Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IC Markets vs Axi, 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.
Founded in 2007, both IC Markets and Axi have established themselves as respected online brokers. Neither of these companies is publicly traded or operates as a bank. When it comes to regulatory trustworthiness, IC Markets and Axi each hold two Tier-1 licenses, which indicates a high level of trust, according to ForexBrokers.com. However, Axi also holds one Tier-2 license, adding another layer of regulated credibility. These licenses help ensure that the brokers operate in a secure, reliable manner for traders.
In terms of overall trust scores from ForexBrokers.com, IC Markets edges out Axi with a score of 84 compared to Axi's 82, placing both brokers within the "trusted" category. While there are slight differences in their regulatory licenses and trust scores, both IC Markets and Axi offer reliable options for those exploring this field. Traders can feel confident knowing that both brokers are held to high standards that prioritize user security and trust.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of online brokers IC Markets and Axi, IC Markets clearly stands out. With a 5-star rating in the Commissions & Fees category, IC Markets is ranked #5 out of 63 brokers. This result highlights its competitive low trading costs, thanks to its small effective spreads and relatively modest deposit requirements for commission-based accounts. IC Markets offers a variety of account types and platforms, ensuring flexibility to meet the needs of different traders. Its cTrader Raw Spread account, for instance, features a lower commission at $3.0 per side for every 100,000 units compared to its MetaTrader option, which charges $3.5 per side.
In contrast, Axi holds a 4-star rating and a #44 ranking in the same category. The specific spread data for Axi isn't available, which makes direct comparisons more challenging. However, IC Markets offers clear benefits with average spreads on popular currency pairs like EUR/USD starting as low as 0.02 pips and maintaining competitive overall costs after commissions.
IC Markets also offers attractive incentives for active traders, providing discounts when trading over 100 standard lots per month. Moreover, the flexibility across its three account types — commission-free Standard, Raw Spread, and cTrader Raw Spread — caters to a range of trading preferences. With these benefits, IC Markets aligns itself closely with market leaders such as IG and CMC Markets, delivering cost-effectiveness and variety that Axi doesn't fully match.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.62 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IC Markets and Axi both let you trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts, and each supports copy trading. IC Markets stands out for sheer variety with 3,583 tradeable symbols, while Axi lists 175. When it comes to currency pairs, Axi actually offers slightly more (65) than IC Markets (61). Both brokers offer crypto as CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual, delivered cryptocurrencies.
For shares, neither broker provides access to U.S.-listed stocks as real, exchange-traded securities. However, IC Markets does offer international exchange-traded shares, whereas Axi does not. Reflecting the broader lineup, ForexBrokers.com rates IC Markets 4.5/5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked 26th out of 63), compared with Axi at 3.5/5 stars (57th out of 63). In short: pick IC Markets for a wider selection across asset types, or Axi if you want a few more forex pairs.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 175 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 65 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| 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.
IC Markets vs Axi: Both brokers make it easy to practice with a free demo (paper) account. Neither offers a proprietary platform; instead, each supports MetaTrader 4 with both a Windows desktop download and a web-based platform. You’ll also find copy trading and the ability to place trades directly from charts at both brokers. The key difference is platform choice: IC Markets offers MetaTrader 5 as well, while Axi does not—useful if you prefer MT5.
In independent testing from ForexBrokers.com, IC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks 16th for Trading Platforms and Tools, while Axi scores 3.5 stars and ranks 64th. In short, IC Markets has the edge for platform variety, whereas Axi still covers the essentials with MT4, web and desktop access, chart trading, and copy trading.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IC Markets and Axi both offer iPhone and Android trading apps with stock and forex price alerts. Each app includes 30 technical studies and supports drawing trendlines on charts. Neither broker syncs watchlist symbols between mobile and the online platform, but there’s a key difference for charting: IC Markets auto-saves your drawings, while Axi does not.
For overall quality, IC Markets scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #22 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, compared with Axi’s 3.5 stars and #60 ranking. If you value a higher-rated app and keeping chart annotations saved across sessions, IC Markets has the edge; if you mainly need core charting tools and alerts on iPhone or Android, both will get the job done.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
In the IC Markets vs Axi market research comparison, IC Markets comes out ahead for most traders. IC Markets provides daily market commentary (Axi does not), streams forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg or Reuters (Axi does as well), and includes Autochartist on both brokers. A key difference: IC Markets also offers Trading Central tools, while Axi does not. Both brokers feature a sentiment tool that shows long/short positioning and an economic calendar. IC Markets does not include TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools; Axi’s support for TipRanks and Acuity isn’t specified.
Independent ratings back up the gap: IC Markets earns 4 stars for Research and ranks #23 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Axi scores 3 stars and ranks #56. If you value daily commentary plus Trading Central alongside headline news and Autochartist, IC Markets is the stronger choice. If you mainly need essential news, Autochartist, sentiment data, and a calendar, Axi covers the basics.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
IC Markets vs Axi for beginner education: both brokers provide forex and CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces, including regular client webinars (at least monthly) and 10+ beginner videos that cover key trading basics. IC Markets goes further with 10+ advanced trading videos for when you’re ready to level up, while Axi does not offer that many advanced videos.
This difference shows up in independent ratings: IC Markets earns 4 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #16 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Axi holds 3 out of 5 stars and ranks #27. Beginners will find plenty to get started at both brokers, but if you want a clearer path from beginner to advanced through video lessons and ongoing webinars, IC Markets has the edge.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IC Markets is better than Axi. IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #20, while Axi finished with an overall rank of #49.
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
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Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 82 |
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IC Markets vs Axi: neither online broker offers buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
IC Markets vs Axi: both online brokers do not offer ACH or SEPA transfers; IC Markets supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, while Axi’s availability for PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wire options 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 | IC Markets | Axi | |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IC Markets | Axi | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 84 | 82 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 175 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.62 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | IC Markets | Axi | |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review |
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