Tiger Brokers or IG Index – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare Tiger Brokers and IG Index in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
Founded in 2014, Tiger Brokers is a stocks and securities broker based in China, offering 350+ products on a proprietary trading terminal. The broker is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) among others, and is listed on NASDAQ. As of 2021, the broker has 2 million account holders with an annual trading volume of $404.3+ billion.
Founded in 1974, IG is part of IG Group Holdings Plc, a publicly traded (LSE: IGG) brokerage. The brand offers spread betting, CFD and forex trading across an almost unrivalled selection of 17,000+ markets, with a range of user-friendly platforms and investing apps. For 50 years, IG has maintained its position as an industry leader, excelling in all key areas for traders.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Pros
I’m satisfied with the brokers strong industry reputation, with multiple awards, custodian backing (including from Interactive Brokers and DBS bank), and its appointed listing on the NASDAQ
I think Tiger Brokers competes well with similar brands when it comes to market coverage, with an excellent range of stocks and funds from US and Pacific exchanges
I appreciate that there’s no minimum deposit to get started on the powerful trading terminal, which is accessible via a stable desktop app or mobile device
I also appreciate that the broker supports fee-free deposits via bank wire and Wise, in a range of currencies including HKD, USD, AUD and EUR
I feel relatively safe registering with this broker since it holds reputable licenses with multiple bodies including the SEC, FINRA and MAS
There’s a free demo account available for those who want to browse the platform’s features before committing real funds
I found several customer service options, including a live chat, telephone number, WhatsApp and email
IG is amongst the best in terms of its range of instruments, which includes stocks, forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies, plus recently added US-listed futures and options, providing ample diversification opportunities.
The proprietary web-based platform continues to caters to traders of all levels, with advanced charting tools and real-time market data useful for trading, while IG has also added TradingView integration.
The IG app offers a superb mobile trading experience with a clean design that helped it secure Runner Up at our 'Best Trading App' award.
As a well-established broker, IG operates under strict regulatory guidelines in multiple jurisdictions, maintaining a high level of trust.
IG offers an extensive collection of professional and engaging educational resources, including webinars, articles, and analysis.
The ProRealTime advanced charting platform is free as long as certain modest monthly trading activity requirements are met.
Cons
I think some traders may feel restricted by the single proprietary platform offering, with no access to popular third-party stock trading terminals like MetaTrader 4
Compared to traditional brokers, there’s limited account funding methods which may be a drawback for traders used to depositing via e-wallets
Compared to some other brokers, I think the range of educational resources and market analysis tools is lacking a little
I’m a little disappointed that there’s no EMEA market access which would serve a wider cohort of investors
Beginners might find IG’s fee structure complex, with various fees for different types of trades or services, potentially leading to confusion or unexpected charges.
While there is negative balance protection in the UK and EU, there is no account protection or guaranteed stop losses for US clients.
IG has discontinued its swap-free account, reducing its appeal to Islamic traders.
Stock and CFD spreads still trail the cheapest brokers like CMC Markets based on tests.
IG applies an inactivity fee of $12 per month after 2 years, deterring casual investors.
Awards
Best Customer Service 2022 - Online Money Awards
Best Spread Betting Provider 2022 - Online Money Awards
Best Platform for the Active Trader 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
Best Multi Platform Provider 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
Best Finance App 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
IG offers a superb all-round trading app. One of the pioneers of mobile trading, the application has been developed and refined over many years, meaning it is now among the best trading apps. Quick response, user-friendly layout, access to full charting and a stable and reliable application. It also offers guaranteed stops – an important risk management tool not available on many apps we’ve tested.
iOS App Rating
4.6
Android App Rating
4
Margin Trading
Yes
Yes
Margin Rate
3.0%
2.5%
MetaTrader 4
No
Yes
MetaTrader 5
No
No
cTrader
No
No
AlgoTrader
No
No
OmniTrader
No
No
TradingView
Yes
Yes
Autochartist
No
Yes
eSignal
No
No
Trading Central
No
Yes
STP Account
No
No
ECN Account
No
No
DMA Account
No
Yes
MAM Account
No
No
PAMM Account
No
No
LAMM Account
No
No
Demat Account
No
No
AI / Machine Learning
No
No
Robo Advisor
No
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
Yes
Market Maker
No
Yes
P2P Trading
No
No
Spot Trading
No
Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime
Copy Trading
No
No
Social Trading
No
No
Trade Signals
No
Yes
VPS Hosting
No
Yes
Tournaments
No
No
Demo Competitions
No
No
Ethical Investing
No
Yes
Custodial Account
No
No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No
Yes
Inactivity Fee
$12
Islamic Account
No
No
Account Currencies
USD
EUR
AUD
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
AUD
JPY
ZAR
SEK
DKK
CHF
HKD
SGD
Commodities
Gold
Copper
Oil
Palladium
Silver
Sugar
Coffee
Wheat
Natural Gas
Soybeans
Orange Juice
Nickel
Steel
Iron
Precious Metals
Aluminium
Lithium
Cannabis
Lean Hogs
Cattle
CFD
IG offers a huge selection of 17,000+ CFDs, providing more trading opportunities than most CFD brokers. Traders can go long or short on popular markets like stocks, currencies, commodities and cryptos, while custom price alerts and the IG Academy continue to enhance the trading experience.
Leverage
1:4
1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
N/A
1.0
GBPUSD Spread<
N/A
0.9
Oil Spread
N/A
2.8
Stocks Spread
Variable
0.02
Forex
IG offers an above-average suite of 80+ currency pairs on its proprietary web platform, mobile app or MetaTrader 4, with more advanced charts and forex analysis tools available on the ProRealTime software. Forex spreads are competitive based on tests, starting from 0.1 pips on majors like the EUR/USD.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
