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) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | 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 variety. CMC Markets lists 21,710 tradeable symbols and 303 forex pairs, compared with 630 symbols and 49 forex pairs at IFC Markets. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual crypto. CMC Markets also stands out for access to exchange traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, while IFC Markets only offers listed shares on international exchanges.
IFC Markets does have one feature CMC Markets does not: copy trading. Even so, CMC Markets has the clear edge for overall market selection, earning 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranking #9 out of 36 brokers with ForexBrokers.com. IFC Markets is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #32 out of 36, which reflects its smaller product lineup and fewer available markets.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
CMC Markets and IFC Markets both give traders a wide choice of platform options, including a free demo account, a proprietary in-house platform, a Windows desktop app, a web-based platform, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Both brokers also let users trade directly from charts, which is helpful for those who want to place orders while watching price moves in real time. On trading platforms and tools, CMC Markets holds the edge in overall quality, with a 5-star rating and a #6 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com.
The main difference is copy trading: IFC Markets offers it, while CMC Markets does not. That may matter for beginners or traders who want to follow other investors’ strategies. IFC Markets still offers a solid platform lineup, but its 4-star rating and #30 ranking put it behind CMC Markets in this category. For traders comparing online brokers based on platform choice, chart trading, and ease of use, CMC Markets appears stronger overall, while IFC Markets adds copy trading as a useful extra.
| 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 | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and IFC Markets both give mobile traders a similar core experience. Each broker offers iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, watchlist symbol syncing, 30 technical studies for charting, trendline drawing, and auto-saving of chart drawings. For everyday use, that means either app gives you the basic tools needed to monitor markets, manage watchlists, and analyze charts on the go.
The main difference is in overall mobile app quality and industry standing. CMC Markets is rated 5 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and is ranked #5 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #35. If you want the stronger mobile trading app experience based on expert review, CMC Markets has the edge over IFC Markets.
| 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 | 30 | 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.
CMC Markets is the stronger choice for beginners who want more help learning forex and CFD trading. It offers at least 10 pieces of forex or CFD education, runs online educational webinars at least once a month, and provides 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos. That depth of learning support is reflected in its 5-star Education rating and its #10 ranking out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
IFC Markets also gives beginners useful video-based education, with at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos available. However, it does not offer monthly educational webinars, and its overall Education score is lower at 3.5 stars, with a #25 ranking out of 36 brokers. For new traders looking for more regular teaching and a wider range of forex and CFD learning content, CMC Markets is the better fit.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | 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
|
|---|---|---|
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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) | 21710 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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). |
| Cost | CMC Markets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 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 (Deposit/Withdraw) | 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 | No | 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) | 65 | 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 | 30 | 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 | Yes | 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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