Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
IG vs S Broker
Where IG and S Broker differ
| Compare |  IG |  S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | £0 | €0.95 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, Crypto, Spread betting | Stocks, ETFs, Funds, Bonds, Options |
| Regulators | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC | Bundesanstalt fuer Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, European Central Bank |
| Platforms | Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView | Mobile App, Desktop, Profi Software |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 69% | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | 2.5% | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Account fee (€0), Investor protection (EU ICS up to EUR 20,000).
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Key differences
- IG scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.3.
- Regulators: only IG offers Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC.
- Regulators: only S Broker offers Bundesanstalt fuer Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, European Central Bank.
- IG is licensed in 1 more country.
- Markets: only IG offers Forex, CFDs, Futures.
- Markets: only S Broker offers Funds, Bonds.
- Platforms: only IG offers Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime.
- Platforms: only S Broker offers Mobile App, Desktop, Profi Software.
- Features: only IG offers 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%.
S Broker
S Broker keeps the running costs of a German brokerage account down, with an account fee of €0 and a stock trade fee of €0.95, and it is supervised by the Bundesanstalt fuer Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht. It suits investors who want a single account for stocks, funds, bonds and options in a regulated German firm.
Score breakdown
| Area | IG | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3Higher | 8.9Account fee of €0 ranks 1 of 138 on the site; stock trades at €0.95 sit above the site median. |
| Offer | 9.6HigherCommission-free share dealing, a stock trade fee of £0, an account fee of €0 and cash interest of 2.5%. | 9.4 |
| Trust | 9.5 | 9.5 |
How they place
| Ranking | IG | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 39 of 490 | 15 of 490 |
| Options trading platforms | 11 of 103 | 2 of 103 |
Side by side, item by item
| Markets | IG | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | No |
| CFDs | Yes | No |
| Options | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | No |
| Bonds | No | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Spread betting | Yes | No |
Licences and countries
| Country | IG | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) MiCA CASP 213800HFC5G4V293BN91 | |
| United States | SIPC SIPC member 71021 | Not confirmed |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | IG | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Demo account, Mobile app, Fractional sharesCovers more | Mobile app, Demo account |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | IG Europe GmbH | S Broker AG & Co. KG |
| Headquarters | Germany | Germany |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Email, Phone, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | IG | S Broker | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | €0at the median | €0at the median | €0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | 69%below the median | Not confirmed | 70.375% |
| Interest on cash | 2.5%below the median | Not confirmed | 3% |
Median across 38 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.
S Broker
Pros
- An account fee of €0 and stock trades at €0.95 keep the running cost of the account low.
- Regulated in Germany by the Bundesanstalt fuer Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht and the European Central Bank, with deposits covered by the EU investor compensation scheme.
- A single account covers stocks, etfs and funds.
Cons
- Stock trades cost €0.95 each, which adds up for anyone dealing often.
- The market list is stocks, etfs and funds, so forex, CFDs and crypto traders have to look elsewhere.
- Support runs on email, phone and help centre, with no live chat listed.
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.
S Broker
Who it suits
- Investors who want stocks, ETFs, funds and bonds in a single account with an account fee of €0.
- German residents who want a supervised German firm and phone support as well as email.
- Options traders who also hold stocks, funds or bonds and want a single account for all of it.
Who should look elsewhere
- eToro, if a stock trade fee of $0 matters more than a German account with funds and bonds on the platform.
- CFI, if forex, CFDs and crypto matter, since its markets of stocks, etfs and forex reach well past stocks, etfs and funds.
- Anyone who wants live chat support, since support runs on email, phone and help centre only.
Country by country
| Country | IG | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 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.
S Broker
What does S Broker charge for a stock trade and for the account?+
Stock trades cost €0.95 and the account fee is €0, so holding the account costs nothing. Across the site the median stock trade fee is €0, which leaves S Broker a little dearer than the cheapest stock platforms but with no account charge to set against it.
Who regulates S Broker and what happens to the money in the account?+
The legal entity is S Broker AG & Co. KG, supervised by the Bundesanstalt fuer Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht and the European Central Bank. Deposits sit under the EU investor compensation scheme, so a firm failure is covered within that scheme's stated limits rather than by the broker itself.
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