Capital.com vs Interactive Brokers: Which Broker Suits You?
Capital.com scores 3.0 and Interactive Brokers 4.8 out of 5 on our published methodology. Interactive Brokers leads on Costs & Fees, Platform & Tools, Regulation & Trust, Asset Range and Account Access & Support. Both accept clients in the UK, the EU and other countries.
Overall score
Capital.com
3.0/5
Best for: CFD trading with AI-driven insights
Read the full Capital.com review →Higher overall score
Interactive Brokers
4.8/5
Best for: Active & globally-minded traders
Read the full Interactive Brokers review →Score by score
Each category is scored 1–5 using our published methodology. The overall score is the plain average of the first five; ease of use is shown separately.
Key facts side by side
| Capital.com | Interactive Brokers | |
|---|---|---|
| What you own | CFDs only | Real assets |
| Available assets | CFDs on shares, indices, forex and commodities | Stocks, ETFs, options, futures, bonds, forex, crypto across 170+ markets |
| Regulated by | FCA, CySEC, ASIC and others | SEC, FINRA, FCA, ASIC, CIRO and others |
| Stands out for | An app that actively surfaces behavioural feedback on your trading | Unmatched global market access from a single account |
| Watch out for | CFDs only, and a shorter track record than the older names | Trader Workstation has a genuinely steep learning curve |
| Accepts clients in | The UK, the EU and other countries | The US, the UK, the EU and other countries |
Is Capital.com cheaper than Interactive Brokers?
On our Costs & Fees score, Interactive Brokers rates 5/5 against Capital.com’s 3/5, so it is generally the cheaper of the two for the costs we assess: commissions, spreads, currency conversion and account fees. Fees differ by country and account type and change often, so check both brokers’ current price lists before you choose.
Which is safer, Capital.com or Interactive Brokers?
Capital.com is regulated by FCA, CySEC, ASIC and others; Interactive Brokers by SEC, FINRA, FCA, ASIC, CIRO and others. Interactive Brokers scores higher on our Regulation & Trust measure (5/5 against 3/5). Which company holds your account, and which investor compensation scheme covers it, depends on where you live. Compensation schemes cover a broker failing, never investment losses.
Which is better for beginners?
On ease of use for a beginner, which sits outside the overall score, Capital.com scores 3/5 and Interactive Brokers 2/5. Capital.com is the gentler place to start. Beginners should know that CFDs are leveraged derivatives rather than ownership, and that most retail accounts trading them lose money.
Who each one tends to suit
Capital.com
- Tends to suit
- CFD trading with AI-driven insights
- Stands out for
- An app that actively surfaces behavioural feedback on your trading
- Watch out for
- CFDs only, and a shorter track record than the older names
Interactive Brokers
- Tends to suit
- Active & globally-minded traders
- Stands out for
- Unmatched global market access from a single account
- Watch out for
- Trader Workstation has a genuinely steep learning curve
More head-to-heads
Scores and facts come from our own reviews as of September 2026 and follow one published methodology. Plain Investor has no commercial relationship with either broker. This is general education, not personal financial advice. Fees, features and regulation change, so confirm current terms with each broker before opening an account.