Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Interactive Brokers vs S Broker
Interactive Brokers vs S Broker: the differences
| Compare |  Interactive Brokers |  S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | $0 | €0.95 |
| Markets | Bonds, ETFs, Forex, Funds, Futures, Options, StocksCovers more | Stocks, ETFs, Funds, Bonds, Options |
| Regulators | SEC, FCA, SIPC | Bundesanstalt fuer Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, European Central Bank |
| Investor protection | SIPC up to USD 500,000 | EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 |
| Platforms | Client Portal, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile, Trader Workstation | Mobile App, Desktop, Profi Software |
| Minimum deposit | $0 | Not confirmed |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | €0 |
| Margin rate | 4.38% | Not confirmed |
| Options contract fee | $0.65 | Not confirmed |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, IRA, Joint, Corporate | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | 3.38% | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- Interactive Brokers scores higher overall: 9.6 vs 9.3.
- Regulators: only Interactive Brokers offers SEC, FCA, SIPC.
- Regulators: only S Broker offers Bundesanstalt fuer Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, European Central Bank.
- Interactive Brokers is licensed in 1 more country.
- Markets: only Interactive Brokers offers Forex, Futures.
- Platforms: only Interactive Brokers offers Client Portal, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile.
- Platforms: only S Broker offers Mobile App, Desktop, Profi Software.
- Support channels: only Interactive Brokers offers Community.
- Support channels: only S Broker offers Email, Phone.
- Features: only Interactive Brokers offers Fractional shares.
Our verdict on each
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.
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 | Interactive Brokers | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3HigherStock trades cost $0, the minimum deposit is $0 and an options contract costs $0.65. | 8.9Account fee of €0 ranks 1 of 138 on the site; stock trades at €0.95 sit above the site median. |
| Offer | 9.6HigherAccount types cover isa, sipp and ira, and the market list spans bonds, etfs and forex. | 9.4 |
| Trust | 9.8Higher | 9.5 |
Side by side, item by item
| Markets | Interactive Brokers | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | No |
| Options | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | No |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Interactive Brokers | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 35 of 490 | 15 of 490 |
| Options trading platforms | 7 of 103 | 2 of 103 |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Interactive Brokers | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Not confirmed | |
| United Kingdom | FCA 208159 | Not confirmed |
| United States | SIPC SIPC member 53615 | Not confirmed |
Where these facts come from
Interactive Brokers
- interactivebrokers.com: 9 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- brokersway.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- toponlineforexbrokers.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- euinvestinghub.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
- eupersonalfinance.eu: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
S Broker
- sbroker.de: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Interactive Brokers | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Fractional shares, Mobile app | Mobile app, Demo account |
| Pricing model | Commission free, Low fees | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC | S Broker AG & Co. KG |
| Headquarters | United States | Germany |
| Founded | 1978 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Help centre, Community | Email, Phone, Help centre |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | Interactive Brokers | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio types | ETF | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Interactive Brokers | S Broker | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0below the median | Not confirmed | $10 |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | €0at the median | €0 |
| Margin rate | 4.38%below the median | Not confirmed | 8.79% |
| Options contract fee | $0.65above the median | Not confirmed | $0.59 |
| Interest on cash | 3.38%above the median | Not confirmed | 3% |
Median across 99 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
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.
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
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.
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 | Interactive Brokers | S Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | No | Yes |
Questions about each
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.
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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