Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro 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.
eToro vs IFC Markets: eToro, founded in 2007, is publicly traded and not a bank; IFC Markets, founded in 2006, is privately held and also not a bank. On ForexBrokers.com’s 99-point Trust Score—where 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and under 59 not trusted—eToro scores 96 (highly trusted), while IFC Markets scores 73 (average risk).
Regulation is a key difference. eToro holds 4 Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and 1 Tier-2 license, compared with IFC Markets’ 0 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license. This stronger regulatory footprint helps explain eToro’s higher Trust Score and can matter to traders seeking a well-regulated online broker.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
eToro and IFC Markets take different paths on pricing. eToro, a market-maker broker, lists a typical variable spread of 1 pip on EUR/USD, which is slightly higher than the industry average. IFC Markets’ average EUR/USD spread is 1.44, also above the 1.08 industry average and therefore less competitive at face value. For commissions and fees, eToro is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #22 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets holds 4 stars and ranks #32 out of 63.
Traders often choose eToro less for rock-bottom spreads and more for its social copy trading. Its VIP Club (Silver to Diamond) rewards balances from $5,000 to $250,000 with perks that can ease costs, including access to Trading Central, discounted deposit and withdrawal fees, and a dedicated account manager.
IFC Markets can be more attractive for active traders who want tighter effective pricing. Its ECN account delivers about 1.1-pip effective spreads on EUR/USD after a 0.005% commission is charged on both sides of the trade. Add in no inactivity fees and active trader discounts, and IFC Markets offers meaningful savings for frequent trading, whereas eToro may better fit users prioritizing copy trading features over the narrowest spreads.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
eToro vs IFC Markets on range of investments: both support forex trading as CFDs or spot. eToro lists 7,441 tradeable instruments and 55 forex pairs, while IFC Markets offers 630 instruments and 49 forex pairs. eToro lets you buy real stocks on U.S. and international exchanges; IFC Markets offers real international shares but not U.S.-listed shares. Both provide copy trading. For crypto, eToro supports both actual cryptocurrency purchases and crypto CFDs, whereas IFC Markets offers crypto CFDs only.
According to ForexBrokers.com, eToro earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks 11th out of 63 brokers. IFC Markets scores 3.5 stars and ranks 31st. Pick eToro if you want more markets, real stock ownership, and the option to buy crypto directly. Choose IFC Markets if you mainly trade forex and CFDs and don’t need access to U.S. stocks or delivered crypto.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 49 |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Comparing eToro vs IFC Markets for trading platforms and tools: both brokers provide free paper trading with a virtual demo account, web-based platforms, proprietary software, copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. In independent testing, eToro earns 4.5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, while IFC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #29. A key difference is desktop access: eToro does not offer a Windows download, whereas IFC Markets does.
Platform choice also hinges on software preferences. eToro does not support MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5, focusing instead on its in-house platform known for social and copy trading. IFC Markets supports both MT4 and MT5 alongside its proprietary platform, making it a better fit if you want classic MetaTrader features or a Windows desktop app. If you prefer a simple web experience with strong social trading, eToro stands out; if you want MetaTrader plus desktop flexibility, IFC Markets has the edge.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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 IFC Markets offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts and keeps your watchlists synced across devices and your online account, so changes show up everywhere. That makes it easy to track stocks, forex pairs, and other markets on the go without juggling different lists.
For charting, eToro packs in 104 technical studies, while IFC Markets includes 30. However, IFC Markets lets you draw trendlines and automatically saves your chart drawings, features eToro’s app does not include. In overall scores for Mobile Trading Apps, eToro earns 4.5 stars and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com; IFC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #34. In short, pick eToro if you want lots of indicators, or choose IFC Markets if you prefer hands-on chart drawing with autosave.
| Feature |
eToro
|
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 | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing eToro vs IFC Markets for market research, both brokers deliver daily market commentary, an economic calendar, and a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long and short positions. Where they differ is in premium research: eToro streams forex news from top-tier sources (such as Bloomberg/Reuters/Dow Jones equivalents), and it adds third‑party insights from Trading Central and TipRanks. IFC Markets does not offer those three items. Neither broker includes Autochartist or tools from Acuity Trading.
These extras help eToro score higher for research: 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked 13th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with IFC Markets at 3.5 stars and 30th out of 63. If you want premium news and third‑party analytics alongside daily commentary and sentiment data, eToro is the stronger pick. If basic market coverage is enough, IFC Markets can fit the bill.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing eToro vs IFC Markets for beginner education: both brokers offer forex and CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces, and each provides more than 10 beginner videos plus more than 10 advanced videos. The key difference is live instruction—eToro hosts client webinars at least once a month, while IFC Markets does not. If you value live Q&A and ongoing sessions to reinforce video lessons, eToro has the edge. If you mainly want an on-demand video library, both brokers meet that need.
Independent ratings back this up: eToro earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers for Education at ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets scores 3.5/5 stars and ranks #25. In short, beginners seeking structured learning with live webinars may gravitate to eToro, whereas IFC Markets remains a solid pick for self-paced study without regular live events.
| Feature |
eToro
|
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 eToro is better than IFC Markets. eToro finished with an overall rank of #9, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #33.
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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IFC Markets
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 73 |
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Compared with IFC Markets, which only offers cryptocurrency trading via CFDs, eToro lets you buy both actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency CFDs.
eToro vs IFC Markets: eToro supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits/withdrawals, while IFC Markets offers only bank wire transfers and does not support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, or Skrill; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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 | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | IFC Markets | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| 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) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 49 | |
| 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). |
| Cost | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | No |
| Trading Tools | eToro | IFC 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 | 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 | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | eToro | 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 | eToro Review |
| Overall | eToro | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review |
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