Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Capital.com 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.
Capital.com vs IC Markets: for safety and regulation, both brokers are privately held and not banks, and neither is publicly traded. Capital.com was founded in 2016, while IC Markets dates back to 2007.
On ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale (90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, under 59 not trusted), Capital.com scores 89 and IC Markets scores 83—both considered trusted. Capital.com holds three Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and three Tier-2 licenses (trusted). IC Markets holds two Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses, a difference to weigh if you prioritize broader top-tier oversight.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
When it comes to evaluating online brokers based on commissions and fees, both Capital.com and IC Markets emerge as top contenders, each offering competitive rates and excellent services for traders. Capital.com, with its 5-star rating, is ranked #3 by ForexBrokers.com in the Commissions and Fees category. It provides a universal account suitable for retail traders and a professional account for elective professional traders, noting that regulatory protections differ between these accounts. With an average dynamic spread of 0.67 pips for EUR/USD, Capital.com stands out for low-cost forex trading, making it an attractive option for those seeking cost-effective solutions.
IC Markets, which also holds a 5-star rating and ranks #5 among 63 brokers, extends its appeal through small effective spreads and low deposit requirements for commission-based accounts. IC Markets offers three regulatory entities based in Europe, Australia, and Seychelles, and provides three account types: the commission-free Standard account and the commission-based Raw Spread and cTrader Raw Spread accounts. Notably, cTrader Raw Spread accounts benefit from a slightly lower commission than MetaTrader accounts, with an all-in cost of 0.62 pips, making them an enticing choice for budget-conscious traders.
Both brokers excel in offering cost-effective trading solutions. Capital.com wins points for its consistency in low spreads, while IC Markets is recognized for competitive pricing across varying account structures. Moreover, IC Markets delivers additional value with discounts for active traders exceeding 100 standard lots per month, underscoring its commitment to providing enticing financial offerings for frequent traders. Both brokers clearly position themselves as leaders in this domain, catering to diverse trading preferences with their competitive fees and spreads.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $20 | $200 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.64 | 0.62 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.67 | 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.
Comparing Capital.com vs IC Markets for range of investments, Capital.com lists 5,585 tradeable symbols and 125 forex pairs, while IC Markets offers 3,583 symbols and 61 pairs. Both let you trade forex either as CFDs or spot contracts. For crypto, neither broker supports buying actual coins, but both provide cryptocurrency CFDs.
When it comes to stocks, neither broker offers U.S.-listed shares for direct ownership (non-CFDs), but IC Markets does provide access to exchange-traded international shares, whereas Capital.com does not. IC Markets also supports copy trading; Capital.com does not. Both earn 4.5 stars for Range of Investments, with Capital.com ranked #18 out of 63 brokers and IC Markets ranked #22.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5585 | 3583 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 125 | 61 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
Capital.com vs IC Markets: both brokers check the basics with free demo (paper) trading, Windows desktop software, web-based platforms, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. Each supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). The key differences are in platform choice and social features. Capital.com adds a proprietary, in-house platform alongside MetaTrader, which can appeal to traders who want a streamlined, broker-built experience. IC Markets does not have its own platform and instead leans on third-party options like MT4 and MT5, but it does offer copy trading, which Capital.com does not—useful if you want to mirror other traders’ strategies.
For trading platforms and tools, Capital.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #17. If you value a polished proprietary platform plus MetaTrader, Capital.com stands out. If copy trading is important and you’re happy using MetaTrader, IC Markets is a strong alternative.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Choosing between the Capital.com and IC Markets mobile trading apps? Both offer iPhone and Android apps with similar core tools: stock and forex price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, the ability to draw trendlines, and auto-saving for chart drawings. One caveat: neither app syncs watchlist symbols between mobile and the web platform, so changes made in one place won’t appear in the other.
Where they differ is in recognition and ratings. Capital.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets scores 4 stars and ranks #22. If higher ratings and rankings are important to you, Capital.com has a slight edge. If you mainly want solid charting and alerts on iOS or Android, both apps cover the essentials.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing Capital.com vs IC Markets for market research, both brokers deliver daily market commentary, real-time forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a handy economic calendar, and a sentiment tool that shows how traders are positioned. Neither broker includes TipRanks or Acuity Trading (Signal Centre) content.
For extra analytics, IC Markets adds Autochartist and Trading Central, while Capital.com does not. Even so, Capital.com earns a higher research score at 4.5 stars and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with IC Markets at 4 stars and #21. In short, IC Markets offers more third‑party technical tools, but Capital.com takes the lead overall for research quality.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Capital.com and IC Markets both give beginners plenty of forex and CFD education, including at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos. If you prefer live learning, IC Markets also runs online educational webinars at least once a month, while Capital.com does not offer monthly webinars. Both brokers cover key trading topics in an accessible way, so you can learn at your own pace with on-demand video content.
For overall quality, Capital.com is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 63. If live webinars are important, IC Markets is a solid pick; if you want a higher-rated learning hub with lots of videos you can watch anytime, Capital.com has the edge.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | 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 Capital.com is better than IC Markets. Capital.com finished with an overall rank of #12, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21.
Capital.com stands out for its quality research, strong educational content, and innovative web platform. Capital.com holds fewer regulatory licenses and offers a narrower range of markets than some of the best brokers, but still significantly outperforms the industry average.
| Feature |
Capital.com
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IC Markets
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| Trust Score | 89 | 83 |
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In a head-to-head comparison, online brokers Capital.com and IC Markets do not support buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Capital.com vs IC Markets: Both brokers support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, but neither offers ACH or SEPA transfers.
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 | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Capital.com Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
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| Regulation | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 89 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5585 | 3583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 125 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.64 | 0.62 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.67 | 0.62 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $20 | $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 | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Capital.com | 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 | Capital.com Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Capital.com Review | IC Markets Review |
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