Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Robinhood, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Looking to compare Interactive Brokers vs Robinhood on investment options? In short: Interactive Brokers delivers the widest selection, earning 5/5 stars for Range of Investments and ranking #1 of 14 brokers at StockBrokers.com; Robinhood scores 4/5 stars and ranks #10. Both online brokers cover must-haves like stocks, options, margin, fractional shares, OTC stocks, futures, crypto, and Traditional and Roth IRAs, but they diverge on mutual funds, forex, crypto coin count, and advisor services.
Interactive Brokers offers stock trading, margin trading, fractional shares, OTC stocks, options, futures, crypto (11 coins), and both Traditional and Roth IRAs. It also supports mutual funds and forex, two areas Robinhood doesn’t. Robinhood matches IBKR on stocks, options, margin, fractional shares, OTC stocks, futures, crypto, and IRAs, and it adds advisor services, which Interactive Brokers does not provide. For crypto, Robinhood lists 22 coins versus 11 at Interactive Brokers.
Choose Interactive Brokers if you want the broadest market access—especially for mutual funds and forex—alongside stocks, options, futures, and crypto. Pick Robinhood if you prefer an app with advisor services and a wider crypto selection while still getting key features like stocks, options, margin, fractional shares, OTC stocks, futures, and IRAs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 11 | 22 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026
Interactive Brokers vs. Robinhood: For trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead. It earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #2 of 14 at StockBrokers.com, while Robinhood earns 3/5 stars and ranks #8. If you want desktop software, deep watchlist data, paper trading, and a trading journal, choose Interactive Brokers. Robinhood is better suited to simple, web-based trading with lighter charting needs.
Platform access differs right away: Interactive Brokers offers downloadable desktop platforms for both Windows and Mac, plus a browser-based platform. Robinhood offers a browser-based platform only (no Windows or Mac downloads). Interactive Brokers also provides paper trading and a built-in trading journal; Robinhood offers neither. Watchlists are far more detailed at Interactive Brokers with 659 available columns versus 34 at Robinhood. Both brokers let you adjust open orders directly on a chart, save multiple chart profiles, set custom chart date ranges, and add notes to charts.
Charting depth is another separator. Interactive Brokers includes 155 technical indicators and 85 drawing tools, compared with Robinhood’s 90 indicators and 26 drawing tools. Interactive Brokers can show historical trades and corporate events on charts and can display automated technical analysis (chart patterns); Robinhood does not support those features. When editing an SMA study, both provide 6 customization fields, and neither broker supports creating custom studies.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 34 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 90 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 26 |
| Advanced Trading |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026
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Interactive Brokers and Robinhood both offer education on stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds, along with helpful videos. Interactive Brokers goes further with mutual fund education, live webinars, quizzes, and tools to track your learning progress—features Robinhood does not provide. If you want to practice before risking cash, Interactive Brokers includes paper trading, while Robinhood does not.
For beginners and self-directed investors, these extras can make a real difference. StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 4 out of 5 stars for education and ranks it #3 of 14 brokers, while Robinhood earns 3.5 stars and ranks #7. Both can help you learn the basics, but Interactive Brokers offers a wider mix of education features for building skills step by step.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| 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
Interactive Brokers vs Robinhood for stock trading apps: Interactive Brokers is the stronger all-around choice for feature depth and research on mobile. According to StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #2 of 14, while Robinhood earns 4 stars and ranks #7. Both are easy to use, but IBKR adds more market content and chart tools that appeal to active traders, whereas Robinhood suits straightforward, everyday investing.
Both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps, plus Apple Watch support. Each provides streaming quotes, stock alerts, custom watchlists, and the ability to customize watchlist columns. Options trading on mobile is available on both. Interactive Brokers supports mobile after-hours trading; Robinhood’s mobile after-hours availability isn’t specified in the data provided. Both support after-hours charting.
Charting and research tilt in IBKR’s favor. Both apps offer multiple time frames, but only Interactive Brokers lets you view charts in landscape and compare symbols on the same chart. IBKR includes 97 technical studies versus Robinhood’s 90. For market content, Interactive Brokers streams live TV and offers video on demand, while Robinhood offers neither.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 97 | 90 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026
Interactive Brokers vs. Robinhood fees come out close for basic investing, but the differences matter depending on what you do most. Both have a $0 minimum deposit and $0 stock trades. Robinhood is cheaper for options at $0 per contract and generally has lower margin rates up to $100,000. Interactive Brokers shines on transfers, charging $0 for both partial and full ACAT moves, while Robinhood charges $100 either way. Both charge $0 for IRA maintenance and closure, and $0 for options exercise or assignment. If you trade options or plan to use margin, Robinhood can be cheaper; if you might move your account later, Interactive Brokers can save you money on transfer fees.
Trading costs: both brokers have a $0 minimum deposit and $0 commissions for regular stock trades. Options pricing is the big split: Interactive Brokers charges $0.65 per contract, while Robinhood charges $0 per contract. Options exercise and assignment fees are $0 at both.
Margin and account fees: Interactive Brokers’ margin rate is 6.83% for balances under $25,000, $25,000–$49,999, and $50,000–$99,999. Robinhood’s margin rate is 5.75% under $25,000 and $25,000–$49,999, dropping to 5.55% for $50,000–$99,999. IRA annual and closure fees are $0 at both. Transfer fees differ sharply: Interactive Brokers charges $0 for partial and full ACAT transfers; Robinhood charges $100 for partial and $100 for full ACAT transfers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 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 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026
Interactive Brokers vs. Robinhood for day trading comes down to market tools and control. Interactive Brokers offers streaming time and sales (tape), Level 2 quotes, direct market routing, trading hotkeys, ladder trading, and streaming live TV. It also includes both basic and advanced strategy backtesting, a short locator tool to see share borrow availability in real time, and access to maker/taker liquidity rebates that can help lower costs. Robinhood provides Level 2 quotes and ladder trading, but it does not offer streaming time and sales, streaming live TV, direct routing, hotkeys, backtesting, a short locate tool, or order rebates.
If you want fine-grained order control, faster entries and exits, and tools to test and refine strategies, Interactive Brokers is the stronger fit for active day trading. If you’re after a simpler setup with Level 2 and ladder trading for straightforward entries, Robinhood may suffice but lacks many pro features. Availability of certain data or tools at either broker may depend on your plan, market data subscriptions, and account eligibility.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| 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
Bottom line: Interactive Brokers delivers far deeper market research than Robinhood. It spans more asset classes, offers more ways to analyze investments, and supplies downloadable reports that Robinhood lacks. In recent testing by StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earned 4.5 stars and ranked #5 of 14 brokers for research, while Robinhood scored 2.5 stars and ranked #10. If you want broad, in‑depth research across markets, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; if you just need basic stock and ETF info, Robinhood can suffice.
Coverage is where the gap shows. Both brokers provide stock and ETF research, plus Pink Sheets/OTC research and an asset‑class view of your portfolio. Interactive Brokers also covers mutual funds and bonds; Robinhood does not. Interactive Brokers layers on social media sentiment and ESG research, two areas Robinhood doesn’t offer. For reports, Interactive Brokers lists 17 downloadable stock research PDFs and provides PDFs for ETFs and mutual funds; Robinhood offers none.
Idea generation also favors Interactive Brokers. Both platforms include a stock screener, but only Interactive Brokers adds ETF, mutual fund, and bond screeners. That means more filters and comparison tools for investors who want to sift through funds and fixed income, while Robinhood keeps things simpler with stock‑only screening.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| 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 |
|
|
Interactive Brokers vs Robinhood: banking features compared. Neither broker offers checking or savings accounts, and neither provides mortgage loans. Both support credit cards, but only Robinhood offers a debit card for everyday spending. If you want access to certificates of deposit (CDs), Interactive Brokers has them, while Robinhood does not. Choose Robinhood if you need a debit card alongside your brokerage, pick Interactive Brokers if CDs matter to you, and note that both can work if you’re mainly looking for a credit card—not traditional bank accounts.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Robinhood
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | No |
| Savings Accounts | No | No |
| Debit Cards | No | Yes |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes |
| Mortgage Loans | No | 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 Robinhood. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall score of 90.6%, while Robinhood finished with a score of 69.6%.
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 Robinhood offer crypto trading, with Interactive Brokers providing 11 coins and Robinhood offering a broader selection of 22 coins.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026
Interactive Brokers and Robinhood both offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual or closure fees, making them both cost-effective options for retirement savings.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Robinhood Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
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| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| 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 | $0.75 | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | Varies | N/A |
| Margin Rates | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 6.83% | 5.75% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 6.83% | 5.75% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 6.83% | 5.55% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 6.83% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 6.83% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 6.83% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 6.83% | 5% |
| Account Fees | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $100.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $0.00 | $100.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 6 | 4 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex Trading | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 11 | 22 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 36 | 1 |
| Order Types | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Progress Tracking | Yes | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Features | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Research - Market Movers | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | Yes | No | |
| Videos on Demand | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Stock App Charting | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 97 | 90 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | IBKR Desktop and Trader Workstation (TWS) | Robinhood Legend | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Journal | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 34 |
| Stock Chart Features | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 90 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 26 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 6 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
| Day Trading | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Hot Keys | Yes | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No | |
| Short Locator | Yes | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | Yes | No |
| Research Overview | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Research | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 17 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Social | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | No |
| ETF Research | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
| Banking | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
| Checking Accounts | No | No | |
| Savings Accounts | No | No | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
| Debit Cards | No | Yes | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| Customer Service | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | No | No | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | Yes |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Robinhood | |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Robinhood Review |
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