Skip to content
Wealth.cat

    We may earn a commission if you open an account or buy a challenge through links on this page. Commissions never change our scores. How we make money

    Interactive Brokers logo vs Lightyear logo

    Interactive Brokers vs Lightyear: fees, markets and protection

    Facts for both companies from their official pages; each was checked on the date shown in its review.

    Facts verified on October 18, 2026

    Key differences

    Side by side

    Criterion Interactive Brokers Lightyear
    Rating
    4.5/5 on other platforms 118.8K ratings
    4.6/5 on other platforms 5.5K ratings
    Regulators SEC, CIRO, FCA, CBI, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, Kanto LFB, MAS EFSA, FCA
    Minimum deposit No minimum —
    Markets US exchanges (NYSE, Nasdaq), Toronto Stock Exchange, B3 (Brasil Bolsa Balcão), London Stock Exchange, Xetra (Deutsche Börse) +5 US exchanges (NYSE, Nasdaq), Euronext, London Stock Exchange, Xetra (Deutsche Börse)
    Products stocks, ETFs, fractional shares, bonds, options, funds stocks, ETFs, fractional shares, bonds, funds
    US stock or ETF order $0.005 per share, minimum $1 0.1% of the order, minimum $0.10, maximum $1
    Currency conversion fee 0.03% 0.35%
    Investor protection SIPC, Irish Investor Compensation Scheme (ICS), Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF) Estonian Investor Protection Sectoral Fund, SIPC (US securities held with Alpaca)
    Deposits and withdrawals Bank transfer, SPEI Bank transfer, Visa / Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay
    Available only in Åland Islands, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola +216 Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark +20
    Headquarters United States —
    Read review Read review

    Frequently asked questions

    Which regulators license Interactive Brokers and Lightyear?

    Interactive Brokers is licensed by SEC, CIRO, FCA, CBI, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, Kanto LFB, and MAS; Lightyear by EFSA and FCA.

    More comparisons