Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs eToro, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Bottom line: For the widest set of investments and account types, Interactive Brokers stands out. It earns 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #1 out of 14 brokers with StockBrokers.com, while eToro scores 2.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #14. Pick Interactive Brokers if you want many markets and IRA options; choose eToro if your top priority is a larger list of cryptocurrencies.
Both Interactive Brokers and eToro offer stock trading, options trading, crypto trading, and fractional shares. Interactive Brokers adds many markets that eToro doesn’t: margin trading, OTC stocks, mutual funds, forex, and futures. eToro does not offer margin, OTC stocks, mutual funds, forex, or futures. For crypto, Interactive Brokers supports 11 coins, while eToro lists 104.
Interactive Brokers also supports Traditional and Roth IRA accounts, whereas eToro does not offer IRAs. Neither broker offers advisor services. If you want a single platform for stocks, options, funds, global markets, and retirement accounts, Interactive Brokers is the more complete choice; if you mainly want stocks, options, and a wide crypto menu, eToro can fit the bill.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | No |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 11 | 104 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026
Bottom line: In the Interactive Brokers vs eToro matchup for trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice. StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 4.5/5 stars and ranks it #2 of 14 brokers, while eToro earns 1.5/5 stars and ranks #11. Interactive Brokers offers Windows and Mac desktop downloads plus a web platform, wide watchlist and chart controls, and workflow features active traders value. eToro provides a simpler, browser-based experience that’s easier to start with but less capable for analysis-heavy trading.
Platform access and core tools: Interactive Brokers provides downloadable platforms for Windows and Mac, and a browser-based platform; eToro does not offer desktop downloads but does provide a web platform. Both brokers offer paper trading. Interactive Brokers includes a trading journal; eToro does not. Watchlists highlight the gap: Interactive Brokers supports up to 659 data columns, versus 7 on eToro.
Charts and analysis: Interactive Brokers lets you adjust open orders directly on charts, plot 155 technical indicators, and use 85 drawing tools. eToro does not allow order edits on charts, and offers 46 indicators and 48 drawing tools. Both let you add notes and save multiple chart profiles, and both do not allow custom studies. Only Interactive Brokers shows historical trades, corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends), custom date ranges, and automated technical pattern detection. For an SMA study, you’ll find 6 editable fields on Interactive Brokers versus 5 on eToro.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No |
| Paper Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 46 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 48 |
| Advanced Trading |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026
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Interactive Brokers vs eToro: both brokers offer beginner-friendly lessons on stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds, plus paper trading and educational videos. The key differences show up in depth and structure. Interactive Brokers also teaches mutual funds, and adds webinars, quizzes, and the ability to track your learning progress—features eToro doesn’t provide.
These extras help explain the scores: Interactive Brokers earns 4 out of 5 stars for education and ranks #3 of 14 brokers with StockBrokers.com, while eToro earns 3 out of 5 stars and ranks #9. If you want a guided path with checkpoints and live sessions, Interactive Brokers stands out. If you just need core lessons and a practice account, eToro covers the basics.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026
Bottom line: Interactive Brokers’ mobile app earns 5 stars and ranks #2 of 14 at StockBrokers.com, while eToro’s app earns 4 stars and ranks #11. If you want the most comprehensive trading toolkit on your phone, Interactive Brokers stands out; eToro covers the essentials and even offers a few more built-in chart studies, but trails Interactive Brokers in several app features.
App availability and trading: Both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps; only Interactive Brokers adds an Apple Watch app. Interactive Brokers supports mobile after-hours stock trading; the data here doesn’t specify whether eToro does. Both apps support mobile options trading, real-time streaming quotes, videos on demand, and price alerts. For live market TV, Interactive Brokers streams it in-app, while eToro does not.
Watchlists and charts: Both let you build custom watchlists, but only Interactive Brokers lets you customize watchlist columns. Charting on both apps includes after-hours data, multiple time frames, and the ability to compare symbols. Interactive Brokers supports landscape charting while eToro does not. For indicators, eToro lists 103 studies versus 97 on Interactive Brokers, yet Interactive Brokers balances that with broader feature flexibility across the app.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 97 | 103 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026
Bottom line: Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick if you want $0 minimums, access to margin, and no account transfer or IRA fees, while eToro stands out for $0 per‑contract options. Both brokers offer $0 stock trades. Key trade‑offs are that eToro requires a $50 minimum deposit, doesn’t offer margin, and charges $75 for ACAT transfers; its IRA fees weren’t listed in the data provided.
Deposits and trading costs: Interactive Brokers has a $0 minimum deposit versus eToro’s $50 minimum. Regular stock trades are $0 at both brokers. For options, Interactive Brokers charges $0.65 per contract, while eToro lists $0 per contract. Both show $0 for options exercise and assignment fees.
Margin and account services: Interactive Brokers offers margin borrowing at 6.83% for balances under $100,000 (same rate shown across the listed tiers), whereas eToro does not offer margin. For retirement accounts, Interactive Brokers lists $0 for both IRA annual and closure fees; eToro’s IRA fees were not provided. For account transfers, Interactive Brokers charges $0 for both partial and full ACATs, compared with eToro’s $75 for either partial or full transfers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $50.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026
When it comes to day trading capabilities, Interactive Brokers offers a comprehensive suite of tools that can enhance the trading experience compared to eToro. Interactive Brokers provides streaming time and sales for stocks, advanced features like live TV streaming, and direct market routing, which can significantly benefit active traders seeking timely and precise data. Additionally, Interactive Brokers supports advanced functionalities such as ladder trading and customizable trading hotkeys, which can improve execution speed for frequent trades. Furthermore, their platform includes detailed Level 2 quotes, allowing traders to gain deeper insight into market dynamics, alongside basic and advanced strategy backtesting to refine trading approaches.
In contrast, eToro, while popular for its user-friendly interface, lacks several tools that are critical for day trading. It does not offer streaming live TV, direct market routing, ladder trading, or trading hotkeys, which could impact the efficiency of executing rapid trades. eToro also falls short in providing Level 2 quotes and lacks both basic and advanced strategy backtesting features, which are crucial for traders aiming to test and optimize strategies. Moreover, those interested in short selling might find Interactive Brokers' short locator tool indispensable, as eToro does not offer this feature. Furthermore, Interactive Brokers provides liquidity rebates for orders, presenting potential cost benefits to high-frequency traders that are not available with eToro.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No |
| Short Locator | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2026 for Beginners and Active Traders
Interactive Brokers vs eToro: for market research, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice. Both brokers cover stocks and ETFs and include social sentiment and ESG insights, but Interactive Brokers adds mutual fund, pink sheets/OTC, and bond research, plus far more downloadable reports and idea tools. That wider toolkit makes it easier to find ideas and analyze holdings, which is why Interactive Brokers earns a much higher research score and ranking than eToro.
Coverage and reports: Interactive Brokers offers research on stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, pink sheets/OTC, and bonds. eToro limits research to stocks and ETFs only. Interactive Brokers also provides 17 downloadable PDF stock reports and PDFs for ETFs and mutual funds, while eToro offers zero downloadable PDF reports.
Tools and analytics: Interactive Brokers lets you see portfolio allocation by asset class and supplies screeners for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds. eToro lacks an allocation view and does not offer screeners. Both brokers include stock research that taps social media sentiment and ESG data. Ratings: Interactive Brokers is scored 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 5th of 14 brokers for market research at StockBrokers.com, while eToro scores 2 out of 5 and ranks 14th.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Research |
|
|
Comparing banking features, Interactive Brokers looks more like a trading platform than a full bank: it does not offer checking or savings accounts, does not provide a debit card, and does not have mortgage loans, but it does offer a credit card and certificates of deposit (CDs). For eToro, the information provided does not list checking or savings accounts, debit or credit cards, or mortgage loans, and it states that eToro does not offer CDs. If you want a brokerage with a credit card or access to CDs, Interactive Brokers is the only one here that clearly provides them, while eToro’s banking options are not specified in this data.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | |
| Savings Accounts | No | |
| Debit Cards | No | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | |
| Brokerage CDs | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2026
After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than eToro. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall score of 90.6%, while eToro finished with a score of 51.4%.
Interactive Brokers is a go-to choice for professionals because of its institutional-grade desktop trading platform, high-quality trade executions and low margin rates.
Both Interactive Brokers and eToro offer crypto trading, but their coin lineups differ significantly. Interactive Brokers supports 11 cryptocurrencies, while eToro lists 104, giving eToro a wider selection for traders seeking variety.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026
Interactive Brokers provides both traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual or closure fees, contrasting with eToro, which does not offer IRA accounts.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
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| Customer Service |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | eToro Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $50.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.01 | N/A | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $14.95 | N/A | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $0.85 | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | Varies | $0 |
| Margin Rates | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 6.83% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 6.83% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 6.83% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 6.83% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 6.83% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 6.83% | Not offered | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 6.83% | Not offered |
| Account Fees | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | ||
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | ||
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $75.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $0.00 | $75.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | No | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 6 | 0 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No | |
| Forex Trading | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 11 | 104 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | No | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 36 | 0 |
| Order Types | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - OCO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | No |
| Beginners | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | No | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Progress Tracking | Yes | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | No | |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes | No | |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Features | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Research - Market Movers | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | Yes | No | |
| Videos on Demand | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization | Yes | No |
| Stock App Charting | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 97 | 103 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | IBKR Desktop and Trader Workstation (TWS) | N/A | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Journal | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 |
| Stock Chart Features | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 46 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 48 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 5 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
| Day Trading | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Hot Keys | Yes | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No | |
| Short Locator | Yes | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | Yes | No |
| Research Overview | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | No | |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | No |
| Stock Research | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 17 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Social | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | Yes |
| ETF Research | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | No | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 4 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | No |
| Banking | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | ||
| Checking Accounts | No | ||
| Savings Accounts | No | ||
| Credit Cards | Yes | ||
| Debit Cards | No | ||
| Mortgage Loans | No |
| Customer Service | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | No | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | No |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall |
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| Range of Investments |
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| Advanced Trading |
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| Mobile Trading Apps |
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| Research |
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| Education |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | eToro Review |
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