Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs IFC 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 and IFC Markets are online brokers with different backgrounds and trust profiles. CMC Markets, founded in 1989, is publicly traded and not a bank; IFC Markets, founded in 2006, is privately held and also not a bank. 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), CMC Markets scores 99/99 (highly trusted) while IFC Markets scores 73/99 (average risk).
Regulation is another key divider. CMC Markets holds 6 Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and 1 Tier-2 license, pointing to broad oversight by top regulators. IFC Markets holds 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses, indicating a narrower regulatory footprint. If you prefer maximum regulatory coverage and a public company, CMC Markets has the edge; if you’re comfortable with an average-risk rating and basic top-tier coverage, IFC Markets may fit.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 5 |
CMC Markets stands out on commissions and fees, earning a 5-star rating and ranking #4 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Commissions and Fees category. In our 2025 Annual Awards, it also took the #1 spot for this category, helped by its consistently low spreads across account types. Typical EUR/USD spreads came in at 0.61 pips based on August 2023 data, and its FX Active pricing can lower all-in trading costs to about 0.5 pips on EUR/USD with a $2.50-per-side commission.
IFC Markets is less competitive on pricing overall, though it still offers some useful cost-saving features. It has a 4-star rating and ranks #33 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees. Its average EUR/USD spread is 1.44 pips, which is above the industry average of 1.08 pips, but traders who use the ECN account may see better value at around 1.1 pips after commissions. IFC Markets also has no inactivity fee and offers active trader discounts, which can help lower costs for frequent users.
In simple terms, CMC Markets is the stronger choice if low trading costs are your main priority, especially for forex spreads and commission-based pricing. IFC Markets can still work for cost-conscious traders, but its spreads are generally higher, making it less attractive overall in this category.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
CMC Markets offers a much wider range of investments than IFC Markets, making it the stronger choice for traders who want more market access. CMC Markets lists 12,029 tradeable symbols and 141 forex pairs, compared with IFC Markets’ 630 symbols and 49 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 delivered cryptocurrency.
CMC Markets also stands out for exchange traded securities, with access to shares on both U.S. and international exchanges, while IFC Markets only offers exchange traded securities on international exchanges. In terms of overall range of investments, CMC Markets is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #32, showing that CMC Markets provides the broader selection overall.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 49 |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
CMC Markets and IFC Markets both give traders a wide choice of trading platforms and tools, including free demo accounts, a proprietary platform, web and Windows desktop access, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Both brokers also let users trade directly from charts, which can make placing trades quicker and easier for active traders. In short, each broker covers the main platform needs most traders look for, whether they prefer browser-based trading, a downloadable app, or the familiar MetaTrader setup.
Where CMC Markets stands out is in its stronger overall ratings for trading platforms and tools. CMC Markets earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30. That makes CMC Markets the better pick for traders who want a platform experience with a stronger industry score, even though IFC Markets still offers many of the same core tools.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
CMC Markets and IFC Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts, watchlist syncing, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. That means traders can check markets, manage watchlists, and keep chart work updated whether they are using the mobile app or their online account. For everyday mobile trading needs, both brokers cover the main features most users look for.
The biggest difference is in app quality and charting depth. CMC Markets offers 29 technical studies in its mobile charting tools and is rated 5 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, ranking #5 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. IFC Markets offers 30 technical studies, slightly more than CMC Markets, but is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #35 out of 36. In short, IFC Markets has one extra technical study, while CMC Markets stands out for stronger overall mobile app performance and a much higher expert ranking.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| 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, CMC Markets offers a stronger overall package than IFC Markets. Both brokers provide daily market commentary, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. However, CMC Markets goes further by adding forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus Autochartist tools for technical and fundamental analysis. IFC Markets does not offer those extra news and analysis features, which makes its research offering more limited by comparison.
This difference is reflected in third-party ratings and rankings. CMC Markets is rated 5 stars for research and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com research category, while IFC Markets is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #31 out of 36. For traders who want more built-in market insight and stronger research support, CMC Markets is the better choice.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| 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 education, CMC Markets comes out ahead of IFC Markets. CMC Markets offers forex and CFDs learning materials, plus at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos, making it a better fit for traders who want to start simple and move into more detailed topics over time. It is also rated 5 stars for Education and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Education category, which points to a stronger overall learning experience.
IFC Markets also provides forex and CFDs education, along with at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos, so there is still useful content for new traders. However, it does not offer monthly educational webinars, and its Education rating is lower at 3.5 stars, with a rank of #25 out of 36. For beginners comparing the two, CMC Markets offers the clearer edge in both quality and depth of educational resources.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No |
| 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 IFC Markets. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #34.
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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IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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CMC Markets and IFC Markets are online brokers that do not allow buying actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both do offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Compared to IFC Markets, CMC Markets supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire transfers for deposits and withdrawals, whereas IFC Markets lacks ACH/SEPA and PayPal but does support bank wires; neither broker supports Skrill.
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 | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | IFC Markets | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 5 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | CMC Markets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 49 | |
| 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). |
| Cost | CMC Markets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | IFC 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 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | IFC 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 |
| Overall | CMC Markets | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review |
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