Head to head

IG vs Cornèrtrader — which broker is better?

IG or Cornèrtrader? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.

Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

IG

The most complete leveraged-trading operation in Europe — and it prices like it knows that.

4,5

Group index 100/100Protection depends on your legal entity

FCABaFinFINMA+4

Stocks (per order): Free
Minimum deposit: None
EUR/USD spread: 0.9 pips

Visit broker Full review

Cornèrtrader

A genuine Swiss bank behind a genuine multi-asset terminal — priced for portfolios, not for pocket money.

3,8

Group index 80/100Protection depends on your legal entity

FINMA

Stocks (per order): 0.12 %
Minimum deposit: CHF 1,000
FX conversion: 0.5 %

Visit broker Full review

Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

Overall IG takes it, 4.5 against 3.8 out of 5. IG is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €0.00 there against €9.36. IG scores 100 against 80 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. IG covers more ground with 13 of 14 asset classes against 10. On platform and app IG is ahead, 4.6 against 3.9 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.

Overall score

IG: 4.5 — Better
Cornèrtrader: 3.8

Costs

IG: €0.00 — Better
Cornèrtrader: €9.36

Group indexNo winner

IG: 100 of 100
Cornèrtrader: 80 of 100

Product range

IG: 13/14 — Better
Cornèrtrader: 10/14

Platform & app

IG: 4.6 — Better
Cornèrtrader: 3.9

Compare brokers side by side

Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.

Data as of: 30 Aug 2026

Best value in the row

IG · Cornèrtrader
Criterion	IG 4,5 Visit broker	Cornèrtrader 3,8 Visit broker

Overall score	4.5 — Better	3.8
Group index	100 of 100	80 of 100
Best for	Experienced CFD and spread bet tradersMulti-asset traders who want one accountUK ISA and SIPP investorsDirect market access share tradingUS options and futures from Europe	Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place

Regulation	FCABaFinFINMAASICMASJFSADFSA	FINMA
Top-tier licences	6 — Better	1
Investor protection	CHF 100,000	CHF 100,000
Listed group	Yes	No
Banking licence	Yes	Yes
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	Yes	No
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	None	None
Founded	1974	1952
Headquarters	London, GB	Lugano, CH

Fees	4.0 — Better	3.2
Safety & regulation	4.9 — Better	4.4
Trading platform	4.7 — Better	4.2
Product range	4.9 — Better	4.4
Mobile app	4.5 — Better	3.6
Research	4.6 — Better	3.8
Customer support	4.3 — Better	3.6
Deposit & withdrawal	4.2 — Better	3.2
Account opening	4.2 — Better	3.2
Education	4.5 — Better	3.4

Reference order EUR 5,000	€0.00 — Better	€9.36
Minimum deposit	None — Better	CHF 1,000
Stocks (per order)	Free	0.12 %
US stocks	Free	0.15 %
ETFs	Free	0.12 %
Options	US$1 — Better	€4
Futures	US$1 — Better	€4
Crypto	n/a	Not offered
Bonds (order)	n/a	n/a
Funds (order)	n/a	n/a
EUR/USD spread	0.9 pips	n/a
Index CFD spread	1 points — Better	1.38 points
FX conversion	0.8 %	0.5 % — Better
Inactivity fee	None	n/a
Custody fee	None	n/a
Withdrawal fee	free	n/a
Deposit fee	free	n/a
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Minimum deposit: None. Bank transfers carry no minimum and no maximum; card payments start at GBP 1 and are capped at GBP 99,999 per debit card deposit and GBP 30,000 per credit card deposit Inactivity fee: None — IG lists it as free on its investing, spread betting and CFD accounts FX conversion (CFD / spread bet): 0.8% mark-up on trades denominated in a currency other than your account currency FX conversion (share dealing, ISA and SIPP): 0.49% on non-GBP assets — a reduced rate applied at IG's discretion, held at least until 4 September 2026 FX conversion (US Options & Futures): 0.5% on conversions in the US Options & Futures account Futures commission (US Options & Futures): USD 1.00 per contract per side; micro futures USD 0.75, options on futures USD 1.25 +5	Default price tier: CONSISTENCY (the most expensive) applies automatically unless a better tier is agreed — deposit thresholds are CHF 100,000 / 250,000 / 500,000 for the three cheaper tiers Multi-currency accounts: CONSISTENCY max 1, SOLIDITY max 5, OPPORTUNITY max 10, ENERGY unlimited FX spot commission: 12 per lot of 100,000 nominal at the entry tier (9 / 5 / 3 at higher tiers); gold 1.5 per oz, silver 1.8 per 100 oz Index CFD minimum spreads (entry tier): US 500 0.75, US Tech 100 0.625, DAX 40 1.375, EU Stoxx 50 1.25, UK 100 1.375, SMI 1.75, Wall Street 2.5 index points Phone orders: CHF 50 at the two lower tiers, CHF 30 at the two higher tiers Incoming securities transfer: CHF 30,000 minimum accepted amount at all tiers except ENERGY +7

Asset classes (of 14)	13 — Better	10
Exchanges	n/a	n/a
Stocks	Yes	Yes
ETFs	Yes	Yes
Options	Yes	Yes
Futures	Yes	Yes
Forex	Yes	Yes
CFDs	Yes	Yes
Crypto	Yes	No
Bonds	Yes	Yes
Funds	Yes	Yes
Commodities	Yes	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	Yes	No
Spread betting	Yes	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	IG web platformIG Trading appProRealTimeL2 DealerMetaTrader 4TradingViewIG REST & streaming API	Cornèrtrader web platformCornèrtrader desktopiCornèr AppDemo platform
Demo account	Yes	Yes
Fractional shares	No	No
Maximum leverage	1:30	Switzerland does not apply the ESMA retail leverage caps, so Swiss clients can in principle take more leverage on FX and CFDs than an EU retail client.
Account opening	Fully online; typically same-day approval, 1–3 business days when manual document checks are triggered	Online application with full Swiss bank onboarding and document checks; the demo platform is available immediately without an account
Account types	CFD accountSpread betting accountShare dealing, ISA and SIPPUS Options & FuturesProfessional account	CONSISTENCYSOLIDITYOPPORTUNITYENERGY

Payment methods	Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPal	Bank transferSEPA
Account currencies	GBPEURUSDCHFAUDSGDJPY	CHFEURUSD
Deposit time	Instant by card or PayPal; 1–3 business days by bank transfer	SEPA and domestic Swiss transfers typically 1–2 business days
Withdrawal time	1–5 business days depending on method and entity	1–3 business days by bank transfer
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishDutchSwedishPolishChineseJapanese+1	ItalianGermanFrenchEnglish
Channels	PhoneEmailLive chat	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system
Availability	24/5, with limited weekend cover for IG's weekend markets	Swiss business hours; separate technical support and trading support desks, plus Relationship Managers for larger accounts

Strengths and weaknesses side by side

Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.

The most complete leveraged-trading operation in Europe — and it prices like it knows that.

4,5

Pros

Around 17,000 tradable markets in a single account — shares, indices, FX, commodities, bonds, ETFs, turbo warrants and crypto CFDs, subject to regional restrictions
Six top-tier licences — FCA (FRN 195355), BaFin, FINMA, ASIC (AFSL 515106), MAS and JFSA — plus a mid-tier DFSA licence in Dubai; the FINMA licence among those six is a full Swiss banking licence at IG Bank S.A., which puts Swiss cash under esisuisse protection
Zero commission on UK and international shares, and the GBP 24 quarterly custody fee was scrapped outright in January 2026 rather than merely waived for active traders
Platform stack that scales with the trader: web and mobile for most, ProRealTime for charting and backtesting, L2 Dealer for full order-book DMA, plus MT4, TradingView and documented REST/streaming APIs
US-listed options from USD 1.00 per contract to open with nothing to close, and futures at USD 1.00 per contract per side (USD 0.75 on micros) — rare for a European retail broker
No inactivity fee at all, where most rivals start charging after three to twelve dormant months, and no minimum deposit on any account
Weekend dealing on the FTSE 100 and Wall Street, plus published client-sentiment data showing how IG's own book is positioned

Cons

The 0.8% currency conversion mark-up on foreign-currency CFD and spread bet trades is where much of the real cost hides — on a USD position round-trip it comfortably exceeds the spread
EUR/USD at roughly 0.9 pips is mid-table; raw-spread brokers quote 0.1–0.3 pips plus a small commission and work out cheaper for anyone trading FX frequently
The 0.49% share dealing conversion rate is a discretionary discount rather than a contractual one — IG has committed to it only until 4 September 2026 and can raise it afterwards
No fractional shares on IG's own platform, which creates real cash drag when drip-feeding small sums into high-priced US stocks
Pricing genuinely differs by entity and account type — UK GBP share dealing, multi-currency share dealing, IG Europe and IG Bank all run separate schedules, and the published tables are hard to reconcile
Crypto CFDs are unavailable to UK retail clients under the FCA ban, so the headline market count overstates what a UK resident can actually trade

Best for

Experienced CFD and spread bet tradersMulti-asset traders who want one accountUK ISA and SIPP investorsDirect market access share tradingUS options and futures from Europe

Cornèrtrader

A genuine Swiss bank behind a genuine multi-asset terminal — priced for portfolios, not for pocket money.

3,8

Pros

Cornèr Bank Ltd is a FINMA-supervised Swiss bank founded in 1952 and ranked second in Switzerland for capital strength in The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks 2026
A genuine multi-asset platform: shares, ETFs, ETPs, ETNs, ETCs, bonds, mutual funds, FX spot, FX options, futures and micro futures, listed stock options and CFDs on indices, single stocks, commodities, bonds and forex
More than 40,000 tradable instruments and over 10,000 pieces of research covering technical, fundamental and momentum analysis, included rather than sold as a subscription
Trading and banking in one relationship: multi-currency account, free Visa debit card, no separate cash transfer needed to move between investing and spending
Free demo platform available without opening an account — rare among Swiss bank-owned brokers and the best way to test the terminal first
Commissions fall sharply with portfolio size: SIX drops from 0.12% to 0.07% and US shares from 0.15% to 0.08% across the four tiers
Securities lending is offered as an optional way to generate income from an existing equity portfolio

Cons

The most expensive tier applies by default — Cornèrtrader states explicitly that if no other agreement is in place, the highest price category in the table applies
The entry CONSISTENCY tier is limited to a single account currency, so a CHF-based client buying US or German shares is forced into a currency conversion on every trade
Every conversion for a foreign-currency trade carries a 0.5% mark-up over the FX spot mid-price — more than the 0.15% commission on a US share order at the entry tier
Incoming securities transfers require a minimum accepted amount of CHF 30,000 at every tier except ENERGY, which blocks smaller portfolios from consolidating here
No spot cryptocurrency — only Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs and ETPs
Cornèr Bank is privately held and not listed, so there is no share price or continuous market scrutiny of the counterparty, only periodic published accounts

Best for

Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place

Open an account with either

A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.

Visit broker: IG Visit broker: Cornèrtrader

More comparisons

Alternatives people weigh up alongside these two.

IG vs Cornèrtrader — which broker is better?

IG or Cornèrtrader? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

IG · Cornèrtrader
Criterion	IG 4,5 Visit broker	Cornèrtrader 3,8 Visit broker

Overall score	4.5 — Better	3.8
Group index	100 of 100	80 of 100
Best for	Experienced CFD and spread bet tradersMulti-asset traders who want one accountUK ISA and SIPP investorsDirect market access share tradingUS options and futures from Europe	Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place

Regulation	FCABaFinFINMAASICMASJFSADFSA	FINMA
Top-tier licences	6 — Better	1
Investor protection	CHF 100,000	CHF 100,000
Listed group	Yes	No
Banking licence	Yes	Yes
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	Yes	No
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	None	None
Founded	1974	1952
Headquarters	London, GB	Lugano, CH

Fees	4.0 — Better	3.2
Safety & regulation	4.9 — Better	4.4
Trading platform	4.7 — Better	4.2
Product range	4.9 — Better	4.4
Mobile app	4.5 — Better	3.6
Research	4.6 — Better	3.8
Customer support	4.3 — Better	3.6
Deposit & withdrawal	4.2 — Better	3.2
Account opening	4.2 — Better	3.2
Education	4.5 — Better	3.4

Reference order EUR 5,000	€0.00 — Better	€9.36
Minimum deposit	None — Better	CHF 1,000
Stocks (per order)	Free	0.12 %
US stocks	Free	0.15 %
ETFs	Free	0.12 %
Options	US$1 — Better	€4
Futures	US$1 — Better	€4
Crypto	n/a	Not offered
Bonds (order)	n/a	n/a
Funds (order)	n/a	n/a
EUR/USD spread	0.9 pips	n/a
Index CFD spread	1 points — Better	1.38 points
FX conversion	0.8 %	0.5 % — Better
Inactivity fee	None	n/a
Custody fee	None	n/a
Withdrawal fee	free	n/a
Deposit fee	free	n/a
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Minimum deposit: None. Bank transfers carry no minimum and no maximum; card payments start at GBP 1 and are capped at GBP 99,999 per debit card deposit and GBP 30,000 per credit card deposit Inactivity fee: None — IG lists it as free on its investing, spread betting and CFD accounts FX conversion (CFD / spread bet): 0.8% mark-up on trades denominated in a currency other than your account currency FX conversion (share dealing, ISA and SIPP): 0.49% on non-GBP assets — a reduced rate applied at IG's discretion, held at least until 4 September 2026 FX conversion (US Options & Futures): 0.5% on conversions in the US Options & Futures account Futures commission (US Options & Futures): USD 1.00 per contract per side; micro futures USD 0.75, options on futures USD 1.25 +5	Default price tier: CONSISTENCY (the most expensive) applies automatically unless a better tier is agreed — deposit thresholds are CHF 100,000 / 250,000 / 500,000 for the three cheaper tiers Multi-currency accounts: CONSISTENCY max 1, SOLIDITY max 5, OPPORTUNITY max 10, ENERGY unlimited FX spot commission: 12 per lot of 100,000 nominal at the entry tier (9 / 5 / 3 at higher tiers); gold 1.5 per oz, silver 1.8 per 100 oz Index CFD minimum spreads (entry tier): US 500 0.75, US Tech 100 0.625, DAX 40 1.375, EU Stoxx 50 1.25, UK 100 1.375, SMI 1.75, Wall Street 2.5 index points Phone orders: CHF 50 at the two lower tiers, CHF 30 at the two higher tiers Incoming securities transfer: CHF 30,000 minimum accepted amount at all tiers except ENERGY +7

Asset classes (of 14)	13 — Better	10
Exchanges	n/a	n/a
Stocks	Yes	Yes
ETFs	Yes	Yes
Options	Yes	Yes
Futures	Yes	Yes
Forex	Yes	Yes
CFDs	Yes	Yes
Crypto	Yes	No
Bonds	Yes	Yes
Funds	Yes	Yes
Commodities	Yes	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	Yes	No
Spread betting	Yes	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	IG web platformIG Trading appProRealTimeL2 DealerMetaTrader 4TradingViewIG REST & streaming API	Cornèrtrader web platformCornèrtrader desktopiCornèr AppDemo platform
Demo account	Yes	Yes
Fractional shares	No	No
Maximum leverage	1:30	Switzerland does not apply the ESMA retail leverage caps, so Swiss clients can in principle take more leverage on FX and CFDs than an EU retail client.
Account opening	Fully online; typically same-day approval, 1–3 business days when manual document checks are triggered	Online application with full Swiss bank onboarding and document checks; the demo platform is available immediately without an account
Account types	CFD accountSpread betting accountShare dealing, ISA and SIPPUS Options & FuturesProfessional account	CONSISTENCYSOLIDITYOPPORTUNITYENERGY

Payment methods	Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPal	Bank transferSEPA
Account currencies	GBPEURUSDCHFAUDSGDJPY	CHFEURUSD
Deposit time	Instant by card or PayPal; 1–3 business days by bank transfer	SEPA and domestic Swiss transfers typically 1–2 business days
Withdrawal time	1–5 business days depending on method and entity	1–3 business days by bank transfer
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishDutchSwedishPolishChineseJapanese+1	ItalianGermanFrenchEnglish
Channels	PhoneEmailLive chat	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system
Availability	24/5, with limited weekend cover for IG's weekend markets	Swiss business hours; separate technical support and trading support desks, plus Relationship Managers for larger accounts

Criterion

4,5

Visit broker

Cornèrtrader

3,8

Visit broker

Overall score

4.5

3.8

Group index

100 of 100

80 of 100

Best for

Experienced CFD and spread bet tradersMulti-asset traders who want one accountUK ISA and SIPP investorsDirect market access share tradingUS options and futures from Europe

Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place

Regulation

FCABaFinFINMAASICMASJFSADFSA

FINMA

Top-tier licences

Investor protection

CHF 100,000

Listed group

Banking licence

Segregated client accounts

Negative balance protection

Audited financials

Disclosed regulatory actions

None

Founded

1974

1952

Headquarters

London, GB

Lugano, CH

Fees

4.0

3.2

Safety & regulation

4.9

4.4

Trading platform

4.7

4.2

Product range

4.9

4.4

Mobile app

4.5

3.6

Research

4.6

3.8

Customer support

4.3

3.6

Deposit & withdrawal

4.2

3.2

Account opening

4.2

3.2

Education

4.5

3.4

Reference order EUR 5,000

€0.00

€9.36

Minimum deposit

None

CHF 1,000

Stocks (per order)

Free

0.12 %

US stocks

Free

0.15 %

ETFs

Free

0.12 %

Options

US$1

€4

Futures

US$1

€4

Crypto

n/a

Not offered

Bonds (order)

n/a

Funds (order)

n/a

EUR/USD spread

0.9 pips

n/a

Index CFD spread

1 points

1.38 points

FX conversion

0.8 %

0.5 %

Inactivity fee

None

n/a

Custody fee

None

n/a

Withdrawal fee

free

n/a

Deposit fee

free

n/a

Overnight financing

n/a

Other fees

Minimum deposit: None. Bank transfers carry no minimum and no maximum; card payments start at GBP 1 and are capped at GBP 99,999 per debit card deposit and GBP 30,000 per credit card deposit
Inactivity fee: None — IG lists it as free on its investing, spread betting and CFD accounts
FX conversion (CFD / spread bet): 0.8% mark-up on trades denominated in a currency other than your account currency
FX conversion (share dealing, ISA and SIPP): 0.49% on non-GBP assets — a reduced rate applied at IG's discretion, held at least until 4 September 2026
FX conversion (US Options & Futures): 0.5% on conversions in the US Options & Futures account
Futures commission (US Options & Futures): USD 1.00 per contract per side; micro futures USD 0.75, options on futures USD 1.25
+5

Default price tier: CONSISTENCY (the most expensive) applies automatically unless a better tier is agreed — deposit thresholds are CHF 100,000 / 250,000 / 500,000 for the three cheaper tiers
Multi-currency accounts: CONSISTENCY max 1, SOLIDITY max 5, OPPORTUNITY max 10, ENERGY unlimited
FX spot commission: 12 per lot of 100,000 nominal at the entry tier (9 / 5 / 3 at higher tiers); gold 1.5 per oz, silver 1.8 per 100 oz
Index CFD minimum spreads (entry tier): US 500 0.75, US Tech 100 0.625, DAX 40 1.375, EU Stoxx 50 1.25, UK 100 1.375, SMI 1.75, Wall Street 2.5 index points
Phone orders: CHF 50 at the two lower tiers, CHF 30 at the two higher tiers
Incoming securities transfer: CHF 30,000 minimum accepted amount at all tiers except ENERGY
+7

Asset classes (of 14)

Exchanges

n/a

Stocks

ETFs

Options

Futures

Forex

CFDs

Crypto

Bonds

Funds

Commodities

Indices

Warrants

Spread betting

Social trading

Platforms

IG web platformIG Trading appProRealTimeL2 DealerMetaTrader 4TradingViewIG REST & streaming API

Cornèrtrader web platformCornèrtrader desktopiCornèr AppDemo platform

Demo account

Fractional shares

Maximum leverage

1:30

Switzerland does not apply the ESMA retail leverage caps, so Swiss clients can in principle take more leverage on FX and CFDs than an EU retail client.

Account opening

Fully online; typically same-day approval, 1–3 business days when manual document checks are triggered

Online application with full Swiss bank onboarding and document checks; the demo platform is available immediately without an account

Account types

CFD accountSpread betting accountShare dealing, ISA and SIPPUS Options & FuturesProfessional account

CONSISTENCYSOLIDITYOPPORTUNITYENERGY

Payment methods

Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPal

Bank transferSEPA

Account currencies

GBPEURUSDCHFAUDSGDJPY

CHFEURUSD

Deposit time

Instant by card or PayPal; 1–3 business days by bank transfer

SEPA and domestic Swiss transfers typically 1–2 business days

Withdrawal time

1–5 business days depending on method and entity

1–3 business days by bank transfer

Free withdrawals

n/a

Languages

EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishDutchSwedishPolishChineseJapanese+1

ItalianGermanFrenchEnglish

Channels

PhoneEmailLive chat

PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system

Availability

24/5, with limited weekend cover for IG's weekend markets

Swiss business hours; separate technical support and trading support desks, plus Relationship Managers for larger accounts