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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
Trust rank #13 · Founded 2001
Admirals is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker offering broad market access, user-friendly platforms, and integrated research and education. It provides a range of account options and risk management tools under established…
Read the Admirals review
Trust rank #2 · Editorial rating 10 / 10 · Founded 1977
Interactive Brokers is a well-regarded forex broker providing broad access to currency pairs, advanced trading platforms, and research and risk management tools. It supports multi-asset trading and a wide range of order…
Read the Interactive Brokers reviewAdmirals (Estonia, founded 2001) holds 5 regulatory licences (ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA, JSC), 2 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5 and sits in our low-fee bracket. Interactive Brokers (United States, founded 1977) holds 15 regulatory licences (ASIC, CBI, CFTC, CIRO, CSSF…), 10 of them tier-1, offers Proprietary and sits in our low-fee bracket. The two overlap in 214 countries; Admirals is available in 14 countries where Interactive Brokers is not, and Interactive Brokers in 4 where Admirals is not.
Scored on 8 measurable dimensions where both brokers have verified data. Dimensions missing for either side are excluded rather than guessed. This is a data summary, not a recommendation.
| Criteria | Admirals | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial rating | Not verified | 10 / 10 |
| Trust rank | #13 | #2 |
| Founded | 2001 | 1977 |
| Headquarters | Estonia | United States |
| Regulators | ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA, JSC | ASIC, CBI, CFTC, CIRO, CSSF, DFSA, FCA, FINRA, JFSA, MAS, MNB, NFA, SEBI, SEC, SFC |
| Broker type | Market Maker, STP | DMA |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5 | Proprietary |
| Instruments | Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, Metals | Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, Metals |
| Countries accepted | 228 countries | 218 countries |
| Fee level | Low | Low |
| Trading types | CFD Trading, Spot Trading | CFD Trading, Spot Trading |
| Best-for use cases | Professional Trading, Retail Trading | Professional Trading, Retail Trading |
Highlighted cells mark the stronger value where a direction is objectively better (e.g. more licences, lower fees). "Not verified" means the field is not yet in our catalogue for that broker — we never fill gaps with estimates.
Available at both (214): Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros and 174 more.
Only Admirals (14): Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Iraq, Libya, Nauru, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
Only Interactive Brokers (4): Belgium, Canada, Japan, United States of America.
Availability reflects the countries each broker declares it serves. Local rules change; confirm on the broker's own site before signing up.
Interactive Brokers holds more regulatory licences: Admirals (ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA, JSC) versus Interactive Brokers (ASIC, CBI, CFTC, CIRO, CSSF, DFSA, FCA, FINRA, JFSA, MAS, MNB, NFA, SEBI, SEC, SFC). Tier-1 licences: Admirals 2, Interactive Brokers 10.
Admirals offers MT4, MT5; Interactive Brokers offers Proprietary.
Both sit in the same fee bracket (low) in our catalogue; compare the spreads and commission rows above for detail.
Interactive Brokers is the older of the two, founded in 1977; Admirals was founded in 2001.
They overlap in 214 countries. Admirals is additionally available in 14 countries (Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Iraq, Libya and 8 more) and Interactive Brokers in 4 countries (Belgium, Canada, Japan, United States of America).
Risk warning: CFDs and forex are complex, leveraged instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly. A majority of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Nothing on this page is financial advice; verify licence status on the regulator's register before depositing. Full risk disclosure.