TradingCritique

Select Your Brokers to Compare

Ally Invest vs Interactive Brokers

Broker Name

Ally Invest

Ally Invest

VS
Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers

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Broker Overview

Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)

None

Market maker

Years of Existence / Established Year

2005

1993

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

No information

3.12M


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Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

SEC, FINRA

SEC, FINRA, NYSE, FCA, FINMA, CFTC, MAS, SFC, CBI, IIROC, JFSA, MiFiD

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

No major awards listed

Best Online Broker for Advanced Traders in 2024, Professional Trading 2024, #1 Best Online Broker in 2023, Best for Advanced Traders, Best Online Broker in 2024, Best Stock Broker for International Trading

Security Measures

SIPC

SIPC

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

No

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

No

Yes


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Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

10,800+ assets including, CDs, Treasuries, Crypto available through external parterns

150 Markets including Forecast and event contracts, Spot currencies,US spot Gold, Hedge funds

Currency Pairs

No

Yes

Commodities

No

No

Indices

Yes

No

Cryptocurrencies

No

Yes

CFDs

No

No

ETFs

Yes

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Yes

Options

Yes

Yes

Futures

No

Yes

Bonds

Yes

Yes

Mutual Funds

Yes

Yes

Fractional Shares

Yes

No

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

Yes

No

Precious Metals

Yes

Yes

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Yes

No

Equities

Yes

No


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Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

No

No

MT5

No

No

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

No

No

Copy Trading

No

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Web and mobile platform

IBKR global Trader, Client Portal, Desktop, Mobile, Trader workstation, APIs, Forecast Trader, IMPACT

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes except Mac

Yes


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Account Types & Conditions

Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)

IRA plan, Traditional, Roth IRA, Self-directed trading, Ally Invest Robo portfolios, Personal advice

Individual, Joint, Trust, IRA and UGMA/UTMA Accounts, Non-Professional Advisor Accounts, Family Office Accounts, Small Business Accounts, Advisor Accounts, Money Manager Accounts, Broker & FCM Accounts, Proprietary Trading Group Accounts, Hedge Fund & Mutual Fund Accounts, Compliance Officers, Administrators, Institutional Hedge Fund Investors

Demo Account (Yes/No)

No

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

No

Yes

Minimum Deposit

$100

$0

Leverage Available

No

10:1 to 50:1

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Non-Pattern Day Trader-3-day trades in 5 business days, Pattern Day Trade- Unlimited day trades

EUR 5,000,000

Commission (per account type)

$0

$0

Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)

Beginners

Beginner to advanced traders


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Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

ACH, Wire transfer, Check

ACH transfer, Link a new bank account, Bank wire, Transfer from wise balance, Scan a check , Mail a check, SEPA

Withdrawal Methods

Wire transfer

ACH, Check, Direct debit, Transfer to wise balance, Canadian ETF transfer, SEPA

Other E-Wallets Supported

No

No


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Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

Yes

Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)

Trading Education, Market Insights, Webinars, Online Trading Courses, Forex and Options Education

Traders' Academy (Online Courses), IBKR Webinars, Market Insights and Analysis, Trader's University (Video Tutorials), IBKR Quant Blog (Quantitative Trading), Customer Education (Trading Guides)


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Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

Commission-$0

IBKR Lite: Commission-free U.S. stocks, ETFs, and specific mutual funds, IBKR Pro: $0.005 per share, minimum $1 per trade

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

NA

Fixed spread

Per Lot Fees

NA

NA

Options Contract Fees

$0.50

$0.65/contract

Futures Contract Fees

NA

$0.85

Markup Fees on Spread

NA

$1.50

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

NA

NA

Maximum Leverage

No

50:1


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Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$0

$0

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

NA

NA

Advisory Fees

$0.75-$0.85

It depends up on the account type

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

NA

over $10 million free

Statement or Document Fee

NA

NA

Account Opening Fee

$0

$0

Account Maintenance Fee

$0

$0

Deposit Fee

$0

$0

Currency Conversion Fee

$0

$0.03

Withdrawal Fee

Wire transfer- $75

$10 outgoing wire transfer fee


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Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes- Occasionally

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

Yes


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Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Pre-market orders between 8:00 am - 9:30 am, ET or post-market orders between 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm ET.

9:30 AM - 4:00 PM ET, Monday through Friday Overnight trading hours: 8:00 PM ET - 3:50 AM ET, Sunday through Friday


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Customer Support

Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)

Mon - Fri 7am - 10pm ET, Sat 8am - 8pm ET

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Hard of hearing call: 711, Phone: 1-888-925-2559, +1-316-652-6430, E-mail: Login to send a secure message, Live chat

Phone: 1 (888) 919-0022, E-mail: [email protected], Live chat

Support Languages

2

33


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Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Greenwich, Connecticut

Complaints (for crypto brokers)

No

No


At TradingCritique, we don't just list brokers. We test, compare, and simplify your decision-making. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, our data-driven comparisons are built to match your trading style and region. Learn how we Evaluate a broker.
If minimizing trading costs is your top priority, Ally Invest might be more attractive due to its lower commissions. Meanwhile, Interactive Brokers justifies its moderate fees with more robust tools and professional-grade features.
Ally Invest offers a quick and paperless account setup that appeals to traders on the go, whereas Interactive Brokers more involved onboarding process adds an extra layer of safety and regulatory checks.
The trading interface of Ally Invest is known for its speed and ease-of-use, while Interactive Brokers shines with its customizable layouts and advanced charting capabilities, making it a strong choice for serious analysts.
If you're after professional-grade platforms, Ally Invest may be ideal. For casual investors, Interactive Brokers offers a low-barrier entry.