IG Forex Review 2026

IG scores 83.7 out of 100 and holds the highest Regulation & Trust score (98/100) of any broker in our audit. Founded in 1974 and listed on the London Stock Exchange, IG has been operating for over 50 years. It offers the widest instrument range we've seen at 17,000+, regulated by six Tier 1 authorities. The trade-off is that spreads run wider than raw-spread specialists, and the platform selection lacks MT5 and cTrader.

Overall Score: 83.7 / 100

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IG at a Glance

| Detail | Value | |--------|-------| | Founded | 1974 | | Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | | Parent Company | IG Group Holdings plc | | Listed | LSE (ticker: IGG), FTSE 100 | | Top Regulators | FCA, ASIC, BaFin, MAS, FINMA, CFTC/NFA | | Min. Deposit | $0 | | EUR/USD Avg. Spread | 0.60 pips | | Commission | $0 (Standard), varies (DMA) | | Max Leverage (Retail) | 1:30 | | Platforms | IG Trading Platform, MT4 | | Instruments | 17,000+ | | Inactivity Fee | $12/month after 24 months |

Score Breakdown

| Category | Score | Weight | |----------|-------|--------| | Regulation & Trust | 98 / 100 | 25% | | Trading Costs | 75 / 100 | 20% | | Platforms & Tools | 82 / 100 | 15% | | Account Conditions | 72 / 100 | 10% | | Deposit & Withdrawal | 80 / 100 | 10% | | Customer Support | 82 / 100 | 10% | | Education & Research | 85 / 100 | 10% | | Overall | 83.7 / 100 | |

That 98 in Regulation & Trust tells you what IG is about. Six Tier 1 regulatory licenses, a public listing, and half a century of operations. No other broker in our audit comes close. Trading Costs at 75 is the weaker point: IG's spreads are competitive for a non-ECN broker but can't match the 0.0-pip raw spreads at IC Markets or Pepperstone.

Regulation & Safety

IG has the most impressive regulatory portfolio of any broker we review:

| Regulator | Tier | License | Entity | |-----------|------|---------|--------| | FCA (UK) | Tier 1 | 195355 | IG Markets Ltd | | ASIC (Australia) | Tier 1 | 515106 | IG Australia Pty Ltd | | BaFin (Germany) | Tier 1 | 148759 | IG Europe GmbH | | MAS (Singapore) | Tier 1 | CMS100917 | IG Asia Pte Ltd | | FINMA (Switzerland) | Tier 1 | N/A | IG Bank S.A. | | CFTC/NFA (US) | Tier 1 | 0509630 | IG US LLC |

Six Tier 1 regulators. No Tier 2. No Tier 3 offshore entities. IG is one of the very few brokers that doesn't route any retail clients through an offshore jurisdiction.

As a FTSE 100 company on the London Stock Exchange, IG Group publishes audited financial results, is subject to corporate governance requirements, and its financial health is publicly visible. FCA clients get FSCS protection up to GBP 85,000.

IG also accepts US clients through its CFTC/NFA-regulated entity, which is relatively rare among the brokers in our review. Only OANDA and FOREX.com also serve the US market.

Trading Costs

Spreads

IG's spreads are respectable for a broker that doesn't offer a traditional raw spread ECN account:

| Pair | Standard Avg. | |------|---------------| | EUR/USD | 0.60 pips | | GBP/USD | 0.90 pips | | USD/JPY | 0.70 pips |

A 0.60 pip average on EUR/USD with no commission is a decent all-in cost. It's wider than raw spread brokers (IC Markets at 0.10 + $7 commission gives an all-in cost of about 0.80 pips equivalent), but competitive among brokers that use a spread-only model.

Commissions

• Standard Account: $0 per lot (spread-only)
• DMA (Direct Market Access): $60 per million traded (base tier), declining with volume

The DMA account offers raw spreads from 0.0 pips but requires significant volume to make the commission structure economical. It's aimed at professional and institutional traders rather than retail.

Other Fees

• Inactivity fee: $12/month after 24 months
• Deposit fees: Free
• Withdrawal fees: Free

The inactivity fee is lenient compared to most competitors. 24 months before it kicks in is more than enough time for any active trader. XM charges after 90 days, AvaTrade after 3 months.

Account Types

IG keeps it straightforward:

| Feature | Standard | DMA | |---------|----------|-----| | Min. Deposit | $0 | $0 | | Spread From | 0.60 pips | 0.00 pips | | Commission/Lot | $0 | $60/million (base) | | Max Leverage | 1:30 | 1:30 |

No minimum deposit on either account. The DMA account's commission structure ($60 per million traded) translates differently depending on your trade sizes, so it takes some calculation to compare directly with per-lot commission models.

Demo accounts and Islamic accounts are available. IG does not offer micro lot trading (0.01 lots), which may be a limitation for smaller accounts.

Trading Platforms & Tools

Desktop Platforms

IG Trading Platform (proprietary) is the primary offering. It's a web-based platform with strong charting tools, over 50 technical indicators, drawing tools, and a clean interface. The platform also includes an integrated news feed, economic calendar, and market sentiment data. For most traders, it's more than sufficient.

MetaTrader 4 is available as an alternative. Standard MT4 implementation with Expert Advisor support.

What's missing: no MT5, no cTrader, no TradingView integration. This is IG's biggest platform limitation. Traders who prefer MT5's additional features, cTrader's execution speed, or TradingView's charting won't find them here. Pepperstone offers all four.

Mobile Trading

IG's mobile app is well-regarded. Strong charting, watchlists, alerts, and full trading functionality. It's been around for years and is polished. MT4 mobile is also available.

API Trading

IG offers a REST API for programmatic trading, which is useful for developers building custom trading solutions. No VPS hosting is offered, and copy trading is not available.

Deposit & Withdrawal

| Method | Deposit Time | Withdrawal Time | Fees | |--------|-------------|-----------------|------| | Bank Transfer | 1-3 days | 1-3 days | Free | | Visa/Mastercard | Instant | 2-5 days | Free | | Skrill | Instant | Same day | Free | | Neteller | Instant | Same day | Free |

Nine base currencies are supported. All deposits and withdrawals are free. Processing times are standard.

Customer Support

Available 24/5 via live chat, phone, and email in 14 languages. IG has a reputation for reliable customer service, and testing confirmed it. Live chat responses were knowledgeable and relatively quick. Phone support is available for urgent issues.

The 24/5 schedule is standard. IG doesn't offer 24/7 support.

Education & Research

IG's education is strong, benefiting from decades of content investment:

• IG Academy: Structured online courses from beginner to advanced
• Webinars and live education events
• Video tutorials
• Daily market analysis from an in-house research team
• Economic calendar and trading tools
• DailyFX partnership for additional research content

The IG Academy is well-organised and covers topics beyond just platform tutorials. Market analysis is produced daily and includes both technical and fundamental perspectives. Trading signals are not offered.

IG scores 85 in Education & Research, behind XM (92) and AvaTrade (90) but ahead of most competitors.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• 50+ years of operating history, the longest of any broker reviewed
• Publicly listed on the LSE (FTSE 100), providing financial transparency
• Regulated by six Tier 1 authorities (FCA, ASIC, BaFin, MAS, FINMA, CFTC/NFA)
• 17,000+ instruments, the widest range in our audit
• Strong proprietary platform with advanced charting
• $0 minimum deposit on bank transfers
• US clients accepted (CFTC/NFA regulated)

Cons:

• Spreads wider than raw-spread brokers (0.60 pips vs 0.10 pips at IC Markets)
• No MT5 or cTrader
• No micro lot trading (0.01 lots)
• $12/month inactivity fee after 24 months
• No copy trading
• DMA commission structure is complex and suited mainly to high-volume traders

Final Verdict

IG is the safest broker in our audit, full stop. Six Tier 1 regulators, an LSE listing, and over 50 years of continuous operation put it in a class of its own for regulatory credibility. The 17,000+ instrument range means you can trade virtually anything from a single account.

The price of that safety and breadth is trading costs. You won't get raw spreads from 0.0 pips here. You won't get cTrader or TradingView. And there's no micro lot trading for smaller accounts.

IG is best suited for traders who value trust and regulation above all else, who trade across multiple asset classes, and who appreciate a strong proprietary platform. If your priority is the cheapest possible trading, IC Markets or Pepperstone will save you money on every trade. But if you want the peace of mind that comes with the industry's strongest regulatory backing, IG delivers that better than anyone.

Compare IG with other brokers | See our beginner broker rankings

Frequently Asked Questions

Is IG a safe broker? IG is the highest-rated broker in our Regulation & Trust category (98/100). It's publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange, regulated by six Tier 1 authorities, and has operated for over 50 years. UK clients are protected by the FSCS up to GBP 85,000.

Does IG accept US clients? Yes. IG operates in the US through IG US LLC, regulated by the CFTC and NFA (license 0509630). This makes it one of the few brokers in our review available to US forex traders.

What is IG's minimum deposit? $0 for bank transfers. There is no formal minimum deposit requirement.

What platforms does IG offer? IG offers its proprietary IG Trading Platform (web-based) and MetaTrader 4. MT5, cTrader, and TradingView are not available.

How do IG's spreads compare? IG averages 0.60 pips on EUR/USD with no commission on the Standard account. This is wider than raw-spread brokers like IC Markets (0.10 pips + $7/lot commission) but competitive for a spread-only broker.

Does IG offer micro lot trading? No. IG does not support micro lots (0.01). Minimum trade size is 1 mini lot or varies by instrument.

Review by Neil C, BrokerAudit. Data verified April 2026. Read our methodology.