Interactive Brokers adds Brokerage, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, Order Book / Level II, Data APIs, Scenario & Stress Tests, Performance Attribution, and Options & Derivatives coverage that PortfoliosLab skips.
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
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Sunday, October 5, 2025
Head-to-head
Interactive Brokers vs PortfoliosLab comparison
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
PortfoliosLab includes Screeners, ETF Screeners, Backtesting, Correlation, Stock Comparison, ETF Comparison, Factor Exposure, Quant, and Financials categories that Interactive Brokers omits.
Interactive Brokers highlights: Single universal account providing access to around 160 markets across 36 countries and 28 currencies., More than 100 order types and algos, including Bracket, OCO, and OCA, with either SMART routing or direct exchange routing., and Market depth (Level II) and full order book views via Trader Workstation (TWS)..
PortfoliosLab is known for: Portfolio analytics and backtesting with benchmarking, monthly returns, and risk-adjusted ratios such as Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin., Optimization models include Mean–Variance (MVO), Risk Parity, and Hierarchical Risk Parity (HRP), with the ability to backtest from a chosen optimization date., and Risk analytics cover drawdowns, Value at Risk (VaR), Expected Shortfall (CVaR), and multiple volatility estimators..
PortfoliosLab keeps a free entry point that Interactive Brokers lacks.
Interactive Brokers ships a mobile app. PortfoliosLab is web/desktop only.
Interactive Brokers
interactivebrokers.co.uk
Editor’s pick Hands-on review
A global, multi-asset direct-access broker with coverage across 160 markets in 36 countries and 28 currencies. Crypto trading and some services vary by region (IBKR Crypto is powered by Paxos or Zero Hash where supported). Client APIs include the Client Portal Web API and TWS API; retail users authenticate via the local Client Portal Gateway, while OAuth2 applies to approved web integrations.
Categories
Platforms
Web
Mobile
Desktop
API
Pricing
Other
Quick highlights
- Single universal account providing access to around 160 markets across 36 countries and 28 currencies.
- More than 100 order types and algos, including Bracket, OCO, and OCA, with either SMART routing or direct exchange routing.
- Market depth (Level II) and full order book views via Trader Workstation (TWS).
- Advanced options analytics with Greeks, implied volatility curves, and a 3D volatility surface viewer.
- Risk Navigator for real-time portfolio risk, Value-at-Risk, and what-if scenario analysis.
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PortfoliosLab
portfolioslab.com
Portfolio analytics platform with screeners, optimizers, and backtesting. The free tier includes 10 years of data and basic calculations. Plus extends coverage to 40+ years and 200 calculations per month, while Pro unlocks unlimited calculations, 500 holdings per portfolio, CSV import/export, and screener exports. Enterprise offers an API, data-feed integration, and white-labeling. Broker sync is not supported; CSV imports are recommended.
Categories
Platforms
Web
Pricing
Free
Subscription
Quick highlights
- Portfolio analytics and backtesting with benchmarking, monthly returns, and risk-adjusted ratios such as Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin.
- Optimization models include Mean–Variance (MVO), Risk Parity, and Hierarchical Risk Parity (HRP), with the ability to backtest from a chosen optimization date.
- Risk analytics cover drawdowns, Value at Risk (VaR), Expected Shortfall (CVaR), and multiple volatility estimators.
- Comprehensive stock, ETF, and mutual fund screeners with sortable columns, filters, and risk-versus-return scatterplots. Screener results export is available on Pro.
- Factor analysis tools for Alpha and Beta measurement.
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Overlap
Shared focus areas
4 overlapsMutual strengths include APIs & SDKs, Portfolio, and Watchlist plus 1 more area.
Where they differ
Interactive Brokers
Distinct strengths include:
Brokerage
Paper Trading
Advanced Order Types
Smart/Direct Routing
Order Book / Level II
Data APIs
Scenario & Stress Tests
Performance Attribution
- Single universal account providing access to around 160 markets across 36 countries and 28 currencies.
- More than 100 order types and algos, including Bracket, OCO, and OCA, with either SMART routing or direct exchange routing.
- Market depth (Level II) and full order book views via Trader Workstation (TWS).
- Advanced options analytics with Greeks, implied volatility curves, and a 3D volatility surface viewer.
PortfoliosLab
Distinct strengths include:
- Portfolio analytics and backtesting with benchmarking, monthly returns, and risk-adjusted ratios such as Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin.
- Optimization models include Mean–Variance (MVO), Risk Parity, and Hierarchical Risk Parity (HRP), with the ability to backtest from a chosen optimization date.
- Risk analytics cover drawdowns, Value at Risk (VaR), Expected Shortfall (CVaR), and multiple volatility estimators.
- Comprehensive stock, ETF, and mutual fund screeners with sortable columns, filters, and risk-versus-return scatterplots. Screener results export is available on Pro.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | Interactive Brokers | PortfoliosLab |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: APIs & SDKs, Portfolio, Watchlist, Risk Metrics (VaR/ES/Drawdown) Unique: Brokerage, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, Order Book / Level II, Data APIs, Scenario & Stress Tests, Performance Attribution, Options & Derivatives | Shared: APIs & SDKs, Portfolio, Watchlist, Risk Metrics (VaR/ES/Drawdown) Unique: Screeners, ETF Screeners, Backtesting, Correlation, Stock Comparison, ETF Comparison, Factor Exposure, Quant, Financials |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Currencies, Commodities, Cryptos | Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptos |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web, Mobile, Desktop, API | Web |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Other | Free, Subscription |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Yes | Not yet |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Highlighted | Standard listing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do Interactive Brokers and PortfoliosLab both support?
Both platforms cover APIs & SDKs, Portfolio, Watchlist, and Risk Metrics (VaR/ES/Drawdown) workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Which tool offers a free plan?
PortfoliosLab offers a free entry point, while Interactive Brokers requires a paid subscription. Review the pricing table to see how the paid tiers compare.
Which tool has mobile access?
Interactive Brokers ships a dedicated mobile experience, while PortfoliosLab focuses on web or desktop access.
What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?
Interactive Brokers differentiates itself with Single universal account providing access to around 160 markets across 36 countries and 28 currencies., More than 100 order types and algos, including Bracket, OCO, and OCA, with either SMART routing or direct exchange routing., and Market depth (Level II) and full order book views via Trader Workstation (TWS)., whereas PortfoliosLab stands out for Portfolio analytics and backtesting with benchmarking, monthly returns, and risk-adjusted ratios such as Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin., Optimization models include Mean–Variance (MVO), Risk Parity, and Hierarchical Risk Parity (HRP), with the ability to backtest from a chosen optimization date., and Risk analytics cover drawdowns, Value at Risk (VaR), Expected Shortfall (CVaR), and multiple volatility estimators..
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Curation & Accuracy
This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).
Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.