Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is the gold standard for professional and active traders, offering access to 150+ markets across 33 countries with some of the lowest commissions in the industry. The platform serves everyone from retail traders to hedge funds and institutions. IBKR offers two account types: IBKR Lite provides commission-free US stock and ETF trades, while IBKR Pro offers lower per-share costs for high-volume traders (as low as $0.0005/share on the tiered plan). Options commissions range from $0.15 to $0.65 per contract depending on volume, and futures commissions are just $0.25-$0.85 per contract. The Trader Workstation (TWS) desktop platform is powerful but complex, while the web portal and mobile app provide more accessible interfaces. IBKR also offers one of the best margin lending rates in the industry and supports a wide range of asset classes including stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds, and mutual funds.