IG Review 2026
IG is a UK listed broker with fifty years of history, but it faces unresolved Australian lawsuits over CFD sales and a 2025 court loss on an unfair contract term.
Min Deposit
£250
Spreads From
1.0 pips
Max Leverage
1:30
Platforms
5
Pros
- Regulated by the FCA, ASIC, BaFin, and MAS, checked on each public register
- Listed on the London Stock Exchange as part of the FTSE 100 index
- Fifty years of trading history, longer than almost any rival broker
- Offers MetaTrader 4 next to its own platform, L2 Dealer, and ProRealTime
- App store ratings stay strong, near 4.6 on Apple and 4.3 on Google Play
Cons
- Faces two unresolved Australian class actions over CFD sales since 2023
- A Western Australia court made IG pay a client 5.5 million dollars in 2025
- The Financial Ombudsman ordered client payouts after the 2015 Swiss franc shock
- Trustpilot reviewers often report slow withdrawals and repeat document checks
- Standard account spreads near 0.9 pips are only average against tighter rivals
- IG itself states that 68 percent of retail clients lose money trading spread bets and CFDs with it
- South African clients lost FSCA protection in 2025 and now trade via an offshore Bermuda entity
IG is one of the oldest retail trading brands still open today. It began in London in 1974 as a spread betting firm and now trades on the London Stock Exchange in the FTSE 100. The main entity, IG Markets Limited, is authorised by the FCA, with sister firms licensed in Australia, Germany, and Singapore.
IG offers CFDs, spread betting, and forex on its own web platform and app, plus MetaTrader 4, L2 Dealer, and ProRealTime. Spreads on major forex pairs average close to 0.9 pips on a standard account. IG also charges daily funding on open trades and a fee when your trade currency differs from your account currency.
IG's record has real marks against it. Two Australian class actions filed in 2023 claim IG sold high risk CFDs without proper checks. A Western Australia court also made IG pay one client 5.5 million Australian dollars in late 2025 over an unfair contract term. On Trustpilot, IG scores near 3.8 out of 5 from about 9,700 reviews, yet close to 18 percent leave only 1 star.
Min. Deposit
USD 250
Max Leverage
1:30 for retail clients in the UK, EU, and Australia
Spreads From
0.6 pips
Platforms
IG Markets Limited was born in 1974 as a spread betting shop in London. Now it is listed on the London Stock Exchange and owns multiple regulated subsidiaries including an ASIC entity in Australia, a BaFin entity in Germany, and a CFTC entity in the USA. The FTSE 250 listing gives IG heft on paper.
IG only offers CFDs, so you never own the real asset, only the price move. Its own platform sits at the core, bolstered by MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView, and other third-party tools. Spreads on the proprietary platform average 1.0 pips on EUR/USD. An inactivity charge kicks in after 24 months without a trade.
On Trustpilot, IG has about 2,000 total reviews, but more than half are just 1 star. Common stories describe withdrawal holds that last months, support replies that take weeks, and accounts shut with no real notice. The FCA has not published any fine against IG in recent years, but the Trustpilot score tracks clear customer pain. IG admits that 72 percent of all retail CFD traders lose money on the platform.
CFD
DMA
Multiple currency pairs available for trading
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Regulation, fund safety, track record
Spreads, execution, leverage
Platform quality, charting, features
Analysis, webinars, learning materials
Support quality, responsiveness
Mobile app quality, features
Regulators
Platforms
- FCA (UK)
- ASIC (Australia)
- BaFin (Germany)
- CFTC (USA)
