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 and IC Markets are both prominent online brokers that have carved out strong presences in the trading world. Founded in 2016, Capital.com is a relatively newer player compared to IC Markets, which was established in 2007. Both companies are privately owned and do not operate as banks. Capital.com takes the lead in regulatory oversight with 3 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, signaling a solid level of trust with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 87. In contrast, IC Markets holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and maintains a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 84.
While neither broker is publicly traded, Capital.com shows slightly higher regulatory strength and trust, making it a trusted choice for those emphasizing security and compliance in their trading practices. IC Markets, with its two Tier-1 licenses, also provides a trusted environment, though its Trust Score is slightly lower than that of Capital.com. These factors make each platform appealing based on individual user needs and preferences over regulatory assurance, security, and longevity.
| 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 | 1 | 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 | $10 | $200 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.67 | 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.
Capital.com vs IC Markets: both brokers support forex trading either as contracts for difference (CFDs) or spot, and each scores 4.5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments. Capital.com lists 5,585 tradeable symbols and 125 forex pairs, giving it a larger selection than IC Markets, which offers 3,583 symbols and 61 forex pairs. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, Capital.com is placed #23 out of 63 brokers for this category, while IC Markets is close behind at #26.
Neither broker offers U.S.-listed shares for direct ownership, and neither supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency. Both provide crypto via CFDs. Key differences: IC Markets offers direct access to exchange-traded securities on certain international exchanges and supports copy trading, while Capital.com does not offer either of those features. If you value a bigger instrument list and more currency pairs, Capital.com stands out; if you want international share dealing (non-CFD) and copy trading alongside forex and CFDs, IC Markets may be the better fit.
| 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.
Comparing Capital.com vs IC Markets for trading platforms and tools: both brokers offer free demo (paper) accounts, Windows desktop platforms, and web-based platforms. Capital.com adds a proprietary, in-house platform, while IC Markets sticks to third-party options. Both support MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and let you place trades directly from charts; IC Markets also supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5), whereas Capital.com does not.
For extra features, IC Markets provides copy trading, while Capital.com does not. In our Trading Platforms and Tools category, Capital.com is rated 4.5/5 stars and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers, compared with IC Markets at 4/5 stars and #16. If you want an in-house platform experience, Capital.com is a strong pick; if you need MT5 and copy trading, IC Markets fits the bill.
| 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) | No | 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.
Capital.com and IC Markets both provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. However, IC Markets offers a more extensive suite of technical analysis tools, including Autochartist and Trading Central, which are not available on Capital.com. On the other hand, Capital.com provides unique tools like market research from TipRanks, a feature IC Markets does not offer. Both brokers give traders access to sentiment-based trading tools and economic calendars to help navigate various market events.
When it comes to research ratings, Capital.com scores slightly higher with a 4.5-star rating compared to IC Markets' 4-star rating, according to ForexBrokers.com. This higher rating aligns with Capital.com's ranking as the 14th broker out of 63 in the Research category, while IC Markets is ranked 23rd. Both platforms have their own strengths, but your choice may depend on the specific tools you value for your trading strategy.
| 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 | Yes | 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 #10, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #20.
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
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 87 | 84 |
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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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| Trust Score | 87 | 84 | |
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| Review | Capital.com Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Capital.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
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