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The comparison reads the same evidence fields used by broker profiles, so users can scan scores, regulation, costs, platforms, withdrawals, and caveats side by side.

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Broker 2

VS field	City Index cityindex.com Forex BrokerMulti Asset BrokerStock CFD	IG ig.com CFD BrokerForex BrokerOption
Decision summary
Overall score

Trust score	86	100

Cost score	82	84

Platform score	94	94

Withdrawal score	89	89

Best for	UK spread betting · CFD trading · forex trading	Experienced CFD and forex traders seeking broad market access · UK clients wanting both leveraged trading and commission-free eligible share/ETF investing · Traders who value plat…

Watch out	Needs verification	Needs verification

Trust & regulation
Regulators	StoneX Financial Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Source	Authorised/supervised by FCA, BaFin/Deutsche Bundesbank, ASIC, FINMA, FSCA, MAS, FMA, DFSA, Japanese authorities, CFTC/NFA, and BMA depending region/entity. Source
License numbers	FCA Register Number: 446717 Source	FCA register numbers: 195355, 114059, 944492; DFSA reference F001780; IG Europe register 148759; IG Asia company registration 200510021K. Source
Regulated entities	City Index is a trading name/trademark of StoneX Financial Ltd. Source	IG contracting entities vary by region, including UK IG Markets/IG Index/IG Trading and Investments, IG International Limited, IG Limited Dubai, IG Bank S.A., IG Asia Pte Ltd, IG Europe GmbH and others. Source
Negative balance protection	City Index advertises negative balance protection, with regional/classification caveats. Source	Negative balance protection applies to UK/ESMA/DFSA retail leveraged accounts; professional traders are excluded; some regional tables show ability to lose more than deposits for certain accounts. Source
Investor compensation	FSCS member; up to £120,000 according to City Index UK. Source	Investor/deposit compensation depends on entity: FSCS UK, EdW Europe, esisuisse Switzerland; no compensation scheme disclosed for several other IG regions in comparison table. Source
Restricted countries	No explicit restricted-country list found; general jurisdictional restriction disclosed. Source	Official IG international and UK pages state the information is not directed at residents of the United States and Belgium; country availability is region/entity-dependent. Source

Trust & regulation

Regulators

StoneX Financial Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA.

Source

Authorised/supervised by FCA, BaFin/Deutsche Bundesbank, ASIC, FINMA, FSCA, MAS, FMA, DFSA, Japanese authorities, CFTC/NFA, and BMA depending region/entity.

Source

License numbers

FCA Register Number: 446717

Source

FCA register numbers: 195355, 114059, 944492; DFSA reference F001780; IG Europe register 148759; IG Asia company registration 200510021K.

Source

Regulated entities

City Index is a trading name/trademark of StoneX Financial Ltd.

Source

IG contracting entities vary by region, including UK IG Markets/IG Index/IG Trading and Investments, IG International Limited, IG Limited Dubai, IG Bank S.A., IG Asia Pte Ltd, IG Europe GmbH and others.

Source

Negative balance protection

City Index advertises negative balance protection, with regional/classification caveats.

Source

Negative balance protection applies to UK/ESMA/DFSA retail leveraged accounts; professional traders are excluded; some regional tables show ability to lose more than deposits for certain accounts.

Source

Investor compensation

FSCS member; up to £120,000 according to City Index UK.

Source

Investor/deposit compensation depends on entity: FSCS UK, EdW Europe, esisuisse Switzerland; no compensation scheme disclosed for several other IG regions in comparison table.

Source

Restricted countries

No explicit restricted-country list found; general jurisdictional restriction disclosed.

Source

Official IG international and UK pages state the information is not directed at residents of the United States and Belgium; country availability is region/entity-dependent.

Source

Costs & account conditions
Minimum deposit	No minimum to open CFD/spread-bet accounts; card funding minimum 100 base-currency units; bank wire no minimum; MT4 page/search snippet says £100 to start trading. Source	Minimum deposit varies substantially by region, from $50 card/no minimum bank transfer for IG International to CHF 2500 for Switzerland. Source
Spread from	Representative spreads vary by market/product: forex from 0.5 pts, indices from 0.4, US crude 0.4 points, gold 0.3 points. Source	Selected UK trading spreads: EUR/USD 0.6, S&P 500 0.4, Spot Gold 0.3; spreads are variable and selected examples only. Source
Commission	No spread-bet commission; CFD commission only on shares with stated regional minimums. Source	Commission varies by product: commission-free UK investing in eligible stocks/ETFs; share CFD commissions include 0.10% UK/Euro and 2 cents/share US; manual currency conversion commissions also apply in UK investing. Source
Maximum leverage	Retail margin from 3.33% on major FX (about 30:1 equivalent); varies by product/client/entity. Source	Leverage/margin is region- and product-dependent; IG International CFD page shows up to 1:200 for forex and indices, 1:143 commodities, 1:10 share/crypto CFDs; UAE page cites indices up to 20:1. Source
Deposit fee	City Index deposit methods listed as free, subject to card issuer charges. Source	Deposit fees vary by region; UK bank/debit/credit card funding free; other regions differ. Source
Withdrawal fee	Withdrawals are free of charge. Source	UK withdrawals are listed as free for bank/debit/credit card methods; Dubai comparison table notes wire withdrawal $25; other regions vary. Source
Inactivity fee	Monthly inactivity fee: £12 after 12+ months of inactivity, with equivalent fees for non-GBP accounts. Source	Inactivity/admin fee is region/product-specific: UK charges page currently lists inactivity fee free; IG Bank Switzerland charges CHF 18/month after 2+ years inactivity with a balance. Source

Costs & account conditions

Minimum deposit

No minimum to open CFD/spread-bet accounts; card funding minimum 100 base-currency units; bank wire no minimum; MT4 page/search snippet says £100 to start trading.

Source

Minimum deposit varies substantially by region, from $50 card/no minimum bank transfer for IG International to CHF 2500 for Switzerland.

Source

Spread from

Representative spreads vary by market/product: forex from 0.5 pts, indices from 0.4, US crude 0.4 points, gold 0.3 points.

Source

Selected UK trading spreads: EUR/USD 0.6, S&P 500 0.4, Spot Gold 0.3; spreads are variable and selected examples only.

Source

Commission

No spread-bet commission; CFD commission only on shares with stated regional minimums.

Source

Commission varies by product: commission-free UK investing in eligible stocks/ETFs; share CFD commissions include 0.10% UK/Euro and 2 cents/share US; manual currency conversion commissions also apply in UK investing.

Source

Maximum leverage

Retail margin from 3.33% on major FX (about 30:1 equivalent); varies by product/client/entity.

Source

Leverage/margin is region- and product-dependent; IG International CFD page shows up to 1:200 for forex and indices, 1:143 commodities, 1:10 share/crypto CFDs; UAE page cites indices up to 20:1.

Source

Deposit fee

City Index deposit methods listed as free, subject to card issuer charges.

Source

Deposit fees vary by region; UK bank/debit/credit card funding free; other regions differ.

Source

Withdrawal fee

Withdrawals are free of charge.

Source

UK withdrawals are listed as free for bank/debit/credit card methods; Dubai comparison table notes wire withdrawal $25; other regions vary.

Source

Inactivity fee

Monthly inactivity fee: £12 after 12+ months of inactivity, with equivalent fees for non-GBP accounts.

Source

Inactivity/admin fee is region/product-specific: UK charges page currently lists inactivity fee free; IG Bank Switzerland charges CHF 18/month after 2+ years inactivity with a balance.

Source

Markets, platforms & payments
Tradable assets	Spread bet and trade CFDs across indices, shares, forex, commodities and other markets; pricing page lists metals, bonds, interest rates and options/futures references. Source	IG offers a broad range of tradable products by region, including CFDs on forex, indices, shares, commodities, crypto, ETFs, options, futures, bonds, rates and volatility; UK also has share dealing and selected options/futures; products vary by region. Source
Trading platforms	Web Trader, mobile app, TradingView and MT4. Source	IG supports proprietary web/mobile platforms plus MT4, MT5 in some regions, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, TradingView and institutional/API/FIX access. Source
Account types	Standard, MT4 and Corporate accounts; demo offered with virtual funds. Source	Account types differ by region; examples include IG trading/professional, limited risk, share dealing, options, turbo24 and swap-free accounts. Source
Deposit methods	Debit/credit cards and bank transfer. Source	Deposit methods vary by region; official pages mention bank transfer, debit/credit card, Wise, and Singapore PayNow. Source
Withdrawal methods	Withdrawals return to original funding sources; card/bank supported; PayPal legacy withdrawals only. Source	Withdrawal methods vary by region; UK charges list bank/debit/credit card deposits/withdrawals; comparison table lists US ACH/wire/check deposit and ACH/wire withdrawal details; help pages mention Card/ApplePay withdrawals. Source
Withdrawal processing time	Cards 3–5 working days; domestic bank transfers normally 1–2 working days. Source	Withdrawal timing is not a single global value; UK help articles indicate same-day processing for eligible card/ApplePay requests, up to 5 working days to receive, and 1-3 business days for bank transfers after approval. Source

Markets, platforms & payments

Tradable assets

Spread bet and trade CFDs across indices, shares, forex, commodities and other markets; pricing page lists metals, bonds, interest rates and options/futures references.

Source

IG offers a broad range of tradable products by region, including CFDs on forex, indices, shares, commodities, crypto, ETFs, options, futures, bonds, rates and volatility; UK also has share dealing and selected options/futures; products vary by region.

Source

Trading platforms

Web Trader, mobile app, TradingView and MT4.

Source

IG supports proprietary web/mobile platforms plus MT4, MT5 in some regions, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, TradingView and institutional/API/FIX access.

Source

Account types

Standard, MT4 and Corporate accounts; demo offered with virtual funds.

Source

Account types differ by region; examples include IG trading/professional, limited risk, share dealing, options, turbo24 and swap-free accounts.

Source

Deposit methods

Debit/credit cards and bank transfer.

Source

Deposit methods vary by region; official pages mention bank transfer, debit/credit card, Wise, and Singapore PayNow.

Source

Withdrawal methods

Withdrawals return to original funding sources; card/bank supported; PayPal legacy withdrawals only.

Source

Withdrawal methods vary by region; UK charges list bank/debit/credit card deposits/withdrawals; comparison table lists US ACH/wire/check deposit and ACH/wire withdrawal details; help pages mention Card/ApplePay withdrawals.

Source

Withdrawal processing time

Cards 3–5 working days; domestic bank transfers normally 1–2 working days.

Source

Withdrawal timing is not a single global value; UK help articles indicate same-day processing for eligible card/ApplePay requests, up to 5 working days to receive, and 1-3 business days for bank transfers after approval.

Source

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