Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IC Markets vs Eightcap, 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.
IC Markets (founded 2007) and Eightcap (founded 2009) are online brokers that are not publicly traded and are not banks. On ForexBrokers.com’s 99-point Trust Score, IC Markets scores 83 and Eightcap scores 87—both fall in the 80–89 range, which is considered “trusted” (90–99 highly trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, under 59 not trusted).
Looking at regulation, Eightcap holds three Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, while IC Markets holds two Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses. Because Tier-1 regulators are viewed as highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com, Eightcap has a slight edge in regulatory coverage, though both brokers meet a trusted standard.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, IC Markets is the lower-cost choice overall. It earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees at ForexBrokers.com. IC Markets offers a commission-free Standard account plus commission-based Raw Spread and cTrader Raw Spread accounts. Its pricing is especially appealing for active traders, with low effective spreads and discounts for high-volume trading. On EUR/USD, the all-in cost can be very competitive, making IC Markets one of the better-value forex brokers for low trading costs.
Eightcap is also priced well, but it is a bit more expensive than the cheapest brokers. It receives 4.5 stars and ranks #20 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees. Eightcap gives traders a choice between a spread-only Standard account and a commission-based Raw account. Its Raw account shows a very low listed spread, but once the commission is added, the total cost comes out to around 0.76 pips, which is close to the industry average.
In simple terms, both brokers offer fair pricing, but IC Markets has the edge on commissions and fees. If keeping trading costs as low as possible is your main goal, IC Markets is the stronger pick. If you want a solid broker with competitive pricing but don’t mind paying slightly more, Eightcap is still a good option.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.72 | 0.76 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, IC Markets offers a wider choice than Eightcap. IC Markets lists 7,435 tradeable symbols and 61 forex pairs, while Eightcap provides 803 tradeable symbols and 55 forex pairs. Both brokers let you trade forex as a CFD or spot contract, and both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither gives access to buying actual cryptocurrencies or exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international stock exchanges.
IC Markets also stands out for copy trading, which Eightcap does not offer. This broader selection is reflected in its ratings and rankings, with IC Markets scoring 4.5 out of 5 for range of investments and ranking #22 out of 36 brokers, compared with Eightcap’s 3.5 out of 5 and #31 ranking. For traders who want more markets to choose from, IC Markets has the stronger offering.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7435 | 803 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 55 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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.
IC Markets and Eightcap both give traders a similar range of platform choices, including free demo accounts, Windows desktop apps, web-based platforms, and the popular MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Neither broker offers its own in-house platform, and both let users trade directly from charts. Each is also rated 4 out of 5 stars for trading platforms and tools, so both are solid options for traders who want familiar software and flexible access across devices.
The biggest difference is that IC Markets includes copy trading, while Eightcap does not. That extra feature may appeal to beginners or busy traders who want to follow other traders’ strategies. In ForexBrokers.com’s platform rankings, IC Markets places higher at #17 out of 36 brokers, compared with Eightcap at #34, which gives IC Markets the edge overall for trading platforms and tools.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 32 | 100 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IC Markets and Eightcap both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts. Each app also lets users draw trendlines and automatically saves those drawings, making it easier to keep track of chart work on the go. Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, so they are broadly similar in basic app quality and core features.
The main difference is in charting and watchlist syncing. Eightcap supports watchlist symbol syncing between its mobile app and online account, while IC Markets does not. Eightcap also gives traders access to 100 technical studies in its mobile charts, compared with 32 at IC Markets. Even so, IC Markets is ranked higher overall for mobile trading apps by ForexBrokers.com, placing #22 out of 36 brokers, while Eightcap ranks #34 out of 36.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 32 | 100 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
IC Markets comes out ahead of Eightcap for market research overall. Both brokers provide daily market commentary, a sentiment tool, and an economic calendar to help traders follow news and market moves. However, IC Markets has an edge because it also offers forex news from major sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters, plus Trading Central and TipRanks research tools. Eightcap, by comparison, does not include top-tier news coverage, Trading Central, or TipRanks, though it does offer Acuity Trading tools that IC Markets does not.
Looking at independent ratings, IC Markets scores 4 out of 5 for Research and ranks #21 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Eightcap scores 3.5 out of 5 and ranks #35. In simple terms, both brokers give traders useful research features, but IC Markets provides a wider range of market insight tools and stronger overall research support.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for trading education, IC Markets has the edge over Eightcap. IC Markets offers forex and CFDs learning material, monthly educational webinars, at least 10 beginner trading videos, and at least 10 advanced videos for more experienced traders. It is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #16 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, which suggests a wider and more useful learning library overall.
Eightcap also gives new traders access to beginner trading videos and forex/CFD education, but it falls behind IC Markets in a few key areas. It does not offer monthly educational webinars and does not have at least 10 advanced educational videos, which may limit how much a trader can learn as their skills grow. Eightcap is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #33 out of 36, making IC Markets the stronger choice for educational support.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | 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 IC Markets is better than Eightcap. IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21, while Eightcap finished with an overall rank of #30.
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
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Eightcap
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 83 | 87 |
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IC Markets vs Eightcap: neither broker supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer trading in cryptocurrency CFDs.
IC Markets vs Eightcap: both online brokers support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers for deposits and withdrawals, do not support ACH or SEPA, and Visa/Mastercard availability 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.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Eightcap Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
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| Regulation | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 83 | 87 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7435 | 803 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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 | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.8 | 1.0 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.72 | 0.76 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 32 | 100 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 32 | 100 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | IC Markets Review | Eightcap Review |
| Overall | IC Markets | Eightcap | |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Eightcap Review |
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