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 |
Looking at commissions and fees, both AvaTrade and IC Markets are competitively priced, but IC Markets comes out cheaper on average. AvaTrade earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #13 out of 63 brokers for Commissions & Fees, with typical spreads around 0.9 pips (June 2024). IC Markets earns 5 out of 5 stars, ranks #5 out of 63, and is recognized as Best in Class for Commissions & Fees in 2024 thanks to very low all-in costs on its Raw Spread and cTrader accounts and a solid commission-free option.
AvaTrade’s standard pricing is near the industry average, with headline spreads just under one pip, though that’s a bit higher than entry-level accounts at CMC Markets and Tickmill. If you qualify as an elected professional client, AvaTrade’s Professional account tightens spreads to about 0.6 pips, which is competitive and comparable to FP Markets. Overall, AvaTrade offers simple, spread-only pricing with an attractive professional tier for eligible traders.
IC Markets offers three account types: a commission-free Standard account and two commission-based options—Raw Spread (MT4/MT5) and cTrader Raw. The cTrader account charges $3.00 per side per 100,000 units ($6.00 round turn), while MT4/MT5 charges $3.50 per side ($7.00 round turn). Effective costs are sharp: average EUR/USD spread of 0.02 pips plus commission puts the cTrader all-in at about 0.62 pips (about 0.72 pips on MT4/MT5). The Standard account averages about 0.62 pips with no commission, making it appealing for simplicity. Pricing can vary by platform, account type, and IC Markets entity (EU, Australia, Seychelles), and active traders who exceed 100 lots per month can qualify for discounts.
| 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.
IC Markets offers a wider range of investments than AvaTrade, with 3,583 tradeable symbols versus AvaTrade’s 1,260. Forex coverage is also broader at IC Markets (61 pairs) compared with AvaTrade (53). Both brokers support forex trading either as CFDs or as spot contracts, and both provide crypto trading via CFDs (neither lets you buy actual crypto). Copy trading is available at both. For range of investments, IC Markets earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #26 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade earns 4/5 stars and ranks #33.
When it comes to exchange-traded shares, neither broker offers access to U.S.-listed stocks. IC Markets does, however, provide exchange-traded securities on certain international exchanges, while AvaTrade does not offer exchange-traded shares at all. If you want the widest selection of instruments and more forex pairs, IC Markets has the edge; if you prefer a simpler product lineup focused on CFDs, AvaTrade may suit your needs.
| 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 and IC Markets both make it easy to practice with a free demo account. Each supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 on both web and Windows desktop, offers copy trading, and lets you place trades directly from charts. The key difference is platform choice: AvaTrade also provides its own proprietary platform alongside MetaTrader, while IC Markets focuses on third‑party platforms only.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, ForexBrokers.com rates AvaTrade 4.5 stars and ranks it #13 out of 63 brokers, while IC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #16. If you want an in-house platform option in addition to MT4/MT5, AvaTrade may suit you; if you’re happy with MetaTrader and copy trading on web and desktop, IC Markets is a solid pick.
| 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.
Comparing AvaTrade vs IC Markets for market research, both brokers provide forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg/Reuters, access to Trading Central tools, sentiment indicators showing long/short positioning, and a built-in economic calendar. Key differences: IC Markets offers daily market commentary and integrates Autochartist for pattern and signal scanning, while AvaTrade does not provide daily commentary or Autochartist. Neither broker includes research from TipRanks or Acuity Trading.
Both brokers earn 4 stars for Research from ForexBrokers.com, though IC Markets holds a higher category ranking (#23 of 63) than AvaTrade (#35 of 63). If you want daily commentary and Autochartist, IC Markets is the stronger pick; if your needs center on quality news, Trading Central analysis, sentiment tools, and an economic calendar, either AvaTrade or IC Markets will work well.
| 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 #13, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #20.
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
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|---|---|---|
| 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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