Interactive Brokers and TD Ameritrade are online forex brokers that offer their trading services to traders and investors. Interactive Brokers is a highly regulated and trusted forex broker. It is regulated by multiple regulatory authorities including SEC, CFTC, FCA, FSCS, FINRA, FCM, IIROC, MAS, FSA. Similarly, TD Ameritrade is also a regulated forex broker. TD Ameritrade is regulated by multiple regulatory bodies around the world including SEC, FINRA, SIPC. Both brokers have their own strengths and weaknesses.
In this article, we will review and compare the brokerage services offered by Interactive Brokers and TD Ameritrade. We will explore options such as regulations, reputations, fees, features, leverage, and more. Additionally, we will analyze and rate the brokers based on macro and micro categories and options. By reviewing these aspects, you will get a clear idea of which broker suits you best for your trading journey
Interactive Brokers
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
- 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
TD Ameritrade
Founded in 1971 as Ameritrade, TD Ameritrade is a well-known American online brokerage firm that offers a wide range of financial services including stocks, Forex, options, ETFs Mutual Funds, fixed income, and other investment products TD Ameritrade went through a couple of acquisitions and mergers. In 2006, it acquired the US operations of TD Waterhouse, followed by the acquisition of Scottrade in 2017. Finally, in 2020, Charles Schwab Corporation acquired TD Ameritrade. TD Ameritrade provides access to both US and non-US traders to trade on this platform.
TD Ameritrade At a Glance
- Founded In: 1978
- Minimum Deposit: $0
- Maximum Leverage: 1:50
- Regulations: SEC , FINRA , SIPC
- Trading platform: Web Platforms, thinkorswim desktop, thinkorswim® web, Mobile Trading
- Account Types: Standard, Retirement, Education and Specialty accounts.
- Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), ACH (Automated Clearing House), Check, Physical Stock Certificates, Transfer from Existing Broker
- US Clients : Accepted
Interactive Brokers vs: TD Ameritrade Features
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
TD Ameritrade
- Trading Instruments: 4,700+ trading instruments including Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, fixed income, futures, and forex, as well as margin lending and cash management services
- Maximum Leverage: 50:1. Offers both leverage and non-leverage assets.
- Minimum Deposit: TD Ameritrade does not require a minimum deposit to open a trading account
- Account Type: Brokerage and Trading, Retirement Account, Education and Custodian, charitable giving, lending, Small business retirements, Checking and Savings, Robo and Dedicated Advice, credit cards, Annuities, Trust and Estate, Insurance
- Trading Fees: TD Ameritrade offers a $0 account minimum with no charges for trading stocks and ETFs. Bond trades are $1 per bond, and most options contracts cost $0.65 each. Mutual fund trades typically cost around $50, but the firm also provides access to over 3,600 no-transaction-fee funds
- PAMM/MAM: Not Available
- News Trading: Allowed
- Scalping: Allowed
- Automated Trading: Allowed
Interactive Brokers vs TD Ameritrade: Pros and Cons
Interactive Brokers Pros & Cons
- 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.
- 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
TD Ameritrade Pros & Cons
- ETF, non-penny stock, and options trades are commission-free
- Expansive trading tools and resources for all types of investors
- Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading)
- Regulated by FINRA, SIBC
- Part of Charles Schwab Corporation since October 2020, with a combined 28 million clients and $6 trillion in assets.
- The company does not charge fees for trading in American and Canadian stocks, options, and ETFs.
- There is a large selection of investments from which to choose
- Broker-assisted trades are somewhat costly
- No direct crypto Trading
- Forex trading via thinkorswim, a trading platform where you can trade forex
- No MT4, MT5, cTraders trading platforms are offered
- Fractional shares are not offered
- Accounts mostly limited to US residents
- As a U.S.-only forex broker, TD Ameritrade does not offer copy trading or MetaTrader (MT4).
Interactive Brokers vs TD Ameritrade: Side-by-Side Comparison
Interactive Brokers Vs TD Ameritrade: Our Scores and Ratings
We rated both brokers, Interactive Brokers and TD Ameritrade, 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.
Interactive Brokers :
TD Ameritrade
Final Verdict :
Both Interactive Brokers and TD Ameritrade offer similar trading services worldwide. Both brokers are regulated in the USA and accept US clients. The minimum lot size for both is as low as 0.1.
However, there are some differences. For example, Interactive Brokers is regulated by 9 regulatory authorities including SEC, CFTC, FCA, FSCS, FINRA, FCM, IIROC, MAS, FSA. while TD Ameritrade is regulated by 3 regulatory authorities including SEC, FINRA, SIPC. The trading cost for Interactive Brokers is Spread starting from 1 pips, while the trading cost for TD Ameritrade is Spread starting from Commission from $7 to $9.99. Our score for Interactive Brokers is 9.1, and for TD Ameritrade, it is 8.8 (according to our expert ratings, brokers that achieve a score of 8.00 or higher are considered safe and trustworthy).
So, if you are looking for a low-cost broker for forex trading, you can choose Interactive Brokers. If you want to use a widely recognized broker, you may consider TD Ameritrade.
