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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
Trust rank #30 · Editorial rating 8.7 / 10 · Founded 1977
HYCM is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker offering access to a broad range of currency pairs and other markets on MetaTrader platforms. It provides flexible account types, education and research resources,…
Read the HYCM 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 reviewHYCM (United Kingdom, founded 1977) holds 4 regulatory licences (CIMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA), 1 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5 and sits in our medium-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 194 countries; HYCM is available in 11 countries where Interactive Brokers is not, and Interactive Brokers in 24 where HYCM is not.
Scored on 9 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 | HYCM | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial rating | 8.7 / 10 | 10 / 10 |
| Trust rank | #30 | #2 |
| Founded | 1977 | 1977 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United States |
| Regulators | CIMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA | 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 | 205 countries | 218 countries |
| Fee level | Medium | 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 (194): Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curaçao, Czechia and 154 more.
Only HYCM (11): Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Libya, Nauru, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
Only Interactive Brokers (24): Albania, Barbados, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Haiti, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, Tanzania, Uganda, 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: HYCM (CIMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA) versus Interactive Brokers (ASIC, CBI, CFTC, CIRO, CSSF, DFSA, FCA, FINRA, JFSA, MAS, MNB, NFA, SEBI, SEC, SFC). Tier-1 licences: HYCM 1, Interactive Brokers 10.
HYCM offers MT4, MT5; Interactive Brokers offers Proprietary.
Interactive Brokers is in the lower fee bracket (medium vs low) in our catalogue.
HYCM is the older of the two, founded in 1977; Interactive Brokers was founded in 1977.
They overlap in 194 countries. HYCM is additionally available in 11 countries (Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Libya, Nauru, Nigeria and 5 more) and Interactive Brokers in 24 countries (Albania, Barbados, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada and 18 more).
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.