IG Australia vs Interactive Brokers Australia
The biggest difference between IG Australia and Interactive Brokers comes down to cost structure versus market access. IG charges zero brokerage on ASX trades (with a 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings), while IBKR charges a minimum of $6 per ASX trade but offers vastly cheaper FX and access to dozens of global markets. Which one suits you depends on whether you trade mostly ASX or want a true international brokerage.
- ›You trade ASX shares and ETFs frequently — IG charges $0 brokerage on all ASX trades, no minimums or conditions attached.
- ›You want a simple, all-in-one cost structure — the 0.25% p.a. platform fee replaces per-trade costs, making it predictable for buy-and-hold investors.
- ›You want to deposit via PayPal, Apple Pay or credit card — IG offers more payment methods than IBKR's bank-transfer-only approach.
- ›You want IPO access — IG lets you participate in new ASX listings; IBKR does not offer this.
- ›You prefer a cleaner, less complex interface without needing to navigate tiered pricing or multiple account types.
- ›You trade US or international shares — IBKR's FX spread is 0.00002% vs IG's 0.7% FX fee, a massive saving on currency conversion.
- ›You want access to 30+ global markets — IBKR covers everything from Hong Kong to India to South Africa; IG only covers AU, US, UK, Germany and Ireland.
- ›You trade options or bonds — IBKR supports both; IG does not offer options or bond trading.
- ›You want to automate regular investments — IBKR has a proper auto-invest/DCA feature with multiple configuration options; IG has none.
- ›You trade in high volume — IBKR's per-share pricing (0.0008% on ASX, 0.0005% on US) gets extremely cheap at scale, whereas IG's platform fee grows with your portfolio size.
Where they differ
| Fact | IG Australia | Interactive Brokers Australia |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage | $0 per trade | $6 minimum (0.0008% of trade) |
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% FX fee | 0.00002% FX spread |
| Global markets | 5 countries (AU, US, UK, Germany, Ireland) | 30+ countries including Asia, Europe, Africa |
| Options trading | Not supported | Supported |
| CHESS sponsorship | Custodial (no individual HIN) | Custodial (no individual HIN) |
Choose IG for free ASX trading and simplicity; choose IBKR for global markets, cheap FX and advanced trading tools.
Common questions
How do IG Australia and Interactive Brokers Australia compare on asx brokerage?
IG Australia: $0 per trade. Interactive Brokers Australia: $6 minimum (0.0008% of trade).
How do IG Australia and Interactive Brokers Australia compare on fx spread (aud/usd)?
IG Australia: 0.7% FX fee. Interactive Brokers Australia: 0.00002% FX spread.
How do IG Australia and Interactive Brokers Australia compare on global markets?
IG Australia: 5 countries (AU, US, UK, Germany, Ireland). Interactive Brokers Australia: 30+ countries including Asia, Europe, Africa.
When is IG Australia the better choice over Interactive Brokers Australia?
Pick IG Australia if you trade ASX shares and ETFs frequently — IG charges $0 brokerage on all ASX trades, no minimums or conditions attached; you want a simple, all-in-one cost structure — the 0.25% p.a. platform fee replaces per-trade costs, making it predictable for buy-and-hold investors; you want to deposit via PayPal, Apple Pay or credit card — IG offers more payment methods than IBKR's bank-transfer-only approach; or you want IPO access — IG lets you participate in new ASX listings; IBKR does not offer this.
When is Interactive Brokers Australia the better choice over IG Australia?
Pick Interactive Brokers Australia if you trade US or international shares — IBKR's FX spread is 0.00002% vs IG's 0.7% FX fee, a massive saving on currency conversion; you want access to 30+ global markets — IBKR covers everything from Hong Kong to India to South Africa; IG only covers AU, US, UK, Germany and Ireland; you trade options or bonds — IBKR supports both; IG does not offer options or bond trading; or you want to automate regular investments — IBKR has a proper auto-invest/DCA feature with multiple configuration options; IG has none.
IG Australia or Interactive Brokers Australia — what's the verdict?
Choose IG for free ASX trading and simplicity; choose IBKR for global markets, cheap FX and advanced trading tools.
Punch in your trade size and frequency. We'll do the full brokerage + FX + fees maths.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | IG Australia | Interactive Brokers Australia |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | custodian |
| Individual HIN | No | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | — | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Other markets supported | United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland | US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Israel, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, China (Stock Connect), South Korea, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | Yes |
| CFDs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Managed funds | No | No |
| Bonds supported | No | Yes |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | 0.002% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | 0.002% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | — |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | Corporate actions (dividends, splits, rights issues, takeovers) for shares held in custody are processed by IG via Citicorp Nominees; cash dividends are credited net of withholding to client ledger. SPP/rights elections are limited under the custodial model and detailed fees are disclosed in the IG Share Trading Customer Agreement / FSG. | Corporate action processing is generally fee-free for standard events (dividends, splits, mergers). Some voluntary corporate actions and ADR pass-through fees apply per the published fee schedule. Mandatory reorganisations are processed at no charge. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | $6 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | 0.08% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $10,000 | — |
| ASX free trade conditions | $0 commission on all ASX shares and ETFs on the IG Share Trading account (no conditions/minimum trade count). A 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings value applies; 0.7% FX fee applies to international trades. | — |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | US$1 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | 0.05% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | IG Australia Pty Ltd | Interactive Brokers Australia Pty Ltd |
| AFSL number | 515,106 | 453,554 |
| Year founded | 2,002 | 1,978 |
| Parent / ownership | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) | Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBKR) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $0 |
| Deposit methods | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay | Bank transfer (EFT), BPAY, International wire (SWIFT) |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 for ASX, T+1 for US equities |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days | 1-3 business days for AUD EFT; same day possible for AUD instant transfers within Australia |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | Yes |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | authenticator app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, social media | phone, email, live chat, in-app secure message |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) | 24 hours, Monday to Friday (Sydney) — local AU phone support during business hours; global desks cover overnight |
| Education content | video + courses | video + courses |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | No |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | — | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | Yes |