Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ACY Securities vs IFC Markets, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
ACY Securities and IFC Markets, both established brokers in the online trading space, differ in terms of their founding years and regulatory standings. ACY Securities was established in 2011, while IFC Markets began operations in 2006. Neither company is publicly traded or operates as a bank, but their regulatory frameworks set them apart significantly. ACY Securities holds a Tier-1 license, signaling a high level of trust, whereas IFC Markets holds a Tier-2 license. This distinction is reflected in their Trust Score ratings from ForexBrokers.com, with ACY Securities earning a score of 75, indicating an average risk, and IFC Markets slightly trailing with a score of 73.
For traders considering these platforms, the regulatory standing of each broker is an important factor. ACY Securities' Tier-1 license offers a sense of security and trust, while IFC Markets, with its Tier-2 license, also maintains a level of trustworthiness but does not reach the same tier of assurance. The Trust Scores, comparative licenses, and years of foundation provide valuable insights for potential clients assessing the reliability and regulatory compliance of each broker in the competitive field of online trading.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, ACY Securities earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #22 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets scores 4/5 stars and ranks #40 out of 63. In short, ACY tends to offer sharper all-in pricing for active traders, and IFC Markets provides straightforward costs with no inactivity fees.
ACY Securities has three account types. The Standard account is commission-free with a $50 minimum deposit and an average EUR/USD spread of about 1.2 pips, which is slightly above the industry norm. Its commission-based ProZero and Bespoke accounts cut average spreads to around 0.25 pips, with commissions of $6 and $5 per round turn, respectively. If you live in Australia, the ProZero commission drops to $3 per round turn, bringing the effective EUR/USD cost to roughly 0.55 pips—slightly better than the industry average. High-volume traders can also tap a 10-tier program that can trim costs by 0.5 pips per lot when trading more than 50 standard lots per month.
IFC Markets’ average EUR/USD spread is about 1.44 pips, higher than the industry average of 1.08. More active traders can consider the ECN account, where the effective spread is about 1.1 pips after a 0.005% commission on both sides of the trade. The broker does not charge inactivity fees and offers active trader discounts. Overall, ACY’s ProZero and Bespoke accounts are generally cheaper on a spread-plus-commission basis—especially for Australian residents and high-volume traders—while IFC Markets appeals to low-frequency traders who value no inactivity fees and simple, predictable pricing.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $1 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.85 | 1.1 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
ACY Securities vs IFC Markets: When it comes to range of investments, ACY offers a wider lineup with 2,200 tradeable symbols and 66 forex pairs, compared with IFC Markets’ 630 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading via CFDs or spot (where available), and both offer copy trading. For crypto, neither broker lets you buy actual coins, but both provide cryptocurrency derivatives. Stock access differs: neither broker offers exchange-traded U.S. shares, but IFC Markets does provide exchange-traded international shares, while ACY does not offer exchange-traded shares at all.
Independent ratings reflect this mix: ForexBrokers.com scores ACY Securities 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked 31st of 63), while IFC Markets earns 3.5 out of 5 stars (ranked 44th). Choose ACY if you want a larger list of instruments and more forex pairs; pick IFC Markets if access to real international shares alongside CFDs matters to you.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2200 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
ACY Securities and IFC Markets offer similar trading platform lineups: each provides a free paper-trading demo account, an in-house proprietary platform, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), plus both desktop (Windows) and web-based platforms. Copy trading is available at both brokers, while DupliTrade and ZuluTrade are not supported. For charting, each broker lets you trade directly from charts, includes 15 drawing tools, and supports watch lists with 7 customizable columns. The exact number of technical indicators isn’t specified and can vary by platform.
In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars, with IFC Markets ranked #37 of 63 and ACY Securities at #42. Given their near feature parity—demo access, MT4/MT5, proprietary options, copy trading, and similar charting utilities—your choice may come down to platform feel and minor tool differences, with IFC Markets holding a slight edge in category ranking.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ACY Securities and IFC Markets both offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, real-time quote watchlists, trendline drawing, multiple chart time frames (daily, weekly, intraday), auto-saved chart drawings, and 30 built-in technical indicators. Whether you trade stocks or forex, the core charting and alert tools are very similar across both brokers.
The main difference is watchlist syncing: IFC Markets syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while ACY Securities does not. Both earn 4-star Mobile Trading App ratings, yet ForexBrokers.com ranks ACY Securities higher (#41 of 63) than IFC Markets (#53 of 63). If seamless watchlist syncing matters most, IFC Markets has the edge; if overall standing is your tie-breaker, ACY Securities is the pick.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
ACY Securities and IFC Markets both cover the basics for market research: each offers daily market commentary and an economic calendar to track global events. Neither broker carries premium forex news feeds from sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and both lack third‑party research suites such as Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading.
The key difference is sentiment data: IFC Markets provides a tool that shows the ratio of long versus short positions, while ACY Securities does not. Both earn 3.5 out of 5 stars for Research, but ForexBrokers.com ranks IFC Markets slightly higher (#41 of 63) than ACY Securities (#46 of 63). If trader sentiment matters to you, IFC Markets has an edge; otherwise, their research lineups are quite similar.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
ACY Securities and IFC Markets both provide a range of educational resources aimed at helping beginners dive into the world of forex and CFDs. They each offer a minimum of 10 educational pieces, including articles, videos, and more. Where ACY Securities shines is in its offering of monthly online educational webinars, coupled with a searchable archive of past webinars, providing ample opportunity for beginners to learn at their own pace. They also have an array of beginner-friendly educational videos that simplify complex trading concepts.
In contrast, IFC Markets makes a strong case for itself with a broader range of advanced educational videos designed for those looking to deepen their trading expertise. While they don't offer monthly webinars or an archive of past sessions, they do provide a useful investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms, valuable for beginners trying to grasp the lingo of the trading world. Despite these differences, both platforms are rated 3.5 stars for education, though IFC Markets secures a higher rank at #30 compared to ACY Securities' #43 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ACY Securities is better than IFC Markets. ACY Securities finished with an overall rank of #41, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45.
ACY Securities is a MetaTrader-only broker with a reasonable range of markets and a balanced account offering. The broker’s research and educational content, however, could be greatly improved upon.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
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IFC Markets
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 75 | 73 |
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Both ACY Securities and IFC Markets do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Comparing online brokers, ACY Securities supports ACH or SEPA transfers and Skrill for deposits and withdrawals, unlike IFC Markets, while both platforms offer bank wires and Visa or Mastercard, but neither accepts PayPal.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 75 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ACY Securities Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
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| Regulation | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 75 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2200 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.85 | 1.1 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | ACY Securities Review |
| Overall | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 75 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ACY Securities Review |
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