IG is a London-headquartered trading platform founded in 1974, providing access to over 17,000 markets across forex, indices, commodities, shares and cryptocurrencies under regulation from ten top-tier authorities including FCA, ASIC, MAS, CFTC and FINMA.
Min deposit
$250
Markets
spot / cfd
Pros
Regulated by 10+ top-tier financial authorities
Access to over 17,000 markets
Competitive spreads from 0.6 pips on EUR/USD
Cons
Higher minimum deposit ($250) than some competitors
Saxo Bank is the multi-asset Swiss-army knife: five top-tier regulators, 40,000+ instruments, advanced SaxoTrader platforms and Saxo Academy research -- but the $2,000 entry and absence of MetaTrader mean it skews toward serious and high-net-worth investors.
Min deposit
$2,000 (Classic)
Coins
40,000+ instruments / 19,000+ stocks
Markets
spot / cfd / futures
Pros
Regulated by five top-tier authorities (DFSA, FCA, ASIC, MAS, FINMA)
Access to 40,000+ instruments including 19,000+ stocks
Trades stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, futures, forex and crypto in one account
Cons
High minimum deposits: $200,000 Platinum, $1,000,000 VIP
Trading 212 pairs commission-free stocks and ETFs with a CFD account across multi-region regulation (FCA 609146, CySEC 398/21, ASIC 541122). A £1/€1/$1 minimum on Invest/ISA and a UK ISA wrapper make it a strong on-ramp for first-time investors; advanced charting is the main gap.
Spot fee
Commission-free on stocks and ETFs; CFD via spread
Min deposit
$1 (Invest and ISA accounts)
Markets
spot / margin
Pros
Commission-free stocks and ETFs trading
Regulated by FCA (609146), CySEC (398/21), and ASIC (541122)
£1/€1/$1 minimum on Invest and ISA accounts
Cons
Limited advanced charting tools
No MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 support — proprietary platform only
Swissquote is a 1996-founded Swiss broker with FINMA, FCA, and MAS regulation. The $1,000 Standard-account minimum and 1:30 retail leverage cap reflect its Tier-1 regulatory posture; the proprietary Advanced Trader complements MT4 and MT5 for full-cycle traders.
Spot fee
Standard from 1.0 pips; Premium from 0.0 pips + $3.50 per lot per side
Min deposit
$1,000
Markets
spot / margin
Pros
Regulated by FINMA, FCA, and MAS — three top-tier authorities
MT4, MT5, and proprietary Advanced Trader
Fee-free deposits and withdrawals on bank, card, and e-wallet
Cons
$1,000 minimum on Standard account is high vs peers
Retail leverage capped at 1:30
Some markets and products have regional availability limits
What should investors check before choosing a stock broker?
Check whether the broker offers real shares or derivatives, the commission schedule, available markets, account protections and withdrawal process.
Can one platform be both a stock broker and a crypto broker?
Yes, but each profile should be judged by its main use case. A platform can support stocks while still being weaker for crypto custody or active trading.
How are stock brokers ranked here?
The category uses the same broker data, but the editorial lens emphasizes commissions, markets, regulation and long-term investor usability.
Affiliate disclosure. Some links on this page are affiliate links —
InteractiveCrypto may earn a commission if you open an account through them, at no
additional cost to you. No paid placements. No affiliate-bias on our rankings.
Composite scores, factor weights, and rankings are produced by our editorial process and
are not influenced by these arrangements. Required by FTC, UK ASA and EU UCPD rules.
Disclaimer: Trading involves risk. This page is educational and does not constitute financial advice.