What do Australians think of IG share trading platform?
- 4.17/5 overall for Customer Satisfaction - lower than the average of 4.18
- 4.46/5 for Trust - lower than the average of 4.55
- 4.27/5 for Customer Service - higher than the average of 4.11
Based on IG share trading platform scores in Finder's 2024 & 2025 Customer Satisfaction Awards.
Congratulations, IG Share Trading!
IG Share Trading was a big winner in the 2026 Finder Awards.
- Winner, Best Share Trading Platform: IG Share Trading
- Highly Commended, Best Global Stocks Trading Platform: IG Share Trading
- Highly Commended, Best Active Share Traders Platform: IG Share Trading
- Highly Commended, Best Low Cost Share Trading Platform: IG Share Trading
- Highly Commended, Best Features Share Trading Platform: IG Share Trading
- Highly Commended, Best Mobile Share Trading App: IG Share Trading
Full list of 2026 share trading winners
Company background
IG is a global trading giant that has been around since the mid-70s. Starting out in the UK, IG was actually the first-ever spread betting company. Fast forward the best part 3 decades and in 2002, IG Group commenced trading in Australia. By 2005, the broker was publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Today, it has more than 320,000 clients worldwide, a long-term history and a large array of markets to choose from. IG has become one of Australia's most well-known trading platforms.
Is IG safe to use?
IG has a long history of providing financial products to consumers around the world. This means that it has to be regulated by various governing bodies including the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) in Australia.
Adding to its validity, IG is publicly listed.
As such, you can trade with confidence knowing you're protected under Australian laws. However, it is worth pointing out, IG doesn't just offer shares. Its CFD and forex products are riskier products that should only be used by sophisticated investors.
What are the key features of the IG trading platform?
| Fees |
★★★★★ 3.4/5
|
Brokerage fees for both ASX and global stocks are among the lowest in the market. |
| Trading tools |
★★★★★ 4.5/5
|
It offers charting tools, conditional orders and margin trading options. |
| Research and education |
★★★★★ 3/5
|
IG features a live demo and news updates. It does not offer stock rating tools. |
| Available securities |
★★★★★ 4/5
|
It offers local and global stocks, ETFs, forex and CFDs. |
| Customer support |
★★★★★ 5/5
|
IG is rated highly thanks to 24/7 live chat support, phone and email support services. |
| Available countries |
★★★★★ 3.5/5
|
IG offers stocks listed in Australia, the US, the UK, Germany and Ireland. |
To learn how our star ratings are calculated, read the
methodology here.
News and analysis
One of the perks of signing up with IG is its customers can access news, advice, webinars and recommendations from IG's team of in-house experts. The IG website houses a market analysis section, providing articles and videos on trading opportunities and stocks to watch. However, keep in mind that you should do your own research before buying any shares.
Free courses
IG Academy offers free online courses, webinars and seminars with the aim to help develop investors' skills.
Cheap brokerage
Brokerage costs with IG are some of the lowest in the industry, charging $0 per trade on Australian shares and $0 commissions per trade on global shares.
Choice of trading platforms
You can place share trades with IG through the provider's web-based trading platform, over the phone or through the IG app. Share trading apps are proving to be a hugely popular medium and the IG trading app is available to suit both Apple and Android smartphones and tablets.
Available markets
IG share trading provides access to more than 13,000 both here and abroad. Check out the list below for the international stock exchanges you can buy shares on via your IG share trading account.
Stop losses
For those looking to protect their portfolio, IG offers stop and limit orders, which can help investors control some of the risks. For example, the provider says you can choose exactly where your trade closes with a guaranteed stop loss, with no exceptions.
What markets can I trade with an IG share trading account?
An IG share trading account provides investors access to more than 13,000 shares across both Australian and international markets. The stock exchanges you can access through your IG share trading account include:
- Australia: ASX 200, ASX 300 and a wide range of other small-cap Australian stocks.
- US: S&P 500, DOW 30, Nasdaq-100 and a wide range of other small-cap US stocks.
- UK: FTSE 100, FTSE 250 and a wide range of other small-cap UK stocks.
- Germany: DAX, HDAX, MDAX.
- Ireland: ISEQ.
If you're not looking to invest in shares and are instead interested in taking more of a short-term approach, then perhaps trading CFDs might be more suitable for you. If this sounds like the case, take a look at our review of the IG forex and CFD trading account.
What account types can you open with IG?
IG allows you to open 1 of 3 tailored accounts depending on your individual needs.
- Corporate account: This is a complete trading solution for corporate and institutional investors, allowing access to a variety of markets and financial products.
- Personal accounts: Made for individual traders, it offers free research, fast set-up, cheap spreads and a range of markets.
- SMSF account: Investors with an SMSF can also trade through IG, but will need to have at least $1 million worth of assets. You'll gain access to accounts tailored to suit your needs.
What customer support is available?
IG offers a 24-hour customer support service. When you need assistance, visit IG's extensive online help portal.
If you can't find the answer you're looking for among the frequently asked questions, you can email your question to IG, free call the experienced customer help team directly or jump on live chat.
IG Academy also contains educational resources and the IG community allows users to access forums, get trading tips and interact with other members.
What are the fees?
As well as brokerage, an IG share trading account has a number of fees and charges that you need to be aware of.
Note: IG removed its quarterly $50 inactivity fee from share trading accounts as of July 2022.
Brokerage fees
You have a few options on broker (aka commission) fees, which will come down to how often and how much you trade each month.
For international markets, the commission fee is $0, but you're charged a foreign exchange fee of 0.70% per trade if you choose this route. The other option here is to convert currencies outside of IG. This means you avoid the high FX fee, but must pay $10 per trade in commissions.
The following table breaks down the brokerage fees across Australia and its international share markets for phone or online trades.
| Location | Commission per trade |
|---|
| Australia | $0 |
| US | $0 |
| UK | $0 |
| Germany | $0 |
| Ireland | $0 |
| Location | Minimum charge |
|---|
| Australia | AUD$50/0.1% |
| US | US$50/2 cents per share |
| UK | £40/0.1% |
| Germany | €50/0.1% |
| Ireland | €50/0.1% |
Access to live share market data
To view live prices on Australian and international share markets, you will need to activate the relevant data feed through your IG share trading account. Certain markets allow users to upgrade from free pricing options to real-time pricing, but this is for a fee.
Minimum balance
While not exactly a fee, it's worth noting that there's no minimum balance requirement on your IG share trading account. You aren't required to deposit any money upfront in order to open the account and there aren't any ongoing account balance limits you need to maintain to keep it.
What are the account funding options on an IG share trading account?
You can fund your IG share trading account in a number of ways including credit card, debit or BPAY. Each method attracts different fees. If you're in Australia, the minimum deposit via credit or debit card is $450.
However, there is no minimum deposit amount if you're funding your account via bank transfer, BPAY or PayPal. Below is a list of methods for funding your account based on your location.
Note: IG does not accept payments made via commercial and business credit cards, or cash.
| Payment type | IG's cost | Execution time | How to pay |
|---|
| Credit card | Visa: 1% (AUD transactions) Mastercard: 0.5% (AUD transactions) Non-AUD transactions: 1.5% | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| Debit card | Visa: Free Mastercard: Free | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| BPAY | Free | Up to 2 business days | Your BPAY Biller and Customer Reference number is available from the following locations:- The web-based trading platform via Payments
- Your daily statement that is sent whenever there is activity on your account
|
| PayPal | 1% flat charge | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| Payment type | IG's cost | Execution time | How to pay |
|---|
| Credit card | 1.5% | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| Debit card | Visa: Free Mastercard: Free | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| Electronic funds transfer to NZ-based account | Free | Up to 3 business days | Account name: IG Markets Ltd Client Trust Bank / Branch Code: 03-0252 Account number: 0834546-05 Currency: NZD only |
| PayPal | 1% flat charge | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| Payment type | IG's cost | Execution time | How to pay |
|---|
| Credit card | 1.5% | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| Debit card | Visa: Free Mastercard: Free | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| Local transfer to their HK-based account | Free | Up to 3 business days | Bank Name: The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited HSBC Main Building, 1 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong Account Name: IG Markets Ltd - Client Trust Account Swift Code: HSBCHKHHHKH Account Number(s): USD Currency – 848391785201 HKD Currency – 848391785001 AUD Currency – 848391785203 |
| International Transfer to their Australia-based account | Free | Up to 3 business days | Bank Name: Westpac Banking Corporation 409 St Kilda Road Melbourne Vic 3004 Australia Account Name: IG Markets Client Trust Account Swift Code: WPACAU2SXXX Account Number(s): USD Currency – 034702372672 HKD Currency – 034734320199 AUD Currency – 033079189977 EUR Currency – 034705308262 GBP Currency – 034703392421 |
| PayPal | 1% flat charge | Instant | Login to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts. |
| Payment type | IG's cost | Execution time | How to pay |
|---|
| Credit card | 1.5% | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| Debit card | Visa: Free Mastercard: Free | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| Local transfer to their HK-based account | Free | Up to 3 business days | Bank Name: The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited HSBC Main Building, 1 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong Account Name: IG Markets Ltd – Client Trust Account Swift Code: HSBCHKHHHKH Account Number(s): USD Currency – 848391785201 HKD Currency – 848391785001 AUD Currency – 848391785203 |
| International transfer to their Australia-based account | Free | Up to 3 business days | Bank Name: Westpac Banking Corporation 409 St Kilda Road Melbourne Vic 3004 Australia Account Name: IG Markets Client Trust Account Swift Code: WPACAU2SXXX Account Number(s): USD Currency – 034702372672 HKD Currency – 034734320199 AUD Currency – 033079189977 EUR Currency – 034705308262 GBP Currency – 034703392421 |
| PayPal | 1% flat charge | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| Payment type | IG's cost | Execution time | How to pay |
|---|
| Credit card | 1.5% | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| Debit card | Visa: Free Mastercard: Free | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
| International transfer to their Australia-based account | Free | Up to 3 business days | Bank Name: Westpac Banking Corporation 409 St Kilda Road Melbourne Vic 3004 Australia Account Name: IG Markets Client Trust Account Swift Code: WPACAU2SXXX Account Number(s): USD Currency – 034702372672 HKD Currency – 034734320199 AUD Currency – 033079189977 EUR Currency – 034705308262 GBP Currency – 034703392421 |
| PayPal | 1% flat charge | Instant | Log in to the trading platform, select "Payments" and follow the prompts |
Source: IG
How do I open an IG share trading account?
If you'd like to sign up for an IG share trading account, click one of the "Go to site" links on this article to be securely redirected to the IG share trading website. You can then open an account by filling out an online application.
It takes around 5–10 minutes to apply and you will need to provide the following:
- Your name
- Your email address and phone number
- Your residential address (you must be an Australian tax resident)
- Your username and password
- A photograph or scanned copy of your Australian driver's licence or passport
Once the IG accounts team has approved your application, you will then be able to fund your account and begin trading shares.
What other products can you trade through IG
IG has a large selection of trading platforms that you're able to choose between. After registering for a forex and CFD account with IG, you can then gain access to the following:
- IG trading platform. It features a range of useful trading tools including trading charts, signals and personalised alerts.
- Web-based platform. IG's online trading platform enables you to trade via your web browser and customise your theme. Open and close your positions in a few clicks, view split charts and signal analysis, set up trading alerts and receive breaking news via Reuters and Twitter. The web-based platform supports Google Chrome (recommended), Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer 11 and Safari (Mac only).
- Mobile trading apps. Trade on-the-go with IG's trading apps, free to download and featuring native designs across all major mobile and tablet devices. Access market data and analysis and live prices before logging in.
- MetaTrader 4 (MT4). The most popular forex trading platform in the world for its fast execution, automated trading, customisable interface and enhanced trading tools. The IG version of MT4 comes with 18 free bespoke add-ons and indicators. Plus, you can access your account via the MT4 app on both Android and iPhone. Simply request access to MT4 in your client portal.
- Advanced platforms. Advanced traders can register for L2 Dealer, IG's downloadable DMA (Direct Market Access) platform. Get direct access to share market CFDs and forex currency pairs. This is for professional traders only and is only available via a specific request.
This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for all investors. Trading CFDs and forex on leverage comes with a higher risk of losing money rapidly. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before making any trades. Read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) for the product on the provider's website.
Al
March 04, 2019
Can you please explain a bit for condition 2 for Quarterly inactivity fee waiver (if you hold onto your shares, this is classed as having an open position)? Is that means I order for some shares & subsequently not transferring the amount to IG account either by BPay or credit/debit card until the end of that quarter?
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