Short answer
Pocket Option is ahead on our score, 4.1/5 against 3.9/5 for IQ Broker.
Pocket Option fits: Very small first deposits and copying other traders
Skip Pocket Option if: You want a regulator behind your money, or contests make you trade too much
IQ Broker fits: Traders who want leveraged CFDs on a polished platform
Skip IQ Broker if: You want fixed-time trades or are new to leverage
Score by score
Pocket Option 4.1/5
- Platform and apps4.7
- Costs and minimums4.8
- Payment options4.6
- Support4.2
- Licensing and openness2.6
IQ Broker 3.9/5
- Platform and apps4.4
- Costs and minimums3.8
- Payment options4.4
- Support4.2
- Licensing and openness3.0
How the two sites look
Pocket Option and IQ Broker in brief
Pocket Option (2017). Pocket Option has run since 2017 and is built around short fixed-time trades: choose up or down and a timer, and a correct call pays a set percentage. Next to the chart sit copy trading, a signals panel and regular contests. An MT5 account for forex and CFDs is offered separately.
IQ Broker. IQ Broker is a newer brand from the group behind IQ Option and Quadcode. It offers leveraged forex and CFDs, not fixed-time options: you open a position and the result depends on how far the price moves, multiplied by leverage.
Licence and safetyBetter here: IQ Broker
Neither Pocket Option nor IQ Broker is authorised by a leading regulator or by any regulator in Asia. Both run through offshore companies, so there is no compensation fund and no local authority to complain to.
Official warnings and alert-list entries we found: Pocket Option 4, IQ Broker 0.
| What we compare | Pocket Option | IQ Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | No leading or Asian regulator. Pocket Option cites an offshore MISA licence from the Comoros. | The group holds CySEC licence 247/14 (IQ Option Europe Ltd) and Australian licence AFSL 327075 (Quadcode AU). |
| Official warnings we found | FCA, CFTC, RBI, Bank of Russia | – |
| Dispute body | No outside dispute body | No outside dispute body |
On licensing and openness IQ Broker scores higher (3.0 vs 2.6).
Entry cost and chargesBetter here: Pocket Option
Pocket Option is cheaper to open: its minimum deposit is $5, compared with $10 at IQ Broker. The smallest trade is $1 on Pocket Option and $1 on IQ Broker.
| What we compare | Pocket Option | IQ Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest deposit | $5 | $10 |
| Lowest trade | $1 | $1 |
| Charges | No pay-in fee listed; currency conversion costs can apply | Spreads and overnight charges; reported 2% after the first withdrawal |
| Pay-out charges | None from the platform; your payment provider may charge | First withdrawal free, then reported 2% |
| Dormant account fee | Not mentioned in the sources we checked – read the current terms | Not stated in the sources we checked |
| Bonus | Deposit bonuses, often 50–100%, with volume rules that can block withdrawals | No standard deposit bonus in our sources |
Payouts and the win rate you needLevel
IQ Broker has no fixed-time trades, so there is no payout percentage to compare. The other platform's payout and break-even rate are shown below.
| What we compare | Pocket Option | IQ Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Top payout | 92% | – |
| Win rate to break even | 52.1% | – |
| Note | 92% applies to popular assets at busy hours; quieter hours are reported 7–12 points lower | Not applicable: CFD results depend on price movement and leverage |
Top payouts apply to a few assets at the busiest hours. Look at the payout on the trade ticket before you open a trade; it is often lower.
Platform and phone appsBetter here: Pocket Option
Pocket Option. A browser platform with several chart styles, indicators and drawing tools. Copy trading and signals sit beside the chart, which makes it easy for a beginner to copy trades before understanding them.
IQ Broker. The Traderoom runs in the browser and as a desktop app, with multi-chart layouts, 100+ indicators, stop-loss and take-profit orders and simple or advanced margin modes.
| What we compare | Pocket Option | IQ Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Browser, Android, iPhone, MT5 (forex) | Browser, Desktop app, Android, iPhone |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Browser app only | Yes |
| Extras | Copy trading, Contests, Small minimum | In-house platform, Strong charts, Desktop app |
Instruments and trade durations
| What we compare | Pocket Option | IQ Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Instruments | 100+ | 500+ |
| Markets | Currencies, Crypto, Commodities, Shares, Indices | Currencies, Shares, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, ETFs |
| Trade durations | 3 seconds – 4 hours | No timer: CFD positions stay open until you close them |
Paying in and cashing outBetter here: Pocket Option
Pocket Option. Money normally goes back the way it came in. Your ID and address are checked before the first pay-out. An active bonus can block a withdrawal until its volume is reached.
IQ Broker. Back to the deposit method after verification. The first withdrawal is free; later ones reportedly cost 2%.
| What we compare | Pocket Option | IQ Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-in methods | Cards, E-wallets, Crypto, Local payment methods | Cards, E-wallets, Crypto, Local payment methods |
| Pay-out methods | Cards, E-wallets, Crypto, Local payment methods | Cards, E-wallets, Crypto, Local payment methods |
| Smallest withdrawal | $10 | – |
| Pay-out speed | Typically 1–3 working days; crypto often quicker (user reports) | Depends on method; processed after verification |
Practice accountLevel
Both have a free practice account, so you can try the two platforms with virtual money before depositing.
| What we compare | Pocket Option | IQ Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Practice balance | $50,000 | $10,000 |
| Try without signing up | Yes | – |
SupportLevel
| What we compare | Pocket Option | IQ Broker |
|---|---|---|
| How to reach support | Live chat, Email, Help pages | Live chat, Email, Help pages |
| Support | 4.2/5 | 4.2/5 |
Which markets they acceptBetter here: IQ Broker
Pocket Option accepts residents of 17 of the markets we cover, IQ Broker of 18.
Only IQ Broker: 1 markets
Philippines
Strengths and weak points
Pocket Option
- +Accounts open from USD 5 and trades from USD 1
- +Copy trading and contests on the same screen as the chart
- +Many ways to pay in, including crypto and local agents in Asia
- +Light web platform that runs well on a phone
- −Only an offshore Comoros licence
- −Named by the UK FCA, the US CFTC and India's RBI
- −Bonuses lock your balance behind trading volume
- −Refuses residents of the Philippines and Japan
IQ Broker
- +Polished web, desktop and phone platform from the IQ Option group
- +500+ CFDs on currencies, shares, indices, commodities, crypto and ETFs
- +USD 10 deposit and a free USD 10,000 demo
- +24/7 live chat and many payment methods
- −Not binary options: leveraged CFDs carry different and often bigger risks
- −Leverage up to 1:3000 sits outside CySEC and ASIC protection
- −The company serving Asian clients isn't named in our sources
- −Reported 2% fee from the second withdrawal
So, Pocket Option or IQ Broker?
Pocket Option is better in 3 of 6 categories here. Pocket Option is ahead on our score, 4.1/5 against 3.9/5 for IQ Broker.
Our choice: Pocket Option
Our pickPocket Option fits: Very small first deposits and copying other traders
+50% bonusConditions
Go to Pocket OptionWhichever you pick, practise on the demo first, keep the first deposit small and withdraw part of it before adding more. Binary options are high-risk and most retail accounts lose money.
Quick answers
Pocket Option or IQ Broker: which is better?
Pocket Option is ahead on our score (4.1/5 vs 3.9/5). Pocket Option fits: Very small first deposits and copying other traders. IQ Broker fits: Traders who want leveraged CFDs on a polished platform.
Which needs a smaller deposit, Pocket Option or IQ Broker?
Pocket Option is cheaper to open: its minimum deposit is $5, compared with $10 at IQ Broker.
Which pays more, Pocket Option or IQ Broker?
IQ Broker has no fixed-time trades, so there is no payout percentage to compare. The other platform's payout and break-even rate are shown below.
Does any regulator supervise Pocket Option or IQ Broker?
No leading regulator and no Asian regulator licenses either of them. Both work through offshore companies, so your money has little protection.
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Pocket Option review →IQ Broker review →Is Pocket Option legit? →