Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs iFOREX, 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.
When comparing CMC Markets and iFOREX, it's clear that CMC Markets stands out as the more established and trusted broker. Founded in 1989 and publicly traded, CMC Markets holds an impressive six Tier-1 licenses, which are highly trusted, alongside one Tier-2 license. This contributes to its outstanding Trust Score of 99 out of 99 by ForexBrokers.com, marking it as a highly trusted online broker. In contrast, iFOREX, which was founded in 1996, is not publicly traded and operates with only one Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. This places iFOREX with a Trust Score of 75, indicating an average level of risk according to ForexBrokers.com.
Neither CMC Markets nor iFOREX function as banks, and while CMC Markets' extensive regulatory approvals and public status offer reassurance, iFOREX's limited licenses highlight a difference in perceived trust levels. Consumers looking for an online broker with a strong regulatory presence may find CMC Markets meets their needs better than iFOREX.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 1996 |
| 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 | 1 |
CMC Markets stands out for low, transparent trading costs, earning 5/5 stars and ranking #1 of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees in ForexBrokers.com’s 2025 Awards. Typical EUR/USD spreads were 0.61 pips in August 2023, and its FX Active pricing (available on MT4 and Next Generation in select regions such as the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and parts of Southeast Asia) charges $2.50 per side with minimum spreads of 0.0, delivering an all-in cost of about 0.5 pips on EUR/USD and five other pairs (August 2023 data). The Price Plus Scheme can further cut costs for high-volume traders by awarding Trading Points (two per standard 100k lot); trading 1,250 lots in a month reaches Tier 4, unlocking a 20% spread discount. CMC’s average spreads have also tended to sit close to its advertised minimums.
By contrast, iFOREX is rated 3/5 stars and ranks #62 of 63 for Commissions and Fees, and it does not publish average spread data. That lack of disclosed averages makes it harder to estimate real-world trading costs compared with CMC Markets’ detailed pricing and discount structure.
Bottom line: if you want low spreads with clear, all-in pricing and potential volume discounts, CMC Markets is the stronger choice on costs (5/5 stars; #1/63). If considering iFOREX (3/5 stars; #62/63), be aware that average spreads are not available when comparing fees.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
For range of investments, CMC Markets offers far more choice than iFOREX. CMC lists 12,029 tradeable symbols and 141 forex pairs, while iFOREX offers 750 symbols and 88 forex pairs. Both brokers let you trade forex via CFDs and spot, and both support cryptocurrency CFDs (but not actual, delivered crypto). A key difference: CMC Markets provides access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, so you can buy real shares like Apple or Vodafone, whereas iFOREX does not offer real, exchange-traded stocks. CMC also supports copy trading; iFOREX does not.
These differences are reflected in third-party scores: CMC Markets earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks 9th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while iFOREX receives 3.5 stars and ranks 42nd. If you want the widest selection, including real shares and copy trading, CMC Markets is the stronger fit; if you’re focused on a tighter CFD lineup, iFOREX may suffice.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 750 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 88 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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 iFOREX both offer proprietary, browser-based trading platforms, but their toolsets and extras differ notably. CMC Markets provides a free demo account for paper trading, a Windows desktop platform, copy trading, and access to MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both brokers let you place trades directly from charts. By contrast, iFOREX does not offer a demo account, a Windows desktop app, copy trading, or MT4/MT5. Indicator counts and watchlist column details were not specified by the source.
Independent ratings reflect these differences: CMC Markets earned 5 stars and ranked #4 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools on ForexBrokers.com, while iFOREX received 4 stars and ranked #55. If you want a practice account, desktop software, MT4/MT5 support, and social/copy features, CMC Markets is the stronger pick; if you only need a straightforward web platform, iFOREX may suit your needs.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | No |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 57 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and iFOREX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. The difference shows up in everyday use: CMC Markets includes price alerts and watchlist syncing with your online account, while iFOREX does not. That added convenience is reflected in third‑party reviews—CMC Markets earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #5 for Mobile Trading Apps out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with iFOREX’s 4 out of 5 stars and #56 ranking.
Charting is another clear separator. CMC Markets supplies 29 technical studies, lets you draw trendlines, and auto‑saves your drawings so your work carries across sessions. iFOREX does not support trendline drawing or auto‑saving drawings, and it does not publish a count of mobile technical studies. If you want richer charting, alerts, and synced watchlists on the go, CMC Markets is the stronger pick; iFOREX may suit traders who prefer a simpler app for basic trading.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
CMC Markets and iFOREX both publish daily market commentary, show client sentiment for trading ideas, and provide an economic calendar. CMC Markets adds forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones and includes Autochartist tools. iFOREX does not offer top-tier news, but it does include Trading Central. TipRanks is not offered at CMC Markets, and iFOREX does not specify TipRanks access. CMC Markets does not list Acuity Trading tools, and iFOREX does not specify them.
For research quality, CMC Markets earns 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while iFOREX scores 3.5 stars and ranks #49. If you want integrated big-name news and Autochartist, CMC Markets is the stronger fit; if Trading Central is a priority, iFOREX has that coverage.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners seeking forex and CFD education, both CMC Markets and iFOREX offer plenty of starter-friendly content. Each provides 10+ beginner trading videos that explain core concepts and platform basics in plain language. Neither broker runs monthly live educational webinars, so you won’t get regular live classes or Q&A sessions.
CMC Markets goes further for long-term learning, offering 10+ advanced trading videos, while iFOREX does not. That gap is reflected in independent scores: CMC Markets earns 5/5 stars for Education and ranks 10th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com; iFOREX earns 3.5/5 stars and ranks 53rd. If you want a beginner-friendly path with room to grow, CMC Markets is the stronger pick; if you only need basic videos to start, iFOREX can still cover the essentials.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
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 iFOREX. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #4, while iFOREX finished with an overall rank of #52.
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
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 75 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
In a head-to-head comparison, online brokers CMC Markets and iFOREX do not allow the purchase of actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both support cryptocurrency trading via CFDs.
CMC Markets vs iFOREX: For deposits and withdrawals, CMC Markets supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires (but not Skrill), while iFOREX does not support ACH/SEPA and its availability for PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires is not specified.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| Regulation | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 1996 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 750 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 88 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | No | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 57 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill