HOOD vs IBKR: Robinhood vs Interactive Brokers Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Robinhood is a retail-focused mobile-first broker targeting younger casual investors, while Interactive Brokers is a technology-driven global brokerage serving sophisticated traders and financial professionals. Robinhood competes on simplicity and crypto integration; IBKR wins on global market access, margin lending, and professional tools.
HOOD vs IBKR is retail simplicity for casual younger investors versus global sophisticated trading infrastructure — Robinhood wins if retail investor engagement and Gold subscriptions sustain growth; IBKR wins if institutional and sophisticated trader account growth compounds alongside margin income.
IBKR holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. IBKR leads on both 1-year return (+60.72%) and forward P/E quality (31.89x vs 36.31x for HOOD), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. Analyst consensus implies similar upside for both: +4.91% for HOOD and +3.12% for IBKR.
- →believe Robinhood's younger demographic will grow its AUM as users accumulate wealth over time
- →value Gold subscription recurring revenue as a buffer against PFOF regulatory risk
- →want exposure to crypto trading integration and retirement account adoption as growth drivers
- →prefer a higher-growth, higher-risk retail brokerage bet at a lower absolute valuation
- →prefer sophisticated global trading infrastructure with 150+ market access
- →value IBKR's margin lending income as a significant NII driver in high-rate environments
- →want lower risk through a diverse client base of sophisticated traders and institutional accounts
- →prefer a more profitable, established brokerage at a lower growth multiple than Robinhood
| Metric | HOOD | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 39.0 | 60.7 |
| AI rank | #1283 | #194 |
| Latest close | $112.19 | $95.35 |
| 1M return | +20.39% | +5.00% |
| 6M return | -4.54% | +34.98% |
| 1Y return | +12.23% | +60.72% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | HOOD | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.22K (+12.2%) started 2025-07-14 | $16.15K (+61.5%) started 2025-07-14 |
| 5Y ago | $32.22K (+222.2%) started 2021-07-29 | $63.13K (+531.3%) started 2021-07-14 |
| 10Y ago | $32.22K (+222.2%) started 2021-07-29 | $119.74K (+1097.4%) started 2016-07-14 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | HOOD | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $101B | $161.73B |
| Trailing P/E | 54.18 | 40.92 |
| Forward P/E | 36.31 | 31.89 |
| Price/Sales | 21.89 | 25.09 |
| EV/Revenue | 20.30 | -5.41 |
| Analyst target | $117.67 | $98.33 |
| Target upside | +4.91% | +3.12% |
| Metric | HOOD | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 15.10% | 16.80% |
| Earnings growth | 2.70% | 22.90% |
| EPS growth | +2.70% | +22.90% |
| FCF margin | N/A | N/A |
| Operating margin | N/A | N/A |
| Profit margin | 41.12% | 16.11% |
| ROIC proxy | 21.46% | 23.56% |
| Return on equity | 21.46% | 23.56% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.37% |
| Beta | 2.34 | 1.33 |
| Debt/equity | 140.48 | 152.19 |
| Current ratio | 1.11 | 1.10 |
| Quick ratio | 1.07 | 1.10 |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | HOOD | IBKR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +12.23% | +60.72% |
| CAGR | +12.24% | +60.77% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.45 | 1.32 | |
| Max drawdown | 57.26% | 18.70% | |
| Max daily drop | 13.24% | 7.79% | |
| Max wkly drop | 28.21% | 11.20% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +222.20% | +514.11% |
| CAGR | +26.61% | +43.77% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.62 | 1.09 | |
| Max drawdown | 90.21% | 38.66% | |
| Max daily drop | 27.59% | 13.01% | |
| Max wkly drop | 28.21% | 17.05% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +222.20% | +1016.75% |
| CAGR | +26.61% | +27.29% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.62 | 0.76 | |
| Max drawdown | 90.21% | 55.09% | |
| Max daily drop | 27.59% | 13.01% | |
| Max wkly drop | 28.21% | 19.03% |
| Category | HOOD | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Robinhood Markets, Inc. | Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. |
| Sector | Financials | Financials |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | Commission-free retail investing platform for younger investors with stocks, options, ETFs, crypto, and new features including retirement accounts and credit cards. Robinhood earns revenue from payment for order flow (PFOF), interest on cash balances, and Gold subscription fees. | Electronic brokerage firm serving individual traders, hedge funds, family offices, and financial advisors with access to 150+ global markets, margin lending, and IBKR Prime prime brokerage services. |
| Investor focus | Monthly active user growth and reactivation, Gold subscribers, retirement account adoption, crypto revenue, and international expansion (UK, EU). | Client account growth (particularly international), net interest income from margin balances, institutional and advisor platform growth, and margin loan demand. |
- →Robinhood democratized investing for younger retail investors with a mobile-first experience that traditional brokers couldn't match
- →Robinhood Gold subscription provides recurring revenue independent of trading activity
- →Crypto trading integration captures crypto-active users who prefer a single investment platform
- →Interactive Brokers' global market access (150+ markets across 34 countries) is unmatched among retail brokers
- →Low-cost, technology-first platform attracts sophisticated traders who execute high volumes across equities, options, futures, and forex
- →IBKR benefits significantly from high interest rates through margin loan income and cash balance interest spreads
- →PFOF regulatory risk — the SEC has proposed rules that could restrict or eliminate Robinhood's primary revenue mechanism
- →Retail trading activity is cyclical — revenue falls significantly in market downturns and low-volatility periods
- →User trust challenges following the 2021 GameStop trading restriction incident linger with some segments of retail investors
- →Interactive Brokers has limited appeal for casual retail investors who find the platform complex
- →IBKR's revenue is significantly interest-rate sensitive — NII declines materially in lower-rate environments
- →Competition from Schwab, Fidelity, and Tastytrade for active trader market share
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