Interactive Brokers vs. Professional Prop firm platforms

I have never traded before on any platform other than widely available "retail" trading platforms such as Charles Schwab active trader and Interactive Brokers (Best one I've used). Can one compete with other professional traders using IB platform vs the more specialized, usually more expensive prop firm platforms?

Appreciate any opinions, especially from those who have used both.

 

There's no reason there would be a faster platform than IB, you can't really get faster than instant.

 

Really depends on what type of trading you're doing.

 

IB great all round platform. For active traders, its far from perfect.

Active traders equities: lightspeed,laser,redi..etc

Active traders futures: TT X-trader

 

If you are interested in specialised futures platform, give a try to ButtonTrader - it works exclusively with IB and has a free trial. In terms of usability it's close to X-Trader for 1/10th of the cost.

 

Anvil is top tier by far, Lightspeed is second best.

Laser is shit, Redi is a joke.

 

IB needs to add a scan for stocks moving X% in the last minute