Comparison of Expert Option and IQ Option
| Feature | Expert Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
| Broker | ||
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2013 |
| Broker Type | MM | MM |
| Dealing | B-book | B-book |
| Execution | Instant | Market |
| Regulation | SVGFSA | CySEC, SVGFSA |
| Platforms | ExpertOption | Quadcode |
| Spread | - N/A | ⮕ Average |
| Maximum Leverage | 1:1 | 1:500 |
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $10 |
| Base Currencies | USD | USD, EUR, GBP, RUB |
| Funding Methods | Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, UnionPay, Skrill, Neteller, Bank Wire, WhatsApp Pay, Google Pay, Binance Pay, Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT) | Bank Wire, Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard), Skrill, Neteller, Webmoney, Volet.com, Perfect Money, Cardano (ADA), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), XRP (XRP), Tether (USDT) |
| Inactivity Fee | $50 per month after 3 months | $10 per month after 90 days |
| Interest on Margin | ✖ | ✖ |
| Withdrawal Fee | ✖ | $30 on bank wire; other methods free |
| Investor Protection | FinancialCommission.org | ICF |
| Protection Size | €20 000 | €20 000 |
| Segregated Accounts | ✔ | ✔ |
| Negative Balance Protection | ✔ | ✔ |
| Guaranteed Stop Loss | ✖ | ✖ |
| Copy Trading | ✔ | ✖ |
| VPS | ✖ | ✖ |
| MAM/PAMM | ✖ | ✖ |
| Scalping Allowed | ✔ | ✖ |
| EAs/Robots | ✖ | ✖ |
| Depth of Market (DOM) | ✖ | ✖ |
| Tradable Assets (CFDs) | Currencies, Indices, Stocks, ETFs, Cryptocurrencies, Commodities | Currencies, Indices, Stocks, ETF, Cryptocurrencies, Metals, Energies, Soft Commodities |
| Review | Expert Option Review | IQ Option Review |
About Expert Option
ExpertOption is a binary options broker launched in 2014. With a $10 minimum deposit and a proprietary web/mobile platform, it lets beginners trade 60+ assets across forex, stocks and commodities in deals from 30 seconds to 8 hours. The company is a Category A member of the Financial Commission, which provides up to €20 000 compensation in case of disputes. Although not regulated by top-tier authorities and unavailable in the US, EU and dozens of other countries, ExpertOption attracts 70 million+ clients thanks to social trading, priority withdrawals for Gold+ tiers and payouts up to 95% on successful trades.
Pros
- Low $10 entry barrier with $1 trade size
- Payouts up to 95 % on binary option contracts
- Social trading feed and copy-trade feature
- Member of the Financial Commission (€20 k protection fund)
- 24/7 multilingual live-chat support
Cons
- Not supervised by FCA, ASIC or CySEC
- Only proprietary platform – no MT4/MT5 or cTrader
- Short expiries unsuited to many strategies
- Limited education compared with larger CFD brokers
About IQ Option
IQ Option is a regulated broker founded in 2013. It combines its own award-winning platform with a low $10 entry threshold and $1 trade size, offering 300+ instruments across CFDs and fixed-time options. The broker attracts both beginners and active traders with an intuitive interface, rich charting toolkit and 24/7 multilingual support. While spreads are competitive, availability is limited in a number of jurisdictions and binary options remain high-risk.
Pros
- Low $10 minimum deposit and $1 trade size
- Proprietary platform with 100+ indicators and built-in news feed
- Wide range of instruments (300+), incl. 25+ crypto CFDs
- Free practice account with $10 000 virtual funds
- Fast withdrawals (1-3 days) and many funding methods
- CySEC regulation and segregated client funds
Cons
- Binary options classified as high-risk in many countries
- Inactivity fee after 90 days
- Higher spreads than ECN brokers; no MT4/MT5 support
Expert Option & IQ Option Regulation
| Feature | Expert Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Companies | EOLabs LLC | IQ Option Europe Ltd, IQ Option LLC |
Countries | St Vincent & the Grenadines | Cyprus, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Regulators | SVGFSA | CySEC, SVGFSA |
Investor Protection | FinancialCommission.org | ICF |
Investor Protection Size | €20 000 | €20 000 |
Publicly Traded | ||
Segregated Accounts | ||
Guaranteed Stop Loss | ||
Negative Balance Protection |
Account Types
| Account | Expert Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Market Maker Account | ||
| Account Name | — | Standard |
| Min Deposit | — | $10 |
| Lot Size | — | 0.01 |
| Spread Type | — | Floating |
| Execution | — | Market |
| Min Spread | — | 0.5 |
| Fee | — | No |
| Max Leverage | — | 1:500 |
| Stop Out | — | 50% |
| Margin Call | — | 100% |
| Additional Features | ||
| Demo Account | ||
| VIP Account | ||
| Swap-Free Account | ||
| Copy Trading | ||
| VPS | ||
| PAMM/MAM Accounts | ||
Binary Options | ||
| Account | Binary Options | Binary Options |
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $10 |
| Option Types | Call/Put | Call/Put, Turbo, Digital Options |
| Minimum Stake | $1 | $1 |
| Payout | from 25% to 95% | from 55% to 95% |
| Expiration Time | from 30 seconds to 8 hours | from 30 seconds to 30 days |
Funding and Fees
| Feature | Expert Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Base currencies | USD | USD, EUR, GBP, RUB |
Deposit and withdrawal methods | Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, UnionPay, Skrill, Neteller, Bank Wire, WhatsApp Pay, Google Pay, Binance Pay, Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT) | Bank Wire, Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard), Skrill, Neteller, Webmoney, Volet.com, Perfect Money, Cardano (ADA), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), XRP (XRP), Tether (USDT) |
Inactivity fee | $50 per month after 3 months | $10 per month after 90 days |
Interest on margin | ||
Withdrawal fee | $30 on bank wire; other methods free |
Trading Platforms and Conditions
| Feature | Expert Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Trading Platforms | ExpertOption | Quadcode |
Execution Speed | 80 ms | 10 ms |
Scalping | ||
Expert Advisors (EAs) | ||
Depth of Market (DOM) | ||
Spread | N/A | average |
Trading Assets
| Asset | Expert Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Currencies | 17 | 63 |
Indices | 11 | 12 |
Stocks | 25 | 379 |
Cryptocurrencies | 0 | 26 |
Bonds | 0 | 0 |
Metals | 4 | 3 |
Energies | 1 | 3 |
Soft Commodities | 0 | 3 |
ETFs | 16 | 22 |
Education and Analytics
| Feature | Expert Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Economic Calendar | ||
Indicators | ||
Robots | ||
Signals | ||
Autochartist | ||
Expert Analytics | ||
News Feed | ||
Education Articles | ||
Webinars | ||
Seminars |
Contests
| Feature | Expert Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
| Demo Contests | ||
| Is available | ||
| Contests List | — |
|
- Weekend TreatStart Balance: $100 · Prize Pool: $1500 · Period: WeeklyLearn More
- Salary in a DayStart Balance: $100 · Prize Pool: $3,000 · Period: WeeklyLearn More
- Austin 1000Start Balance: $1000 · Prize Pool: $1000 · Period: WeeklyLearn More
- IQ LaunchStart Balance: $100 · Prize Pool: $10000 · Period: WeeklyLearn More
- 72 HoursStart Balance: $100 · Prize Pool: $5000 · Period: Every 2 WeeksLearn More
Customer Support
| Contact | Expert Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Email | help@eo.support | support@iqoption.com |
Phone | — | +35724257707 |
Telegram | Telegram | — |
Facebook | — | |
YouTube | YouTube | YouTube |
Instagram | ||
Twitter | — |
Which Broker is Better?
After comparing Expert Option and IQ Option, IQ Option comes out ahead as our overall pick. It ranks higher in our internal scoring and delivers a stronger balance of pricing (spreads/fees), platform experience, and product range. That said, the runner-up may still be a better fit if you prioritize specific needs—like a particular account type, funding method, or niche instruments. This is not financial advice; always choose a broker that matches your goals and local regulatory requirements.
More Comparisons

Andriy Bondarenko
Broker Analyst
Andriy is a seasoned expert in broker reviews with over a decade of experience in finance and trading. Under his leadership, the team produces in-depth and unbiased analyses of leading trading platforms.

