Pocket Option vs IQ Option - Fees Review included
Which broker is better Pocket Option or IQ Option? Our expert assessment conducted according to TU’s own methodology showed that Pocket Option is one of the top brokers in the financial market with the TU Overall Score of 8.5 out of 10. IQ Option is one of the top brokers in the financial market with the TU Overall Score of 5.66 out of 10. Find out more about TU Overall Score.
| Feature | Pocket Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Overall |
3.7 |
2.8 |
1.3 |
2.5 |
|
4.3 |
2.7 |
|
3.2 |
3.6 |
|
Investment Instruments |
3.8 |
1 |
Platforms and Charting Tools |
4.7 |
2.5 |
Deposit and Withdrawal |
4.2 |
3.0 |
Research |
3.8 |
3.9 |
Education |
4.1 |
3.9 |
Support |
4.4 |
2.8 |
Bonuses |
3.1 |
2.0 |
|
|
|
Pocket Option vs IQ Option: Pros and Cons
Pocketoption was launched in 2017. The company has the team of professional traders, as well as IT and FinTech experts. The broker gives its clients access to trade currency pairs, commodities, stocks, cryptocurrencies, and indices. Pocket Option provides its clients with access to more than 100 global trading assets. To operate in the financial markets, the company has developed its own unique trading platform. In addition, Pocket Option clients can trade in MT5. The broker’s service is available in more than 95 countries and regions globally. Pocketoption’s top priority is the high quality of customer service, constant improvement of trading technologies, and financial innovations.
The company was founded in 2013 and today is among the leaders in this genre thanks in large part to its proprietary platform. In 2017, the broker was awarded the highest award by the Communicator Awards. Previously, the company provided binary options trading services. Now there is a gradual transition to the Forex model based on the platform of its development
| Pocket Option | IQ Option | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Pros | Low initial amount to start trading - the first deposit starting with $50 ($10 for Forex) | Сonvenience from a visual narrative, the platform is user-friendly for novice traders |
| Social trading platform to receive passive income | Loyal terms of the tariff policy | |
| Author's Telegram Bot from Pocket Option with signals | ||
| No fees for withdrawals and deposits | ||
| Ability to trade on Forex in the MT5 platform | ||
| Overall Cons | There is no regulation. Obtained a license of a non-profit organization in Russia | A limited number of timeframes in comparison with MT4, without the possibility of setting non-standard intervals |
| Minimum withdrawal starting with $10 | The online platform is heavy on your computer’s RAM | |
| There is no possibility of adding additional indicators, no algorithmic trading is provided |
Pocket Option vs IQ Option: Safety and Regulation
| Pocket Option | IQ Option | |
|---|---|---|
Max. Regulation Level |
Tier-3 |
|
Investor protection |
No |
|
FCA UK Regulation |
No |
|
FINRA (U.S) |
No |
|
BaFin (Germany) |
No |
|
ASIC (Australia) |
No |
|
CFTC (U.S) |
No |
|
MAS |
No |
|
FSCA SA |
No |
|
BVI FSC |
No |
|
VFSC |
No |
|
FSA (Seychelles) |
No |
Pocket Option vs IQ Option: Trading Conditions
| Trading Conditions | Pocket Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit |
$50 (for options), $10 (for Forex) |
$10 |
Trading Platforms |
МТ5 (for Forex), own platform (for options) |
IQOption (own platform) |
Max Leverage (Futures) |
1-500 (for Forex) |
1-5 for stocks, 1-2 for cryptocurrencies, 1-20 for commodies, 1-5 for ETF, 1-500 for pairs |
Supported Markets |
Forex, Metalls, Energies, Indices, Shares, Cryptocurrencies |
Forex, Metalls, Energies, Shares, Cryptocurrencies |
Trading assets |
100+ |
250+ |
Trading Accounts |
Binary Options, STP (Forex) |
Single client account |
Base Account Currencies |
USD, EUR |
EUR, USD, GBP |
Pocket Option vs IQ Option: Fees
| Pocket Option | IQ Option | |
|---|---|---|
Standard acc. spread EUR/USD, min pips |
0,5 |
|
Standard acc. spread EUR/USD, max pips |
1,0 |
|
ECN Commission |
2,5 |
|
ECN Spread EUR/USD |
0,3 |
|
Deposit fee, % |
No |
|
Withdrawal fee, % |
No |
|
Withdrawal fee, USD |
No |
|
Inactivity fee, $ |
No |
A conversion fee may be applied as withdrawals and deposits are conducted in USD. Any other currency will have to be converted.
Pocket Option vs IQ Option: Trading Assets
| Asset Name | Pocket Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Overall |
100+ |
250+ |
Forex |
Yes |
Yes |
Stocks |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Metals |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Cryptocurrencies |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Energy |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Indices |
Yes (CFD) |
No |
ETFs |
No |
Yes (CFD) |
Bonds |
No |
No |
Mutual funds |
No |
No |
Stock options |
No |
No |
Futures Trading |
No |
No |
Binary Options |
Yes |
Yes |
Pocket Option or IQ Option: Investment Programs
| Asset Name | Pocket Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Copy Trading |
Yes |
No |
MAM/PAMM |
No |
No |
Managed Accounts |
No |
No |
Other |
Trading Signals |
No |
Trading Platforms: IQ Option or Pocket Option
| Pocket Option | IQ Option | |
|---|---|---|
MT4 |
No |
No |
MT5 |
Yes |
No |
cTrader |
No |
No |
Appropriate platform |
No |
No |
Others |
Own binary options trading platform |
Own trading platform |
|
|
|
Pocket Option vs IQ Option: Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
| Pocket Option | IQ Option | |
|---|---|---|
Bank Wire |
Yes |
Yes |
Bank Card |
Yes |
Yes |
Neteller |
Yes |
Yes |
BTC |
Yes |
Yes |
Wise |
Yes |
Yes |
Payoneer |
No |
No |
USDT |
Yes |
Yes |
Pocket Option vs IQ Option: Research
| Research Type | Pocket Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
News Feed |
Yes |
Yes |
Fundamental Data |
Yes |
Yes |
Chart Analysis |
Yes |
Yes |
Trading Ideas |
Yes |
Yes |
E-Mail Reports |
No |
Yes |
Pocket Option vs IQ Option: Education
| Education Type | Pocket Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Demo-account/Paper Trading |
Yes |
Yes |
Webinars |
No |
No |
Articles |
No |
Yes |
Videos |
Yes |
Yes |
Cent account |
No |
No |
IQ Option vs Pocket Option: Support
| Support Features | Pocket Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Working Days |
24/5 |
24/7 |
No |
Yes |
|
Phone |
Yes |
Yes |
Online chat |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
Feedback form. Support is only available to registered users |
Feedback form |
Pocket Option vs IQ Option: Forex Bonuses and Promo
| Promo | Pocket Option | IQ Option |
|---|---|---|
Forex Bonus |
Welcome bonus 50% when opening a real account |
No |
Affiliate Program |
Two types of programs: partner and representative. Commission from profit - up to 80% |
Yes |
Other Promos |
Tournaments with a minimum deposit of 1 USD and a prize pool of 100-250 USD. There are free tournaments |
|
|
|
|
Top 5 Reviews on IQ Option
-
Comment
The company actively promotes its services in the CIS and European countries. In recent years, Digital Options with returns of up to 900% and cryptocurrencies have been added. There is no option to add custom indicators or to trade via MT4. Quotes and trading conditions are displayed only within the personal account — there is no publicly accessible offer. Nevertheless, the platform itself is user-friendly.
-
Comment
IQ Option is one of the few brokers that combines binary options trading with classic forex trading on a single platform. This is convenient, especially when switching between assets. The trading terminal has built-in charting tools but does not support third-party indicators or extensions, which may limit strategic approaches. Funding is available via WebMoney, QIWI, Skrill, Perfect Money, Visa, and MasterCard. Accounts can be opened in EUR, USD, or GBP. Mobile trading is supported with the same functionality as the web version.
-
Comment
IqOption offers trading on both binary options and Forex, with a minimum deposit of just $10 and a minimum trade size of $1. The platform is proprietary, which makes it user-friendly for beginners but limits flexibility. CFD trading is available on stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and indices. The maximum leverage on Forex is up to 1:500, but there is no option to add custom indicators or use algorithmic trading. The platform can also be resource-intensive on low-end devices.
-
Comment
Severe Misconduct and Platform Manipulation by IQ Option – A Diamond VIP Client's Warning Summary: As a Diamond VIP client of IQ Option since 2016, with over $1.2 million in trades, I’ve faced serious misconduct including: Denial of promised VIP services. Platform manipulation and suspicious price behavior. Refusal to provide full official account statements. Sudden changes in terms without notice. Use of unregulated deposit channels (e.g., Papara, Bitcoin). Unjustified withdrawal delays. These actions have caused major financial and emotional damage. I demand: A complete official transaction record. A formal apology and internal investigation. Recommendation: Avoid IQ Option. My case is a warning of potentially systemic abuse.
-
Comment
One of the disadvantages is online platform taking up too much RAM... This gotta be a joke, how can it be a negative side? Any computer can run it fine its not flooded with thousand open tabs .
Top 5 Reviews on Pocket Option
-
Comment
My first impression of Pocket Option was very positive — the registration process is simple, and verification is instant. You just need to upload a photo of your ID, and within half an hour, you can fund your account. The minimum lot for binary options is just $1, which makes it convenient to test strategies without much risk. I also appreciated the bonus programs — I received a 50% bonus on my first deposit, which allowed me to open additional trades. In the first month, I earned $58 on options.
-
Comment
Pocket Option pleasantly surprised me with the wide range of deposit and withdrawal methods — over 50 options, including bank cards, e-wallets, and more than 30 cryptocurrencies. For me, this was the deciding factor when choosing a broker. The withdrawal was fast: $120 was credited to my AdvCash account within 2 hours. The platform is user-friendly, Forex spreads are reasonable, and I was also impressed with the accuracy of their signals — 7 out of 10 trades closed in profit.
-
Comment
Reliable and User-Friendly Broker I've been using Pocket Option for 8 months and it’s been great. The platform is easy to use, even for beginners. I usually trade GBP/USD and USD/JPY in the evenings. Withdrawals are fast — I’ve withdrawn $200–$300 multiple times via Skrill and Litecoin. LTC withdrawals took around 15–20 minutes, Skrill about 4–6 hours. Support is responsive and helpful, and I really like the technical tools and signals. Overall, it’s a solid broker for short-term trading — definitely recommend.
-
Comment
I started trading with Pocket Option at the beginning of this year and was pleasantly surprised by the low minimum deposit of just $5. It’s a great option for beginners — no need to risk a large amount upfront. The broker offers over 100 trading assets, and I actively use currency pairs and cryptocurrencies, which helped me grow my deposit by $48 in a month. I especially liked the ability to copy signals from professional traders via the MQL5 platform — the signal success rate is over 70%. I also appreciated the fast verification process and the wide range of deposit and withdrawal methods — it's very convenient to top up via AdvCash.
-
Comment
I use Quick Trading mode best for me and I like it.
FAQs
What should I start Forex trading with?
It is desirable for novice traders to explore trading using a demo account to learn the market and how to work on the trading platform without the risk of suffering losses. At the same time, it is advisable to review the educational materials of the broker, learn trading basics. Then you can deposit the minimum required amount to perform a small number of transactions. If you manage to close several months in a row in the black, without substantial drawdowns on the account, then you can try increasing your deposit. Also trying to copy trades automatically is a good option for a start.
What amount should I start trading with?
The minimum deposit of $10 may be enough to trade on the cent account. However, for trading on Standard/ECT accounts, experts recommend starting with at least $200-500. With this amount, you can use not a very big leverage. Remember, getting carried away with the margin is the main cause of losses among beginners.
What should I take into consideration when choosing a broker?
Experts recommend looking at the broker’s reliability first and foremost. The other important features include basic trading conditions, commissions and fees, customer reviews. If brokers are approximately the same in terms of basic criteria, you need to choose based on your experience and tasks. One broker may be good for professionals and another – for novice traders.
Is it possible to be scammed by a broker with a license from a reputable regulator?
In theory, yes. But in practice, it takes so much time and money to comply with the requirements of reputable regulators that it is not worth it for scammers to bother obtaining a legitimate license.
Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.
Olga Shendetskaya has been a part of the Traders Union team as an author, editor and proofreader since 2017. Since 2020, Shendetskaya has been the assistant chief editor of the website of Traders Union, an international association of traders. She has over 10 years of experience of working with economic and financial texts. In the period of 2017-2020, Olga has worked as a journalist and editor of laftNews news agency, economic and financial news sections. At the moment, Olga is a part of the team of top industry experts involved in creation of educational articles in finance and investment, overseeing their writing and publication on the Traders Union website.