Interactive Brokers: what owners actually say

Multiple owners report slow support responses. One user describes needing 'research or platform-specific answers' just to make a simple FX conversion or withdrawal, calling the process 'rigamarole.' Another notes support is 'pretty slow in the few cases u need it.'

Owners say the platform 'feels like it was designed for institutions, not individuals,' with one noting that many customers are 'ex-institutional with millions in daily volume.' The GUI is described as difficult, though one user found the simpler 'IBKR Global Trader' mobile app more intuitive.

A developer who built an IB API client in Java/Scala says the biggest challenge was 'dealing with concurrency of maintaining positions, orders and quote ticks' because the API is asynchronous. Another owner calls the API 'a pain in the ass' but says 'with a proper library it works. Most of the time.'

Multiple Stack Exchange users report needing to install both 32-bit and 64-bit Java, with one noting the application defaults to 32-bit. Another user on Windows 8 says enabling protected mode to run 64-bit Java 'breaks lots of other stuff and still doesn't actually run 64 bit java.'

One owner says reporting and analytics are 'difficult but powerful' and recommends spending 'a few hours practicing with it.' The learning curve is repeatedly compared to the website itself: hard at first, manageable once learned.

Owners specifically highlight 'low fees' and 'cheap margin,' with one noting Schwab's fees for global trades and margin are 'insane' by comparison. IBKR is called the only viable option for heavy margin users and foreign market investors.

Owners praise 'seamless purchase of foreign equities on their home exchanges (in foreign currency)' and the ability to trade 'literally all markets.' One user says it's 'the only platform that works for me' for foreign stocks and bonds. European users call it 'the best broker by far' in Europe.

One owner who tried Robinhood, Fidelity, Vanguard, and Charles Schwab says IBKR is their favorite, 'especially for any investing beyond simple buy and hold of common [stocks].' Another praises it as the top pick after extensive comparison shopping.

A Canadian user notes IBKR charges only $5 USD to DRS shares via interactivebrokers.ca, calling it the 'best alternative now that BMO charges $100.'

An owner explicitly praises trade execution quality, pairing it with the platform's breadth of market access as a key strength.