Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IC Markets vs Earn, 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 the online brokers IC Markets and Earn, regulatory credentials become a key factor for prospective users. IC Markets, established in 2007, holds two Tier-1 licenses, which reflect a high level of trust as per ForexBrokers.com's standards. While not publicly traded or a bank, IC Markets boasts a Trust Score of 84 out of 99, categorizing it as a trusted option for traders looking for a reliable platform.
In contrast, since 1994, Earn has operated in the financial market with one Tier-1 license to its name. Also not listed on any stock exchange or functioning as a bank, Earn has a Trust Score rating of 71 out of 99. This places it in the average risk category according to ForexBrokers.com. While both brokers come with their own merits, IC Markets offers a slightly higher comfort level in terms of regulatory trust and security.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 1994 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
When comparing brokerage firms, IC Markets stands out for its competitive pricing and low trading costs, positioning itself among the top low-cost forex brokers in the industry. It offers a selection of account types, including the commission-free Standard account and two commission-based options: Raw Spread and cTrader Raw Spread accounts. The commission structure is almost identical across the Raw Spread options, but the cTrader offers a slightly better rate at $3.0 per side for every 100,000 units traded. This results in an all-in cost for the popular EUR/USD pair of 0.62 pips on the cTrader platform, compared to 0.72 pips on MetaTrader, making it a strong choice for cost-conscious traders. This affordability, along with discounts for active traders, earned IC Markets a 5-star rating and a #5 ranking out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees by ForexBrokers.com in 2024.
By contrast, Earn presents a decent option but lacks the same level of fee transparency and detailed spread data that IC Markets provides. Without access to specific average spread information, potential traders might find it challenging to gauge the cost efficiency of trading on the Earn platform. Despite this, Earn manages to provide a respectable service, as evidenced by its 4-star rating. However, it ranks noticeably lower at #45 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees, which might influence the decision of traders looking for the most cost-effective solution possible.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.62 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing online brokers, IC Markets and Earn offer different strengths when it comes to their range of investments. Both platforms provide the opportunity to engage in forex trading as either a CFD or spot contract and offer a matching 61 tradeable forex pairs. However, IC Markets stands out with an impressive 3,583 tradeable symbols, dwarfing Earn's offering of 500 symbols. While neither broker provides exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, IC Markets allows clients to invest in international markets with the ability to buy shares like Vodafone (VOD-GB: London Stock Exchange), an option not present with Earn.
Both IC Markets and Earn support copy trading and provide avenues to invest in cryptocurrency derivatives, though neither offers the ability to buy actual cryptocurrencies. For those prioritizing a broader investment range, IC Markets earns a higher rating of 4.5 stars compared to Earn's 3.5 stars, and it's ranked #25 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Earn is positioned lower at #45 for the Range of Investments category, highlighting IC Markets as a more versatile choice for traders looking for variety in their investment options.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 61 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
IC Markets and Earn both offer traders a range of popular features, making them great choices for those seeking different trading experiences. Both brokers support paper trading with free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice strategies without financial risk. While neither offers a proprietary platform, they both provide Windows-based desktop and web-based trading options. Traders can benefit from platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and can engage in copy trading and use ZuluTrade on both platforms to follow or copy successful traders' strategies. However, DupliTrade is not available with either broker.
In terms of charting capabilities and watch list customization, IC Markets and Earn are quite similar. Each broker offers 15 drawing tools and seven columns for watch list customization, enhancing the experience for technical analysis enthusiasts. They also allow traders to execute trades directly from stock charts. With these features, both have earned commendable scores, each receiving a four-star rating for their Trading Platforms and Tools. However, IC Markets ranks higher at #16, compared to Earn's #51 ranking out of 63 brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com, signifying a slight preference for IC Markets among reviewers.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | No | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 35 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both IC Markets and Earn provide mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, ensuring a smooth trading experience on both platforms. Users of each app can enjoy essential features like receiving stock or forex price alerts and drawing trendlines on charts. While IC Markets and Earn do not offer watchlist symbol syncing with their online accounts, they both allow users to manage real-time watchlists within their apps, update time frames on charts, and have their drawings automatically saved. With IC Markets offering 30 technical studies for charting compared to Earn's 35, traders might find slight differences in analysis options.
In terms of user ratings, both IC Markets and Earn have garnered a solid four-star rating for their mobile trading apps. Despite this similarity, there is a slight difference in their rankings, as IC Markets is positioned at #22 while Earn is ranked at #27 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. This information can serve as a helpful guide for traders trying to decide which platform best suits their mobile trading needs, offering an insight into the performance and features of each broker’s app.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research offerings, both IC Markets and Earn provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, ensuring traders stay informed with the latest developments. IC Markets goes a step further by offering advanced analysis tools from both Autochartist and Trading Central, while Earn does not have these features. Additionally, IC Markets provides a sentiment-based trading tool for insight into market trends, a feature that Earn lacks.
Both brokers offer an economic calendar to track global news events, aiding traders in strategic planning. However, IC Markets edges ahead in ratings with a four-star research rating compared to Earn's 3.5 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, IC Markets holds the 23rd spot among 63 brokers for research, while Earn is ranked at 38. These rankings highlight IC Markets' superior research offerings, providing a more comprehensive toolkit for traders seeking to enhance their market analysis capabilities.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners in the trading world, IC Markets stands out as a top choice compared to Earn. IC Markets provides a wide range of educational materials including more than ten articles, videos, and archived webinars focused on forex and CFDs, making it easier for beginners to get started. They also host online educational client webinars at least once a month, and maintain a searchable archive of these webinars, which is a great way for newbies to learn at their own pace. Additionally, IC Markets offers a dictionary with definitions of over 50 investing terms, aiding in solidifying a beginner’s understanding of trading jargon.
In contrast, Earn falls behind in these offerings as they do not provide the same volume or variety of educational content. They lack both regular webinars and a significant archive, making it harder for beginners to access diverse learning sources. While IC Markets features over ten beginner-focused videos and an equal number of advanced videos for more experienced traders, Earn does not meet this benchmark. This could be why IC Markets has received a higher rating of 4 stars for education, and is ranked 16th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for their educational offerings, while Earn trails at 3.5 stars and ranks 62nd. This makes IC Markets a more appealing choice for those keen on building a strong foundation in trading education.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IC Markets is better than Earn. IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #20, while Earn finished with an overall rank of #50.
IC Markets’ competitive pricing and scalable execution make it an excellent option for algorithmic traders. Though it supports an impressive range of third-party tools and plugins, IC Markets’ research and education offerings are not as impressive as those offered by industry leaders.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 71 |
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Both IC Markets and Earn do not allow the purchase of actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do offer options for buying cryptocurrency derivatives.
In comparing online brokers IC Markets and Earn, both do not support ACH or SEPA transfers, while only IC Markets accepts PayPal for deposits and withdrawals compared to Earn, yet both platforms accommodate Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires as funding and withdrawal options.
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 | IC Markets | Earn | |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IC Markets | Earn | |
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| Regulation | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 84 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 1994 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.62 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | No | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | Yes | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Tools | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 35 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IC Markets | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | IC Markets | Earn | |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review |
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