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City Index vs IFC Markets 2026

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

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

City Index
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £100.00
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 13500
IFC Markets
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $1
  • Trust Score: 73
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 630

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

City Index, established in 1983, stands as a highly trusted online broker, boasting a perfect Trust Score of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com. As a publicly traded entity, City Index holds an impressive seven Tier-1 licenses, reinforcing its commitment to stringent regulatory standards and client protection. Additionally, it possesses one Tier-2 license, marking it as a strong contender in the trading world, offering a secure and reliable platform for its users.

In contrast, IFC Markets, founded in 2006, operates with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 73, placing it in the average risk category. Unlike City Index, IFC Markets is not publicly traded and holds no Tier-1 licenses, which are critical for establishing high trust. While IFC Markets does possess one Tier-2 license, it stands on different footing compared to City Index when it comes to regulatory assurance and trustworthiness in the online trading arena.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Year Founded info 1983 2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1

Fees

City Index and IFC Markets both aim to keep trading costs competitive, but they take different approaches. City Index posts an average EUR/USD spread of 0.74 pips (about in line with the industry average) and tends to deliver its best pricing on its own platforms or MetaTrader. IFC Markets’ standard account averages 1.44 pips on EUR/USD, which is higher than the industry average of 1.08, but its ECN account can bring effective costs down to about 1.1 pips after a 0.005% commission is charged on both sides of the trade. IFC Markets also stands out for not charging inactivity fees.

For frequent traders, City Index offers multiple ways to cut costs. Its Premium Trader account (for deposits over £10,000) unlocks exclusive pricing and dedicated support. Professional traders in the U.K. can earn cash rebates starting at £4 per million for monthly volumes above £25M, rising to £7.5 per million over £300M; in Australia, rebates range from AUD $4.5 to $14.5 per million across tiers. IFC Markets offers active trader discounts as well, helping reduce effective spreads, particularly when paired with its ECN option.

Ratings and rankings reflect these differences: City Index earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #16 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. IFC Markets earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #32 out of 63. In short, choose City Index if you want tighter headline spreads plus structured rebates, or consider IFC Markets if you prefer an ECN pricing route and the peace of mind of no inactivity fees.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $1
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.4 info 1.44 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.9 info 1.1 info
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

City Index and IFC Markets both support forex trading as CFDs or spot. City Index stands out for variety, offering about 13,500 tradeable instruments and 66 currency pairs, compared with IFC Markets’ 630 symbols and 49 pairs. Both brokers provide copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, though neither lets you buy actual crypto. For stocks, neither offers direct U.S. share dealing, but IFC Markets does let you buy certain international shares outright (not as CFDs), while City Index does not.

For range of investments, City Index is rated 5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers, whereas IFC Markets is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #31. Pick City Index if you want the widest selection of markets and forex pairs; choose IFC Markets if access to exchange-traded international shares is a priority alongside CFD and forex trading.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 630
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 49
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info No 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).

Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.

Trading platforms and tools

City Index and IFC Markets both check the core boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each broker provides a free demo account for paper trading, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. Both support MetaTrader 4 (MT4), enable copy trading, and let you place orders straight from charts. The key platform difference: IFC Markets also offers MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while City Index does not.

For overall quality of platforms and tools, City Index is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #29. Both brokers include charting with technical indicators and customizable watchlists, making them solid picks; choose City Index for a slightly higher platform rating, or IFC Markets if MT5 is a must-have.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
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 No Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

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

Forex trading apps

City Index and IFC Markets both check the core boxes for mobile trading apps. Each offers iPhone and Android apps with price alerts for stocks and forex, synced watchlists between mobile and web, the ability to draw trendlines on charts, and auto‑saved chart drawings.

Where they differ is depth and ratings. City Index provides 88 technical studies on mobile charts, compared with 30 at IFC Markets. City Index also scores higher, earning 4.5/5 stars and ranking #9 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets holds 4/5 stars and ranks #34. Choose City Index if you want more built‑in indicators and a higher‑rated experience; pick IFC Markets if you’re satisfied with the essentials plus alerts and syncing.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

City Index and IFC Markets both deliver the basics for market research, including daily market commentary and an economic calendar. The key difference is news coverage: City Index streams forex headlines from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, while IFC Markets does not. Neither broker includes tools from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.

For analytics, City Index adds Trading Central alongside a sentiment tool that shows long/short positioning; IFC Markets offers the sentiment tool but not Trading Central. These extras help explain City Index’s higher Research rating (4.5/5, ranked #10 out of 63) versus IFC Markets (3.5/5, ranked #30). If you value premium news and third‑party analytics, City Index has the edge; if you just need sentiment insights and a calendar, IFC Markets covers the essentials.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info No No
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

City Index vs IFC Markets for beginners: both brokers provide at least 10 beginner-friendly videos on forex and CFD trading, plus 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to dive deeper. The standout difference is live learning—City Index runs online educational webinars at least once per month, while IFC Markets does not host monthly webinars.

Independent ratings back this up: City Index earns 4.5/5 stars for Education and ranks 9th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, whereas IFC Markets scores 3.5/5 stars and ranks 25th. If live webinars and a higher-rated learning experience are important to you, City Index is the stronger choice; if you mainly want on-demand videos from beginner through advanced, both brokers can get you started.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Webinars info Yes No
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 City Index is better than IFC Markets. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #33.

Backed by StoneX Group, City Index is a trusted brand known for its versatile trading platforms, excellent mobile app, diverse market research, and extensive range of tradeable markets.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 73
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with City Index or IFC Markets?

Comparing City Index vs IFC Markets for crypto trading: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Among online brokers, City Index supports ACH/SEPA and PayPal plus bank wire transfers for deposits and withdrawals (no Skrill), while IFC Markets offers bank wire transfers only and does not support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, or Skrill.

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Overall Rating City Index IFC Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 73
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review
Broker Screenshots City Index IFC Markets
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
City Index MetaTrader 4 mobile trading app City Index web platform trading. City Index web platform research Trading Central City Index educational course advanced.
Regulation City Index IFC Markets
Trust Score info 99 73
Year Founded info 1983 2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) City Index IFC Markets
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) City Index IFC Markets
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info Yes
India (SEBI Authorised) info No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments City Index IFC Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 630
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 49
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info No 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).
Cost City Index IFC Markets
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.4 info 1.44 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.9 info 1.1 info
Inactivity Fee info Yes No
Order execution: Agency info No Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding City Index IFC Markets
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $1
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
Trading Platforms City Index IFC Markets
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
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 No Yes
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools City Index IFC Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading City Index IFC 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 Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research City Index IFC Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes No
TipRanks info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education City Index IFC Markets
Webinars info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs City Index IFC 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 City Index Review
Overall City Index IFC Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 73
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review
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