TradeDirect365 vs IG Index

TradeDirect365 or IG Index – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare TradeDirect365 and IG Index in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

TradeDirect365 vs IG Index Comparison Table 2025
TradeDirect365 IG Index
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3
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4.7
TradeDirect365 is ranked #91 among CFD brokers. IG Index is ranked #1 among CFD brokers.
Review
Review
Founded by professional trader Davin Clarke in 2014, TradeDirect365 is registered in Australia to provide retail traders with half a thousand CFD products at competitive fees and leverage up to 1:30. The firm is regulated by the ASIC, which is a top-tier regulator and offers fee-free and fast deposit methods. A beginner-friendly web platform is available alongside the popular MT4. 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. 69% 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
  • Full range of investments with a particularly strong suite of Australian stocks
  • No minimum deposit makes the broker accessible to beginners
  • Access to the MT4 desktop, web and mobile platform
  • Low, fixed spreads that provide transparent costs
  • Trusted broker regulated by the ASIC
  • Free demo account
  • 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
  • CloudTrader has an outdated interface
  • Market research trails the best brokers
  • No copy trading service
  • 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
FCA Regulated
No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Stocks, Indices, Forex, Commodities, Cryptocurrencies CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
ASIC, SCB FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA, FINMA, CONSOB, AFM
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

TradeDirect365 offers the CloudTrader app. The beginner-friendly application is available on Apple and Android devices and offers one-click trading, customizable charts, and basic account management.

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
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4.6
Android App Rating
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4
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
2.5%
MetaTrader 4
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5
No No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No Yes
Autochartist
No Yes
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No Yes
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
Yes 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
Yes Yes
Market Maker
No Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
MT4 Yes
VPS Hosting
No Yes
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No Yes
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Yes Yes
Inactivity Fee
$0 $12
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • AUD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • SEK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • HKD
  • SGD
Commodities
  • Oil
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Aluminium
  • Copper
  • Zinc
  • 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
Our team was impressed with the range and depth of CFD products available, with more than 500 instruments available on both MT4 and the firm's proprietary CloudTrader. You can go long or short on forex, stocks, indices, commodities and cryptos. 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
1:200 1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
0.4 1.0
GBPUSD Spread<
0.8 0.9
Oil Spread
3.0 2.8
Stocks Spread
0.14% (Aus) 0.02
Forex
TradeDirect365 offers 30 forex pairs with fixed spreads from 0.6 pips on the AUD/USD and EUR/USD. Retail investors can trade forex with 1:30 leverage and pro traders with 1:200 leverage. 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.
Assets
30+ 80+
GBPUSD Spread
0.8 0.9
EURUSD Spread
0.6 0.8
EURGBP Spread
0.6 0.9
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
DeFi enthusiasts can trade 10 different tokens at TradeDirect365, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. These instruments are available with both of the firm's supported platforms at competitive prices. You can trade crypto 24/7. IG's modest selection of 11 crypto CFDs trails top crypto brokers like Vantage which offers 40+ tokens. That said, it stands out with its crypto index, which tracks the value of the top 10 digital currencies by market cap and provides a holistic way to speculate on the value of the crypto market.
Spread
From 1 Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • ADA
  • DASH
  • EOS
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • NEO
  • XLM
  • TRX
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • ADA
  • DOT
  • DOGE
  • LINK
  • UNI
  • XLM
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
TradeDirect365 IG Index
Review
Review
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% 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.
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