Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro vs IC 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.
eToro vs IC Markets: Both brokers were founded in 2007, and neither operates as a bank. eToro is publicly traded, while IC Markets is privately held. According to ForexBrokers.com, eToro earns a 96/99 Trust Score (90–99 = highly trusted), and IC Markets scores 84/99 (80–89 = trusted). For context, 70–79 is average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 should not be trusted.
On regulation, eToro holds four Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and one Tier-2 license (trusted). IC Markets holds two Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses. These credentials, along with public listing status, help signal each broker’s overall level of oversight and safety for clients.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
When considering online brokers, eToro and IC Markets offer distinct differences in commissions and fees, making each platform appealing for different types of traders. eToro, primarily known for its social copy trading capabilities, is a market-maker broker offering a typical variable spread of 1 pip on the EUR/USD, which is slightly above the industry average. Retail traders may not opt for eToro due to its spreads but might find value in its VIP Club, which offers tiered membership benefits ranging from discounted fees to exclusive tools for those maintaining higher account balances. In terms of commissions and fees, eToro receives a commendable 4.5-star rating and is ranked #22 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
IC Markets, on the other hand, is celebrated for its competitive pricing and low trading costs, earning Best in Class honors in the Commissions & Fees category in the 2024 Annual Awards. With its multiple regulatory entities and account choices, such as commission-free Standard accounts and commission-based Raw Spread and cTrader Raw Spread accounts, IC Markets provides flexibility in customization to users. Notably, its effective spreads on the EUR/USD can be as low as 0.62 pips when accounting for cTrader account commissions, making it a favored option for cost-conscious traders. IC Markets holds a superior 5-star rating and is ranked #5 out of 63 brokers for commissions and fees.
Both platforms cater to different trader priorities; eToro excels with its social trading environment and VIP benefits, while IC Markets is a standout for those seeking low-cost trading conditions. Whether traders prioritize innovative trading platforms or cost-effectiveness, the choice between eToro and IC Markets largely hinges on individual trading strategies and cost considerations.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $200 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 0.62 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.62 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing eToro vs IC Markets for range of investments, eToro offers a larger overall catalog with 7,441 tradeable symbols, while IC Markets lists 3,583. IC Markets edges out on forex pairs (61 vs 55), and both brokers support forex trading via CFDs and/or spot contracts. Copy trading is available on both.
For stocks, eToro lets you buy exchange-traded shares on both U.S. and international markets, whereas IC Markets offers exchange-traded shares on international markets but not U.S. stocks. In crypto, eToro supports both actual coins and crypto CFDs; IC Markets offers crypto only as CFDs. Reflecting this breadth, ForexBrokers.com rates eToro 5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked #11 out of 63) and IC Markets 4.5 stars (ranked #22).
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 3583 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 61 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
Comparing eToro vs IC Markets for trading platforms and tools: both brokers offer a free demo account, web-based trading, copy trading, and the ability to place orders straight from charts. eToro stands out with a proprietary, in-house platform designed for social and copy trading, but it doesn’t provide a Windows desktop download and doesn’t support MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5. IC Markets takes the opposite route, offering a Windows desktop platform with MT4 and MT5 support, though it doesn’t have its own proprietary platform.
For ratings, eToro earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools on ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets scores 4/5 stars and ranks #17. Choose eToro if you want a streamlined web experience and built-in social features; choose IC Markets if you prefer MetaTrader’s ecosystem and a traditional desktop setup.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both eToro and IC Markets offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts to help you track market moves in real time. eToro adds watchlist syncing between mobile and web, so changes update across devices, while IC Markets does not sync watchlists.
For charting, eToro includes 104 technical studies in its app versus 30 with IC Markets. IC Markets, however, lets you draw trendlines and automatically saves chart drawings, features eToro lacks. eToro’s mobile app is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #22. In short, choose eToro for more built-in indicators and synced watchlists, or IC Markets if drawing tools and saved annotations matter more.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
eToro and IC Markets both deliver strong market research for everyday traders. Each offers daily market commentary, top‑tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, research from Trading Central, sentiment tools that show long/short positioning, and an easy‑to‑use economic calendar.
The main differences are in third‑party tools. IC Markets adds Autochartist for pattern recognition, while eToro stands out with TipRanks analyst insights; neither includes Acuity Trading’s Signal Centre. According to ForexBrokers.com, eToro earns 4.5 stars for Research (ranked #13 of 63) versus IC Markets at 4 stars (ranked #21). Choose IC Markets if you want Autochartist built in, or eToro if TipRanks data is a priority.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Both eToro and IC Markets provide plenty of forex and CFD education for beginners, easily clearing the bar of 10+ learning pieces. Each broker runs client webinars at least once a month and offers a sizable library of videos, including at least 10 beginner-focused lessons plus 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up. That mix of articles, videos, and webinars makes it simple to start with the basics and progress to more complex trading ideas.
For overall quality, eToro has the edge: it’s rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. IC Markets also performs well, earning 4 out of 5 stars and ranking #16. If you want one of the highest-rated learning experiences with frequent webinars and a deep video catalog, eToro is the stronger pick; if you’re comfortable with slightly lower ratings, IC Markets still delivers a wide range of beginner-friendly resources.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| 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 eToro is better than IC Markets. eToro finished with an overall rank of #9, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21.
eToro is a winner for its easy-to-use copy-trading platform, where traders can copy the trades of experienced investors – or receive exclusive perks for sharing their own trading strategies.
| Feature |
eToro
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IC Markets
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 84 |
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eToro vs IC Markets: eToro lets you buy and hold actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies in addition to trading crypto CFDs, while IC Markets offers crypto exposure only via CFDs and does not provide access to delivered coins.
eToro supports ACH/SEPA transfers (IC Markets does not), and both brokers offer PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire options for deposits and withdrawals, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | eToro | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | IC Markets | |
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| Regulation | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 84 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | 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) | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 3583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 0.62 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.62 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $200 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | eToro Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | eToro | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | IC Markets Review |
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