IG vs Flipster: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between IG and Flipster This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on September 1, 2025

IG

Flipster

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Europe

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United Kingdom

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United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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IG is ideal if:

Strong for serious traders – Offers a wide array of professional-grade platforms (like ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, MT4, and TradingView) that support advanced and even algorithmic strategies—great if you're tech-savvy and value sophistication.
Excellent for educational growth – Delivers rich learning resources, demo account options, and intuitive interfaces, making it appealing if you’re building foundational skills or seeking a smooth learning pathway.
Optimal amid market volatility – With deep market access and robust systems, IG stands out if you thrive in fast-moving markets and want reliable execution during turbulent trading sessions.

Flipster is ideal if:

For active perp futures traders: Built for speed and precision, Flipster boasts ultra-fast execution, deep liquidity, and zero-fee perpetual contracts—ideal if you thrive in fast-moving markets.
If you value capital efficiency on the go: You can trade and earn simultaneously—your USDT balance works as margin and earns rewards—adding flexibility and impact to every trade.
Looking for a seamless, intuitive experience: With features like Instant Flip (one-click position reversal) and a clean, responsive interface across web and mobile, Flipster caters to both beginners and seasoned traders.

IG isn’t ideal if:

Platform limitations – If you rely on MT5 or cTrader, know that IG offers only its proprietary platform and MT4, so those alternatives aren’t available.
Limited account styles – No Islamic (swap-free), social/copy-trading, or fixed/spread-only accounts, which may restrict options for certain strategies or preferences.
Payment and inactivity restrictions – Fewer deposit/withdrawal methods and inactivity fees may frustrate infrequent traders or those needing flexible funding.

Flipster isn’t ideal if:

You're looking for fiat convenience: Flipster doesn’t support fiat deposits or on-ramps—crypto-only funding may be inconvenient for new users or those transitioning from traditional banking.
Spot trading simplicity is your priority: Spot trading options are very limited—just half-a-dozen cryptocurrencies—making it less suitable for casual or passive traders.
You prefer anonymity or instant access: KYC (identity verification) is mandatory before accessing any trading features, which may be a barrier for privacy-conscious or speed-seeking users.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

IG does not use maker/taker pricing for spot crypto trading—instead, they apply a single flat percentage spread on all trades, with no discounts tied to volume or use of a native token.

Flipster applies a flat taker fee for both spot and perpetual futures, starting at around 0.05%, with tiered VIP discounts reducing rates further for high-volume or high-balance users—making its maker/taker model very cost-competitive across both markets.

Futures/Derivatives

IG’s derivatives (CFDs and futures) are priced purely through the spread—there is no separate maker or taker fee, and funding costs for cash CFDs are embedded in the spread rather than added separately.

Perpetual futures follow the same fee structure as spot (starting ~0.05% with VIP reductions), and funding occurs roughly every eight hours—fees are simply exchanged between longs and shorts without additional platform markup, rewarding those who time entries well.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

While specific BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT spreads aren’t publicly listed, IG applies a flat spread of approximately 1.49% across all crypto trades, implying similarly consistent spreads for major pairs across the board.

Flipster offers zero spreads on major perpetual pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, delivering highly efficient execution with minimal slippage for active traders.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

You can fund and withdraw via bank transfer, credit/debit cards, and e-wallets like PayPal; these methods typically carry no fees from IG and settle instantly for most deposits, with withdrawals usually completed within 1–3 business days.

The platform doesn’t support any fiat deposit or withdrawal methods, operating exclusively in crypto—so no fiat-related delays or costs, though that means a crypto-to-fiat conversion must happen elsewhere and externally.

On-chain Withdrawals

IG does not support direct crypto wallet withdrawals—crypto is traded via CFDs only, so there are no on-chain withdrawal fees of any kind.

Crypto withdrawals incur fixed network-based fees—varying by network and token (for example, BTC or TRX)—reflecting actual blockchain costs rather than platform surcharges, with some networks even offering zero internal fees.

Hidden Costs

IG’s fee structure is generally transparent; there are no hidden costs. Currency conversion fees may apply if your deposit isn’t in your account base currency, an inactivity fee kicks in only after prolonged dormancy, and enhanced KYC services—if any—are presented clearly.

Flipster is transparent with minimal hidden expenses—there’s no inactivity fee, no express-KYC cost, and no internal currency conversion charges; users only face standard blockchain network costs or any external exchange fees if they bridge between platforms.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you invest €500 in BTC CFDs, the only cost would be the flat crypto spread—so you’d effectively receive the equivalent of €500 minus 1.49% as your notional position, with no separate commission or withdrawal fee applied.

Let’s assume converting €500 via an external fiat gateway into USDT before buying BTC on Flipster

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

IG now offers access to over 35 cryptocurrencies via its partnership with Uphold, spanning everything from major assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum to more niche tokens—though specific rankings for the top 20 by trading volume aren’t publicly detailed.

Flipster offers over 300 total trading pairs across its spot and perpetual markets, with the top 20 by volume dominated by major names like BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, XRP/USDT, SOL/USDT, TRX/USDT, and TON/USDT.

Product Range

IG mainly supports spot crypto investing and CFDs, but does not currently offer standalone margin, perpetual futures, options, crypto ETFs, staking, lending, copy-trading, grid bots, or automatic DCA tools.

The exchange supports spot trading (limited to the six major coins noted), a wide range of perpetual futures with up to 100× leverage, plus yield products via its Earn Campaign and Launchpool—but it does not currently offer options, ETFs, copytrading, staking, lending, grid bots, or fully automated DCA.

Liquidity

IG leverages Uphold’s infrastructure for liquidity, ensuring reasonable access and execution—but public figures for 24-hour volume or order-book depth on BTC and ETH aren’t shared directly on its platforms.

Flipster delivers deep liquidity and tight execution for BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT pairs, with 24-hour volumes often exceeding $100 million on top pairs and robust order-book depth, ensuring minimal slippage even for large trades.

Tools

IG’s platform offers basic order types like market, limit, and stop-loss; price alerts and interactive charts are included, though advanced conditional orders, APIs/WebSocket access, and native TradingView integration are not part of the current crypto toolkit.

Users benefit from a full suite of advanced tools—including limit, market, trigger (stop/stop-limit/OCO), and recurring buy orders (enabling basic DCA), plus charting with built-in analytics, Instant Flip for position reversal, and a smooth API/websocket infrastructure—though TradingView isn’t natively integrated.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Crypto investing through IG is currently limited to eligible regions—such as the UK rollout for retail clients—with some derivatives offerings either restricted or unavailable depending on local regulatory constraints.

Certain features, especially derivatives, are restricted in specific countries—Flipster is completely unavailable to U.S. residents and likewise limits access in various jurisdictions under regulatory constraints.

Innovation

IG’s latest crypto launch focuses on streamlined access and integrates directly into its platform, but it doesn’t offer token launchpads, yield farming, staking pools, or flexible vs locked “earn” product structures at this time.

Flipster stands out with its Launchpool feature for early access and rewards, and its Earn campaigns which offer flexible, non-locked APR rewards on USDT balances—all delivered without interrupting trading capabilities.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Crypto trading via IG is provided through its partnership with Uphold—a U.S.-based platform—while IG Group Holdings plc (founded in 1974) remains the UK-listed parent company headquartered in London, though the crypto offering technically operates under Uphold’s custody infrastructure.

Flipster is legally structured under Flipster Corp, with its operational headquarters in Warsaw, Poland, and was founded in 2021—positioning itself within a well-regulated European tech environment.

Licenses/Registration

IG itself offers crypto access in the UK via Uphold, which is regulated as a crypto platform in both the U.S. and U.K.; IG Group operates under its existing FCA and Bermuda Monetary Authority permissions, but crypto-specific licenses like MiCA or VASP registrations in the EU are not publicized for IG directly.

Flipster is registered and recognized as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) and holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification, aligning with international data security standards; additionally, it holds an AA rating from CER.live, signaling strong institutional-grade security practices.

Custody

Crypto assets bought through IG are held by Uphold under a third-party custody model; IG does not manage wallets itself, and there’s no public evidence of proof-of-reserves, independent audits, or data on the percentage held in cold storage.

The platform uses institutional-level custody powered by Fireblocks with MPC and cold storage, ensuring robust asset protection; it publishes daily, independently verifiable Proof of Reserves via Merkle tree snapshots, confirming a full 1

Insurance & Protection Funds

Cryptocurrency holdings via IG (through Uphold) are not covered by the UK’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and there’s no mention of alternative insurance or protective reserve mechanisms designed for crypto assets.

Flipster maintains an insurance fund and adheres to enterprise best practices like penetration testing and continuous security audits, creating multiple defense layers to safeguard user assets.

Incident History

While IG Group has experienced system outages, refund errors, and a past regulatory fine in France, no reported crypto-specific hacks or custody breaches have occurred in connection with the new crypto service to date.

Flipster has demonstrated proactive incident response—blocking deposits associated with known hacks and reinforcing defenses using Chainalysis—without any reported major hacks or regulatory penalties to date.

Risk Controls

Basic security best practices are encouraged—such as secure device use and phishing awareness—but features like mandatory two-factor authentication, withdrawal whitelists, sub-accounts, or granular API permissioning tied specifically to crypto use are not currently highlighted in IG’s offering.

Security features include mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA), dynamic whitelists, anti-phishing mechanisms, and granular API permissions, all supported by a zero-trust internal model and real-time threat detection infrastructure.

Transparency

IG does not appear to provide public wallets, proof-of-reserve transparency, or specific service-level agreements tied to crypto custody, nor are there dedicated monthly crypto custody reports available for clients.

Flipster emphasizes transparency through publicly accessible daily reserve reports, frequent audits, and visible wallet proof-of-reserve data—though it doesn’t currently provide formal monthly transparency reports or a public SLA.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

IG supports bank transfers, credit/debit cards, and PayPal or other local e-wallets depending on your region; deposits are usually instant for cards and e-wallets, and 1–3 business days for transfers, with minimums varying by region (e.g. ~£10 for crypto funding) and upper limits often governed by your provider’s terms.

Flipster does not support fiat deposits—no bank transfers, cards, or e-wallets are available. All funding must occur via cryptocurrency, so there are no fiat minimums, maximums, or processing times to consider.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

IG requires identity verification before enabling withdrawals; while they don’t label tiers publicly, a basic verified account grants full functionality, and advanced documentation may be needed for higher-volume transfers, though explicit tier definitions aren’t displayed.

Flipster enforces a multi-level KYC verification process—from basic personal info to ID, proof of address, and source of funds—with each level unlocking full access to trading, deposits, and withdrawals; no tiered trading is allowed without KYC completion.

Withdrawals

Withdrawals are processed via the same method used to fund (card, bank, PayPal); limits include daily card maximums (e.g. £ or $25,000) and no set caps on bank transfers, with processing ranging from instant (PayPal) to 1–5 business days depending on method; IG does not support on-chain crypto withdrawals via any network.

Withdrawals are capped at a maximum of $1,000,000 per day or per transaction, and support multiple networks like ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20, etc.; processing times depend on network congestion, and increasing your limit triggers a mandatory 24-hour security hold.

Customer Support

IG offers robust customer service through live chat, email, and phone across many regions, with prompt response times and a comprehensive help center covering deposits, withdrawals, platform use, and troubleshooting.

Flipster offers responsive 24/7 support via live chat and email, along with a comprehensive Help Center and FAQs—users experience generally quick replies alongside self-service resources to resolve common questions.

Languages & Localization

IG provides multilingual support including Spanish; clients in euro zones can see pricing in euros, and services are adapted under local regulators like the FCA (UK) or BMA, ensuring localized compliance and presentation.

The platform is primarily in English, displays values in USD/crypto, and lacks localized fiat pricing or regulatory messaging tailored to specific countries—reflecting its crypto-native global orientation.

App Quality & Stability

IG’s mobile and web platforms are known for their stability and regular updates, resulting in smooth user experience with minimal crashes—specific crash-rate data isn’t published, but continuous enhancements and high availability are emphasized.

Flipster’s mobile apps for Android and iOS are stable, mirror the desktop experience seamlessly, and are frequently updated—user reviews highlight their smooth performance and intuitive interface with minimal crashes.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

While IG doesn’t label modes as “Lite” or “Pro,” its platform balances clean design with professional depth—new users often find the interface intuitive to navigate, while more advanced traders can adopt MT4 or ProRealTime for a deeper feature set.

Flipster delivers a sleek and intuitive interface that’s easy for beginners to pick up, yet powerful enough for pros—though it doesn’t offer separate “Lite” or “Pro” modes, its uniform design balances simplicity and advanced functionality in one accessible layout.

Performance

IG’s platform is generally responsive with fast order execution, though like many brokers, it may face brief slowdowns during extreme volatility; KYC processing is uninterrupted but may take longer during surges in new account demand.

Engineered for speed, Flipster provides ultra-fast, sub-millisecond order execution with zero spreads on major perp pairs—even during volatile spikes—and although high-demand periods may slow KYC, trading performance remains reliably smooth for approved users.

Education

IG offers an extensive educational ecosystem—including IG Academy, live webinars, and a robust demo account—many of which are available in Spanish, supporting both novices and more advanced learners.

While Flipster doesn’t offer a demo or simulator, it makes up for it with a helpful blog, glossary, and educational guides in its Help section—though content is primarily in English, with no dedicated Spanish-language academy or tutorials yet available.

Community

While IG has an active support community with forums and a rich help center, it does not currently maintain dedicated Discord or Telegram groups, nor does it focus on referral incentives for crypto users.

Flipster fosters a strong community through its official Telegram channel and social features—users can set up profiles, share trades, mirror others, and participate in referral and affiliate programs that reward engagement and exposure.

Integrations

IG supports integration with charting platforms like TradingView (via third-party platforms), but does not offer native trading bots, tax reporting tools, or built-in accounting integrations within its crypto offering.

The platform doesn’t include native TradingView or tax tool integrations, but it supports external bot access via robust API/websocket infrastructure, enabling power users to connect and automate strategies with external tools.

Who Each One Is Best For

IG is particularly well-suited for multi-asset investors who value trading under a regulated, centralized broker that combines stocks, forex, and crypto in one platform—but may not suit those seeking self-custody, deep customization, or community-driven features.

Flipster suits active perpetual traders and volatility chasers who prize execution speed and deep liquidity, while passive earners and social traders benefit from Launchpool and referral tools—less ideal for those seeking fiat, derivatives beyond perpetuals, or localized learning content.