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IC Markets vs BlackBull Markets 2026

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

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

IC Markets
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $200
  • Trust Score: 83
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 3583
BlackBull Markets
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 77
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 26000

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

IC Markets (founded 2007) and BlackBull Markets (founded 2014) are online brokers that are not publicly traded and are not banks. On ForexBrokers.com’s 99-point Trust Score, IC Markets scores 83 (trusted), while BlackBull Markets scores 77 (average risk). For context, 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 should not be trusted.

Looking at regulation, IC Markets holds two Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com), compared with one Tier-1 license for BlackBull Markets; neither broker holds any Tier-2 licenses. This gives IC Markets a slight edge in top-tier oversight, which may appeal to traders who prioritize licensing and safety.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Year Founded info 2007 2014
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-2 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 3 1

Fees

For low commissions and fees, IC Markets generally edges out BlackBull Markets. On EUR/USD, IC Markets’ cTrader Raw account delivers an all‑in cost around 0.62 pips (about 0.72 pips on MetaTrader Raw), while BlackBull’s Prime account comes in around 0.76 pips. Reflecting these costs, IC Markets is rated 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers for Commissions & Fees, earning Best in Class honors in 2024; BlackBull Markets is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #9 out of 63.

IC Markets offers three accounts: Standard (spread‑only), Raw Spread (MT4/MT5), and cTrader Raw. The two Raw accounts use a commission: cTrader is $3 per side ($6 round turn) per standard lot, and MT4/MT5 is $3.5 per side ($7 round turn). With average EUR/USD spreads as low as 0.02 pips before commission on Raw, the all‑in pricing stays very competitive, and the Standard account averages about 0.62 pips with no commission. Spreads can vary by platform and by the IC Markets entity (EU, Australia, Seychelles). Active traders who exceed 100 lots per month can qualify for discounts, and the commission‑based accounts have a low minimum deposit.

BlackBull Markets’ pricing depends on the account: Standard (spread‑only, no minimum deposit), Prime (lower spreads, $2,000 minimum deposit, $3 per side/$6 round turn per lot), and ECN Institutional (from $20,000, $2 per side/$4 round turn). On Prime, EUR/USD averages about 0.16 pips before commission for an all‑in near 0.76 pips. That makes Prime the better value versus Standard at BlackBull, though IC Markets tends to offer slightly lower all‑in costs on popular pairs. Still, BlackBull’s 4.5‑star rating and #9 ranking underscore its solid fee profile if you can meet the Prime or Institutional deposit tiers.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Minimum Deposit info $200 $0
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.62 info 1.16 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.62 info 0.76 info
Non-wire bank transfer info No No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

IC Markets and BlackBull Markets both support forex trading via CFDs and/or spot, plus copy trading for those who want to mirror other traders. BlackBull Markets offers a larger selection overall with about 26,000 tradeable symbols and 72 forex pairs, compared with IC Markets’ 3,583 symbols and 61 pairs. Both brokers provide cryptocurrency trading through CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual crypto.

When it comes to exchange-traded shares, BlackBull Markets stands out by offering access to U.S. stocks as well as international listings, while IC Markets offers international shares but not U.S.-listed stocks. Reflecting this breadth, BlackBull Markets is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers, whereas IC Markets earns 4.5 stars and ranks #22. In short, BlackBull Markets is better for traders seeking the widest market access, while IC Markets still offers a strong mix for forex, CFDs, and international equities.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 3583 26000
Forex Pairs (Total) info 61 72
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No Yes
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). 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

IC Markets vs BlackBull Markets is a close matchup for trading platforms and tools. Both brokers provide free demo (paper) accounts, offer Windows desktop downloads and web-based platforms, and support copy trading. Neither broker has a proprietary platform, but each supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), including the ability to place trades directly from charts. That means you get familiar, feature-rich charting and a wide library of plug-ins no matter which broker you choose.

In expert reviews, both IC Markets and BlackBull Markets earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. If rankings matter to you, IC Markets sits higher at #17 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while BlackBull Markets is #25. For most traders, the choice may come down to other factors, since their platform lineups and key tools are so similar.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info No No
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 30 109
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

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

Forex trading apps

IC Markets and BlackBull Markets both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app includes forex and stock price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, the ability to draw trendlines, and auto-saving for your chart drawings. The key difference is watchlists: BlackBull Markets syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while IC Markets does not, which can matter if you switch devices often.

Both brokers earn 4 stars for Mobile Trading Apps. According to ForexBrokers.com, IC Markets ranks #22 out of 63 brokers in this category, while BlackBull Markets ranks #27. If synced watchlists are important to your workflow, BlackBull Markets has a slight edge; otherwise, both apps offer similar charts, alerts, and core tools for trading on the go.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info No Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 30 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

IC Markets and BlackBull Markets both cover the basics for market research with daily market commentary, an economic calendar, sentiment tools that show long/short positioning, and Autochartist for trade ideas. The key differences: IC Markets adds forex news from top-tier sources (such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones) and offers Trading Central analytics, while BlackBull Markets does not include either of those. Neither broker includes research from TipRanks or Acuity Trading.

In independent ratings, BlackBull Markets scores slightly higher for research at 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 63 brokers, compared with IC Markets at 4 stars and a #21 ranking. If you want integrated premium news and Trading Central, IC Markets stands out; if overall research score matters most, BlackBull Markets has the edge.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info Yes Yes
Trading Central info Yes No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
TipRanks info No No
Acuity Trading info No No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

If you’re a beginner comparing IC Markets vs BlackBull Markets for education, both deliver a clear learning path. Each provides a library of at least 10 forex and CFD lessons (articles, videos, or archived webinars), runs client webinars at least monthly, and offers 10+ beginner-friendly videos to help you get started. When you’re ready to go deeper, both also include 10+ advanced videos so you can keep building skills with the same broker.

On independent ratings, IC Markets earns 4 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks 16th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. BlackBull Markets scores 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education but ranks 24th. In short, BlackBull edges ahead on education quality by rating, while IC Markets sits higher in the category ranking—making both strong, beginner-friendly choices.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IC Markets is better than BlackBull Markets. IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21, while BlackBull Markets finished with an overall rank of #22.

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 logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 83 77
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with IC Markets or BlackBull Markets?

In the IC Markets vs BlackBull Markets comparison, neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer trading via cryptocurrency CFDs.

What funding options does each broker offer?

IC Markets vs BlackBull Markets: for deposits and withdrawals, neither broker supports ACH or SEPA; IC Markets supports PayPal while BlackBull Markets does not; both offer Skrill and bank wire transfers; Visa/Mastercard availability 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 IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 83 77
Winner check_circle
Review IC Markets Review BlackBull Markets Review
Broker Screenshots IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
IC Markets cTrader mobile app charting IC Markets EU cTrader desktop trading platform layout IC Markets webinar IC Your Trade YouTube video series. IC Markets Educational content blog articles.
BlackBull Markets MT5 mobile trading app BlackBull Markets MetaTrader 5 MT5 desktop platform. BlackBull Markets economic calendar. BlackBull Markets Trading Podcasts playlist.
Regulation IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Trust Score info 83 77
Year Founded info 2007 2014
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No info
Tier-1 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-2 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 3 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info No No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info No No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info No No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No Yes
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) info No No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 3583 26000
Forex Pairs (Total) info 61 72
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No Yes
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). 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 BlackBull Markets
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.62 info 1.16 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.62 info 0.76 info
Inactivity Fee info No No
Order execution: Agency info Yes No
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Minimum Deposit info $200 $0
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info No No
Trading Platforms IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info No No
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 Yes Yes
Trading Tools IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 30 109
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading IC Markets BlackBull Markets
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 No Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 30 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info Yes Yes
Trading Central info Yes No
TipRanks info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs IC Markets BlackBull Markets
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 IC Markets Review BlackBull Markets Review
Overall IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 83 77
Winner check_circle
Review IC Markets Review BlackBull Markets Review
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