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EC Markets vs Interactive Investor : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
EC Markets
Interactive Investor
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
None
Years of Existence / Established Year
2011
1995
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
No information
over 430,000
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FSA,FCA, FSC
FCA
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Best Trading Liquidity Award, Best Customer Awards
Best Stocks and Shares ISA - The Times Money Mentor Awards 2024 Boring Money Best Buy ISA - AIC Shareholder Engagement Award 2024 Boring Money Best Buy Pension - AIC Shareholder Engagement Award 2024 Best online stock broker 2023 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
Security Measures
FSCS
FSCS
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
150+
43,000 + funds, Shares, Glits
Currency Pairs
Yes
Yes
Commodities
Yes
Yes
Indices
Yes
Yes
Cryptocurrencies
Yes
No
CFDs
No
No
ETFs
No
Yes
Stocks
No
Yes
Options
No
No
Futures
No
No
Bonds
No
Yes
Mutual Funds
No
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
No
Precious Metals
Yes
Yes
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
Yes
Equities
No
No
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
Yes
No
MT5
Yes
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
Yes
Copy Trading
Yes
No
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
No
Online ii Community - for social trading
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes except Mac
Yes only Web
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Standard and ECN accounts
Trading Account SIPP Stocks & Shares ISA Junior ISA Cash Savings Managed ISA Joint Trading Account Company Account
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
No
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$10
Euro 250
Leverage Available
200:1 to 500:1
Info not available
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Unlimited
Varies for each product
Commission (per account type)
$0 for standard account, $5 per lot per side for ECN account
Monthly fee ISA / Trading account - £ 4.99 for investment upto £ 50,000 - £ 11.99 (no limit) SIPP - £ 5.99 for investment upto £50,000 - £12.99 (no limit) ISA + Trading Account + SIPP - £ 9.99 for investment upto £75,000 - £ 21.99 (no limit)
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Both beginners and experienced traders
Beginners
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Union Pay, OCT 365, Swift wire transfer, Indonesia bank ATM, Bank Transfer Malaysia, THAI QR payment,e-wallets
Cash savings Ac - Bank transfer Debit cards Cheque Payit from Natwest
Withdrawal Methods
Union Pay, OCT 365, Swift wire transfer, Indonesia bank ATM, Bank Transfer Malaysia, THAI QR payment, e-wallets
Bank Transfer
Other E-Wallets Supported
VN pay, PoLi.
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
Yes
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Trading Education, Market Analysis, Webinars, eBooks and Guides, Video Tutorials, MT4 Indicator Plugin
StockScreener - Intuitive tool to explore the markets
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Spread for Std account: Starts from 1.0 pip, Spread for ECN accounts: Starts from 0.0 pips
UK & US shares, funds, ETFs, bonds and gilts - £3.99, Other international shares - £9.99 / £5.99 (Super Investor), Dividend reinvestment - £0.99, For value over £100,000 - 0.04% of trade value, Buying / Selling other international shares - £9.99, For value over £25,000 - 0.10% of trade value, International trading fees for super investors - £5.99
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
Variable
Info not available
Per Lot Fees
$5
£ 3.99 per trade
Options Contract Fees
NA
NA
Futures Contract Fees
NA
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
500:1
Info not available
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
NA
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
NA
Super Investor plan - £ 19.99 per month Super Investor + SIPP = £29.99 per month
Advisory Fees
NA
$0
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
NA
Statement or Document Fee
NA
NA
Account Opening Fee
NA
NA
Account Maintenance Fee
NA
Administrative charges Share certificate withdrawal - £ 35 + VAT - Per certificate Failed payments or late settlement - £ 25 Paper documents - £ 3 + VAT per document Contract notes sent by post - £ 1.50 + VAT per document VCTs processing charge - £ 30 per application
Deposit Fee
$0
£ 0
Currency Conversion Fee
NA
Value converted FX charge £ 0 - £ 24,999.99 1.5% £ 25,000 - £ 49,999.99 1.25% £ 50,000 - £ 99,999.99 1.00% £ 100,000 - £ 599,999.99 0.50% £ 600,000 or more 0.25%
Withdrawal Fee
$0 bank fees may apply
Urgent withdrawals cost - £15
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
No
Yes
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
Varies by asset type
UK- Pre-market: 7 AM - 9:30 AM After-hours: 4:05 PM - 8 PM
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
24/5
7.45am to 5.30pm (GMT) Monday - Friday
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Phone: +248 422 4099, E-mail: [email protected], Live chat
Tel: 0345 607 6001 From abroad: +44 113 346 2309
Support Languages
23
1
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
3rd Floor, 30 City Road, London, United Kingdom, EC1Y 2AY.
Leeds One Embankment, Neville Street, Leeds, LS1 4DW
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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