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IG vs Pepperstone: Which Is Better for UK Traders?

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IG and Pepperstone are two of the most frequently compared FCA-regulated brokers among UK retail traders. Both have strong reputations, competitive pricing, and established UK operations.

While they share a lot of ground, they’re built around different priorities. IG leans on five decades of market experience and a broad multi-asset ecosystem. Pepperstone is newer, more focused, and oriented around active traders who want choice in how they trade.

Here is how they compare.

Regulation and Trust

Both firms are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK. Client funds are held in segregated accounts, and eligible retail clients are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per person, per firm.

IG Group has been operating since 1974 and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Pepperstone Limited was established in 2010 and has since grown into a global business serving over 830,000 traders. Both rank highly on regulatory and operational trust.

Spreads and Fees

IG offers competitive variable spreads on its standard account, with EUR/USD typically starting from around 0.6 pips. Pricing is commission-free on forex, with overnight financing applied to positions held past the daily rollover.

Pepperstone runs a tiered model. Its Standard CFD account is spread-only, with EUR/USD averaging around 1.1 pips. Its Razor account offers raw spreads from 0.0 pips on majors with a commission of around £2.25 per lot per side, or roughly $7 round-trip. For active traders, this structure often works out cheaper than a spread-only equivalent.

As always, the headline spread is only part of the picture. Overnight funding, currency conversion charges, and account-specific costs all need to be considered when comparing total cost of trading.

Trading Platforms

This is where the two brokers diverge most clearly.

IG offers its own web and mobile platforms alongside MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, ProRealTime, and TradingView. Its proprietary platform is well-regarded for charting, integrated news, and built-in risk management tools.

Pepperstone takes platform choice further, supporting MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView in addition to its native platform. cTrader in particular tends to appeal to traders who value institutional-style execution and depth-of-market visibility.

Both brokers offer strong mobile apps. Platform preference often comes down to how you trade and which tools you rely on day to day.

Who Might Each Broker Suit?

IG may appeal to traders who want a long-established broker with broad market access, including spread betting, CFDs, share dealing, ISAs and SIPPs in a single account ecosystem.

Pepperstone may suit more active forex traders, scalpers, and those running automated strategies, particularly anyone who values cTrader or wants raw-spread pricing on majors.

Final Verdict

Both IG and Pepperstone are credible FCA-regulated brokers with solid track records.

The choice tends to come down to breadth versus specialisation. IG covers more ground across asset classes and account types. Pepperstone goes deeper on the trading experience itself.

For a more detailed side-by-side breakdown, including comparison tables and deeper fee analysis, see the full review on CompareForexUK:

https://compareforexuk.co.uk/broker-comparisons/ig-vs-pepperstone