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Interactive Brokers vs Pepperstone : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers

VS
Pepperstone

Pepperstone

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Broker Overview

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

Market maker

ECN broker

Years of Existence / Established Year

1993

2010

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

3.12M

400,000 traders


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Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

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

FCA, ASIC, DFSA, CySEC, CMA, BaFin, and SCB

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

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

2024 Forex Broker of the Year by BrokerWahl.de, TradingView Social Champion 2023

Security Measures

SIPC

FSCS

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Yes

Yes


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Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

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

1200+ trading assets including shares, currencies indices

Currency Pairs

Yes

Yes

Commodities

No

Yes

Indices

No

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

Yes

CFDs

No

Yes

ETFs

Yes

Yes

Stocks

Yes

No

Options

Yes

No

Futures

Yes

No

Bonds

Yes

No

Mutual Funds

Yes

No

Fractional Shares

No

No

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

No

No

Precious Metals

Yes

No

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

No

No

Equities

No

No


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Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

No

Yes

MT5

No

Yes

cTrader

No

Yes

Social Trading

No

Yes

Copy Trading

Yes

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

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

Pepperstone proprietary platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Yes


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Account Types & Conditions

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

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

Standard and Razor account

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Yes

Yes

Minimum Deposit

$0

$0

Leverage Available

10:1 to 50:1

1:20 to 1:500

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

EUR 5,000,000

100 lots trading size

Commission (per account type)

$0

Razor account - $3, Standard account -$0

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

Beginner to advanced traders

Beginner to experienced traders


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Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

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

Credit/debit card, Bank transfer, e-wallets, Union pay, USDT

Withdrawal Methods

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

Credit/debit card, Bank transfer, e-wallets, Union pay, USDT

Other E-Wallets Supported

No

Neteller,skrill, PayPal


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Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

Yes

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

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

Trading Education Online Courses, Market Analysis and Insights, Webinars, Trading Guides and eBooks, Video Tutorials, The Daily Fix Market News and Analysis, Pepperstone Blog Trading Insights


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Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

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

Spread-1.2 pips

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Fixed spread

Variable

Per Lot Fees

NA

Razor account: $3.50 per lot, Raw account: $7 per lot, cTrader:$6 round trip per unit, TradingView: $7 roundtrip per unit

Options Contract Fees

$0.65/contract

NA

Futures Contract Fees

$0.85

NA

Markup Fees on Spread

$1.50

1 pip on FX pairs

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

NA

Charges apply

Maximum Leverage

50:1

1:500


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Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$0

$0

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

NA

NA

Advisory Fees

It depends up on the account type

NA

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

over $10 million free

Yes

Statement or Document Fee

NA

NA

Account Opening Fee

$0

NA

Account Maintenance Fee

$0

NA

Deposit Fee

$0

$0

Currency Conversion Fee

$0.03

Razor Account- $29.36, Standard Account - $48.12, Swap-free Account $58.78

Withdrawal Fee

$10 outgoing wire transfer fee

$0


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Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

No


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Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

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

VIX 00:01 - 23:59 (Opens Monday 01:00; Friday close 23:55), NAS100 01:00 - 23:15, 23:30 - 23:59 (Closes Friday 23:55), HK Share CFDs 4:30-7:00, 8:00-11:00, US Share CFDs 16:31 - 22:55


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Customer Support

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

24/7

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

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

Phone: +1786 628 1209, Email: [email protected], Live chat

Support Languages

33

8+


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Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Greenwich, Connecticut

Melbourne, Australia

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.
Interactive Brokers is known for competitive pricing on basic trades, especially for beginners. However, Pepperstone fee structure, though slightly higher, covers a broader range of services, making it more suitable for active traders.
Account approval at Interactive Brokers is usually completed within hours, often with automated ID checks. Pepperstone might take longer due to manual reviews, but provides in-depth onboarding support along the way.
New traders may find Interactive Brokers interface more welcoming, while Pepperstone appeals to experienced users looking for tools like heatmaps, screeners, and market sentiment overlays.
Interactive Brokers stands out for active traders with robust tools, while Pepperstone suits investors seeking simplicity and ease of use.