Comparison of IQ Option and Pocket Option
Feature | IQ Option | Pocket Option |
---|---|---|
Broker | ||
Year Founded | 2013 | 2017 |
Broker Type | MM | MM |
Dealing | B-book | B-book |
Execution | Market | Instant |
Regulation | CySEC, SVGFSA | MISA |
Platforms | Quadcode | Pocket Option, MetaTrader 5 (MT5), MetaTrader 4 (MT4) |
Spread | ⮕ Average | ⬈ High |
Maximum Leverage | 1:500 | 1:200 |
Minimum Deposit | $10 | $5 |
Base Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, RUB | USD |
Funding Methods | Bank Wire, Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard), Skrill, Neteller, Webmoney, Volet.com, Perfect Money, Cardano (ADA), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), XRP (XRP), Tether (USDT) | Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Bank Transfer, Perfect Money, Volet, YooMoney, WebMoney, Qiwi, Skrill, Payeer, PayRedeem, Neteller, Jeton, Binance Pay, Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Cardano (ADA), XRP (XRP), Binance Coin (BNB), TRON (TRX) |
Inactivity Fee | $10 per month after 90 days | ✖ |
Interest on Margin | ✖ | ✖ |
Withdrawal Fee | $30 on bank wire; other methods free | ✖ |
Investor Protection | ICF | - |
Protection Size | €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, ETF, Cryptocurrencies, Metals, Energies, Soft Commodities | Currencies, Commodities, Indices, Stocks, Cryptocurrencies |
Review | IQ Option Review | Pocket Option Review |
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
About Pocket Option
Pocket Option is a multi-asset platform launched in 2017 with a minimum deposit of just $5 and more than 100 tradable instruments. The broker combines digital options with classic CFD/Forex trading via MT4 and MT5. Key strengths include instant order execution, social copy-trading, weekly tournaments, and a flexible bonus program. Its main drawback is an offshore MISA licence that offers no deposit insurance and faces strict regulatory restrictions in the EU and US.
Pros
- Low entry requirements: $5 minimum deposit and $1 trade size
- Payouts up to 92 % on digital options
- Social copy-trading and weekly trading tournaments
- MT4/MT5 support with leverage up to 1:200
- 50+ funding methods with zero deposit/withdrawal fees
- Unlimited $50000 demo account
Cons
- Offshore regulation (MISA, Comoros)
- No segregation of client funds
- High-risk products may be unsuitable for inexperienced traders
IQ Option & Pocket Option Regulation
Feature | IQ Option | Pocket Option |
---|---|---|
Companies | IQ Option Europe Ltd, IQ Option LLC | Infinite Trade LLC |
Countries | Cyprus, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Costa Rica |
Regulators | CySEC, SVGFSA | MISA |
Investor Protection | ICF | - |
Investor Protection Size | €20 000 | - |
Publicly Traded | ||
Segregated Accounts | ||
Guaranteed Stop Loss | ||
Negative Balance Protection |
Account Types
Account | IQ Option | Pocket 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% | — |
Fix Spread Account | ||
Account Name | — | CFD |
Min Deposit | — | $10 |
Lot Size | — | 0.01 |
Spread Type | — | Fixed |
Execution | — | Instant |
Min Spread | — | 10 |
Fee | — | No |
Max Leverage | — | 1:200 |
Stop Out | — | 80% |
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 | $5 |
Option Types | Call/Put, Turbo, Digital Options | High/Low, Turbo |
Minimum Stake | $1 | $1 |
Payout | from 55% to 95% | from 25% to 92% |
Expiration Time | from 30 seconds to 30 days | from 15 seconds to 4 hours |
Funding and Fees
Feature | IQ Option | Pocket Option |
---|---|---|
Base currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, RUB | USD |
Deposit and withdrawal methods | Bank Wire, Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard), Skrill, Neteller, Webmoney, Volet.com, Perfect Money, Cardano (ADA), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), XRP (XRP), Tether (USDT) | Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Bank Transfer, Perfect Money, Volet, YooMoney, WebMoney, Qiwi, Skrill, Payeer, PayRedeem, Neteller, Jeton, Binance Pay, Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Cardano (ADA), XRP (XRP), Binance Coin (BNB), TRON (TRX) |
Inactivity fee | $10 per month after 90 days | |
Interest on margin | ||
Withdrawal fee | $30 on bank wire; other methods free |
Trading Platforms and Conditions
Feature | IQ Option | Pocket Option |
---|---|---|
Trading Platforms | Quadcode | Pocket Option, MetaTrader 5 (MT5), MetaTrader 4 (MT4) |
Execution Speed | 10 ms | 10 ms |
Scalping | ||
Expert Advisors (EAs) | ||
Depth of Market (DOM) | ||
Spread | average | high |
Trading Assets
Asset | IQ Option | Pocket Option |
---|---|---|
Currencies | 63 | 58 |
Indices | 12 | 11 |
Stocks | 379 | 130 |
Cryptocurrencies | 26 | 65 |
Bonds | 0 | 0 |
Metals | 3 | 4 |
Energies | 3 | 3 |
Soft Commodities | 3 | 0 |
ETFs | 22 | 0 |
Education and Analytics
Feature | IQ Option | Pocket Option |
---|---|---|
Economic Calendar | ||
Indicators | ||
Robots | ||
Signals | ||
Autochartist | ||
Expert Analytics | ||
News Feed | ||
Education Articles | ||
Webinars | ||
Seminars |
Bonuses
Bonus | IQ Option | Pocket Option |
---|---|---|
Welcome Bonus | ||
Is available | ||
Size | — | 50%, up to $5000 |
Details | — | Learn More |
Contests
Feature | IQ Option | Pocket Option |
---|---|---|
Demo Contests | ||
Is available | ||
Contests List |
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- 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
- Day offStart Balance: $100 · Prize Pool: $250 · Period: DailyLearn More
- Hour playStart Balance: $100 · Prize Pool: $100 · Period: HourlyLearn More
Customer Support
Contact | IQ Option | Pocket Option |
---|---|---|
Email | support@iqoption.com | support@pocketoption.com |
Phone | +35724257707 | +442081234499 |
Telegram | — | Telegram |
Facebook | — | |
YouTube | YouTube | YouTube |
Instagram | ||
Twitter | ||
TikTok | — | TikTok |
Discord | — | Discord |
Which Broker is Better?
After comparing IQ Option and Pocket 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.