Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AvaTrade vs IC 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.
AvaTrade, founded in 2006, and IC Markets, established in 2007, are both prominent online brokers, although neither is publicly traded nor operates as a bank. When examining their regulatory standing, AvaTrade holds an advantage with four Tier-1 licenses, indicative of high trust, compared to IC Markets' two Tier-1 licenses. In addition, AvaTrade has secured three Tier-2 licenses, denoting trust, whereas IC Markets has not obtained any Tier-2 licenses. This robust regulatory framework contributes to AvaTrade's strong Trust Score of 94 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com.
In comparison, IC Markets holds a Trust Score of 84, placing them in the trusted category but slightly below AvaTrade's rating. These scores reflect a comprehensive evaluation of each broker's reliability and safety, with AvaTrade emerging as the more trusted choice, partly due to its more extensive licensing portfolio. Both brokers offer significant experience and stability in the online trading space, but AvaTrade's extra layer of regulatory trust might provide added peace of mind for cautious investors.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
AvaTrade keeps pricing straightforward: its typical EUR/USD spread sits around 0.9 pips (June 2024), which is near the industry average but a touch higher than entry-level pricing at CMC Markets and Tickmill. If you qualify as a Professional client, AvaTrade’s pricing improves to about 0.6 pips, similar to FP Markets. By comparison, IC Markets is geared toward low-cost trading across several account types. Its commission-free Standard account averages about 0.62 pips, while its Raw Spread options pair near‑zero spreads with a small commission for very sharp all‑in costs.
IC Markets’ Raw Spread pricing differs slightly by platform: the cTrader account charges $3.00 per side per 100,000 units ($6.00 round turn), yielding an all‑in cost near 0.62 pips on EUR/USD; the MT4/MT5 Raw Spread account is $3.50 per side ($7.00 round turn), about 0.72 pips all‑in. Spreads can vary by platform, account, and which IC Markets entity you choose (Cyprus, Australia, or Seychelles). IC Markets also offers discounts for trading over 100 standard lots per month and earned Best in Class for Commissions & Fees in 2024. AvaTrade’s value is strongest for those who want simple spread‑only pricing, and becomes more compelling at the Professional tier.
Ratings and rankings: AvaTrade earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Commissions & Fees and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers. IC Markets earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63. Bottom line: IC Markets generally delivers lower all‑in costs—especially on its Raw Spread accounts—while AvaTrade offers competitive, easy‑to‑understand pricing, with better rates available to qualified professionals.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $200 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.93 | 0.62 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | 0.62 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
AvaTrade and IC Markets both support forex trading (via CFDs/spot, depending on the instrument) and offer copy trading. IC Markets delivers a wider selection overall, with 3,583 tradeable symbols and 61 forex pairs, compared with AvaTrade’s 1,260 symbols and 53 pairs. Both brokers let you trade crypto as CFDs, but neither allows buying actual, delivered cryptocurrency.
For exchange‑traded securities, neither broker provides access to U.S.-listed shares, but IC Markets does offer non‑U.S. international shares (not CFDs), while AvaTrade does not. In our ratings for Range of Investments, IC Markets scores 4.5 stars and ranks #22 out of 63 brokers, edging out AvaTrade’s 4 stars and #26 ranking. If you want the largest catalog and access to some international exchange-traded stocks, IC Markets is the stronger pick; if you’re satisfied with a solid lineup that includes forex, copy trading, and crypto CFDs, AvaTrade is still a good option.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 3583 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 61 |
| 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). | 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.
AvaTrade vs IC Markets on trading platforms and tools: both brokers provide free demo (paper) accounts, Windows desktop downloads, and web-based platforms. You can trade directly from charts at either broker, use copy trading, and choose MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5). The key difference is that AvaTrade also offers a proprietary, in-house platform in addition to MetaTrader, while IC Markets does not offer its own platform and focuses on third-party suites.
For quality, ForexBrokers.com rates AvaTrade 4.5/5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools (ranked #13 of 63), while IC Markets earns 4/5 stars (ranked #17 of 63). If you want an in-house platform option plus MT4/MT5 and copy trading, AvaTrade stands out. If you prefer a MetaTrader-centered setup with demo access, chart trading, and both desktop and web choices, IC Markets is a solid alternative.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| 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) | 80 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
AvaTrade and IC Markets both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each supports price alerts and drawing trendlines on charts. A key difference is watchlists: AvaTrade syncs your symbols across devices, while IC Markets does not, which can matter if you jump between phone and web.
For charting, AvaTrade offers 73 technical studies versus 30 at IC Markets. However, IC Markets auto-saves your chart drawings, while AvaTrade does not. In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, AvaTrade’s mobile app earned 4.5 stars and ranked 13th out of 63 brokers, while IC Markets scored 4 stars and ranked 22nd. Choose AvaTrade if you want more indicators and synced watchlists; pick IC Markets if keeping your drawings saved is the priority.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
AvaTrade and IC Markets both offer a strong set of market research tools, each earning 4 out of 5 stars for Research. IC Markets ranks 21st out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade ranks 28th. Both brokers stream forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, provide Trading Central tools, sentiment data that shows long/short positioning, and a full economic calendar. Neither broker includes TipRanks or Acuity Trading integrations.
Key differences: IC Markets publishes daily market commentary and includes Autochartist for pattern recognition and trade idea alerts. AvaTrade does not offer daily commentary and lacks Autochartist, though it still covers the essentials with Trading Central, sentiment tools, and premium news. Choose IC Markets if you want daily insights and Autochartist; choose AvaTrade if those extras aren’t must-haves and you’re satisfied with news, Trading Central, sentiment, and an economic calendar.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
AvaTrade vs IC Markets for beginner education: both brokers deliver forex and CFD learning libraries that meet the mark of 10+ educational pieces, spanning videos, articles, and archived webinars. Each runs client webinars at least once a month. For newcomers, both brokers also offer beginner-friendly video series with 10 or more lessons that cover the basics, platforms, and risk management in plain language.
When you’re ready to go deeper, both provide 10+ advanced video lessons. Education quality is rated 4 out of 5 stars for AvaTrade and IC Markets alike, but rankings tell a different story: AvaTrade is #2 for Education out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets is #16. If education is your top priority, AvaTrade has the edge, though either broker can support beginners effectively.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| 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 AvaTrade is better than IC Markets. AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #15, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21.
AvaTrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering an extensive selection of trading platforms for forex and CFD traders, as well as exceptional educational content that helped it nab Best in Class honors for Beginners in the ForexBrokers.com 2025 Annual Awards.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 84 |
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AvaTrade vs IC Markets: both brokers support buying cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither offers the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency.
AvaTrade vs IC Markets: both brokers do not offer ACH or SEPA transfers, both support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, and Visa/Mastercard availability is 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 | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
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| Regulation | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 84 | |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 3583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 61 | |
| 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). | 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 | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.93 | 0.62 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | 0.62 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $200 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Trading Tools | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | AvaTrade | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | IC Markets Review |
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