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IC Markets vs Alpari 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of IC Markets vs Alpari, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

IC Markets
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $200
  • Trust Score: 84
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 3583
Alpari
3.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $20
  • Trust Score: 68
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 105

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.

Regulation

IC Markets, established in 2007, and Alpari, founded in 1998, are both private broker firms, meaning they are not publicly traded on a stock exchange, nor are they banks. When it comes to regulatory oversight, IC Markets stands out with two Tier-1 licenses, recognized for their high level of trust in the industry. In contrast, Alpari does not hold any Tier-1 licenses, which could impact the confidence investors have in its regulatory compliance.

Assessing their overall credibility, IC Markets receives a Trust Score of 84 from ForexBrokers.com, classifying it as a trusted broker. Meanwhile, Alpari's Trust Score is 68, placing it in a higher-risk category according to the same rating system. This implies that IC Markets might be a more reliable choice for those concerned with regulatory assurances and broker stability.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Year Founded info 2007 1998
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 2 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 3 1

Fees

Comparing commissions and fees, IC Markets clearly publishes low, all-in trading costs, while Alpari provides fewer pricing details. IC Markets is rated 5/5 stars and ranks #5 of 63 brokers for Commissions & Fees at ForexBrokers.com (Best in Class, 2024). Alpari is rated 4/5 stars and ranks #42 of 63 in the same category, and it does not publish average spread data.

IC Markets offers three account types: a commission-free Standard account and two commission-based Raw Spread accounts (cTrader and MetaTrader). The Standard account lists an average EUR/USD spread of 0.62 pips. On commission accounts, cTrader pricing is $3.00 per side per 100,000 units ($6 round turn), while MetaTrader (MT4/MT5) is $3.50 per side ($7 round turn). With average raw spreads as low as 0.02 pips on EUR/USD (August 2022), estimated all-in costs are about 0.62 pips on cTrader or 0.72 pips on MetaTrader—very competitive. IC Markets also provides active-trader discounts above 100 standard lots per month, a low minimum deposit for commission accounts, and pricing that can vary by platform, account type, and its EU (Cyprus), Australia, or Seychelles entities.

Alpari’s lack of published average spread data makes precise cost comparisons difficult. Without those averages, traders can’t easily estimate all-in costs across Alpari’s accounts and platforms, whereas IC Markets lays out clear commission schedules and effective spread examples. Bottom line: for published, low-cost pricing, IC Markets (5/5 stars, #5/63) has the edge over Alpari (4/5 stars, #42/63) on commissions and fees.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Minimum Deposit info $200 $20
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.62 info N/A info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.62 info N/A info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info No No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

IC Markets vs Alpari: When it comes to range of investments, IC Markets offers 3,583 tradeable symbols and 61 forex pairs, while Alpari lists 105 symbols and 46 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. If you want more markets to choose from, IC Markets provides the broader selection.

Neither broker lets you buy U.S.-listed shares directly, but both offer access to exchange-traded securities on select international exchanges. Copy trading is available at both. For crypto, each broker supports derivatives but not direct coin purchases. Reflecting these points, IC Markets is rated 4.5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #26 out of 63 brokers, whereas Alpari holds 3 stars and ranks #64 (out of 63).

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 3583 105
Forex Pairs (Total) info 61 46
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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). 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.

Trading platforms and tools

IC Markets and Alpari both offer free demo accounts, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), browser-based web platforms, Windows desktop platforms, copy trading, trading straight from charts, 15 drawing tools, and watch lists with seven fields. IC Markets additionally supports ZuluTrade, while Alpari distinguishes itself with a proprietary platform built in-house. Neither broker supports DupliTrade.

Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for trading platforms and tools, yet their category rankings differ at ForexBrokers.com: IC Markets ranks #16 out of 63, whereas Alpari ranks #56. Choose IC Markets if you want ZuluTrade and a higher-ranked platform lineup; pick Alpari if having a broker-built platform alongside MetaTrader is a priority.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info No Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes Yes
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info Yes No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 30 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 15 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 7 7

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Comparing IC Markets vs Alpari for mobile trading, both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps with real-time watchlists and price alerts. Each app includes about 30 technical indicators for charting, supports drawing trendlines, and lets you switch among multiple time frames such as intraday, daily, and weekly. Note that neither app syncs watchlist symbols between mobile and the online account.

The main differences are in charting convenience and overall ranking. IC Markets automatically saves your chart drawings, while Alpari does not—useful if you analyze charts on the go. Both earn 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, but ForexBrokers.com ranks IC Markets much higher (#22 of 63) than Alpari (#57 of 63), which may sway traders who value a smoother mobile experience and autosaving chart tools for forex or stock-focused workflows.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info No No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 30 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info Yes No
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

IC Markets vs Alpari: For market research, IC Markets offers more built-in tools. IC Markets provides daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (e.g., Bloomberg, Reuters, Dow Jones), Autochartist, Trading Central, a sentiment tool showing long/short ratios, and an economic calendar. Alpari also delivers headline forex news from leading wires and includes Autochartist plus an economic calendar, but it lacks daily commentary, Trading Central, and a sentiment tool.

On third‑party research, IC Markets does not include TipRanks or Acuity Trading; Alpari’s support for TipRanks and Acuity Trading is not specified. Based on ForexBrokers.com, IC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #23 out of 63 for Research, while Alpari scores 3 stars and ranks #58. If you want daily insights, Trading Central analysis, and sentiment data alongside news and an economic calendar, IC Markets is the stronger pick; Alpari covers the essentials for traders who only need news and a calendar.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Daily Market Commentary info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info Yes Yes
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes No
TipRanks info No
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) info No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

When comparing the educational resources available to beginners, IC Markets offers a wider range of tools than Alpari. Both platforms provide a substantial selection of over 10 educational pieces, including articles, videos, and more, focusing on forex and CFDs. However, IC Markets takes the lead by offering monthly online educational webinars, which Alpari does not provide. Additionally, IC Markets maintains a searchable archive of recorded webinars, allowing learners to access past sessions at their convenience—a feature Alpari does not offer.

For those starting in the trading world, IC Markets provides at least 10 beginner-focused educational videos as well as an appealing selection of advanced videos for experienced traders. In contrast, while Alpari also serves beginners with its educational videos, it lacks in-depth content for advanced traders. Both platforms offer an investor dictionary with over 50 terms, but IC Markets earns a higher rating of 4 stars compared to Alpari's 3 stars for educational content. Based on a ranking of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, IC Markets secures the 16th spot for education, while Alpari is ranked 48th, showcasing the more comprehensive educational support offered by IC Markets.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IC Markets is better than Alpari. IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #20, while Alpari finished with an overall rank of #58.

IC Markets’ competitive pricing and scalable execution make it an excellent option for algorithmic traders. Though it supports an impressive range of third-party tools and plugins, IC Markets’ research and education offerings are not as impressive as those offered by industry leaders.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 84 68
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with IC Markets or Alpari?

Both IC Markets and Alpari do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency but provide options to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.

What funding options does each broker offer?

When comparing online brokers IC Markets and Alpari, both offer Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wire options for depositing or withdrawing funds; however, only IC Markets provides the PayPal option, while neither broker supports ACH or SEPA transfers.

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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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Overall Rating IC Markets Alpari
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 84 68
Winner check_circle
Review IC Markets Review
Broker Screenshots IC Markets Alpari
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
IC Markets cTrader mobile app charting IC Markets EU cTrader desktop trading platform layout IC Markets webinar IC Your Trade YouTube video series. IC Markets Educational content blog articles.
Regulation IC Markets Alpari
Trust Score info 84 68
Year Founded info 2007 1998
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No info
Tier-1 Licenses info 2 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 3 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) IC Markets Alpari
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info No No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info No No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info No No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) IC Markets Alpari
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info No No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments IC Markets Alpari
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 3583 105
Forex Pairs (Total) info 61 46
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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). 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 IC Markets Alpari
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.62 info N/A info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.62 info N/A info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes Yes
Inactivity Fee info No No
Execution: Agency Broker info Yes Yes
Execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding IC Markets Alpari
Minimum Deposit info $200 $20
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info No No
Trading Platforms IC Markets Alpari
Proprietary Platform info No Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes Yes
cTrader info Yes No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info Yes No
Trading Tools IC Markets Alpari
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 7 7
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 30 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 15 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading IC Markets Alpari
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info No No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 30 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info Yes No
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research IC Markets Alpari
Daily Market Commentary info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info Yes Yes
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes No
TipRanks info No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education IC Markets Alpari
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs IC Markets Alpari
GBP/USD info Yes Yes
USD/JPY info Yes Yes
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF info Yes Yes
USD/CAD info Yes Yes
NZD/USD info Yes Yes
AUD/USD info Yes Yes
Review IC Markets Review
Overall IC Markets Alpari
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 84 68
Winner check_circle
Review IC Markets Review
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