades are charged at $0.
Score breakdown
| Area | Exness | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3 | 9.3Stock trades cost $0, the minimum deposit is $0 and an options contract costs $0.65. |
| Offer | 9.6 | 9.6Account types cover isa, sipp and ira, and the market list spans bonds, etfs and forex. |
| Trust | 9.5 | 9.8Higher |
Availability and regulation
| Country | Exness | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | FCA 208159 | |
| Cyprus | Not confirmed | |
| Seychelles | Not confirmed | |
| South Africa | FSCA 51024 | Not confirmed |
| United States | Not confirmed | SIPC SIPC member 53615 |
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | Exness | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 54 of 471 | 44 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 22 of 147 | 16 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 20 of 145 | 14 of 145 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Exness | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Not confirmed | Fractional shares, Mobile app |
| Pricing model | Commission free, Low fees | Commission free, Low fees |
| Audience | Beginners, Day traders | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | Exness (SC) Ltd | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC |
| Headquarters | Cyprus | United States |
| Founded | 2008 | 1978Lower |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Help centre, Community |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | Exness | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio types | Not confirmed | ETF |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Exness | Interactive Brokers | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $10below the median | $0below the median | $25 |
| Stock trade fee | $0at the median | $0at the median | $0 |
| Inactivity fee | $0at the median | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Margin rate | Not confirmed | 4.38%below the median | 8.75% |
| Options contract fee | Not confirmed | $0.65above the median | $0.625 |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 3.38%above the median | 3% |
Median across 134 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.
Interactive Brokers
Pros
- A stock trade costs $0 and the minimum deposit is $0, the pairing behind rank 1 of 161 on stock trade fees among the brokers tracked here.
- The account types listed cover isa, sipp and ira, so an ISA, SIPP, IRA, joint or corporate account all sit under a single provider.
- bonds, etfs and forex puts stocks, ETFs, bonds, funds, forex, options and futures on the same account, with a margin rate of 4.38% for geared positions.
Cons
- Support runs on help centre and community, so a phone line and live chat sit outside the offer.
- bonds, etfs and forex covers shares, ETFs, bonds, funds, forex, options and futures but leaves out crypto and CFDs, which eToro lists in stocks, etfs and forex.
- An options contract costs $0.65 against a stock trade at $0, so options strategies pay a visible premium per contract.
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.
Interactive Brokers
Who it suits
- Investors holding money across several wrappers, since the account types listed cover isa, sipp and ira.
- Traders who want options, futures, forex and bonds alongside shares on a single account, per bonds, etfs and forex.
- Anyone starting with a small balance: the minimum deposit is $0 and fractional shares appear in the feature list (fractional shares and mobile app).
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who trades crypto or CFDs, since bonds, etfs and forex leaves both out while eToro lists them in stocks, etfs and forex.
- Readers who want a stated entry figure as a signal of the provider's target size, since Vantage publishes $5 where this broker's minimum is $0.
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.
Interactive Brokers
What does it cost to trade shares?+
A stock trade is charged at $0 and the minimum deposit is $0, so opening an account and dealing in shares carry no charge. The money sits in derivatives and leverage instead, where an options contract costs $0.65 and the margin rate is listed at 4.38%.
Is my money protected?+
The regulatory list runs to SEC, FCA and SIPC, and investor protection is stated as SIPC up to USD 500,000. The UK entry is the FCA under licence 208159, while the US side names the SEC and the SIPC membership SIPC member 53615. The protection figure describes the scheme stated for the account and says nothing about how a trade performs.
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