VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ A CURATED DIRECTORY OF FINANCIAL TOOLS AND RESOURCES ★

PRICE: 0 CENTS

Friday, December 26, 2025

Tool Comparison

Interactive Brokers vs Total Real Returns comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

Interactive Brokers adds Brokerage, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, Order Book / Level II, APIs & SDKs, Data APIs, Portfolio, Watchlist, Scenario & Stress Tests, Performance Attribution, and Options & Derivatives coverage that Total Real Returns skips.

Total Real Returns includes Data Visualizations categories that Interactive Brokers omits.

Total Real Returns keeps a free entry point that Interactive Brokers lacks.

Interactive Brokers ships a mobile app. Total Real Returns is web/desktop only.

In depth comparison

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.

Platforms

WebMobileDesktopAPI

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.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes

You haven't voted yet

View full profile Visit site

Total Real Returns

totalrealreturns.com

Web tool for CPI-U inflation-adjusted ("real") and nominal total return charts with dividends reinvested, plus returns tables and drawdowns (EOD; daily updates ~8pm ET).

Platforms

Web

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view).
Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages.
Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers.
Controls for custom date ranges and normalization modes (Start=1, End=1, IPO=1, Off).
Per-symbol performance breakdown includes overall return, exponential trendline/annualized rates (with R^2), growth of $10,000, annual returns, and drawdowns.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes

You haven't voted yet

View full profile Visit site

Where they differ

Interactive Brokers

Distinct strengths include:

Brokerage Paper Trading Advanced Order Types Smart/Direct Routing Order Book / Level II APIs & SDKs Data APIs Portfolio

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.

Total Real Returns

Distinct strengths include:

Data Visualizations

CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view).
Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages.
Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers.
Controls for custom date ranges and normalization modes (Start=1, End=1, IPO=1, Off).

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	Interactive Brokers	Total Real Returns
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Risk Metrics Unique: Brokerage, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Smart/Direct Routing, Order Book / Level II, APIs & SDKs, Data APIs, Portfolio, Watchlist, Scenario & Stress Tests, Performance Attribution, Options & Derivatives	Shared: Risk Metrics Unique: Data Visualizations
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Currencies, Commodities, Cryptos	Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Currencies
Experience levels Who each product is built for	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced	Beginner, Intermediate
Platforms Where you can access the product	Web, Mobile, Desktop, API	Web
Pricing High-level pricing models	Other	Free
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	Unique 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. Portfolio Rebalancer tool to realign or target allocation weights across accounts.	Unique CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view). Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages. Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers. Controls for custom date ranges and normalization modes (Start=1, End=1, IPO=1, Off). Per-symbol performance breakdown includes overall return, exponential trendline/annualized rates (with R^2), growth of $10,000, annual returns, and drawdowns. Instrument pages include common stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and a USDOLLAR cash/currency series.
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 Total Real Returns both support?

Both platforms cover Risk Metrics workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Which tool offers a free plan?

Total Real Returns 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 Total Real Returns 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 Total Real Returns stands out for CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view)., Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages., and Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.