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.
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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 account | 1.2 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.85 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing ACY Securities vs IFC Markets on range of investments: ACY lists about 2,200 tradable instruments, while IFC Markets offers roughly 630. ACY also provides more forex pairs (66 vs 49). Both brokers support forex trading either as CFDs or spot contracts, offer copy trading, and let you trade cryptocurrency via CFDs (neither supports buying actual crypto).
When it comes to direct share ownership, neither broker offers U.S.-listed stocks. However, IFC Markets does provide access to international exchange-traded shares, whereas ACY Securities does not. Reflecting the overall breadth, ACY Securities earns 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked 31st of 63), while IFC Markets scores 3.5 stars (ranked 44th of 63).
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2200 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 both check the key boxes for platform choice and ease of use. Each broker offers a free demo account for practice, a proprietary platform alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and access on both Windows desktop and web-based browsers. Copy trading is available with both, and traders can place orders directly from charts, making it simple to move from analysis to execution.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, both ACY Securities and IFC Markets earn 4 stars. However, ForexBrokers.com ranks IFC Markets slightly higher at #37 out of 63, compared with ACY Securities at #42. If a higher category rank matters to you, IFC Markets has the edge; otherwise, both brokers deliver comparable platform coverage and features.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ACY Securities and IFC Markets both deliver mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, with price alerts and solid charting tools. Each app supports 30 technical indicators, lets you draw trendlines, and automatically saves your chart drawings. Whether you trade forex or stocks, the core features are comparable across both apps.
The main difference is watchlist syncing: IFC Markets syncs your watchlists across the mobile app and your online account, while ACY Securities does not. Both earn 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, but ACY Securities holds a higher category ranking (#41 of 63) compared with IFC Markets (#53 of 63). If cross-device watchlist syncing is important, IFC Markets has the edge; if overall category standing matters more, ACY Securities takes the lead.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | 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 (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginner-friendly education, both ACY Securities and IFC Markets offer at least 10 video lessons that cover core trading topics in plain language. If you like learning live, ACY Securities hosts client webinars about once a month, which can help you ask questions and get quick feedback. IFC Markets does not run monthly educational webinars, so its path for newcomers leans more on self-paced video learning.
As you advance, IFC Markets provides at least 10 videos aimed at experienced traders, while ACY Securities does not meet that threshold. Even so, both brokers earn 3.5 out of 5 stars for Education. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, IFC Markets sits at #30 out of 63 for Education, and ACY Securities is #43. In short: pick ACY Securities if regular live webinars matter as you learn the basics, and choose IFC Markets if you want a wider set of advanced video lessons once you’re ready to go deeper.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | 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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| Trust Score | 75 | 73 |
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ACY Securities and IFC Markets do not offer the purchase of actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both brokers provide cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing online brokers ACY Securities and IFC Markets: ACY Securities supports ACH/SEPA transfers (IFC Markets does not), IFC Markets supports bank wires (ACY Securities not specified), neither lists PayPal or Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability is unspecified for both.
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, FSRA, or SCA 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. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 account | 1.2 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.85 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| 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 Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ACY Securities | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| 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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