Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Admirals 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.
Admirals and IFC Markets are both online brokerages serving traders worldwide. Admirals, established in 2001, stands out with a high Trust Score of 93 as rated by ForexBrokers.com, indicating it is highly trusted. Admirals holds four Tier-1 licenses, which are the most trusted regulatory certifications, and three Tier-2 licenses. Even though Admirals is not publicly traded or a bank, its regulatory standing provides an added layer of trust and security for its users.
In comparison, IFC Markets has been operating since 2006 but holds a lower Trust Score of 73, placing it in the average risk category according to ForexBrokers.com. IFC Markets holds no Tier-1 licenses and has only one Tier-2 license, which makes it less regulated compared to Admirals. Like Admirals, IFC Markets is neither publicly traded nor a bank. This regulatory difference might be a notable factor for traders when deciding between the two brokerages.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Admirals generally looks cheaper on typical trades. Admirals lists typical spreads of 0.8 pips on its Trade account, with similar pricing on the Zero account, while IFC Markets’ average EUR/USD spread is 1.44 pips. For high-frequency traders, IFC Markets narrows the gap with its ECN account, where the effective spread can drop to about 1.1 pips after the 0.005% commission charged on both sides. For this category, Admirals is rated 4.5/5 stars and ranks #18 of 63 at ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets earns 4/5 stars and ranks #40 of 63.
Admirals’ pricing is straightforward: typical spreads of 0.8 pips on the Trade account, with the Zero account offering similar pricing. That keeps day-to-day trading costs competitive for popular pairs like EUR/USD, without having to factor in extra per-trade commission math.
IFC Markets charges more on average spreads (1.44 pips on EUR/USD versus the 1.08 industry average), but active traders can benefit from the ECN account’s effective 1.1-pip pricing after the 0.005% commission on both sides. The lack of inactivity fees and the availability of active trader discounts add extra value for frequent or long-term users. Overall, IFC Markets is rated 4/5 stars and ranks #40 of 63 for commissions and fees, compared to Admirals’ 4.5/5 stars and #18 ranking.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.8 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 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.
Admirals offers a much wider range of investments than IFC Markets. Traders get access to 8,702 tradeable symbols at Admirals versus 630 at IFC Markets, including 82 forex pairs at Admirals compared with 49 at IFC Markets. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs and as spot, offer copy trading, and provide cryptocurrency exposure via CFDs (neither lets you buy actual crypto). A key difference: Admirals lets you buy exchange-traded U.S. shares outright (not CFDs), while IFC Markets does not. Both brokers offer access to international exchange-traded stocks.
For Range of Investments, Admirals is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #20 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #44. If you want the largest selection of markets and the ability to own U.S. shares directly, Admirals stands out; if your needs are simpler and you mainly trade CFDs or forex, both platforms cover the essentials.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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.
Admirals and IFC Markets both check the key boxes for everyday traders. Each broker offers a free demo account for paper trading, proprietary platforms alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and access via web browsers and Windows desktop apps. You also get copy trading on both, plus the ability to place trades directly from charts. Charting and watchlists are available with a range of common indicators and customization options to help you track markets the way you like.
In independent evaluations, both brokers earn 4 stars for trading platforms and tools, with Admirals ranked #19 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com and IFC Markets ranked #37. If you value a higher industry ranking, Admirals has the edge, while IFC Markets still delivers comparable platform choices. Since both provide free demo accounts, testing each platform first-hand is a simple way to see which interface and toolset fits your trading style.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
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.
Admirals and IFC Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android with price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, the ability to draw trendlines, and auto-saving of chart drawings. The key difference is watchlists: IFC Markets syncs watchlist symbols between the mobile app and your online account, while Admirals does not. If you switch between devices or use web and mobile side by side, that syncing can be a timesaver.
Both apps earn 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps. However, ForexBrokers.com ranks Admirals higher in the category (#23 of 63) compared to IFC Markets (#53 of 63). In short, choose IFC Markets if synced watchlists are a must; pick Admirals if a higher third-party ranking matters more. Otherwise, their mobile features are very similar.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
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.
When it comes to market research, Admirals offers a broader set of tools and sources than IFC Markets. Both brokers provide daily market commentary, a sentiment tool, and an economic calendar, and neither includes Autochartist. Admirals goes further with forex news from top-tier providers like Bloomberg/Reuters/Dow Jones (or similar), plus added research from Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading. By contrast, IFC Markets does not include those premium news feeds or the Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools.
Ratings back up the difference: Admirals scores 4 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #15 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets earns 3.5 stars and ranks #41. If you want richer news and third‑party analysis built in, Admirals is the stronger pick; if you only need core commentary, sentiment, and a calendar, IFC Markets can cover the basics.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginner traders comparing Admirals and IFC Markets, both brokers offer plenty of video lessons: each has at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos to help you grow from basics to more complex strategies. A key difference is live learning: Admirals hosts online educational webinars at least once per month, while IFC Markets does not. If you value step-by-step guidance and the chance to ask questions in real time, Admirals has the edge. If you prefer to study on your own with video content, both brokers cover core forex and CFD topics for new traders.
These offerings show up in their education scores: Admirals earns 4 stars and ranks #12 out of 63 brokers for Education at ForexBrokers.com, compared with IFC Markets at 3.5 stars and a #30 ranking. In short, Admirals is better suited for beginners who want ongoing, live learning support, while IFC Markets remains a solid option for self-paced video-based education.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Admirals is better than IFC Markets. Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45.
Traders choose Admirals for its excellent investor education and advanced MetaTrader features – such as the Supreme add-ons – alongside an extensive range of shares, forex and CFD markets, and premium research content.
| Feature |
Admirals
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IFC Markets
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| Trust Score | 93 | 73 |
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Admirals vs IFC Markets: for cryptocurrency trading, neither online broker offers buying actual (delivered) crypto, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
Comparing online brokers Admirals vs IFC Markets: Admirals supports ACH/SEPA transfers for deposits and withdrawals (PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wire availability not specified), while IFC Markets does not support ACH/SEPA but does offer bank wire funding and does not support PayPal or Skrill (Visa/Mastercard availability not specified).
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 | Admirals | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admirals Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Admirals | IFC Markets | |
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| Regulation | Admirals | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Admirals | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Admirals | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | Admirals | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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 | Admirals | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.8 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Admirals | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Admirals | 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 | Admirals | 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 | Admirals | 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Admirals | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Admirals | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Admirals | 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 | Admirals Review |
| Overall | Admirals | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admirals Review |
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