| Feature | Deriv | IG Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Year Established | 1999 | 1974 |
| Regulation | MFSA (Malta), LFSA (Labuan), BVIFSC (British Virgin Islands), VFSC (Vanuatu), FSC (Mauritius), SVGFSA (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) | FCA (UK), CFTC/NFA (US), ASIC (Australia), BaFin (Germany), CySEC (Cyprus), DFSA (Dubai), FINMA (Switzerland), FMA (New Zealand), JFSA (Japan), MAS (Singapore) |
| Trading Platforms | Proprietary platforms: Deriv Trader, Deriv X, Deriv Go, SmartTrader; Third-party platforms: MetaTrader 5 (MT5), cTrader, TradingView | Proprietary platforms: IG Web Platform, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer; Third-party platform: MetaTrader 4 (MT4) |
| Tradable Instruments | Forex, Commodities, Indices, Cryptocurrencies, Synthetic Indices, Options, Multipliers, Accumulators | Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, Options, Futures, Cryptocurrencies |
| Number of Tradable Assets | Over 100 | Over 17,000 |
| Account Types | Standard, MT5 Financial, MT5 Financial STP, MT5 Synthetic Indices, Swap-Free, Deriv X, cTrader | Spread Betting, CFD, Share Dealing, Investment, Smart Portfolio |
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | Varies by region; generally $250 or equivalent |
| Leverage | Up to 1:1000 (varies by instrument and region) | Up to 1:200 (varies by instrument and region) |
| Spreads | Variable spreads starting from 0.5 pips on major forex pairs | Variable spreads starting from 0.6 pips on major forex pairs |
| Commission | Generally commission-free; some account types may have commissions | Commissions apply on certain products, such as shares and specific account types |
| Deposit Methods | Credit/Debit Cards, Bank Transfer, E-wallets (Neteller, Skrill, WebMoney, FasaPay, Perfect Money, etc.), Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, etc.) | Credit/Debit Cards, Bank Transfer, PayPal |
| Withdrawal Methods | Same as deposit methods | Same as deposit methods |
| Trading Fees | No deposit fees; $25 inactivity fee after 12 months of inactivity | No deposit fees; £12 monthly inactivity fee after 24 months of inactivity |
| Educational Resources | Tutorials, E-books, Webinars, Blog Articles | IG Academy, Webinars, Seminars, In-depth Articles, Trading Guides |
| Customer Support | 24/7 support via Live Chat, Email, WhatsApp; extensive FAQ section | 24/5 support via Live Chat, Phone, Email; comprehensive Help and Support section |
| Demo Account | Available with $10,000 virtual funds | Available with virtual funds |
| Automated Trading | Supports algorithmic trading through Deriv Bot (DBot), MT5 EAs, cTrader Automate | Supports automated trading via ProRealTime, MT4 EAs |
| Social/Copy Trading | cTrader Copy available | Not natively supported; possible through third-party integrations |
| Negative Balance Protection | Available in certain regions | Available in certain regions |
| Mobile Trading App | Deriv Go | IG Trading App |
| API Trading | Available | Available |
| Additional Features | Synthetic Indices trading available 24/7; Multipliers and Accumulators for enhanced trading opportunities | Extensive market research tools; Direct Market Access (DMA) for advanced traders |
| Order Execution Type | Market Execution, Instant Execution (on certain instruments) | Market Execution, Instant Execution, Direct Market Access (DMA) |
| Slippage Protection | No guaranteed protection; subject to market conditions | Offers Guaranteed Stop Loss Orders (GSLOs) to mitigate slippage |
| Stop Loss and Take Profit | Available on most platforms | Available, with additional GSLO feature |
| Margin Call & Stop-Out Level | Varies by account type (usually 50% margin call, 30% stop-out) | Varies by jurisdiction and account type |
| Hedging Allowed | Yes | Yes |
| Scalping Allowed | Yes | Yes |
| Trailing Stop | Available | Available |
| One-Click Trading | Available | Available |
| Charting Tools | Basic and advanced charting tools on Deriv platforms, TradingView integration on cTrader | Advanced charting tools on proprietary platforms, TradingView integration |
| Technical Indicators | 50+ indicators on MT5, TradingView, and cTrader | 100+ indicators on proprietary platform and MT4 |
| Fundamental Analysis Tools | Economic calendar, basic news updates | Economic calendar, real-time news feeds, fundamental analysis reports |
| Market Sentiment Tools | Available on some platforms | Extensive sentiment analysis tools, including client positioning data |
| Volatility Index Trading | Yes, Synthetic Indices (24/7 trading) | No |
| Options Trading | Yes, including digital options | Yes, including vanilla and barrier options |
| Futures Trading | No | Yes |
| ETF Trading | No | Yes |
| Stock Trading | No direct stock trading; CFDs on stock indices available | Yes, including direct share dealing and stock CFDs |
| Bond Trading | No | Yes |
| Commodities Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Forex Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | Yes (via CFDs and multipliers) | Yes (via CFDs) |
| Weekend Trading | Yes (Synthetic Indices) | Limited (cryptos and some global indices) |
| VIP/Professional Accounts | No official VIP accounts, but high-volume traders may get special conditions | Yes, with reduced margin requirements and additional perks |
| Islamic (Swap-Free) Accounts | Available | Available |
| Corporate Accounts | Available | Available |
| Affiliate & IB Program | Yes, includes revenue share and CPA models | Yes, includes revenue share and CPA models |
| Regulated in India | No | No (but accepts Indian clients) |
| Trading Competitions | Occasionally available | Occasionally available |
| Loyalty Program | No | No |
| User Community & Forums | Limited | Active community via IG Academy and social media |
| Multilingual Support | Yes, multiple languages | Yes, multiple languages |
| Web-Based Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Server Stability & Latency | Generally stable, but depends on platform used | High-performance servers with ultra-low latency |
| Order Types | Market Order, Limit Order, Stop Order, Stop-Limit Order, Trailing Stop Order | Market Order, Limit Order, Stop Order, Stop-Limit Order, GSLO, OCO (One Cancels Other) |
| Execution Speed | Fast execution, but may vary based on platform and market conditions | Ultra-fast execution with Direct Market Access (DMA) for professional traders |
| Liquidity Providers | Uses multiple liquidity providers but does not disclose them publicly | Multiple Tier-1 liquidity providers, direct access to global exchanges |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes (only available in the UK) |
| Tick Trading | Available (via SmartTrader platform) | Not available |
| Synthetic Market Trading | Yes, unique Synthetic Indices that simulate real market volatility | No |
| Customizable Leverage | Yes (varies by account type and jurisdiction) | Yes (varies by asset and region) |
| Algo Trading (Programming Support) | Supports algorithmic trading via DBot (Drag & Drop Builder), Python API, MT5 EAs, cTrader Automate | Supports algorithmic trading via ProRealTime, MT4 EAs, REST API, and Python API |
| Social Trading & Copy Trading | Limited, only available on cTrader | Not directly supported, but available via third-party providers |
| Sentiment Analysis Tools | Limited, mostly through TradingView integrations | Extensive, including client sentiment data and real-time positioning analysis |
| Volatility Protection Features | None specific | Available, including Guaranteed Stop Loss Orders (GSLO) |
| News & Economic Events Integration | Basic updates via economic calendar | Real-time news from Reuters, Bloomberg, and in-house IG market analysis |
| Interest on Free Margin | No | Yes, for professional clients in some regions |
| CFD Trading Restrictions | Some regions have restrictions on CFDs | Subject to regional regulations (e.g., CFDs banned in the US) |
| Market Depth Display | Limited, available on cTrader only | Available, especially for DMA accounts |
| Guaranteed Stop Loss Orders (GSLO) | No | Yes (with a premium fee) |
| Trailing Stop Customization | Limited, depends on platform used | Highly customizable |
| Hedging Account Separation | Yes (on certain accounts) | Yes |
| Margin Adjustment Based on Volatility | No | Yes |
| Auto-Close Positions Based on Balance | Yes (based on margin stop-out levels) | Yes (with GSLO for added control) |
| Inactivity Fees | $25 after 12 months of inactivity | £12/month after 24 months of inactivity |
| Deposit Processing Time | Instant for most payment methods | Instant for most payment methods |
| Withdrawal Processing Time | Usually within 1 business day | 1-5 business days (depends on method) |
| Withdrawal Fees | No fees on most methods, but third-party charges may apply | No fees for most withdrawals |
| Maximum Withdrawal Limit | No specific limit, but large withdrawals may require verification | No specific limit, but large withdrawals may require verification |
| Account Verification Required? | Yes, KYC required | Yes, KYC required |
| Minimum Trade Size | 0.01 lots (Forex); varies for other assets | 0.01 lots (Forex); varies for other assets |
| Lot Size Flexibility | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Share Trading | No | Yes |
| OTC (Over-the-Counter) Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Weekend Customer Support | Limited to email and some live chat support | No live support on weekends, but online FAQs and educational content available |
| VIP Customer Support | No dedicated VIP support | Available for professional traders |
| Corporate & Institutional Services | Limited | Extensive, including prime brokerage services |
| API Trading Support | Yes, through Deriv API, MT5 API, and cTrader API | Yes, through IG REST API and MT4 API |
| Multi-Account Management (MAM/PAMM) | Not officially supported | Supported for institutional and professional traders |
| Backtesting Tools | Limited, mostly on MT5 and cTrader | Advanced backtesting available on ProRealTime and MT4 |
| Third-Party Plugin Compatibility | Limited to MT5 and cTrader integrations | Wide compatibility with MT4, ProRealTime, Trading Central, and Autochartist |
| Multi-Currency Accounts | Yes (supports multiple base currencies) | Yes (supports multiple base currencies) |
| Multi-Device Accessibility | Web, Desktop, Mobile (Android/iOS) | Web, Desktop, Mobile (Android/iOS) |
| Security Features | 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication), Encrypted Transactions | 2FA, Biometric Login (on mobile), Encrypted Transactions |
| Cloud-Based Trading | No | Yes (for ProRealTime users) |
| Historical Data Access | Available but limited to the platform’s capabilities | Extensive historical data for technical and fundamental analysis |
| Regulatory Warnings or Fines | None publicly known | Has faced fines in the past for regulatory violations (e.g., misclassification of retail traders) |
| Social Media & Community Engagement | Active on social media, but limited community interaction | Very active, with trader communities, IG Academy, and webinars |
| Proprietary Trading Firm Accounts | Not available | Yes, IG has partnered with prop trading firms |
| White Label Solutions | No | Yes (IG offers brokerage solutions for institutional clients) |
Deriv is ideal for retail traders with low-cost entry, synthetic indices, and flexible leverage, while IG Markets caters to professionals with deep liquidity, advanced analysis tools, and direct market access. IG offers stronger research, but Deriv provides unique trading assets like multipliers and 24/7 synthetic markets.