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) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.62 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.62 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | 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.
When it comes to range of investments, CMC Markets offers a wider selection than IC Markets. CMC Markets lists 12,029 tradeable symbols and 141 forex pairs, compared with IC Markets’ 3,583 symbols and 61 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, offer copy trading, and let clients trade cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither allows buying actual cryptocurrency. Both also provide access to shares on international exchanges.
The biggest difference is in stock access and overall market choice. CMC Markets lets clients buy real, exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while IC Markets does not offer U.S.-listed shares in this way. This broader product range helps explain why CMC Markets earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers, while IC Markets scores 4.5 stars and ranks #22.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 3583 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 61 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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 wide choice of platforms and tools, including free demo accounts, web-based access, Windows desktop downloads, copy trading, and support for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Each broker also lets users trade directly from charts, which can make order entry quicker and easier. In other words, both are well set up for beginners who want to practice first and active traders who want flexibility across devices.
The main difference is that CMC Markets also offers its own in-house platform, while IC Markets does not. That extra proprietary option helps CMC Markets stand out for traders who want a broker-built platform alongside the familiar MetaTrader choices. This is reflected in the ratings too: CMC Markets scores 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, while IC Markets scores 4 stars and ranks #17, giving CMC Markets the edge overall in this category.
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both CMC Markets and IC Markets offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. On these basics, the two brokers are closely matched, so either app should cover the needs of traders who want to monitor markets and manage charts from a phone or tablet.
CMC Markets stands out for watchlist symbol syncing, which lets changes made in the mobile app and online account stay aligned, while IC Markets does not offer this feature. IC Markets does have a slight edge in charting, with 30 technical studies versus 29 for CMC Markets, but CMC Markets scores higher overall for mobile trading apps, earning 5 out of 5 stars and a #5 ranking from ForexBrokers.com, compared with IC Markets’ 4 stars and #22 ranking.
| 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 | 29 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, both CMC Markets and IC Markets give traders plenty of useful tools. Each broker offers daily market commentary, forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, Autochartist, sentiment data showing long and short positioning, and an economic calendar with major global events. Both also skip TipRanks and Acuity Trading tools, so their research suites are similar in many key areas.
The main difference is that IC Markets adds Trading Central, which CMC Markets does not offer. Even so, CMC Markets comes out ahead overall in research, with a 5-star rating and a #6 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with IC Markets’ 4-star rating and #21 ranking. For traders who want stronger market research coverage, CMC Markets has the edge, while IC Markets still delivers a solid set of research tools.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | 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.
For beginners looking for trading help, both CMC Markets and IC Markets provide a wide range of learning materials, including at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos. CMC Markets also stands out with a 5-star Education rating and a stronger overall ranking for education at #10 out of 36 brokers, compared with IC Markets at #16. CMC Markets also offers forex or CFDs education through a large set of learning pieces, making it a strong choice for traders who want to build their knowledge step by step.
That said, IC Markets has one clear edge: it offers online educational client webinars at least once a month, while CMC Markets does not. So if live learning sessions matter to you, IC Markets may be the better fit. But for beginners who want more structured study materials and a higher-rated education experience overall, CMC Markets comes out ahead.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
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 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) | 12029 | 3583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.62 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.62 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| 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 | 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 | Yes | 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) | 73 | 30 | |
| 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 | 29 | 30 | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | 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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