IG Review

IG is the closest thing the forex and CFD world has to a blue-chip. It’s publicly traded on the London exchange, regulated in roughly a dozen jurisdictions, and lists something like 17,000 instruments — a scale almost no competitor matches. If Pepperstone is the specialist’s scalpel, IG is the institution: broad, heavily regulated, and built to be the one account a serious trader can run everything through. It earns a 4.7, tied at the top of our Forex & CFDs category, and it gets there on breadth and trust rather than the lowest possible price.

The thing most comparisons get wrong is framing IG as a cheap-spread play. It isn’t the cheapest — Pepperstone beats it on raw forex spreads. What IG sells is something different: the widest market access in the category, professional-grade direct-market-access tools, eleven-ish regulatory licenses including US oversight, and the balance sheet of a FTSE-listed company. For most serious traders that combination matters more than shaving a fraction of a pip.

Risk warning: Forex and CFDs are leveraged products and can result in losses exceeding your deposit. CFDs are not available to US retail clients; US clients can trade spot forex only.

Who IG is for — and who should look elsewhere

IG fits serious, multi-market traders who want one heavily-regulated home for forex, indices, shares, and commodities, and who value platform depth (DMA, ProRealTime, TradingView) over rock-bottom spreads. It’s also one of the few genuinely reputable options for US forex traders, since it’s CFTC/NFA-regulated — though US clients get spot forex only, because CFDs are banned for US retail.

Look elsewhere if your single priority is the cheapest raw forex spread — Pepperstone wins there — or if you want stock and fund investing rather than CFD trading. Casual beginners may also find IG’s breadth more than they need.

The cost story: priced for breadth, not the bottom

IG’s forex spreads start competitive — EUR/USD from around 0.6 pips — but they aren’t the lowest available; Pepperstone’s Razor account undercuts them on raw pricing. Where IG has moved aggressively is its investing side: in early 2026 it removed its custody fee and made share and ETF dealing commission-free on its Share Dealing platform, narrowing the gap with traditional brokers. The retail minimum deposit is effectively trivial (around £1).

The honest framing: IG is mid-pack on raw trading cost and excellent on everything surrounding it. If you’re a high-frequency scalper counting fractions of a pip, that matters. If you value execution quality, market range, and not worrying about your broker’s solvency, IG’s pricing is more than fair. Fees & value scores 4.5.

Platforms and tools

IG’s platform stack is one of the deepest in the business: its proprietary web platform and mobile app for most traders, plus MetaTrader 4, TradingView, ProRealTime (advanced charting), and L2 Dealer — a genuine direct-market-access platform with Level-2 order book and API access that few retail brokers offer. That DMA capability is a real draw for professional and algorithmic traders who want to see and interact with market depth rather than trade against a dealer’s prices. Platform & tools scores 4.7.

What you can trade

This is IG’s headline strength: on the order of 17,000 instruments spanning forex, indices, shares, commodities, bonds, and crypto (as CFDs, where permitted). For non-US clients the range is enormous; for US clients it narrows to spot forex by regulation. Either way, within its remit the coverage is among the widest available. Tradable assets scores 4.8.

Regulation, trust, and safety

This is where IG separates itself. It holds roughly eleven regulatory licenses — the FCA (UK), BaFin (Germany), ASIC (Australia), CFTC/NFA (US), FINMA (Switzerland), MAS (Singapore), JFSA (Japan), and FMA (New Zealand), among others — and is a publicly traded FTSE 250 company founded in 1974, which means decades of audited financials and public accountability. Client protections depend on the regulating entity (FCA/FSCS eligibility for UK clients, segregated funds, etc.), and there’s no US SIPC because the US offering is forex, not securities. For regulatory breadth and institutional durability, IG is about as reassuring as the category gets. Regulation & trust scores 4.9.

Support and the day-to-day

IG offers responsive multi-channel support (phone, chat, email), strong educational content, and a polished onboarding process. As a large, established firm it has the service infrastructure to match. Support & experience scores 4.6.

Where IG falls short

• Not the cheapest on raw forex spreads — Pepperstone undercuts it for active scalpers.
• CFDs aren’t available to US retail clients; US traders get spot forex only.
• Leveraged products carry a high risk of loss, including more than your deposit.
• The breadth and pro tools can overwhelm beginners.

For a serious, multi-market trader, none of these are dealbreakers. For a price-obsessed scalper or a US investor wanting stocks, several are.

Why this score

The 4.7 is the weighted average of the category scores above. IG is carried by trust (one of the most heavily regulated brokers anywhere) and asset breadth (17,000 instruments), with platform depth close behind; it’s held back only by mid-pack raw pricing. The rating describes exactly what IG is — the institutional-grade, do-everything option that trades a little on price for a lot on credibility and range.

What to watch

• Your spreads versus a raw-spread broker if you trade high frequency.
• Which IG entity you’re under, since that sets your regulatory protections.
• US limitations — forex only — if you’re a US client.

Bottom line

IG is the heavyweight: widest market access in the category, genuine direct-market-access tools, regulation in nearly a dozen jurisdictions, and a public balance sheet behind it all — one of the few credible homes for US forex traders too. It won’t win a raw-spread price war with Pepperstone, and it isn’t a stock-investing platform. But for a serious trader who wants range, depth, and trust in one account, it’s a deserving co-leader at 4.7.

Frequently asked questions

Is IG available in the US? Yes, but only for spot forex — IG is CFTC/NFA-regulated in the US, and CFDs are banned for US retail clients. Non-US clients get the full multi-asset CFD range.

Is IG cheaper than Pepperstone? Not on raw forex spreads — Pepperstone’s Razor account is cheaper for active traders. IG competes on market range, platform depth, and regulation rather than lowest price.

What platforms does IG offer? Its proprietary web and mobile platforms plus MetaTrader 4, TradingView, ProRealTime, and the L2 Dealer direct-market-access platform with API access.

Is IG safe and regulated? Very — IG holds around eleven regulatory licenses (FCA, ASIC, CFTC/NFA, BaFin, FINMA, MAS and more) and is a publicly traded FTSE 250 company founded in 1974.

What can I trade at IG? Roughly 17,000 instruments — forex, indices, shares, commodities, bonds, and crypto CFDs — for non-US clients; spot forex only for US clients.

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Spreads, fees, and account terms are current as of the “Broker data last verified” date shown above and change over time; confirm specifics on IG’s site before opening an account. This review is editorial opinion for informational and educational purposes only and is not investment advice. Leveraged trading carries a high risk of loss.