Which broker is better for Romania traders in 2026? Expert analysis across 12 categories.
Romania's retail trading community continues to grow quickly, with thousands of traders in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Timișoara looking for reliable access to forex and CFDs. FxPro and Interactive Brokers are two very different brokers that both accept Romanian clients, but they serve different trading styles. FxPro is a retail-focused CFD and forex broker with a 4.1/5 rating, offering tight spreads, popular platforms like MT4 and MT5, and easy local payment options such as Bank Transfer, Credit Card, and Skrill. Interactive Brokers, rated 3.3/5, is a professional multi-asset platform with huge product coverage, but it is more complex and less tailored to Romania's growing retail audience. Romanian traders must consider the local regulatory landscape: neither broker is licensed directly by ASF Romania, but both pass their EU entities into Romania under MiFID II, giving traders access to EU investor protection. While IBKR excels at low-cost stock and options trading, FxPro offers a simpler, more accessible experience for forex and CFD traders who want to deposit with Skrill or a credit card. This comparison breaks down spreads, platforms, deposit methods, and regulation specifically for Romania.
| Instrument | FxPro | Interactive Brokers | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD avg spread | 0.09 pips + $3.5/lot | 0.0 pips + $3.5/lot | Interactive Brokers |
| XAU/USD (Gold) | $0.14 typical | $0.12 typical | Interactive Brokers |
| GBP/USD avg spread | 0.29 pips | 0.23 pips | Interactive Brokers |
| Standard acc spread | from 1.0 pips | from 0.8 pips | Interactive Brokers |
| ECN commission | $3.5/lot/side | $3.5/lot/side | Tie |
| Min deposit | $100 | $0 | Interactive Brokers |
For Romanian forex traders, FxPro's Raw+ account is hard to beat, with spreads from 0.0 pips on EUR/USD and a commission of $3.50 per lot per side, making it very cost-effective for active day traders. Standard accounts have wider spreads but zero commission, which suits beginners who trade smaller volumes. Interactive Brokers offers low spreads too, but its pricing is more complicated: IBKR uses tiered commissions and different spread levels depending on account equity and order size. For a Romanian trader depositing only $500-$2,000, FxPro will usually deliver lower total costs on EUR/RON, EUR/USD, and other popular pairs. However, IBKR is cheaper when trading US stocks, ETFs, and futures, which is useful for traders who want multi-asset exposure. Romanian traders should also watch for overnight financing fees, which are higher on FxPro's standard accounts than on IBKR's professional-style financing rates.
| Account Type | FxPro | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Standard account | ✓ | ✓ |
| ECN / Raw spread | ✓ | ✓ |
| Islamic (swap-free) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Demo account | ✓ | ✓ |
| PAMM / MAM account | ✗ | ✗ |
| Zero spread account | ✓ | ✗ |
| Copy trading | ✗ | ✗ |
| Min deposit | $100 | $0 |
| Entity / Asset | FxPro | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Romania (offshore) | Up to 1:500 | Up to 1:100 |
| Forex major pairs | 1:500 | 1:100 |
| Gold (XAU/USD) | 1:200 | 1:200 |
| Indices | 1:100 | 1:100 |
| Cryptocurrencies | 1:2 to 1:10 | 1:2 to 1:10 |
| Asset Class | FxPro | Interactive Brokers | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex pairs | 90+ | 65+ | FxPro |
| Gold (XAU/USD) | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Oil (WTI/Brent) | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Stock indices | 25+ indices | 20+ indices | FxPro |
| Crypto CFDs | 30+ | 20+ | FxPro |
| Stocks / Share CFDs | 1,000+ | 1,700+ | Interactive Brokers |
| ETFs | ✗ | ✓ | Tie |
| Platform | FxPro | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | ✓ | ✗ |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | ✓ | ✗ |
| cTrader | ✓ | ✗ |
| TradingView | ✗ | ✓ |
| Expert Advisors (EAs) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Scalping allowed | ✓ | ✗ |
| Hedging allowed | ✓ | ✓ |
FxPro offers MT4, MT5, cTrader, and its own Web Trader, giving Romanian traders the full choice of classic and modern platforms that are widely used in Romania and Eastern Europe. MT5 is particularly popular among Romanian CFD traders because of its advanced charting, market depth, and 21 timeframes. Interactive Brokers relies on its proprietary Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Mobile, and Client Portal, which are extremely powerful but come with a steep learning curve. While TWS offers unmatched analytics for stocks, options, and portfolio management, many Romanian retail traders find it overwhelming compared to the simpler one-click trading of MT4 and MT5. FxPro also supports Romanian-friendly tools, including negative balance protection and flexible leverage, making its platforms more approachable for the growing retail community. If you value trading on your phone with Skrill-based deposits and quick layout, FxPro is the better fit; if you need deep market data and algorithm trading across global assets, IBKR is stronger.
| Factor | FxPro | Interactive Brokers | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Execution model | ECN/STP | True ECN | Interactive Brokers |
| Avg execution speed | ~30ms | ~40ms | FxPro |
| Slippage | Very low | Very low | Tie |
| Requotes | Very rare | Very rare | Tie |
| Scalping allowed | ✓ | ✗ | Tie |
| EA / Bot trading | ✓ | ✗ | Tie |
FxPro is a no-dealing-desk broker using ECN/STP execution, which means Romanian traders get direct market access with no requotes and very fast order filling, especially on its Raw+ accounts. Interactive Brokers uses smart order routing that automatically seeks the best price across multiple venues, making it ideal for stocks and exchange-listed products. For forex, IBKR also executes well during major London and New York sessions, but spreads are less predictable for smaller retail lot sizes. FxPro's execution is more straightforward and consistent for Romanian retail traders trading 0.01 to 5 lots. Both brokers offer negative balance protection in the EU, protecting Romanian traders from losing more than their deposit.
| Safety Factor | FxPro | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Primary regulator | FCA | FCA |
| Top-tier regulated | ✓ | ✓ |
| Investor protection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Segregated funds | ✓ | ✓ |
| Neg. balance protection | ✓ | ✓ |
Romanian traders are not directly supervised by ASF Romania when using FxPro or Interactive Brokers, because both brokers use EU-regulated entities that passport their services into Romania under MiFID II. FxPro's European operations are authorised by CySEC in Cyprus, while Interactive Brokers operates through its Irish entity regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. This means Romanian clients get EU investor protection, including participation in compensation schemes, but they do not have a dedicated Romanian-language ASF complaint route. ASF Romania is still important because it regulates local payment processors and monitors binary options and forex scams targeting Romanians, so choosing a recognised EU broker like FxPro or IBKR protects you from unauthorised firms. Both brokers fulfil negative balance protection in the EU, and FxPro offers slightly more accessible leverage for retail forex traders. Always check the broker's EU entity and client classification before depositing.
| Payment Method | FxPro | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Bank Wire Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Visa / Mastercard | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skrill | ✓ | ✗ |
| Neteller | ✓ | ✗ |
| USDT / Crypto | ✗ | ✗ |
| Withdrawal time | 1 business day | 1 to 4 business days |
Romanian traders can fund both brokers with Bank Transfer and Credit Card, but FxPro has a key advantage: it also accepts Skrill, which is widely used in Romania for fast online payments. FxPro supports RON deposits on bank cards and Skrill, while IBKR works mainly in USD, EUR, and GBP, so Romanian clients should use EUR transfers to avoid extra conversion fees. Credit Card deposits are instant at FxPro, while IBKR allows card funding but with currency conversion fees that can add up. Skype or Skrill? Actually, Skrill is FxPro-only: Interactive Brokers does not support Skrill. Bank Transfer is the most reliable method for both brokers, especially for larger withdrawals, but it can take 1-3 business days. FxPro processes withdrawals quickly, often within one day, and returns funds to the original deposit method, which makes Skrill users happy. IBKR also allows withdrawals back to bank accounts and cards, but the minimum withdrawal can be higher and the process feels more institutional.
| Islamic Account Feature | FxPro | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Swap-free available | ✓ | ✗ |
| Admin fee instead of swap | On some instruments | On some instruments |
| MT4 / MT5 supported | ✓ | ✓ |
| How to apply | Contact support | Contact support |
FxPro offers Islamic accounts (swap-free) to Romanian Muslim traders who request one and meet the eligibility criteria. These accounts do not charge overnight interest on CFD positions, making them fully Sharia-compliant for forex traders. Interactive Brokers does not offer Islamic accounts and charges interest on overnight balances and leveraged positions, so it is not suitable for Muslim traders in Romania who need swap-free trading. FxPro's Islamic account is available on MT4 and MT5, and it applies to the same spreads and commissions as standard accounts. The swap-free feature is especially relevant to Romania's small but active Muslim community in Constanța and Bucharest, but traders should be aware that long-term positions may still incur adjustments after an extended period.
| Support Feature | FxPro | Interactive Brokers | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live chat | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Phone support | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Email support | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| 24/7 support | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Response time (chat) | <2 minutes | <3 minutes | FxPro |
FxPro provides live chat, phone, and email support in English and several European languages, with fast response times and a dedicated Romanian customer service network through its EU office. Interactive Brokers offers 24/5 phone support and a help centre, but support is more institutional and less personal, which can feel frustrating for Romanian retail beginners. FxPro also has a more intuitive FAQ and account management area, while IBKR pushes users to self-service resources like webinars and knowledge base articles. Romanian traders who value quick answers about deposits, MT5 issues, or Skrill withdrawals will likely prefer FxPro.
| Mobile Feature | FxPro | Interactive Brokers | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS App Store rating | 4.5 stars | 4.3 stars | FxPro |
| Google Play rating | 4.3 stars | 4.2 stars | FxPro |
| Biometric login | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Push notifications | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Full charting on mobile | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| TradingView mobile | ✗ | ✓ | Interactive Brokers |
| Resource | FxPro | Interactive Brokers | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video tutorials | 100+ videos | 50+ videos | Tie |
| Webinars (live) | Weekly | Monthly | Tie |
| Economic calendar | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Market analysis | Daily | Basic | FxPro |
Choose FxPro if you...
Choose Interactive Brokers if you...
For the growing Romanian retail trading community, FxPro is the stronger choice because it combines retail-friendly spreads, MT4/MT5 platforms, local payment methods like Skrill and Credit Card, and a straightforward experience that works well with small to medium account sizes. Interactive Brokers is a great broker for Romanian professionals and multi-asset investors, but its complexity and lack of Skrill make it less practical for most forex-focused traders. Both brokers are legal in Romania under EU passporting and operate with investor protection, but FxPro is better aligned with local trading habits. Therefore, if you are a Romanian trader looking for forex and CFD trading with RON-friendly deposits and responsive support, FxPro wins this comparison. If you are building a long-term global investment portfolio, Interactive Brokers remains a serious alternative.