Wealthsimple vs Interactive Brokers

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Wealthsimple vs Interactive Brokers Comparison Table 2024
Wealthsimple Interactive Brokers
3.1
4.3

Interactive Brokers is #1 in our CFD broker rankings.

United States Flag Traders from US not accepted
United States Flag Traders from US accepted

Wealthsimple offers managed investment portfolios to Canadian residents. Clients can build a trading solution based on their financial goals and risk tolerance. Buy and sell stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. 2 million+ accounts have already been opened.

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a premier brokerage, providing access to 150 markets in 33 countries, along with a suite of comprehensive investment services. With over 40 years of experience, this Nasdaq-listed firm adheres to stringent regulations by the SEC, FCA, CIRO, and SFC, amongst others, and is one of the most trusted brokers for trading around the globe.

Customer Reviews
4
Comment by Reviewer
"Canadian traders looking for passive income opportunities will be well served by Wealthsimple. The quick and easy joining process also means you can sign up and start trading in a few minutes." "Interactive Brokers is one of the best brokers for advanced day traders, providing powerful charting platforms, real-time data, and customizable layouts, notably through the new IBKR Desktop application. Its superb pricing and advanced order options also make it highly attractive for day traders, while its diverse range of equities is still among the best in the industry."
Pros
  • Simple and secure onboarding process through an intuitive and well-reviewed mobile app - start investing in 5 minutes
  • Trade stocks from as little as $1 with zero commissions, plus Canadian fractional shares including Shopify and Royal Bank of Canada
  • Attractive perks available for Premium and Generation clients, including airport lounge access, 15% off your will, and health plans
  • Trade and stake digital coins on Canada's first regulated crypto platform and earn decent rewards of up to 4.6% per year
  • Accessible educational resources, including Personal Finance 101 and an engaging proprietary online magazine
  • Options trading available with flat $2 per contract pricing using any of the stocks and ETFs accounts
  • IBKR is one of the most respected and trusted brokerages and is regulated by top-tier authorities, so you can have confidence in the integrity and security of your trading account.
  • The TWS platform has clearly been built for intermediate and advanced traders and comes with over 100 order types and a reliable real-time market data feed that rarely goes offline.
  • The new IBKR Desktop platform takes the best of TWS while adding bespoke tools like Option Lattice and Screeners with MultiSort to create a genuinely impressive trading experience for day traders at every level.
  • There's a vast library of free or paid third-party research subscriptions catering to all types of traders, plus you can enjoy commission reimbursements from IBKR if you subscribe to Toggle AI.
  • IBKR continues to deliver unmatched access to global stocks with tens of thousands of equities available from 100+ market centres in 24 countries, most recently the Saudi Stock Exchange.
  • While primarily geared towards experienced traders, IBKR has made moves to broaden its appeal in recent years, reducing its minimum deposit from $10,000 to $0.
  • With low commissions, tight spreads and a transparent fee structure, IBKR delivers a cost-effective environment for short-term traders.
Cons
  • Only Canadian residents can join after operations ceased in the USA and the UK
  • Limited to investing only in stocks, ETFs and cryptos
  • High management fees compared to competition
  • Long waiting time for non-instant deposits
  • TWS’s learning curve is steep, and beginners may find it challenging to navigate the platform and understand all the features. Plus500's web platform is much better suited to new traders.
  • IBKR provides a wide range of research tools, but their distribution across trading platforms and the web-based 'Account Management' page lacks consistency, leading to a confusing user experience.
  • Support can be slow and frustrating based on tests, so you might find it challenging to reach customer service representatives promptly or encounter delays in resolving issues.
  • You can only have one active session per account, so you can’t have your desktop program and mobile app running simultaneously, making for a sometimes frustrating trading experience.
Awards
  • Best Financial Services Website - Webby Awards
  • Top 100 Global Financial Technology Companies - Fintech 100
Instruments
Stocks, ETFs, Cryptocurrencies Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, CFDs, Cryptocurrencies
Demo Account
No Yes
Minimum Deposit
$1 $0
Trading Platforms
  • Own
  • Trader Workstation (TWS)
  • IBKR Desktop
  • GlobalTrader
  • Mobile
  • Client Portal
  • AlgoTrader
  • OmniTrader
  • eSignal
  • TradingCentral
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
$1 $100
Regulator
CIRO FCA, SEC, FINRA, CFTC, CBI, CIRO, SFC, MAS, MNB, FINMA, AFM
Margin Trading
No Yes
Margin Rate
1.55 - 2.59%
STP Account
No Yes
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
No Yes
MAM Account
No Yes
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No Yes
Robo Advisor
Yes Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No Yes
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
App Review

The IBKR Mobile app, available on both iOS and Android devices, makes your phone a powerful gateway to your IBKR accounts, offering you the freedom to keep an eye on portfolios, initiate trades, and dive into real-time quotes and charts, all while managing your account activities on the fly. This app stands out for its intuitive design, making it especially welcoming for those just starting their trading journey, providing a smoother and more accessible experience than the more complex TWS platform.

Android App Rating
4.5
iOS App Rating
4.3
Auto Trading
Yes via robo advisor Capitalise.ai & TWS API
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
Yes Yes
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$0
Islamic Account
Yes No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • CAD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • INR
  • JPY
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • AED
  • HUF
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
CFD trading not offered Over 8,000 CFDs are offered on a vast array of instruments, encompassing stocks, indices, forex, and commodities. Moreover, the TWS platform lends itself to seasoned day traders, offering a comprehensive selection of over 100 order types and algorithms, alongside premium market data sourced from reputable sources such as Reuters and Dow Jones.
Leverage
1:50
FTSE Spread
0.005% (£1 Min)
GBPUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Oil Spread
0.25-0.85
Stocks Spread
0.003
Forex Trading
Forex trading not offered IBKR presents an extensive range of over 100 major, minor, and exotic forex pairs, surpassing the offerings of nearly all leading alternatives, though not CMC Markets. Forex trading occurs over multiple platforms and boasts institutional-grade spreads starting from 0.1 pips and 20 complex order types, including brackets, scale, and one-cancels-all (OCA) orders.
GBPUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURGBP Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Assets
100+
Cryptocurrency
Trade 50+ cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum with a competitive 1.5-2% fee per transaction. Investors also enjoy fast crypto transfers to and from Wealthsimple. IBKR lets you purchase and hold Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin at competitive commission rates and without needing a crypto wallet. Additionally, there is a range of other diverse assets to explore, such as crypto indices like the NYSE Bitcoin Index, as well as futures contracts like the BAKKT Bitcoin Futures.
Spread
1.5 – 2% operational fee 0.12%-0.18%
Coins
  • ZRX
  • 1INCH
  • AAVE
  • APE
  • AMP
  • ANKR
  • AVAX
  • AXS
  • BAL
  • BNT
  • BAND
  • BAT
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ADA
  • CTSI
  • CELO
  • LINK
  • CHZ
  • CHR
  • COMP
  • ATOM
  • COTI
  • CRV
  • DAI
  • MANA
  • DOGE
  • DYDX
  • ENJ
  • ETH
  • FTM
  • FIL
  • GALA
  • GRT
  • KNC
  • LTC
  • LRC
  • LUNC
  • MKR
  • PAXG
  • DOT
  • MATIC
  • QNT
  • REN
  • SAND
  • SHIB
  • SKL
  • SOL
  • XLM
  • STORJ
  • SUSHI
  • SNX
  • XTZ
  • UMA
  • UNI
  • USDC
  • YFI
  • BTC
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No