Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
IG vs Nutmeg
What sets them apart
| Compare |  IG |  Nutmeg |
|---|---|---|
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, Crypto, Spread betting | ETFs, Funds, Stocks, Bonds |
| Regulators | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC | Financial Conduct Authority |
| Investor protection | EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 |
| Platforms | Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView | Web, Mobile app |
| Minimum deposit | Not confirmed | £500 |
| Account fee | €0 | Not confirmed |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 69% | Not confirmed |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Not confirmed | no set-up, trading or exit fees |
| Account types | Not confirmed | ISA, SIPP |
| Interest on cash | 2.5% | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Stock trade fee (£0).
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 9.2.
- Regulators: only IG offers Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC.
- Regulators: only Nutmeg offers Financial Conduct Authority.
- IG is licensed in 1 more country.
- Markets: only IG offers Forex, CFDs, Options.
- Markets: only Nutmeg offers Funds, Bonds.
- Platforms: only IG offers Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime.
- Platforms: only Nutmeg offers Web, Mobile app.
- Features: only IG offers Demo account, Fractional shares.
Our verdict on each
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%.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg suits UK investors who want a managed portfolio held in an ISA or SIPP rather than a self-directed dealing account. The cost of that convenience is a single management fee of 0.25% to 0.75%, with a £0 stock trade fee and FSCS protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000 in place.
Score breakdown
| Area | IG | Nutmeg |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3Higher | 9.0Management fees of 0.25% to 0.75% run above the robo-adviser median of 0.35%, and the entry floor is high. |
| Offer | 9.6Commission-free share dealing, a stock trade fee of £0, an account fee of €0 and cash interest of 2.5%. | 9.6 |
| Trust | 9.5Higher | 9.1 |
Licences and countries
| Country | IG | Nutmeg |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) MiCA CASP 213800HFC5G4V293BN91 | Not confirmed |
| United Kingdom | Not confirmed | Financial Conduct Authority 552016 |
| United States | SIPC SIPC member 71021 | Not confirmed |
How they place
| Ranking | IG | Nutmeg |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 48 of 471 | 101 of 471 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | IG | Nutmeg |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Demo account, Mobile app, Fractional sharesCovers more | Mobile app |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Commission free |
| Legal entity | IG Europe GmbH | J.P. Morgan Personal Investing Limited |
| Headquarters | Germany | United Kingdom |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2012 |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | IG | Nutmeg | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | Not confirmed | £500highest quarter | £20 |
| Stock trade fee | £0at the median | £0at the median | £0 |
| Account fee | €0at the median | Not confirmed | €0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 69%below the median | Not confirmed | 72.05% |
| Interest on cash | 2.5%below the median | Not confirmed | 3% |
Median across 52 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
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.
Nutmeg
Pros
- One ongoing charge to read: management fees of 0.25% to 0.75%, with no set-up, trading or exit fees on top.
- Holdings span etfs, funds and stocks, so a managed basket can still cover a wide spread of asset types.
- Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with FSCS protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000 behind the account.
Cons
- Management fees of 0.25% to 0.75% sit above the robo-adviser median of 0.35%, and the cost rises as the balance grows.
- The opening deposit is £500 and later money goes in from £100 to £500, higher than the robo-adviser median of €60.06.
- The portfolio range is etf, esg and cash only, so there is no crypto or thematic option to tilt towards.
Who each suits
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.
Nutmeg
Who it suits
- UK investors who want a managed portfolio inside an ISA or a SIPP and accept a single ongoing charge for the service.
- People who would rather not research individual funds, since the holdings run to etf, esg and cash approaches chosen and held for you.
- Investors who want a phone line as well as written support, since email, chat and phone includes phone, chat, email and a help centre.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone starting with a small first payment, since the £500 deposit is well above the robo-advisor lower quartile of €0, and Axos Invest begins at $100 in US dollars.
- Shoppers who want the lowest ongoing charge, since eToro runs a 0% management fee and Vivid Standard charges 0.5% to 1.5%, against Nutmeg's 0.25% to 0.75%.
- Investors who want accounts in US dollars, because Axos Invest takes $100 in dollars while Nutmeg's £100 to £500 sits in pounds.
Current offers
Nutmeg
Current offer
Bonus
Earn £100 when you invest £1,000: GBP 100 cash reward
Invest at least £1,000 in one payment into a General Investment Account, Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA or Personal Pension and keep it invested for at least 6 months; new contributions only, transfers excluded; reward paid as unallocated cash within 55 days; new clients only, cannot be combined with other new-client offers
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | IG | Nutmeg |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | No | Yes |
Questions about each
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.
Nutmeg
What does Nutmeg charge to manage my money?+
The charge is a single management fee of 0.25% to 0.75%, which sits above the robo-adviser median of 0.35% in this group. There are no set-up, trading or exit fees to add on top. Money can go in from £100 to £500, so the cost is a percentage of what you hold rather than a price per deal.
How much do I need to open an account?+
The minimum deposit is £500, and once the account is open money can go in from £100 to £500. That first payment is the step most readers notice, and it sits above the lower quartile of €0 across robo-advisers here.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
- IG vs Nexo
- IG vs Trade Nation
- IG vs Interactive Brokers
- IG vs tastytrade
- IG vs Vantage
- IG vs Saxo
- IG vs InvestEngine
- IG vs Wealthsimple
- IG vs Deriv
- IG vs PU Prime
- IG vs TradeZero
- IG vs Markets.com
- IG vs Capital.com
- IG vs OANDA
- IG vs quantfury
- IG vs Dodl
- IG vs flatex Online-Broker (DE)
- IG vs ActivTrades
- IG vs XTB
- IG vs NAGA
- IG vs eToro
- Nutmeg vs Bitpanda
- IG vs Robinhood
- Nutmeg vs Empower Personal Dashboard
- IG vs S Broker
- IG vs Kraken
- IG vs EBC Financial Group
- IG vs Traders Place
- Nutmeg vs Lightyear