Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IFC 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.
IFC Markets and Axi are both online brokers that were founded in the mid-2000s, with IFC Markets establishing itself in 2006 and Axi in 2007. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank. When considering trust, IFC Markets holds a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score rating of 73, which places it in the "average risk" category. Axi, on the other hand, is rated at 82, making it a more trusted option according to the same scale.
In terms of regulatory licenses, IFC Markets holds one Tier-2 license, which indicates a level of trust, but lacks the highly trusted Tier-1 licenses. Conversely, Axi owns two Tier-1 licenses, reflecting a higher degree of regulatory trust. Both brokers hold one Tier-2 license each, reinforcing their commitment to regulatory compliance, but Axi's additional Tier-1 licenses give it an edge in terms of perceived trustworthiness.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of IFC Markets and Axi, it is clear that both brokers offer competitive terms, though they cater to slightly different trading needs. IFC Markets presents an average spread for EUR/USD at 1.44, which is slightly above the industry average of 1.08. However, they do offer an enhanced ECN account with effective spreads reduced to 1.1 pips, which accounts for a 0.005% commission on each trade side. Notably, IFC Markets does not charge inactivity fees and provides discounts for active traders, adding a financial edge for frequent traders.
Conversely, Axi's average spread data is not available, which may suggest that transparency in this area could be improved. Both brokers receive a favorable rating of 4 out of 5 stars for their commissions and fees, reflecting their competitive offerings compared to the broader market.
In terms of rankings by ForexBrokers.com, IFC Markets is positioned at #39 out of 63 brokers, indicating a respectable standing in the Commissions and Fees category. Meanwhile, Axi holds a ranking of #44, showing it trails slightly behind IFC Markets in this specific aspect of brokerage evaluation.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.44 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing IFC Markets and Axi in terms of the range of investments they offer, both brokers provide access to forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts. IFC Markets boasts a significantly larger variety of tradeable symbols, with 630 options to choose from, compared to Axi's 175. While Axi takes the lead with 65 tradeable forex pairs over IFC Markets' 49, both platforms do not offer direct exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges. However, IFC Markets allows investing in international exchange-traded securities, such as Vodafone shares, an option not available with Axi.
Considering additional investment features, both IFC Markets and Axi provide copy trading services and the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, although not the actual cryptocurrencies themselves. Despite these investment offerings, both brokers receive a 3.5-star rating in the Range of Investments category. However, IFC Markets holds a higher rank, positioned at #43 compared to Axi's #56 out of 63 brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com. This slight edge may appeal to those looking for a broader spectrum of investment opportunities beyond traditional forex trading.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 630 | 175 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 65 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
When comparing IFC Markets and Axi for their trading platforms and tools, both brokers cater to the needs of traders by offering free virtual demo accounts that support paper trading. However, IFC Markets has an edge with its proprietary platform developed in-house, while Axi does not offer a proprietary option. Both brokers provide Windows-based desktop and web-based browser platforms, ensuring ease of access across devices. Additionally, they offer the popular MetaTrader 4 platform, yet IFC Markets extends its offerings with MetaTrader 5, which is not available at Axi.
IFC Markets offers effective copy trading capabilities like Axi, but when exploring third-party services, Axi integrates ZuluTrade, a feature absent in IFC Markets. Both brokers present traders with 15 drawing tools for charting and allow trades directly from stock charts. Watch lists at both brokers can accommodate seven columns, providing a good amount of customization. Despite both having strengths, IFC Markets has a slight advantage with a four-star rating for Trading Platforms and Tools from ForexBrokers.com, whereas Axi holds a 3.5-star rating. Furthermore, in a ranking of 63 brokers, IFC Markets is placed at #36, significantly outperforming Axi, which ranks #63.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both IFC Markets and Axi offer solid experiences for traders using iPhone and Android devices. They each provide features such as stock or forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines on charts, and view multiple time frames on financial instruments. Furthermore, both platforms allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes and offer 30 technical studies for a comprehensive charting experience. However, a key difference surfaces in the syncing of watchlist symbols, a feature available with IFC Markets but not with Axi, ensuring your changes are uniform across devices. Additionally, IFC Markets has an advantage with auto-saving chart drawings, a convenience not offered by Axi's app.
The overall user ratings and industry rankings also provide insight into the performance of these trading apps. IFC Markets earns a commendable four stars for their mobile app, ranked at number 52 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Axi follows closely with a 3.5-star rating and a rank of 59. This suggests that while both apps are well-designed for mobile trading, IFC Markets slightly edges out Axi in terms of user preference and industry rating, potentially offering a more seamless trading experience on the go.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, IFC Markets and Axi have distinct strengths and weaknesses. IFC Markets provides daily market commentary to keep traders informed about market movements, whereas Axi lacks this feature. However, Axi holds an advantage in offering forex news from esteemed sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, enhancing the quality of information provided to its users. For those interested in technical analysis, Axi is equipped with tools from Autochartist, while neither platform appears to provide resources from Trading Central or TipRanks. Both brokers offer sentiment-based trading tools that display the ratio of long or short positions across currency pairs, aiding traders in understanding market sentiment.
Both IFC Markets and Axi include economic calendars that highlight global news events, providing traders with insights into various economies. Despite these similarities, IFC Markets holds a slight edge in overall research capabilities, receiving a 3.5-star rating compared to Axi's 3-star rating. Furthermore, IFC Markets is ranked #40 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for research, while Axi is positioned lower at #55. This suggests that IFC Markets might offer a more well-rounded market research experience, making it a preferable choice for many traders seeking detailed analysis and updates.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational offerings for beginners at IFC Markets and Axi, both brokers provide a good variety of resources to introduce newcomers to forex and CFD trading. IFC Markets and Axi each offer at least ten educational materials, including articles and videos, focusing on forex and CFDs. However, Axi takes a step further by offering monthly online webinars, a feature that IFC Markets doesn't have. On the other hand, while both brokers lack a searchable archive of past webinars, Axi does not match IFC Markets in delivering advanced trading videos tailored for experienced traders.
Both brokers provide over ten beginner-friendly videos and an extensive investor dictionary with more than fifty definitions, which can be very helpful for those who are new to trading. In terms of ratings, IFC Markets receives 3.5 stars for education and is ranked 30th by ForexBrokers.com, while Axi is slightly lower with a 3-star rating and a 27th rank. Overall, the choice may depend on whether you prioritize the availability of live educational sessions or a focus on advanced learning materials.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IFC Markets is better than Axi. IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45, while Axi finished with an overall rank of #49.
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
|
Axi
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 73 | 82 |
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Neither IFC Markets nor Axi offers the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both platforms provide options to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
While both IFC Markets and Axi offer Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire options for depositing and withdrawing funds, Axi differentiates itself by also providing Skrill as a payment method, whereas neither platform supports ACH or SEPA transfers or PayPal.
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 | IFC Markets | Axi | |
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| Trust Score | 73 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
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| Broker Screenshots | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Regulation | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 73 | 82 | |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 0 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | 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) | No | No | |
| 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). | No | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 630 | 175 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.44 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IFC Markets | Axi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review |
| Overall | IFC Markets | Axi | |
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| Trust Score | 73 | 82 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review |
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