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Interactive Brokers vs Saxo for US stocks
Both give you real share ownership, so the decision comes down to cost, country eligibility and platform.
Pick Interactive Brokers if real share ownership from almost any country. Pick Saxo if larger portfolios.
The default answer for a non-US investor who wants to actually own US shares rather than a derivative of them.
Visit Interactive BrokersPriced for size — the tiering rewards larger balances and punishes small ones.
Visit SaxoSide by side
| Interactive Brokers | Saxo | |
|---|---|---|
| What you hold | The share | The share |
| US stock access | Full US listed market (NYSE, Nasdaq, AMEX) plus 150+ global markets | US listed stocks plus 50+ global exchanges |
| Minimum deposit | None | None |
| Fractional shares | Yes | No |
| Published pricing | IBKR Lite offers $0 commission on US listed stocks and ETFs for eligible clients; IBKR Pro is tiered/fixed per-share pricing. | Tiered commission on US shares that falls with account level; custody fees apply in some jurisdictions. |
| Platforms | Trader Workstation, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, API | SaxoTraderGO, SaxoTraderPRO |
| Extended hours | Pre-market and after-hours routing available | Available on selected US listings |
| Regulation | SEC SIPC member, FCA 208159, CBI C423427 | DFSA 1149, FCA 551422, MAS CMS100411 |
| Founded | 1978 | 1992 |
Where each one wins
Interactive Brokers
- Real share ownership from almost any country
- Multi-currency accounts
- Options, futures and international listings in one account
- The desktop platform is dense and unforgiving for first-timers
- Data subscriptions are billed separately
Saxo
- Larger portfolios
- Investors wanting US plus European and Asian listings
- Bank-grade custody
- Costs bite at small account sizes
- No fractional shares
Frequently asked questions
Interactive Brokers or Saxo — which is better for US stocks?
Both give you real share ownership, so the decision comes down to cost, country eligibility and platform. Interactive Brokers: real share ownership from almost any country. Saxo: larger portfolios.
Which is cheaper?
Interactive Brokers: IBKR Lite offers $0 commission on US listed stocks and ETFs for eligible clients; IBKR Pro is tiered/fixed per-share pricing. Saxo: Tiered commission on US shares that falls with account level; custody fees apply in some jurisdictions. Both figures are restated from each broker's own pricing page; for small non-USD accounts, currency conversion usually costs more than commission does.
Which is better regulated?
Interactive Brokers is authorised by SEC, FCA, CBI; Saxo by DFSA, FCA, MAS. What matters is which entity holds your account, since that determines your compensation scheme and leverage limits.
Reviewed August 2026. Figures restated from each broker's published pages.