IG vs eToro: UK Fees, Products and Account Eligibility (2026)

For UK residents, IG is the more flexible choice for hands-on forex and CFD trading, while eToro is the clearer fit for investors who specifically want CopyTrader alongside shares and ETFs. This is not a universal verdict on cost or safety. IG separates share dealing, CFDs and spread betting into different legal entities and accounts. eToro combines several asset types within one interface, but the trade ticket can still distinguish an underlying investment from a CFD.

This IG vs eToro comparison covers UK-resident retail clients as at November 2026. It does not use offshore leverage ceilings, group-wide licences or foreign fee schedules as substitutes for UK terms. For the two platforms, the most useful comparison is the exact service, fee basis and counterparty that would apply to your order, not the largest number of markets advertised globally.

IG vs eToro at a glance for UK traders

Bottom line: for an active GBP-based forex trader, IG's quoted spreads and trading platform range deserve the first comparison. For someone who plans to use copy trading, eToro has a genuinely different service, but a suitability assessment and the risks of copied positions still matter. Neither platform makes a leveraged position safe.

Which company holds the UK account?

IG has different regulated entities for different products

The IG brand is not a single contract for all services. IG's UK legal disclosures name IG Markets Ltd (FCA reference 195355) for CFD accounts, IG Index Ltd (114059) for spread betting, and IG Trading and Investments Ltd (944492) for share dealing and investment accounts. These are separate FCA-authorised companies. IG's cryptoasset service is identified separately as IG Digital Assets Ltd. Before opening an account, confirm which service you selected and review that entity's agreement.

eToro's UK agreement names two service providers

eToro (UK) Ltd is FCA-authorised under reference 583263. The UK client terms dated 12 August 2026 say eToro UK provides trading services, copy trading and securities custody. For execution, eToro UK generally acts as agent and may instruct eToro (Europe) Ltd to be the counterparty, or use another executing broker. eToro Europe also provides custody for certain unstaked cryptoassets, while eToro UK provides custody for staked cryptoassets as defined in those terms. These roles do not turn a Cyprus-regulated trading counterparty into the UK account provider, or extend UK protections automatically to every product.

eToro's UK regulatory disclosure gives its London business location at One Canada Square, Canary Wharf. The unusual country and office list previously attached to the eToro brand is not a reliable description of where an individual UK client contracts. FCA registration, the legal agreement and the service actually used are the meaningful checks.

Forex and CFD trading fees: compare the same type of trade

IG: Its current UK charges quote a 0.6-pip minimum spread on EUR/USD for the relevant spread-bet or CFD schedule. That is a minimum, not an expected execution price. The September 2026 forex CFD specification separately lists an average of 0.85 pips for the stated observation window. Spreads can widen around news, illiquid periods or market gaps. Overnight funding, an optional guaranteed-stop premium when triggered, currency conversion and any market-specific commission can change the final bill.

eToro: Its current CFD spread schedule lists 0.005% per trade for EUR/USD. The general fee schedule explains that a CFD opening or closing charge is assessed against the position value, with the underlying market's bid-ask spread still affecting execution. To illustrate the percentage, a $100,000 notional position at 0.005% generates a $5 charge on opening and another $5 on closing, or $10 in listed percentage charges before market spread and financing. This is an illustration of the formula, not a live trade quote or an assertion that the currency pair will execute at one fixed total cost.

The comparison trap: IG's advertised 0.6 pip is a minimum bid-ask spread, while eToro's 0.005% is a per-side percentage charge. Placing them in one table as if both were spread-only pip figures would mislead. A useful cost check fixes the instrument, time, notional exposure, account currency and holding period, then adds the full round-trip spread or opening/closing charges, overnight funding and conversion. Neither provider's execution price or slippage was personally tested for this review.

Share CFDs are not the same as buying shares

IG charges commissions on some share CFDs, rather than quoting them all as spread-only products. eToro lists a 0.15% charge per trade on stock and ETF CFDs in its current CFD schedule. A leveraged or short stock position may be a CFD, with financing and no ownership of the underlying share. Check the order type before using either broker's investment-fee headline to estimate a derivative trade.

Stocks, ETFs and investing: where the fee differences show up

IG's UK investment-fee schedule shows £0 online share-dealing commission under its normal instant currency-conversion setting, and a 0.7% FX conversion fee on applicable cross-currency trades. Optional manual conversion changes the commission structure, including £3 for UK shares and 3 US cents a share subject to a $15 minimum for US shares. Government levies, product charges and the market spread may also apply. These are investing-account terms, not a promise of commission-free trading across IG's CFDs or spread bets.

eToro's investment-fee page says that buying eligible underlying stocks may attract a $1 or $2 commission on both opening and closing, depending on the customer's country and the listing exchange. Its ETF schedule says zero trading commission, but market spreads, currency conversion, relevant taxes and any different treatment of a CFD order still matter. The instrument ticket should identify whether an order represents the underlying asset. Neither a stock nor an ETF is immune to losses simply because it carries no dealing commission.

For UK tax wrappers, IG explicitly supports stocks and shares ISAs and other eligible investment accounts. Do not assume a feature or tax wrapper exists at eToro merely because the platform supports underlying shares. Availability and ISA eligibility must be checked against the live account offering and the investor's circumstances.

Funding, withdrawals and inactivity charges

IG's UK charges show no account opening or inactivity fee on its retail trading pricing page, and no broker processing fee for the listed bank-transfer or card deposit and withdrawal routes. Bank and intermediary charges are still possible, and method limits or settlement periods apply. Those charges are not a reason to assume every product or optional data service is free.

eToro no longer levies its old inactivity charge. Its UK help notice dates the removal to 28 May 2026. The current fee schedule distinguishes free withdrawals from a local-currency account, such as an eligible GBP account, from $5 withdrawals from a USD investment account to an external account. A $30 minimum applies to withdrawals from the USD account, not local-currency accounts. Conversion and receiving-bank charges are separate considerations. The GBP account is provided by eToro Money UK Ltd, a distinct electronic-money provider, not simply another name for eToro's investment account.

Neither provider's fee page is a reliable substitute for a personalised quote. Check the actual account currency, funding method and withdrawal route before depositing, especially if the trading account and payment account have different terms.

UK product access, platforms and account eligibility

IG's attraction is breadth within the relevant account. Its platform comparison includes a web platform, mobile app, MetaTrader 4, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer and TradingView integrations, with different markets, data charges and execution features. Direct market access and professional-only functionality do not automatically come with every retail account. IG also has UK spread betting, CFDs and underlying share dealing, which are legally and economically different activities.

eToro concentrates on its own web and mobile interface, underlying stocks and ETFs where eligible, CFDs and CopyTrader. Its August 2026 UK terms describe copy trading as a limited form of discretionary investment management and require a suitability assessment before a UK client can use it. That is more than a social-follow button: the underlying trades can still include products that lose value rapidly, and copying a trader does not transfer their judgement or protect against drawdowns. Futures appear in eToro's UK legal schedules, but the public fee page describes futures access as a limited beta, so availability should not be promised to every applicant.

IG may ask questions about a customer's trading knowledge and experience, particularly for leveraged products, as its UK account-opening guidance explains. eToro's terms likewise require an appropriateness assessment for complex trading products. Eligibility depends on residency, identity checks, product permissions and individual suitability or appropriateness outcomes, not just on opening the account. A demo environment or app listing does not prove that a live account will give access to a particular instrument.

Retail leverage and cryptocurrency restrictions

UK retail CFD clients are subject to the FCA's permanent CFD restrictions. These cap leverage between 30:1 and 2:1 according to the underlying asset and require margin close-out and negative-balance protection for in-scope retail CFD accounts. A major-currency pair at 30:1 corresponds to roughly 3.33% initial margin; it does not mean the trade cannot lose a large part of the funded account. Product-specific margin tiers and concentration limits can be stricter.

The old comparison's global 200:1 or 400:1 figures do not describe normal UK retail CFD eligibility. A client reclassified as professional can face materially different terms and lose important retail protections, so higher leverage is a trade-off rather than an upgrade in safety. The FCA also bans sales of cryptoasset derivatives to UK retail consumers: IG explicitly explains this UK restriction. Any UK-facing spot crypto service is distinct from a crypto CFD and must be assessed separately for regulatory and loss protection.

Client money and FSCS: what is actually protected?

IG's UK insolvency explanation describes segregated client money and assets, and potential FSCS cover for a qualifying shortfall. eToro UK's 12 August 2026 agreement, clause 8 identifies FSCS protection for eligible regulated investment services. The FSCS investment guidance gives a maximum of £85,000 per eligible person, per firm for qualifying investment claims following a firm's failure. This is not compensation for ordinary market losses, and neither segregation nor FSCS removes execution, liquidity or counterparty risk.

eToro's UK terms specifically say cryptoasset trades and crypto copy trades are not FSCS-protected. Its separate GBP e-money account is also not a bank deposit just because it is denominated in pounds. Do not transfer the UK's bank deposit compensation limit to a brokerage investment claim or an electronic-money balance. Check the provider, the regulated activity and the specific FSCS eligibility conditions before drawing a conclusion about protection.

Which should a UK resident choose?

• Frequent forex or CFD trader: start with IG if platform choice, live spread detail, risk controls and a broader menu of leveraged markets matter most. Compare actual total trade costs, not the advertised minimum.
• Investor who wants copy trading: consider eToro's CopyTrader, provided the suitability assessment permits access and the strategy's drawdowns and holdings are understood. A copied CFD is still a leveraged CFD.
• Long-term share or ETF investor: evaluate IG's share-dealing account and tax-wrapper options against eToro's eligible underlying stock and ETF dealing, including stock commissions, currency conversion and transfer limits.
• Interested in cryptoassets: separate spot crypto holdings from derivatives. UK retail crypto CFDs are restricted, and unregulated cryptoasset holdings are not protected like eligible regulated investments.

Verdict: IG wins this comparison for a UK trader who wants more control over platform, order type and the distinction between leveraged trading and an investment account. eToro is the stronger specialist choice when copy trading is the objective. The better-priced broker depends on the exact trade, and the safer choice starts with the right legal entity and a product the customer is eligible to use.

Risk warning: Spread bets and CFDs are complex leveraged products. They can cause rapid losses, and retail account loss rates disclosed by providers change. Share and ETF prices can fall, and past returns or copied trades do not predict future results. Cryptoassets carry additional volatility and custody risks and are not covered by the FSCS as regulated investments. UK retail CFD rules can limit leverage and protect against a negative CFD account balance, but they do not prevent loss of funds invested. Verify the current product-specific disclosures and consider whether the potential loss is affordable before trading.