IG platform review: What makes it the choice for active traders?

27, Jan - REVIEWS

Founded in 1974, IG is a global stockbroker. Originating in the UK, IG was the first online broker to offer leveraged derivatives for trading the gold index in the OTC market. Today, IG offers trading in more than 17,000 financial stocks and more than 358,000 active clients worldwide use IG's trading platform to invest in the stock market or trade in various financial markets.

IG Group's revenue in 2024 was over 1 billion euro and its market capitalisation in 2024 exceeded 3.3 billion euro. IG won 3 awards in 2024, including Best Platform for Active Traders (ADVFN), Best Multi-Platform Broker (ADVFN) and Best Financial Mobile App (ADVFN). 

What services will IG offer in 2025?

IG's offer for users is very extensive: many types of financial products are available, a huge choice of trading platforms and additional services (analysis, training, news, etc.). The brokerage offer is divided into 3 categories, which we will review below.

CFD

As a leader in its field, IG offers CFDs on more than 17,000 stocks. CFDs enable you to buy or sell financial assets in short time frames to anticipate rising or falling prices. When trading CFDs with IG, traders incur only one trading cost - the spread. Spreads at IG are among the tightest in the market, ranging from 0.6 pips on EUR/USD and AUD/USD, 0.7 pips on USD/JPY and 0.9 pips on GBP/USD.

With IG CFDs you can invest in indices, stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies as well as other markets such as interest rates and bonds. IG CFDs allow you to trade for long periods of time. For example, out of 168 hours in a week, Wall Street is available for 158 hours. With IG you can trade even on weekends, especially on indices such as Nasdaq, Footsie, DAX, or currency pairs such as EUR/USD, USD/JPY or GBP/USD, as well as cryptocurrencies. Among the different types of CFDs available on IG, there are also CFDs on futures, which allow you to trade indices, commodities and bonds without having to pay overnight.

Turbo 24

As of 2019, IG broker has entered the exchange-traded products market and allows investors to place orders for a new type of financial product - Turbo24. This type of Turbo is unique in that it can be traded 24 hours a day, 5 days a week (even when the underlying market is closed). Listed on MTF (Spectrum Market), Turbo24 allows investors to leverage x3, x10 or even x50 or more. Stocks, indices, currencies, commodities and cryptocurrencies are available as underlying instruments.

Turbo24 transactions of 300 euro or more are commission-free, and you can trade Turbo24 without risk of exchange rate fluctuations. One of the advantages of these products is that you can limit your risk by choosing your own knock-out levels. IG has not just developed a new product, but a trading technology specifically designed for turbo.

Options

IG offers barrier options, so traders who want to use options have full control over their risk. Vanilla (base) options are also available at IG. Ideal for swing traders and day traders who are not fans of stop losses, these options allow you to trade with risk limited to the size of the premium. IG options are available on currencies, stocks, indices, commodities and cryptocurrencies. In total, options on 123 stocks are available on the IG platform.

How to open an account with IG?

To open an account with IG, go to the website and click on the green ‘Open a Live Account’ button on the homepage. A minimum deposit of 1,000 euro is required to open an account. You can also make an appointment with an IG expert who will answer your questions, give you a personalised demo of the platform and/or help you open an account. The first step to opening an account is to fill out a form with your contact details. You will also need to select one of the account types: CFD account, Turbo24 account or options account.

In addition, you will need to fill out a questionnaire about your professional and financial status, as well as declare the origin of your funds. The last step will be a questionnaire about your knowledge and trading experience. To confirm your account opening, you will need to provide IG with a copy of your ID card, proof of address and a form with bank account details.

What kind of training does IG offer?

IG stands out from other brokers for the quality and variety of its training courses. IG offers a wide range of interactive training courses where investors can access infographics and instructional videos. At the end of each course chapter, there is a quiz to test your knowledge and ensure you have absorbed the information presented. Numerous online webinars are available to clients as part of the IG Academy. Face-to-face seminars are also organised on a regular basis. IG analysts also share with their clients daily trading strategies and techniques to help investors take advantage of movements in the global financial markets.

Who is IG suitable for?

While investors will find something to suit them too, IG's offerings are primarily aimed at active traders, both novice and experienced. Whether it's the nature of the products on offer, designed for active trading, or the functionality of the tools on their trading platforms that cater to the requirements of both novice and experienced traders, there is no doubt that IG is the stockbroker of choice for all types of traders.

IG customer reviews

IG customer reviews are generally positive, with over 7,300 reviews on Trustpilot and an average rating of 3.8 out of 5. Many IG customers praise the quality of customer service, which is often described as responsive and professional. The IG team are regularly praised for their efficient support, which seems to please the majority of customers. IG's trading platform is also praised for its ease of use, intuitive interface and competitive rates.

As for the negative reviews about IG, some of them seem unfounded, with the exception of a few criticisms about excessive advertising. However, is it possible to criticise a company for wanting to advertise its services and striving to develop? It is up to you to decide.