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IFC Markets vs Alpari 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

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

IFC Markets
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $1
  • Trust Score: 73
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 630
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

IFC Markets and Alpari are both well-established online brokers in the trading industry, with IFC Markets founded in 2006 and Alpari starting in 1998. Neither of these brokers is publicly traded or operates as a bank. When it comes to regulatory standing, IFC Markets holds one trusted Tier-2 license, while Alpari does not have any Tier-1 or Tier-2 licenses. This difference highlights their varied approaches to regulation and risk management.

Based on assessments by ForexBrokers.com, IFC Markets achieves a Trust Score of 73, placing it in the average risk category. In comparison, Alpari scores slightly lower with a Trust Score of 68, marking it as a higher risk option. These trust scores provide insight into each broker's reliability, offering traders essential information to consider when choosing a platform that suits their needs and risk appetite.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Year Founded info 2006 1998
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1

Fees

IFC Markets’ commissions and fees are fairly competitive for active traders. Its average EUR/USD spread is 1.44 pips versus the industry average of 1.08, so standard pricing is a bit higher. However, the new ECN account can bring the effective cost down to about 1.1 pips after factoring in a 0.005% commission per side. There are no inactivity fees, and active trader discounts can help regular traders save more. IFC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #40 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.

Alpari does not publish average spread data, so it’s harder to estimate typical trading costs, especially for pairs like EUR/USD. Even without that transparency, Alpari holds a 4 out of 5 stars rating for commissions and fees and is ranked #42 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.

In a head-to-head comparison, IFC Markets provides clearer pricing and an ECN path to lower effective spreads, plus no inactivity fees and potential discounts for higher volumes. Alpari’s lack of published average spreads makes its costs less predictable. Both are rated 4/5, but IFC Markets edges Alpari in the rankings (#40 vs. #42). Traders who value transparent, published costs and ECN access may lean toward IFC Markets, while others may consider Alpari if platform or other features take priority.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Minimum Deposit info $1 $20
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.44 info N/A info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 1.1 info N/A info
Non-wire bank transfer info No No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

IFC Markets offers a wider range of investments than Alpari. Both let you trade forex either as CFDs or spot, but IFC Markets lists about 630 tradeable symbols and 49 forex pairs versus Alpari’s 105 symbols and 46 pairs. Reflecting that breadth, ForexBrokers.com rates IFC Markets 3.5 out of 5 for Range of Investments (ranked 44th), while Alpari earns 3 out of 5 (ranked 64th).

Neither broker lets you buy U.S.-listed shares as real, exchange-traded stocks, but both offer access to international exchange-traded securities (not CFDs). Copy trading is available at both. For crypto, each broker supports cryptocurrency CFDs, though you can’t buy actual coins.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 630 105
Forex Pairs (Total) info 49 46
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) 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).

Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.

Trading platforms and tools

IFC Markets vs Alpari: both brokers cover the same key platform needs. Each offers a free demo (paper) account, a proprietary in-house platform, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and the choice of a Windows desktop download or a web-based platform. Both also support copy trading and let you place trades directly from charts, which is convenient if you like to act on the visuals without changing screens.

For trading platforms and tools, both are rated 4 out of 5 stars. However, in ForexBrokers.com’s category ranking, IFC Markets is placed at #37 out of 63 brokers, while Alpari is #56. That hints at a slight edge for IFC Markets, though the right pick for you may come down to whether you prefer each broker’s in-house platform or the familiar MetaTrader experience.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 30 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

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

Forex trading apps

IFC Markets and Alpari both deliver capable mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app includes price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, and the ability to draw trendlines. Both earned 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading. Where they differ is convenience: IFC Markets syncs your watchlists with your online account and auto-saves your chart drawings, while Alpari doesn’t offer syncing or auto-save. In independent rankings of 63 brokers, IFC Markets placed #53 and Alpari ranked #57 for mobile apps.

If you want your watchlists to stay in sync across devices and prefer your chart annotations to be saved automatically, IFC Markets has the edge. If you don’t rely on those features, both brokers provide similar charting tools and alerts on mobile.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 30 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

IFC Markets vs Alpari market research comparison: IFC Markets offers daily market commentary, a sentiment-based tool that shows the ratio of long and short positions, and an economic calendar. It does not provide top-tier news feeds (e.g., Bloomberg, Reuters, Dow Jones) and lacks Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading tools. Alpari delivers forex news from top-tier sources and includes Autochartist plus an economic calendar; it does not offer Trading Central or a sentiment tool. Availability of TipRanks and Acuity Trading tools for Alpari is not specified.

Ratings and rankings: IFC Markets earns 3.5/5 for Research and ranks #41 of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari scores 3/5 and ranks #58. Choose IFC Markets if you want daily commentary and sentiment data; pick Alpari if you prioritize headline news and Autochartist pattern recognition.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info No Yes
Autochartist info No Yes
Trading Central info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes No
TipRanks info No
Acuity Trading info No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

IFC Markets and Alpari both provide forex and CFD education that meets the minimum standard of at least 10 learning pieces, and each offers 10+ beginner-friendly trading videos. However, neither broker currently hosts monthly educational webinars. Where they differ is in depth for experienced learners: IFC Markets also supplies 10+ advanced trading videos, while Alpari does not, making IFC Markets the stronger pick if you expect to grow from beginner to more advanced topics over time.

Independent ratings reflect this gap. For Education, IFC Markets scores 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #30 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari earns 3 out of 5 stars and ranks #48. In short, beginners will find helpful starter videos at both brokers, but those who want a broader pathway into advanced material may prefer IFC Markets.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Webinars info No No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IFC Markets is better than Alpari. IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45, while Alpari finished with an overall rank of #58.

IFC Markets is a well-established broker that has been in operation for 17 years. Forex traders at IFC Markets gain access to multiple trading platforms, a growing range of tradeable markets, and a balanced offering of research and educational content. However, IFC Markets’ Trust Score suffers due to the broker’s limited range of regulatory licenses.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Alpari logoAlpari
Overall Rating info 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 73 68
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 3.5/5 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 IFC Markets or Alpari?

Neither IFC Markets nor Alpari supports buying actual delivered cryptocurrencies; both online brokers offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Comparing deposit and withdrawal options, both IFC Markets and Alpari do not support ACH/SEPA; IFC Markets also lacks PayPal and Skrill but offers bank wire transfers, while Alpari’s support for PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires—and IFC Markets’ support for Visa/Mastercard—is not specified.

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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 IFC Markets Alpari
Overall Rating info 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 73 68
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Broker Screenshots IFC Markets Alpari
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
Regulation IFC Markets Alpari
Trust Score info 73 68
Year Founded info 2006 1998
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info No info
Tier-1 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) IFC Markets Alpari
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info No info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) IFC Markets Alpari
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info Yes No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments IFC Markets Alpari
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 630 105
Forex Pairs (Total) info 49 46
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) 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).
Cost IFC Markets Alpari
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.44 info N/A info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 1.1 info N/A info
Inactivity Fee info No No
Order execution: Agency info Yes Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding IFC Markets Alpari
Minimum Deposit info $1 $20
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info No No
Trading Platforms IFC Markets Alpari
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes Yes
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools IFC Markets Alpari
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 30 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading IFC Markets Alpari
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 30 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research IFC Markets Alpari
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info No Yes
Autochartist info No Yes
Trading Central info No No
TipRanks info No
Client sentiment data info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education IFC Markets Alpari
Webinars info No No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
Major Forex Pairs IFC Markets Alpari
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review
Overall IFC Markets Alpari
Overall Rating info 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 73 68
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Review
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