IG review: products, pricing and markets (2026)

IG is a London-based, FTSE 100-listed trading group that offers spread betting, CFDs, share dealing, tax-wrapped investment accounts, options, futures and crypto to retail and professional clients. In the UK it operates through three FCA-authorised companies, and it runs separate regulated entities in markets including Switzerland and South Africa.

IG's UK site showed this warning on 3 November 2026: 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. On the same day, IG Bank S.A.'s Swiss site gave 75% for CFDs over the last 12 months, and IG Markets South Africa Limited's site gave 71%.

At a glance

IG's About Us page, opened on 3 November 2026, says it offers more than 15,000 markets. The page gives no date for that figure.

Products and services

Spread betting

IG Index Ltd provides spread betting, which IG markets as tax-free for UK clients. Tax treatment depends on personal circumstances and can change.

CFDs

IG Markets Ltd provides CFDs, including CFD futures. The ways-to-trade page gives retail leverage of up to 30:1, depending on the market. Positions held past 22:00 UK time incur overnight funding.

Share dealing and investment accounts

IG Trading and Investments Ltd runs share dealing in stocks, ETFs, bonds and funds, plus a stocks and shares ISA, Junior ISA, SIPP, general investment account and IG Smart Portfolios.

Options and futures

IG lists options, futures and US options and futures accounts. The UK risk disclosure notice names IG Markets Ltd as the provider of the US options and futures accounts.

Crypto

Crypto is provided by IG Digital Assets Ltd. IG's crypto risk page, last updated 15 April 2025, states that these services are not regulated and that crypto holdings are outside the FSCS and Financial Ombudsman Service. It adds that cash deposited for crypto trading also lacks FCA consumer protections. For context on UK rules, see our explainer on FCA crypto promotions.

Platforms

Clients trade on IG's own web platform and app, with integrations for TradingView, MetaTrader and L2 Dealer, plus API access. IG also lists out-of-hours and weekend trading on selected markets.

Fees and pricing

IG publishes a separate charges page, which we did not open for this profile. The pages we did open on 3 November 2026 describe the cost structure as follows.

The How IG Makes Money page says switching currency conversion from instant to manual removes eligibility for commission-free share dealing. It also says IG hedges when client positions are heavily one-sided and that it does not aim to profit from client losses. Readers who want exact share dealing commissions should check IG's charges page before trading.

Markets, currencies and payment methods

IG's UK pages cover clients served by its three FCA entities. Separate sites serve Switzerland through IG Bank S.A. in Geneva and South Africa through IG Markets South Africa Limited, which offers domestic accounts. Products, leverage and retail loss figures differ between these sites, as the warning figures above show.

On client money, IG UK says cash is held in segregated trust accounts spread across several banks, and that client assets sit with approved custodians in nominee accounts. It states that if IG failed, eligible clients could claim up to £85,000 from the FSCS, and that if a bank holding client money failed, losses would be shared and FSCS cover of up to £120,000 per person per bank may apply.

Regulation in brief

The UK rows come from IG's own About Us, risk disclosure and client funds pages. We could not open the FCA register directly from our research tools on 3 November 2026, so the rows are marked as company disclosures.

IG runs further regional websites with their own entities. We did not open those disclosure pages for this profile, so they are not listed here. Our guide on how to check a financial licence explains how to confirm each entry on the FCA register and its equivalents abroad.

Who it tends to suit

IG is commonly used by UK traders who want spread betting, CFDs and long-term investing, including ISAs and SIPPs, with the same group. Its range of more than 15,000 markets and weekend trading may suit active traders. Those who prefer MetaTrader or TradingView can connect them, while clients wanting a cTrader-based setup may look at Pepperstone. For a direct comparison, see IG vs Pepperstone. Other brokers we profile include Plus500, XTB and eToro, all listed in our forex and CFD hub.

What to check before signing up

• Which IG company provides each account: IG Index for spread bets, IG Markets for CFDs, IG Trading and Investments for shares.
• The retail loss figure on your local IG site.
• Share dealing commissions and FX charges on the full charges page.
• That crypto with IG Digital Assets is unregulated and outside FSCS cover.
• Overnight funding costs on any position you plan to hold for more than a day.

Information only, not financial or investment advice. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how they work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. IG's UK website stated on 3 November 2026 that 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. Crypto assets are high risk and you could lose all the money you put in.