Admirals vs Interactive Brokers
Our pick: Interactive Brokers for most CIS and EU investors; Admirals for MT5-native traders. IB is ~4× cheaper per share ($0.005 Pro Fixed vs Admirals' $0.02 on real US stocks, both with a $1 minimum) and adds options, futures and bonds, which Admirals does not offer. Both work with near-zero minimum deposits; IB has no inactivity fee at all, Admirals charges €10/month after 24 months of inactivity — mild for buy-and-hold. The case for Admirals is MetaTrader: traders coming from FX or CFD platforms keep the terminal they know.
Editor: Kyrylo Vasyliev
Admirals (CySEC/FCA, minimum deposit €1) and Interactive Brokers (SEC/FCA, minimum deposit $0) are two regulated brokers competing for retail investors in the CIS and EU markets. This comparison is built from verified data on fees, available instruments, trading platforms and country access — so you can see exactly where each broker wins before you open an account.
Across 3 fee categories we track, Interactive Brokers comes out cheaper in 1, while Admirals wins only 0. For active traders this gap compounds over time — commission, FX markup and custody fees are the three that hurt portfolio returns the most. On asset class coverage Admirals is ahead with 7 instrument categories versus 6 at Interactive Brokers — relevant if you plan to diversify beyond stocks into bonds, ETFs, commodities or crypto.
If entry budget matters, Interactive Brokers is more accessible with a minimum deposit of $0. Admirals supports 3 trading platforms, Interactive Brokers supports 3 — check the platforms section below to confirm your preferred terminal is available.
Trust dimensions side by side
Where it's safer
Five trust dimensions per our methodology. The further from the centre — the stronger. The dashed line is our fixed reference level, the same on every axis.
Interactive Brokers leads on the combined score — 100/100 vs 83/100. Our fixed reference line is 72.
Overview
Interactive Brokers leads with 5 out of 9 objective metrics. On fees specifically, Interactive Brokers wins 1 of 3 categories.
Fees & Commissions
Fee scenario
Approximate — based on verified fees only. Per-share commissions assume a $50 share price. Real costs depend on instrument, currency conversion and individual trade size.
Instruments & Markets
8k+ instruments · 10k+ instrumentsRegulators & investor protection
- CySEC—Cyprus (EU)
- FCA—United Kingdom
- Additional licences on file: JSC (Jordan).
- SEC—United States
- FCA—United Kingdom
- CIRO—Canada
- SFC—Hong Kong
- ASIC—Australia
- CBI—Ireland (EU)
- MAS—Singapore
Both brokers operate under Tier-1 jurisdictions, so regulatory oversight strength is comparable. For UK-resident clients the protection difference is material. Admirals' FCA entity (Admiral Markets UK Ltd, FRN 595450) provides FSCS protection up to £85,000. Interactive Brokers routes UK and EU accounts through IBKR Ireland, covered by the Investor Compensation Scheme (ICS) at only €20,000. The $500,000 SIPC protection applies exclusively to US-domiciled IBKR LLC accounts and is not available to European clients.
Account & Support
Admirals
Interactive Brokers
Pros & Cons
Admirals
- Invest.MT5 = real shares, not CFD wrapper — $0.02/share with $1 min on US stocks
- Multi-license coverage (CySEC 201/13 EU + FCA UK + JSC Jordan)
- Established 2001 — 25-year operating history, no licence revocations
- Own web platform with TradingView charts, alongside MT4 and MT5
- Strong Trustpilot rating (4.2★)
- Fragmented account structure: Invest.MT5 (shares) and Trade.MT5 (CFD) are separate accounts
- MT5 platform learning curve — proprietary UI is dated
- Inactivity fee €10/mo after 24 months of no activity
- Google Play mobile rating 3.5 — well below industry norm (4.5+)
- Demo account closes after 30 days
Interactive Brokers
- Industry-cheapest per-share commission on US stocks (IBKR Pro Tiered $0.0035/sh, Fixed $0.005/sh)
- SIPC protection up to $500,000 per account ($250k cash) — strongest US-domiciled coverage
- 175+ markets from one account, including direct access to LSE / XETRA / HKEX / TSE
- Public NASDAQ-listed parent (IBKR) — financial transparency above industry norm
- Wide instrument selection (10k+)
- Trader Workstation (TWS) has a famously steep learning curve
- IBKR Lite (zero-commission plan) is US-residents-only
- Customer support thin relative to peers — chat queues commonly multi-hour
- Mobile app is functional but utilitarian — not a Robinhood-style experience
Who each broker is for
Verdict
Both Admirals and Interactive Brokers are regulated brokers offering access to global financial markets. However, they differ significantly in fees, available instruments, and minimum deposit requirements. Below is our expert assessment to help you make an informed decision.
Choose Admirals if you want more instruments, a stronger Trustpilot rating.
Choose Interactive Brokers if you want lower fees, lower entry barrier, more account currencies.
- Just starting outInteractive Brokers· lower entry barrier
- Active tradingInteractive Brokers· lower fees, more instruments, faster withdrawals
- Advanced / professionalInteractive Brokers· more exchanges, more account currencies
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your trading style, budget, and preferred instruments. We recommend using our Broker Quiz for a personalized recommendation.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this comparison and how to use it.