Hotforex vs Interactive Broker Compared 2025: Pros, Cons, and More!

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Written by
Ryan Hardy sitting before his forex trading desk
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Traders consistently seek trusted and reliable trading platforms that suit their trading styles and preferences. HotForex and Interactive Brokers are top-tier regulated brokers providing online trading services worldwide. HotForex is known for its social trading and multi-asset platform, regulated in two tier-1 jurisdictions, three tier-2 jurisdictions, and three tier-4 jurisdictions including FCA , CySEC, CMA , FSC Mauritius , SVGFSA ,FSA -S, FSCA, DFSA. On the other hand, Interactive Brokers specializes in online forex trading,  regulated by eight Tier-1 jurisdictions and two Tier-2 jurisdictions  including ASIC,IIROC , MNB,SFC,SEBI,, CBI,,FSA-Japan, MAS,FCA , FINRA,SEC. While these brokers offer similar services, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

In this article, I have compared HotForex and Interactive Brokers in terms of trading platforms, Pros, Cons, regulations, tradable assets, fees, customer support, and overall trading experience score. This analysis aims to help you determine which broker better suits your trading style and preferences

HotForex vs Interactive Broker: In a Nutshell

HotForex

Founded in 2010, HFM is one of the renowned forex and CFD brokers offering online trading services worldwide. The broker was previously known and founded as HotForex. HFM provides over 1,000 trading instruments, including forex, commodities, metals, bonds, energies, ETFs, indices, stocks, and cryptos. It is regulated by multiple regulatory authorities, such as the FCA, CySEC, CMA, FSC, SVGFSA, FSA-S, FSCA, and DFSA. HFM has received over 60 industry awards for outstanding performance and offers leverage as high as 1:2000. It boasts about 2.5 million clients from all over the world. To learn more about HFM, you can read our review on HFM (HF Markets).

Hotforex Overview

Hotforex Overview
  • Founded In: 2010
  • Founder: George Koumantaris
  • Headquarters: St. Vincent & the Grenadines
  • Minimum Deposit: $5
  • Maximum Leverage: 1:1000
  • Regulations: FCA, DFSA , FSCA ,FSA,CMA
  • Trading platform: MT4, MT5, HFM Platform
  • Account Types: Cent, Zero, Pro, Premium
  • Payment Options:Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard, BitPay, FasaPay, Maestro, Neteller, PayRedeem, Skrill, UnionPay, WebMoney
  • US Traders: Not Accept

Interactive Broker

Founded in New York, USA in 1978 by Thomas Peterffy, Interactive Brokers has grown into a global brand with over 2.1 million clients. It is an American Multinational brokerage firm headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut.  It has become one of the leading online trading solutions for traders, investors, and advisors. The brokers give access to over 5000+ tradable assets including forex, CFDs, warrants, ETFs Options, Futures, Mutual Funds, and Bonds. To trade online, IBKR offers WebTrader, FIX API, MobileTrader (MobileApp), and TWS trading platforms. To learn more about IBKR, you can read our review of Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers Overview

Interactive Brokers Overview
  • Founded In: 1978
  • Founder: Chairman Thomas Peterffy
  • Headquarters: Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
  • Minimum Deposit: None
  • Maximum Leverage: 500:1
  • Regulations: SEC , CFTC ,FCA, FSCS, ASIC , IIROC , FSA
  • Trading platform: WebTrader, FIX API, MobileTrader
  • Account Types: Family Office Account ,UGMA/UTMA, IRA, Trust ,Joint, Individuals
  • Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), ACH (Automated Clearing House), BPAY, Check, Direct Debit, Local Bank Deposits, Transfer from Existing Broker
  • US Traders:  Accepted 

Hotforex vs : Interactive Brokers Features

Hotforex:

  • Trading Instruments: 3000+ trading instruments including Forex, Metals, Energies, Indices, Stocks, Commodities, Bonds, ETFS, Cryptos 
  • Maximum leverage: The maximum leverage of Oanda is 1:200 (global), 1:50 (US), 1:30 (EU)
  • Minimum Deposit: No Minimum Deposit. 
  • Account Types: Two (Standard, Elitetrader) 
  • Trading Fees:  Spreads range from 0.1 to 0.6, and commissions range from 3.5 to 4 per lot (depending on account type).
  • PAMM/ MAM:  
  • Scalping: Allowed 
  • News Trading: Allowed
  • EA/ Robot Trading: Allowed

Interactive Brokers

  • Trading Instruments: 5000+Trading instruments including forex, CFDs, warrants, ETFs Options, Futures, Mutual Funds, stocks, options, and Bonds
  • Maximum leverage: 50:1  for US Clients, 30:1  for EU clients, and 400:1 for global clients. 
  • Minimum Deposit: The Interactive Brokers minimum deposit is $0 for a cash account, $2,000 for a T Reg margin account, and $110,000 for a portfolio margin account. The minimum deposit is subject to change depending on the trading account opened and the base currency selected.
  • Trading Fees: spreads starting from as low as 0.1 pips, Stock fees USD 0.005 per share. 
  • PAMM/ MAM:  Not Available
  • Scalping: Allowed 
  • News Trading: Allowed
  • EA/ Robot Trading: Allowed with Capitalise.ai

HotForex vs Interactive Broker: Pros and Cons

HotForex

Pros
  • Regulated by the CySEC, FCA, FSCA, DFSA, CMA, FSC Mauritius, and FSA Seychelles.
  • The Maximum Leverage is as high as 1:2000
  • Favorable trading conditions and low spreads - from 0 pips;
  • Trading is available on the MT4, MT5, and HFM trading app
  • Available trading tools are MT4 premium trader tools, Autochartist, free VPS, etc
  • Insurance coverage of up to $5,000,000
  • Copy trading via HF Copy.
  • Market news, analysis, outlook, and webinars are provided by a dedicated team of analysts.
Cons
  • Premium Pro account requires a $5000 minimum balance
  • To copy trades on HF copy, you need a deposit of €300.
  • No micro accounts for European beginner traders.
  • No bonuses for EU Clients 
  • Few account currencies, which is why some clients have to pay for double conversion
  • Customer support is closed on weekends.

Interactive Broker

Pros
  • IBK is a Forex and Stock Broker 
  • Excellent reputation (founded in 1978)
  • Regulated by top regulators like  ASIC, FCA, FSA, SFC, IIROC 
  • A wide range of products offered warrants, ETFs, Options, Futures, Mutual Funds, Bonds 
  • Over 18,000 no-transaction-fee mutual funds.
  • No monthly inactivity fee
  • Low trading fees and high interest (up to 4.58% for USD) on cash balances
  • Access to international markets and exchanges 
  • Mobile apps are convenient for individual investors.
Cons
  • Complicated account opening 
  • Learning Curve for Beginners
  • The maximum leverage is only 1:40 
  •  No Metatrader platforms (MT4, MT5) offered 
  • High minimum deposit requirements for some account types 
  • Interactive Advisors (Robo-advisor feature) is only available for US customers
  • No fixed spread is available 

HotForex vs Interactive Broker: Side-by-Side Comparison

Hotforex
Interactive Broker
Product
Product
Hotforex
Interactive Broker
Founded In
Founded In
2010
1978
Founded By
Founded By
George Koumantaris
Chairman Thomas Peterffy
Headquarters
Headquarters
Kingstown, St. Vincent
Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
Regulations
Regulations
FCA, DFSA, FSCA, FSA in Seychelles, CMA, CySEC
SEC, CFTC, FCA, FSCS, FINRA, FCM, IIROC, MAS, FSA
Min Deposit
Min Deposit
$0
None
Max Leverage
Max Leverage
2000:1
1:500
Tradable Assets
Tradable Assets
Forex, Metals, Stocks, Bonds, Indices, Energies, Commodities, Cryptos, and ETFs
Stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds
Fees
Fees
Spread from 0.6 pips
Spread starting from 1 pips
Platforms and Tools
Platforms and Tools
MT4, MT5, HFM App
WebTrader, FIX API, MobileTrader
US Traders
US Traders
Not Allowed
Allowed

HotForex Vs Interactive Broker: Our Scores and Ratings

We rated both brokers, HotForex and Interactive Broker, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 0.1 increments. To achieve a comprehensive rating, we broadly grouped all services offered by brokers into 6 macro categories and assigned percentage weights to them. Each macro category is subdivided into several data points which contributes to the total score of 1.0-10.0 assigned to each macro category. Since all categories are not equally important, our weight percentage plays a significant role in assessing the broker accurately. For example, Regulation and Security contributes a total weight of 40% to the whole ratings because this is the most important rating category. To learn more, read our methodology.

HotForex :

9.1
Total Score
Regulation and Security (40%)9.8
Fees and Commissions (20%)9
Trading (15%)8
Trading tools (10%)9.2
Customer Support (10%)9
Trading Education (5%)8

Interactive Broker

9.1
Interactive Brokers Score
Regulation and Security (40%)10
Fees and Commissions (20%)8
Trading (15%)9
Trading tools (10%)7
Customer Support (10%)9.5
Trading Education (5%)9

Final Verdict :

Both HotForex and Interactive Brokers are regulated online trading platforms in the industry, offering services to traders and investors. However, there are some differences between them. HotForex is a multi-asset and social trading platform, providing trading instruments, including forex,metals,energies,indices,stock,commodities,bonds,ETFs,cryptos. It offers both leverage and non-leverage tradable assets. On the other hand, Interactive Brokers is a forex and CFD broker offers Stocks, options, futures, futures options, SSFs, ETFs, EFPs, currencies, fixed income, warrants and funds.

Our score for HotForex is 8.8, and for Interactive Brokers, it is 9.1 (based on our research; a score above 8 is considered safe and trustworthy). If you are seeking a social trading platform where you can copy other successful traders and have a one-stop solution for various types of trading, you may choose HotForex. However, if you prefer online forex and CFD brokers, you may choose Interactive Brokers.

Written by

Jason Paine is a forex trader, researcher, and tech enthusiast. He is passionate about financial markets and cutting-edge technology. With a dynamic 16-year trading career, he's on a mission to guide fellow traders. Having navigated diverse forex brokers, Jason shares his insights at Brokersway to bridge the gap between traders and the right brokerage.

Fact Checked by
Ryan Hardy is a Content Writer, Researcher, and Fact Checker at Brokersway. Specializing in forex trading, he focuses on ensuring accuracy in information related to broker regulations, scams, and safety measures. With a commitment to transparency, Ryan plays a vital role in providing traders with reliable insights into the world  of forex brokers
Edited by

Richard Walz, a seasoned content writer and broker’s research specialist, is your go-to authority for decoding online forex brokers and trading platforms. As an editor, he ensures precision and clarity, offering traders valuable insights on Brokersway, a trusted resource for informed decision-making in the dynamic world of currency trading. Richard's role as an editor ensures that the information presented is not only accurate but also presented in a manner that resonates with traders seeking clarity in making better decision.

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