# Interactive Brokers

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/interactive-brokers/

5 people recommended Interactive Brokers in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 12 months, in 5 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

These are opinions from Hacker News comments, not financial advice.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for cheap margin loans, strong fit for retail traders, and broad market access. Critics point to monthly minimum commissions and siloed handling of options contracts.

Summary written by Claude from 8 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Strong for retail traders (2 comments in the sample): "It is unmatched for non-institutional (retail) traders in my experience." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46711106)) "Happy IBKR customer here." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47760184))

## Other online brokerages people recommend

- [Robinhood](https://hackerapproved.com/p/robinhood/): 12 recommend, 3 mixed, 35 criticize
- [Charles Schwab brokerage](https://hackerapproved.com/p/charles-schwab/): 8 recommend, 2 mixed, 11 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Interactive Brokers", https://hackerapproved.com/p/interactive-brokers/ (5 recommend, 1 mixed, 2 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.