AMarkets and Interactive Brokers square off on cost, access, and platforms. The contrast highlights how offshore regulation meets broad global reach.
Interactive Brokers edges AMarkets on overall editorial score, driven by top-tier regulation, broader exchange access, and lower trading costs for active traders.
Find out which stock broker best suits your investing profile.
Choose AMarkets if…
Choose AMarkets if you prefer stocks CFDs with ECN pricing and MT4/MT5 with copy trading, plus a broad range of equity CFDs.
Choose Interactive Brokers if…
Choose Interactive Brokers if you need access to 150 exchanges and IPO access, plus a powerful, configurable proprietary platform.
Which broker wins for each type of stock trader, based on costs, safety, features, and editorial scoring.
Interactive Brokers wins for low cost trading, offering commission-free US stocks via IBKR Lite.
| Editorial score | 3.2/ 5 | 4.8/ 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Min deposit | $100 | No minimum▼ lower |
| Spreads from | 0 pips▼ lower | 0.2 pips |
| Commission / lot | $6/lot | $2/lot▼ lower |
A closer look at the specific criteria each broker meets or misses within each scoring category.
| Criteria | AMarkets | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Trust & Regulation | ||
| Top-tier regulator (FCA, ASIC, SEC, etc.) | Fail | Pass |
| Segregated client funds | Pass | Pass |
| Negative balance protection | Fail | Fail |
| Compensation scheme (e.g. FSCS, SIPC) | Fail | Fail |
| Costs | ||
| Commission-free trading | Fail | Pass |
| Features | ||
| Fractional shares | Fail | Pass |
| Dividend reinvestment (DRIP) | Fail | Pass |
| Extended hours trading | Fail | Pass |
| IPO access | Fail | Pass |
| Short selling | Pass | Pass |
| Stock screener tool | Fail | Pass |
| Support | ||
| Mobile app | Pass | Pass |
| Advanced charting tools | Pass | Pass |
| 24/5 live chat | Pass | Pass |
| Phone support | Pass | Pass |
Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice: it rates 4.8/5 versus 3.2/5 for AMarkets, a gap that reflects clear differences across regulation, fees, and platform quality in our review.
AMarkets lists tighter spreads from 0, compared with Interactive Brokers's 0.2. For stock trading, also factor in any per-trade or per-share commissions — spreads and commissions together determine the true cost per trade.
Interactive Brokers has no minimum deposit, while AMarkets requires at least $100. This makes Interactive Brokers more accessible for traders with limited starting capital.
Interactive Brokers holds top-tier regulation (JFSA, IIROC, DFSA), providing stronger investor protections. AMarkets may be regulated but does not hold top-tier status in our data. Verify regulatory status on each regulator's public register before depositing funds.
For beginners, Interactive Brokers has no minimum deposit, removing the capital barrier entirely. Both brokers otherwise share similar beginner-facing criteria in our data. Also compare demo account availability and educational resources on each brokers's site.
AMarkets lists maximum leverage of 3000:1, while Interactive Brokers lists up to 1:4. Available leverage depends on your jurisdiction. EU retail clients under ESMA rules are capped at 1:30 on major forex pairs.
Interactive Brokers charges $2 per trade, lower than AMarkets's $6 per trade. Lower commissions benefit active traders who execute many trades per day. Stock commissions may be charged as a flat rate per trade or per share; confirm the exact structure on each broker's website.
AMarkets supports cTrader, MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4, while Interactive Brokers supports Trader Workstation (TWS), Proprietary Web/Mobile. AMarkets has exclusive access to cTrader and MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4. Interactive Brokers has exclusive access to Trader Workstation (TWS) and Proprietary Web/Mobile.
Interactive Brokers offers commission-free stock trading while AMarkets does not according to our data. Commission-free trading can reduce costs for frequent traders. Always confirm the current fee structure directly on each broker's website.
Interactive Brokers wins for safety & regulation, with top-tier oversight from multiple regulators.
Interactive Brokers wins for long-term investors with fractional shares and dividend reinvestment.
Interactive Brokers wins for active traders with low commissions and a powerful TWS platform.
AMarkets is better for beginners due to familiar MT4/MT5 interfaces.
Interactive Brokers wins for global market access with 150 exchanges.
| 0.6 pips |
| 0.4 pips▼ lower |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
|---|
| Deposit fee | Free | Free |
|---|
| Deposit methods | Bank transferCredit cardDebit cardSkrillNetellerWebMoneyCrypto | Bank transferACH |
|---|
| Withdrawal methods | Bank transferCredit cardSkrillNetellerWebMoneyCrypto | Bank transferACH |
|---|
| Withdrawal fee | Free | First withdrawal/month free |
|---|
| Commission-free | No | Yes |
|---|
| Fractional shares | No | Yes |
|---|
| Dividend reinvestment | No | Yes |
|---|
| Extended hours | No | Yes |
|---|
| IPO access | No | Yes |
|---|
| Short selling | Yes | Yes |
|---|
| Regulators | SVGFSA | JFSA IIROC DFSA FCA CNB CMVM CNV ASIC AMF SEC MFSA SFC SEBI CBI CMF NFA FSC FINRA |
|---|
| Platforms | cTrader MetaTrader 5 MetaTrader 4 | Trader Workstation (TWS) Proprietary Web/Mobile |
|---|
| Active bonuses | None | 2 offers |
|---|
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Dig deeper into each broker’s features, fees, and regulation.
Score 3.2 / 5
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