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When we reviewed Interactive Brokers for EU investors, the most common feedback we received was about the platform's complexity. The web interface can feel overwhelming with its technical charts, endless data points, and professional-grade tools. However, what many investors don't realize is that Interactive Brokers offers not just one, but three distinct mobile apps, each designed for different trading styles and experience levels.
The best part? You can try all three apps completely free with the same IBKR login details, allowing you to find the perfect fit for your investing needs.
Why Interactive Brokers Created Three Different Apps
Interactive Brokers has been serving traders since 1978, building a reputation as one of the most trusted and comprehensive brokers globally. As a NASDAQ-listed company, they've maintained their position by offering institutional-grade tools and access to over 160 markets worldwide. However, this professional focus created a barrier for everyday investors who found the platform intimidating.
Rather than diluting their flagship platform, Interactive Brokers took a different approach: they created specialized mobile apps that cater to different investor profiles while maintaining their competitive pricing and execution quality. Whether you're a seasoned trader needing advanced tools, a beginner wanting simplicity, or an ESG-conscious investor, there's an app designed specifically for you.
IBKR Mobile: The Complete Trading Experience
The IBKR Mobile app represents Interactive Brokers' most comprehensive mobile trading solution. We found it offers nearly everything available on the web platform, packed into a mobile interface. This app is designed for investors who want professional-grade tools on the go.
What Makes IBKR Mobile Stand Out
When we tested the app, we noticed it provides extensive market data, including real-time quotes, advanced charting, and detailed analytics. You can trade stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds across more than 160 markets worldwide. The app includes features like:
- Complex order types including bracket orders and algorithmic trading
- Options chain analysis with strategy builder
- Detailed financial statements and analyst ratings
- Market scanners to identify trading opportunities
- Portfolio margin calculations in real-time
- Access to third-party research and news feeds
The depth of information available is impressive. Click into any holding, and you'll find everything from ownership breakdowns to securities lending data. For dividend investors, the app clearly displays upcoming payment dates and yields.
Who Should Use IBKR Mobile
We recommend IBKR Mobile for experienced investors who:
- Need access to advanced order types and trading algorithms
- Trade multiple asset classes including options and futures
- Require detailed technical analysis tools
- Want comprehensive market data and research on mobile
- Already feel comfortable with Interactive Brokers' web platform
The learning curve is steeper than other broker apps, but once you're familiar with the interface, you'll have institutional-level tools in your pocket. The app has improved significantly over recent years, becoming more intuitive while retaining its powerful features.
GlobalTrader: Simplicity Meets Global Access
GlobalTrader represents Interactive Brokers' answer to modern, user-friendly trading apps like those from Lightyear or Revolut. We found it strikes an excellent balance between functionality and simplicity.
A Cleaner, More Intuitive Interface
The moment you open GlobalTrader, you'll notice the difference. Company logos appear next to ticker symbols, making it easier to identify your holdings at a glance. The interface uses more white space, larger buttons, and a generally cleaner design that feels less overwhelming than IBKR Mobile.
Key features we appreciated include:
- Fractional share trading from just $1
- One-tap currency conversion between 28 currencies
- Simple market, limit, and stop order types
- Stock swapping feature for easy portfolio adjustments
- Clean performance charts without overwhelming details
- Paper trading account for practice
The buying process is particularly streamlined. Instead of navigating multiple dropdown menus, you simply toggle between dollar amounts or share quantities, then swipe to confirm your trade. It's the kind of intuitive design we've come to expect from modern investment apps.
Perfect for Most EU Investors
We believe GlobalTrader hits the sweet spot for most European investors. It's our top recommendation because it:
- Provides easy access to US, European, and Asian markets
- Offers fractional shares for expensive stocks like Amazon or Alphabet
- Includes all essential features without overwhelming complexity
- Maintains Interactive Brokers' competitive pricing
- Works seamlessly for both beginners and intermediate investors
The app includes a "Popular Lists" section with thematic ETF suggestions, helping you discover investment opportunities by region or sector. This feature is particularly useful for investors building diversified portfolios across different markets.
Impact: Investing with Your Values
The Impact app takes a completely different approach, putting Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors front and center. We found this app particularly innovative in how it helps investors align their portfolios with their personal values.
Your Portfolio's Impact Score
When you open Impact, the first thing you see isn't your returns, it's your portfolio's impact score. This score rates your investments from A to F based on various ESG criteria including:
- Environmental factors: clean air, ocean health, sustainable lifecycle
- Social considerations: consumer safety, gender equality, human rights
- Governance elements: ethical business practices, transparency
We tested the customization features and found them remarkably detailed. You can adjust the importance of different values through the "Impact Lens" feature. For example, if animal welfare is crucial to you but carbon emissions less so, the app recalculates your portfolio's score accordingly.
Making Values-Based Investment Decisions
The app excels at surfacing potential ethical concerns in your portfolio. During our testing, it flagged companies involved in practices like animal testing or fossil fuel extraction, providing context about why these might conflict with certain values.
The "swap" feature is particularly clever: with one tap, you can replace a problematic holding with a more aligned alternative. The app suggests similar companies with better ESG scores, making it easy to maintain your investment strategy while improving your impact rating.
Beyond the ESG focus, Impact shares the same clean interface as GlobalTrader, making it accessible for investors at all experience levels. You still get essential features like fractional shares, global market access, and competitive pricing.
Comparing Costs and Features Across All Three Apps
One significant advantage of Interactive Brokers' approach is that all three apps share the same pricing structure and account. There are no additional fees for using any particular app, and you can switch between them as needed.
Safety and Regulation: The Same Protection Across All Apps
We've covered Interactive Brokers' safety for European investors in detail, but it's worth noting that all three apps provide the same level of protection:
- Regulated by top-tier authorities including the SEC and FCA
- Protected up to €20,000 under EU investor compensation schemes
- Segregated client accounts keeping your assets separate from the broker's
- Public company transparency with quarterly financial reporting
Your choice of app doesn't affect these protections, giving you peace of mind regardless of which interface you prefer.
Getting Started: How to Choose Your App
We recommend following this decision framework when selecting your Interactive Brokers app:
Start with GlobalTrader if you:
- Are new to investing or Interactive Brokers
- Want a clean, modern interface similar to other popular brokers
- Primarily trade stocks and ETFs
- Value simplicity over advanced features
- Plan to invest in international markets
Choose IBKR Mobile if you:
- Already use Interactive Brokers' web platform
- Need advanced trading tools and order types
- Trade options, futures, or other complex instruments
- Require detailed market data and analytics
- Consider yourself an experienced investor
Select Impact if you:
- Prioritize ESG investing and ethical considerations
- Want to understand your portfolio's environmental and social impact
- Prefer to avoid companies with practices that conflict with your values
- Still want a simple, user-friendly interface
Remember, you can download and try all three apps with the same account. We suggest starting with GlobalTrader for its balance of features and simplicity, then exploring the others based on your evolving needs. All three apps are also great options if you want to set-up recurring investments into for example an S&P 500 ETF through dollar-cost averaging.
How Interactive Brokers Apps Compare to Competitors
When we compare these apps to other European broker platforms, several advantages become clear:
Unlike single-app brokers, Interactive Brokers' three-app approach means you're never forced to compromise. Trade Republic offers simplicity but lacks advanced tools. eToro provides social features but limited market access. Interactive Brokers gives you the choice of simplicity or complexity, depending on your needs.
The fractional share feature in GlobalTrader and Impact matches what you'll find in modern brokers, while IBKR Mobile's professional tools exceed what most competitors offer. Combined with access to 160+ markets and institutional-grade execution, it's a compelling package for serious investors.
Final Verdict: Three Apps, One Account, Unlimited Possibilities
Interactive Brokers has successfully addressed its reputation for complexity by creating specialized apps for different investor profiles. We're particularly impressed with GlobalTrader, which we recommend to most EU investors for its perfect balance of simplicity and functionality.
The ability to use all three apps with one account provides unmatched flexibility. Start with GlobalTrader for everyday investing, graduate to IBKR Mobile when you need advanced features, or switch to Impact when ESG considerations become important. This flexibility, combined with Interactive Brokers' competitive pricing and global market access, makes it an excellent choice for European investors at any experience level.
Whether you're just starting your investment journey or managing a sophisticated portfolio, Interactive Brokers now has an app that fits your style. The days of being forced to choose between powerful features and user-friendly design are over.
Ready to explore these apps yourself? Read our comprehensive Interactive Brokers review to learn more about account opening and getting started with this versatile broker.
FAQ
Can I use all three Interactive Brokers apps with one account?
Yes, once you have an Interactive Brokers account, you can download and use all three apps (IBKR Mobile, GlobalTrader, and Impact) with the same login credentials. There are no additional fees for using multiple apps.
Which Interactive Brokers app is best for beginners?
We recommend GlobalTrader for beginners. It offers a clean, intuitive interface similar to modern broker apps while still providing access to global markets and fractional shares. The simplified order types and visual design make it much easier to navigate than IBKR Mobile.
Do the different apps have different fees?
No, all three apps use the same fee structure. You'll pay the same commissions regardless of which app you use. The pricing is tied to your account type, not your choice of app.
Can I trade options on GlobalTrader?
Yes, GlobalTrader supports options trading, though with a simplified interface compared to IBKR Mobile. If you need advanced options strategies and analytics, IBKR Mobile provides more comprehensive tools.
What's the minimum investment for fractional shares?
Both GlobalTrader and Impact allow fractional share trading from just $1, regardless of the stock's price. This makes expensive stocks like Apple or Microsoft accessible to all investors.
Is the Impact app only for ESG investing?
While Impact emphasizes ESG factors with its impact scoring system, it functions as a complete trading app. You can trade any stocks or ETFs available on Interactive Brokers, not just ESG-focused investments.
How do I switch between the apps?
Simply download the app you want to use from your device's app store and log in with your Interactive Brokers credentials. You can have all three installed simultaneously and switch between them as needed.
When investing, your capital is at risk. This marketing content is provided by a paid Influencer of Interactive Brokers. Influencer is not employed by, partnered with, or otherwise affiliated with Interactive Brokers in any additional fashion. Influencer is a customer of Interactive Brokers. Interactive Brokers and Influencer have entered into a cost-per-click agreement under which Interactive pays Influencer a fee for each clickthrough of the Interactive Brokers URL posted herein. This content represents the opinions of Influencer, which are not necessarily shared by Interactive Brokers. The experiences of the Influencer may not be representative of other customers, and nothing within this content is a guarantee of future performance or success. Interactive Brokers provides execution and clearing services to its customers. Interactive Brokers makes no representation and assumes no liability to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this Influencer communication. None of the information contained herein constitutes a recommendation, offer, promotion, or solicitation of an offer by Interactive Brokers to buy, sell or hold any security, financial product or instrument or to engage in any specific investment strategy. Investing involves risks. Investors should obtain their own independent financial advice and understand the risks associated with investment products and services before making investment decisions. Risk disclosure statements can be found on the Interactive Brokers website.
