TradingCritique

Select Your Brokers to Compare

Interactive Brokers vs TD Direct Investing : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers

VS
TD Direct Investing

TD Direct Investing

Icon

Broker Overview

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

Market maker

None

Years of Existence / Established Year

1993

1984

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

3.12M

17 M


Icon

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

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

CIPF, CIRO

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

No major awards listed

Security Measures

SIPC

CIPF

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Yes

Yes


Icon

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

Fixed income investments, GICs

Currency Pairs

Yes

No

Commodities

No

No

Indices

No

No

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

Yes

CFDs

No

No

ETFs

Yes

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Yes

Options

Yes

Yes

Futures

Yes

No

Bonds

Yes

Yes

Mutual Funds

Yes

Yes

Fractional Shares

No

No

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

No

No

Precious Metals

Yes

Yes

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

No

No

Equities

No

Yes


Icon

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

No

No

MT5

No

No

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

No

No

Copy Trading

Yes

No

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

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

TD app, web trader, Advanced dashboard, TD active trader

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Yes


Icon

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

Margin account, cash trading account, TFSA, RSP, RESP, RIF, LIRA, LIF, RDSP

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

No

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Yes

No

Minimum Deposit

$0

$0

Leverage Available

10:1 to 50:1

No

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

EUR 5,000,000

Depends on asset types

Commission (per account type)

$0

NA

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

Beginner to advanced traders

Beginners and experienced traders


Icon

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

Direct bank account, Check

Withdrawal Methods

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

SWIP, Wire payment

Other E-Wallets Supported

No

No


Icon

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)

Learning Centre - Investing Education, Market Insights and Analysis, Webinars, Investing Guides, Video Tutorials, TD Direct Investing Community Forum


Icon

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

Commission -mutual funds- $0 , IPOs, Equities- $7.00- $9.99, Stock - $3- $43, Bonds- $40 + $1.50/1,000

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Fixed spread

NA

Per Lot Fees

NA

NA

Options Contract Fees

$0.65/contract

$9.99 + $1.25 per contract

Futures Contract Fees

$0.85

NA

Markup Fees on Spread

$1.50

NA

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

NA

NA

Maximum Leverage

50:1

No


Icon

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$0

NA

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

NA

Statement or Document Fee

NA

$2-$5

Account Opening Fee

$0

Applicable, Depends on account types

Account Maintenance Fee

$0

$25 per quarter

Deposit Fee

$0

$17.50 U.S

Currency Conversion Fee

$0.03

2.50%

Withdrawal Fee

$10 outgoing wire transfer fee

$30-$100


Icon

Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

Yes


Icon

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

Pre-market trading hours (8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET) and after-hours trading (4 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET)


Icon

Customer Support

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

24/7

Monday to Friday, 7 am to 10 pm ET

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

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

Phone: 1-800-465-5463, , Book an appointment

Support Languages

33

4


Icon

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Greenwich, Connecticut

66 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON M5K 1A2

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.
While Interactive Brokers maintains low trading fees with no minimum deposit, TD Direct Investing includes some charges for premium features and certain asset trades, making Interactive Brokers the better option for budget-focused traders.
The account creation flow at Interactive Brokers is modern and app-driven, making it seamless for new users. TD Direct Investing, however, leans toward traditional processes with forms and verifications that take more time.
Interactive Brokers platform is great for fast-paced day trading, especially with features like one-click trading. TD Direct Investing platform, by comparison, is built for strategy testing and long-term portfolio management.
Advanced users will enjoy Interactive Brokers capabilities, but TD Direct Investing remains a favorite for its streamlined and beginner-centric approach.