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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
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 review
Trust rank #10 · Founded 2010
Pepperstone is a well-regarded forex broker offering access to forex and CFD markets through multiple trading platforms, with tools for analysis and risk management.
Read the Pepperstone reviewInteractive 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. Pepperstone (Australia, founded 2010) holds 8 regulatory licences (ASIC, BaFin, CMA, CySEC, DFSA…), 3 of them tier-1, offers cTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView and sits in our low-fee bracket. The two overlap in 215 countries; Interactive Brokers is available in 3 countries where Pepperstone is not, and Pepperstone in 14 where Interactive Brokers 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 | Interactive Brokers | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial rating | 10 / 10 | Not verified |
| Trust rank | #2 | #10 |
| Founded | 1977 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | United States | Australia |
| Regulators | ASIC, CBI, CFTC, CIRO, CSSF, DFSA, FCA, FINRA, JFSA, MAS, MNB, NFA, SEBI, SEC, SFC | ASIC, BaFin, CMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, FSCA, SCB |
| Broker type | DMA | ECN, STP |
| Platforms | Proprietary | cTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView |
| Instruments | Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, Metals | Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, Metals |
| Countries accepted | 218 countries | 229 countries |
| Fee level | Low | Low |
| Trading types | CFD Trading, Spot Trading | CFD Trading, Spot Trading |
| Best-for use cases | Professional Trading, Retail Trading | Copy 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 (215): 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, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia and 175 more.
Only Interactive Brokers (3): Belgium, Spain, United States of America.
Only Pepperstone (14): Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Iraq, Libya, Nauru, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
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: Interactive Brokers (ASIC, CBI, CFTC, CIRO, CSSF, DFSA, FCA, FINRA, JFSA, MAS, MNB, NFA, SEBI, SEC, SFC) versus Pepperstone (ASIC, BaFin, CMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, FSCA, SCB). Tier-1 licences: Interactive Brokers 10, Pepperstone 3.
Interactive Brokers offers Proprietary; Pepperstone offers cTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView.
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; Pepperstone was founded in 2010.
They overlap in 215 countries. Interactive Brokers is additionally available in 3 countries (Belgium, Spain, United States of America) and Pepperstone in 14 countries (Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Iraq, Libya and 8 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.