Is IQ Option a Good Platform for Your Investments?
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IQ Option is a highly popular trading platform with presence in thirty countries. It has seven million registered users; I suppose not all these users are active traders, but have registered to check out their demo account.
It’s regulated by CySEC in Cyprus and registered with other governmental organisations such as British FCA, CNMV in Spain, the Italian Consob or Regafi in France.
Of course, before deciding whether you want to start trading with IQ Option you’ll have lots of questions on their commissions, functionality and the assets you can trade with them.
To answer all these questions and any doubts, I’m sharing this detailed IQ Option review and sharing my insights on this trading platform.
Opinions about IQ Option: Summary.
IQ Option allows you to trade with derivative products (CFDs), a bit over 250 different assets are available (e.g. stocks, ETFs, commodities, crypto and Forex) – that doesn’t seem like an awful lot. If you’re a finance professional, you’ll also be able to trade with options. Their platform is well-designed and looks modern, and the spreads are reasonable.
If you’re not an experienced trader, IQ Option is not the best option because you won’t be able to operate without leverage . It’s also not possible to buy the real asset (e.g. stocks or ETFs), you can only invest in derivative products. In this case, you might be interested in taking a look at alternatives such as DEGIRO, XTB o eToro.
Pros and Cons of IQ Option.
I’m going to go through the main advantages and disadvantages of IQ Option, so you have an overview of what to expect from this trading platform.
The pros to consider:
Modern application : The IQ Option platform is modern and easy to use, and the graph analysis is highly practical albeit somewhat limited (I’ll tell you more about this below). Spreads : Generally speaking, I find the spreads IQ Option charges reasonable compared to those from its competitors, although this is a bit difficult to judge. Fast support : Whenever I had to contact IQ Option support they were always fast. I believe support in other languages than English is a bit slower. European regulation : IQ Option is based in Cyprus, and thus is subject to European financial regulation. As well as this, IQ Option is duly registered with European organisations such as Spain’s CNMV, Regafi in France or Consob in Italy. It’s also registered with the British FCA. For the time being it’s not regulated with organisations from the United States, Japan or Australia, among others. This means you will not be able to operate from these countries. Options : If you have a professional account you’ll be able to operate with options; not many other brokers allow this.
And the cons to consider:
Somewhat slow web app : In my experience, their web app, although well-designed, is a bit slow. If you install the app in your computer it should be faster. Few assets : Unfortunately, IQ Option does not offer the widest variety of assets for you to trade with. At the moment this review was written, it only has a total of 260 in stock, ETFs, Forex, commodities and cryptocurrency CFDs. There are other brokers that offer more variety. Inactivity fee : If you don’t use IQ Option for three months you will be charged a monthly inactivity fee of $/£/€10. It only operates with derivatives : Unlike some of its competitors (e.g. eToro, XTB o DEGIRO), you will only be able to operate with derivative (mainly CFD). These are more complex than other securities (e.g. real stock).
Who Should Use IQ Option?
Undoubtedly, IQ Option is only a valid option for those who wish to operate with derivatives , basically for traders. Its most attractive feature is probably that those who are interested and have financial professional profiles can operate with options as well as CFDs.
Unfortunately, IQ Option does not have the widest asset variety. This might not be ideal for many traders. Other platforms such as Plus500, XTB or eToro offer more options.
IQ Option in Detail.
Criteria Comment Country and regulation Cyprus, Italy, Spain, France, United Kingdom, etcetera. IQ Option is regulated by CySEC (in Cyprus), registered in various governmental organisations such as the CNMV (Spain), CONSOB (Italy), FCA (United Kingdom), CNB (Czech Republic), AFM (Netherlands), Regafi (France), etc.
Is IQ Option Safe?
IQ Option uses SSL connections to encrypt the connection and data exchange with the browser or your apps. It also uses safe payment systems such as PayPal or Skrill.
IQ Option 2-Step Authentication.
It’s also possible to enable its 2-step authentication which offers an extra security layer as it requires users to confirm access to the broker on their phones.
This platform allows you to see what sessions are open and check the history of who and when used the platform; this way to spot if someone who wasn’t you had access to your IQ Option account.
IQ Option Fees and Commissions.
As with most trading platforms, IQ Option will not charge you any fees to open the account , deposit or withdraw funds (unless you use bank transfers to withdraw money).
This trading platform does have an inactivity fee. If you don’t operate for 90 days, you’ll have to pay $/€/£10 monthly .
Another typical trading fee is the financing fee that applies when you hold a leverage position after the market closes. For this, they will charge you a fee of 0,01% to 0,6% . Although in some cases it could go as high as 1,7% – they don’t specify which are these cases.
Spread for IQ Option stock.
IQ Option will charge you a spread for opening or closing positions. This spread is a margin between the purchase and sale price of a security (they sell at a higher price than they buy). This is how market makers like IQ Option are financed.
IQ Option Spread Examples.
Assets Spread Amazon stock CFDs 0.09% Apple stock CFDs 0.1% Coca-Cola stock CFDs 0.212% EURUSD CFDs 0.026% EURJPY CFDs 0.083% EURGBP CFDs 0.104% Bitcoin CFDs 0.3% Etherum CFDs 2.037% Litecoin CFDs 1.528% Gold CFDs 0.072% Silver CFDs 0.168% MSCI Emerging CFDs 0.067% S&P 500 CFDs 0.023%
Note : Keep in mind that these spreads were the ones established by IQ Option on 8 th January 2021, and shall vary across time.
Assets You Can Trade with IQ Option.
With IQ Option you can only invest in derivative products ; these are not the real asset; their price depends on the evolution of the underlying (real) asset’s price. In other words, with IQ Option you will not be able to invest in, for instance, Apple stock, but you may invest in a derivative financial asset (CFD) on Apple stocks.
Unless you are a professional (IQ Option) client with extensive financial knowledge, the only security you can use to invest will be Contracts for Difference (CFDs). Professional clients will have access to trading options on FOREX.
Available IQ Option Assets.
With IQ Option you will not be able to invest in investment funds, stock, ETFs and fixed-income assets. If you want to make this type of investment you can take a look at brokers like DEGIRO.
And with IQ Option it’s possible to invest in the following CFDs:
Stock CFDs : You have nearly 180 different stock CFDs to invest in. Some of these are: Tesla, Baidu, Apple, Amazon or Spotify. Leverage is 1:5. ETF CFDs: With IQ Option it’s also possible to trade ETF CFDs. They have 23 different ones; this doesn’t seem like a lot, right? Leverage is the same as in stock CFDs. Forex CFDs: IQ Option offers 25 currency pairs to invest in through CFDs. Some of these are EUR/USD, AUD/USD, GBP/USD or GBP/JPY. Leverage is 1:30. Commodities CFDs: IQ Option has 4 commodities CFDs in its portfolio: gold, crude oil, silver and Brent barrel. These CFDs operate at a 1:20 leverage. Cryptocurrency CFDs: IQ Option offers CFDs for cryptos such as Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple or Litecoin, a total of 12. Leverage for cryptocoin CFDs is 1:2.
Note : Please keep in mind that the aforementioned leverage levels are for retail accounts of European users. Other types of accounts may have a different leverage.
Some traders will miss index CFDs; these are very common in other platforms (such as Plus500, eToro or XTB). It’s surprising not to find them on IQ Option.
I must say that there is a certain variety of products with IQ Option , but the truth is that t here are trading platforms that offer many more different assets to invest in. For instance, Plus500 or XTB have over 2,000 different assets in their portfolio.
How Does IQ Option Work?
IQ Option offers intuitive Android and iOS apps to manage your trades. It’s also possible to use a web browser to log on to their online platform and trade from any modern browser. However, I am under the impression, that this app is a bit slow.
Stock trading with IQ Option.
But to solve this, there is an installable IQ Option app for Windows (PC) and MAC computers , which is significantly faster than the version on the browser.
If you are considering using an external trading platform (such as Metatrader 4 or 5) with IQ Option, keep in mind that this is not possible. You will have to stick to their own platform.
White IQ Option theme setting.
One thing I really like about the IQ Option platform is that you can change its appearance however it suits you best. For example, you can choose between various interface colours (such as dark and light, among others).
When you make your first deposit you will have to choose what currency you want to operate with. You can choose between US Dollars, Euros and GBP. Keep in mind that once you have chosen a currency it will not be possible to change to another one later on.
Choosing IQ Option’s currency.
Opening an Account with IQ Option.
IQ Option offers a fast way to open an account . You will be able to use your own e-mail and password, or link it to your Google or Facebook account; this last option is good if you don’t want to remember passwords.
IQ Option demo account.
This will give you immediate access to a demo account with a virtual balance of $/€/£10,000, so you can practice and see how this trading platform works before you start with real investments.
To open an account with IQ Option, take the following steps:
Go to www.iqoption.com and click on “Register” Confirm your e-mail account via the e-mail they will send you Add your personal details (full name, phone number, etc.) Confirm your telephone number (you will receive an SMS with a code) Upload a proof of identity (such as your passport) Send the required documents Fill in the form on our trading experience.
Types of IQ Option Accounts.
With IQ Option it’s possible to have three different types of account, let me tell you about their differences below:
Demo account.
As I already mentioned, a couple of times, IQ Option allows users to register and use an account with virtual money (you don’t add funds) to get an idea of how the platform works, and what assets are available. This is certainly of great help when deciding whether IQ Option is for you or not.
Real account.
This is the real version of the demo account. With it, you can make real investments (risking your money), and trade assets (CFDs). To access this account, you will have to verify your identity.
Keep in mind that opening a real account doesn’t mean your demo account disappears . You will still have access to both. Be careful not to trade thinking that you are on the demo account whilst actually being on the real account.
Professional account.
If you are a finance professional, or you can prove that you have a certain experience trading with derivative products, IQ Option may allow you to change to a professional profile. The basic difference is that with this account you’ll be able to trade options and have even higher leverage limits.
How Does IQ Option Manage Taxes?
IQ Option will not withhold taxes on the profits you get from their platform. Thus, you will have to personally manage and pay taxes derived from your investments.
That said, the IQ Option platform offers a review of your operations and profits with their respective dates, which you can use for your tax processes.
It could be that in your country of residence you are required to fill in some forms if you have money or investments in brokers with headquarters outside your country.
Please note : The above tax information is for guidance only and as I am not a tax advisor, this is just a guide and an insight into my personal experience. If you do need further information on this I would advise you to consult an accountant or tax expert.
IQ Option FAQ.
What is IQ Option?
IQ Option is a trading platform with about 7 million users . It is an exclusive CFD broker, you can trade CFDs of stocks, commodities, Forex and crypto – be aware that you aren’t buying the real asset, but a derivative. Truth to be told, this broker doesn’t offer a wide range of assets to invest in, unlike competitors eToro or XTB. Moreover, the platform is a bit slow when you use it with your computer’s browser.
Where is IQ Option located?
IQ Option is registered in Cyprus with the registration number 905 LLC 2021. Being 100% honest, there isn’t much information online about this company, its offices and regulation – I wish they were a bit more open about it all.
Alternatives to IQ Option.
Perhaps some of the above-mentioned disadvantages are a deal-breaker for you. If that this is the case, here are three alternatives.
DEGIRO.
DEGIRO is one of the most popular brokers at the moment in Europe. You can invest in stock and ETFs (IQ Option does not offer this type of asset). Its most remarkable features are an intuitive platform, a wide variety of assets you can invest in and having a simple and competitive fee policy.
XTB.
XTB’s advantage is that it allows you to invest in the real asset as well as derivatives. For instance: you may buy stock or ETFs on XTB just as you would on DEGIRO, but you can also trade CFDs just as you would on IQ Option. Additionally, XTB offers many more assets than IQ Option.
Please note : Keep in mind that with XTB it’s not possible to invest in real assets across all countries. If you are in an EU country you will probably be able to invest on real assets such as stock, something which is unlikely with other countries (e.g. United Kingdom).
eToro.
eToro is another extremely popular trading platform, with millions of active users. With this broker you can also invest in real assets (such as stock and EFTs), but its popularity is, probably, because they allow you to copy other investors. It’s also possible to invest with CFDs using no leverage. Another eToro advantage is that it allows you to buy and sell real cryptocurrencies, not many brokers offer this.
IQ Option Review: Parting Thoughts.
We have taken an in-depth look at IQ Option, but before we finish, I would like to remind you about some key aspects of this broker:
IQ Option has a modern and intuitive interface , as well as decent Android and iOS (iPhone) apps. Opening an account is easy and can be done 100% online . Their customer support team is usually fast , and spreads are competitive and on a par with other platforms.
On the other hand, with IQ Option it’s only possible to trade with derivatives (CFDs and options). I would also like the web platform to be a bit faster. But the main disadvantage is probably that they don’t have as many assets to trade with as their competitors.
By now you should know whether IQ Option is a good option for you, but if you still have any questions or concerns regarding this platform, please leave a comment and I will try to help you.
IQ Option review sources.
www.wikipedia.com www.iqoption.com www.upskillwise.com www.inc.com www.forbes.com www.techradar.com www.cysec.gov.cy www.startup.info.
Latest updates.
05 Dec 2022 – IQ Option new risk message. 29 Nov 2022 – FAQ section about IQ Option added. 13 Nov 2022 – New min. deposit. 26 Jul 2021 – Moved to upskillwise.com 26 Apr 2021 – Affiliate disclosure added 01 Mar. 2021 – Initial review.
83% of small investors incur losses when investing in CFDs with IQ Option. CFDs are complex high-risk products due to the leverage. You risk losing your investment.
I am Josep Garcia, I live and work in Barcelona. I have a fulfilling 9 to 5 job as a digital marketer, but I also have several side gigs I enjoy working on. When I decided to launch my own website (in 2022) I took on the challenge of learning how to program, as I wanted my site coded from scratch. I have to say that finding online educational resources (I used Lynda at the time) was a blessing.
Table of Contents.
IQ Option Pros & Cons IQ Option in Detail IQ Option & Security Fees & Spreads Available Products How Does it Work? IQ Option & Taxes IQ Option FAQ IQ Option Alternatives Final Thoughts.