Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets 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.
CMC Markets (founded 1989) and IC Markets (founded 2007) are well-known online brokers, but they differ in key ways. CMC Markets is publicly traded, while IC Markets is privately held; neither company is a bank.
On regulation, CMC Markets holds six Tier-1 licenses—considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com—plus one Tier-2 license, and earns a Trust Score of 99 out of 99, which falls in the 90–99 “highly trusted” range. IC Markets holds two Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses, with a Trust Score of 83 out of 99, placing it in the 80–89 “trusted” range. For context, ForexBrokers.com rates 70–79 as average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
CMC Markets and IC Markets are both top choices for low trading costs, and each earned 5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for this category, CMC Markets placed #4 out of 36 brokers, while IC Markets came in close behind at #5 out of 36. Both brokers are priced well below many competitors, but they take slightly different approaches to keeping costs down.
CMC Markets stands out for its consistently low spreads across all account types, with typical EUR/USD spreads around 0.61 pips based on its price data. It also offers the Price Plus active trader program, which can lower trading costs as volume rises, and its FX Active pricing can bring all-in EUR/USD costs down to about 0.5 pips with commission. That makes CMC Markets a strong pick for traders who want simple, competitive pricing without having to switch account types.
IC Markets is also a strong low-cost option, especially for traders who prefer commission-based accounts. It offers a Standard account with spread-only pricing, plus Raw Spread and cTrader Raw Spread accounts with very tight pricing and commissions as low as $3.00 per side on cTrader. Its average EUR/USD pricing can be very low once commissions are added, and active traders can qualify for discounts at higher monthly volumes. In short, CMC Markets is slightly ahead on ranking, while IC Markets remains one of the most affordable brokers for frequent forex trading.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $200 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 0.72 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
CMC Markets offers a wider range of investments than IC Markets, making it the stronger choice for traders who want more markets in one place. CMC Markets lists 21,710 tradeable symbols and 303 forex pairs, compared with 7,435 symbols and 61 forex pairs at IC Markets. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both offer crypto CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency.
CMC Markets also stands out for share investing, since it offers exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while IC Markets does not offer these direct stock options. On the other hand, IC Markets does support copy trading, which CMC Markets does not. Overall, CMC Markets is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers, while IC Markets is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #22.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 7435 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 61 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| 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.
CMC Markets and IC Markets both give traders a strong mix of platform choices, including free demo accounts, desktop downloads for Windows, web-based trading, and access to MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both also let users trade directly from charts, which can make it easier to place orders while analyzing the market. CMC Markets stands out with its own in-house trading platform, while IC Markets does not offer a proprietary platform.
When it comes to extra trading tools, IC Markets has an edge for copy trading, which may appeal to beginners or investors who want to follow other traders. CMC Markets, however, scores higher overall for trading platforms and tools, with a 5-star rating and a #6 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with IC Markets’ 4 stars and #17 ranking. In short, both brokers cover the key platform basics well, but CMC Markets is stronger for overall platform quality, while IC Markets may be better for traders interested in copy trading.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
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) | 65 | 32 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and IC Markets both make mobile trading easy for iPhone and Android users, and each app includes price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. That means traders can stay on top of market moves and keep their chart work intact whether they are using a phone or tablet. Both brokers cover the basics well for trading on the go, but CMC Markets stands out with watchlist symbol syncing, so changes made in the app carry over to the online account. IC Markets does not offer that same syncing feature.
When it comes to charting tools and overall mobile app quality, IC Markets offers a slightly larger set of technical studies with 32 compared with 30 for CMC Markets. Even so, CMC Markets has the edge in third-party ratings, earning 5 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranking #5 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. IC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #22 out of 36, making CMC Markets the stronger choice overall for traders who want a better mobile app experience.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 32 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
CMC Markets and IC Markets both give traders strong market research coverage, with daily market commentary, forex news from leading sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool, and an economic calendar that tracks key global events. Both brokers also make it easier to follow the market day to day, which can help newer traders and active traders alike stay informed.
Where CMC Markets pulls ahead is in research depth and outside tools. It offers Autochartist for technical and fundamental ideas, while IC Markets offers Trading Central and TipRanks instead. CMC Markets is rated 5 stars for Research and ranked #6 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with IC Markets at 4 stars and #21, making CMC Markets the stronger pick overall for market research.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking to learn forex and CFD trading, both CMC Markets and IC Markets offer a solid range of educational content. Each broker provides at least 10 forex or CFD learning pieces, monthly online webinars, and plenty of beginner and advanced videos, making either platform a useful starting point for new traders who want to build skills at their own pace.
That said, CMC Markets has the edge in education overall. It earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers for the category, compared with IC Markets’ 4-star rating and #16 ranking. If you want the stronger choice for learning support, CMC Markets comes out ahead, while IC Markets still offers a good amount of beginner-friendly material.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | 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 CMC Markets is better than IC Markets. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
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IC Markets
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 |
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CMC Markets and IC Markets do not allow buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both brokers offer cryptocurrency CFD trading for price exposure without owning the underlying asset.
In a funding-options comparison of online brokers CMC Markets vs IC Markets, CMC Markets supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire deposits/withdrawals but not Skrill, whereas IC Markets lacks ACH/SEPA, supports PayPal and Skrill, and offers bank wires.
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 | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| 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 | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 7435 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 0.72 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $200 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | 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 | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 32 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 32 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | 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 | CMC Markets Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | IC Markets Review |
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