Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IC Markets vs Exness, 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 and Exness are two well-regarded online brokers, each offering unique regulatory standings that influence their trust and reliability. Founded in 2007, IC Markets holds a Trust Score of 84 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the "trusted" category. This broker possesses 2 highly trusted Tier-1 licenses, underscoring its commitment to stringent regulatory standards, although it holds no Tier-2 licenses. Meanwhile, Exness, established a year later in 2008, scores 81, also within the "trusted" range. Exness similarly holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and additionally maintains 3 Tier-2 licenses, offering a slightly broader regulatory backing.
Both brokers are privately held, meaning they are not listed on any stock exchange, and neither operates as a bank. These attributes provide an insight into their operational frameworks, offering confidence in their financial dealings without the complexity of public ownership or banking activities. Choosing between IC Markets and Exness largely depends on individual preferences for regulatory depth and trust score, as both offer solid trust credentials and regulatory adherence in the trading industry.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
IC Markets vs. Exness: commissions and fees. IC Markets earns 5/5 stars and ranks #5 of 63 for Commissions & Fees (Best in Class 2024), while Exness earns 4/5 stars and ranks #31 of 63. Both brokers offer low-cost pricing, but IC Markets generally comes in cheaper for active forex traders.
IC Markets’ pricing varies by platform, account type, and regulated entity (EU/Cyprus, Australia, Seychelles). You can choose the Standard account (spread-only, no commission) or go commission-based with Raw Spread on MT4/MT5 or cTrader. The cTrader Raw account charges $3.00 per side per 100,000 units ($6 round turn) and typically delivers an all-in EUR/USD cost around 0.62 pips. The MT4/MT5 Raw account is $3.50 per side ($7 round turn) with about 0.72 pips all-in. The Standard account averages about 0.62 pips with no commission. IC Markets also offers high-volume discounts and a low minimum deposit, helping it rival top low-cost brokers.
Exness provides five main account types: Standard Cent and Standard (both commission-free with wider spreads), Pro (tighter spreads with the option of instant or market execution), and two commission accounts—Zero Spread (a small $0.05 per-trade commission with market execution) and Raw (up to $7 per round turn lot, $3.50 per side). Zero and Raw allow high leverage and have a 30% margin-call trigger. In direct comparison, Exness Raw’s maximum $7 round turn is similar to IC Markets’ MT4/MT5 Raw, while IC Markets’ cTrader Raw is slightly cheaper at $6 round turn and posts very sharp all-in spreads on majors like EUR/USD.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.62 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IC Markets and Exness both support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, but their lineups differ. IC Markets lists 3,583 tradeable symbols and 61 forex pairs, while Exness offers 209 symbols and 96 forex pairs. For Range of Investments, ForexBrokers.com rates IC Markets 4.5/5 (ranked 22 of 63) and Exness 3.5/5 (ranked 34 of 63).
Neither broker lets you buy U.S.-listed shares outright, and neither sells actual cryptocurrency; however, both offer cryptocurrency CFDs and copy trading. A key difference is that IC Markets provides access to exchange-traded international shares, whereas Exness does not. In short, IC Markets suits traders who want more markets and international shares, while Exness appeals to those who prioritize a larger selection of forex pairs.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 209 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 96 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
Comparing IC Markets vs Exness for trading platforms and tools, both brokers offer free demo accounts for simulated (paper) trading, plus chart trading, copy trading, and popular third‑party platforms MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). IC Markets sticks to third‑party software (no proprietary platform), while Exness adds its own in‑house platform alongside MT4/MT5. Each provides a Windows desktop download and a web-based platform, so you can trade from your browser or install a client.
For tools, both brokers support charting and watchlists (exact counts of indicators and watchlist fields aren’t specified). Ratings are tied at 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, with Exness ranked #15 and IC Markets #17 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. If you want a broker-built platform in addition to MetaTrader, Exness has the edge; if you prefer focusing on the familiar MetaTrader experience and third‑party options, IC Markets is a strong fit.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 107 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IC Markets vs Exness: both brokers offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, letting you manage forex trades wherever you are. Each app supports price alerts to help you catch market moves. A shared limitation is watchlist symbol syncing—watchlists created in the mobile app don’t sync with the online account, so changes won’t carry over between devices.
For charting, Exness has a slight edge with 35 technical studies compared to 30 at IC Markets. Both apps allow drawing trendlines, but only IC Markets auto-saves chart drawings; Exness does not. In overall quality, both mobile trading apps earned 4 out of 5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps ranking of 63 brokers, Exness placed #18, while IC Markets ranked #22.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
IC Markets vs Exness: market research comparison. Both brokers publish daily market commentary and stream forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Each offers Trading Central analytics, a trader sentiment tool showing long/short ratios, and an economic calendar covering global events. Where they differ is in add-ons: IC Markets includes Autochartist pattern-recognition tools, while Exness does not. Neither broker currently integrates TipRanks or Acuity Trading’s Signal Centre.
In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, IC Markets earned 4 stars for Research and ranked #21 out of 63 brokers, while Exness received 3.5 stars and ranked #31. If you want a slightly wider toolkit—especially Autochartist—IC Markets has the edge; if you mainly need daily insights, credible news, Trading Central, sentiment data, and an economic calendar, Exness delivers the core features.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
IC Markets and Exness both make it easier for beginners to learn how to trade. Each broker hosts client webinars at least once a month and offers a large library of beginner-friendly videos—10 or more lessons that cover key trading topics. When you’re ready to progress, both also provide at least 10 advanced video lessons to help build more skill over time.
According to ForexBrokers.com’s Education category, IC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks 16th out of 63 brokers, while Exness earns 3.5 stars and ranks 21st. Both are good choices for learning the basics, but IC Markets has a slight edge for overall education quality.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 IC Markets is better than Exness. IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #31.
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
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 84 | 81 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Trading Fees |
|
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
In the IC Markets vs Exness cryptocurrency trading comparison, neither broker offers buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
IC Markets vs Exness: both online brokers do not support ACH or SEPA transfers, both support Skrill and bank wire transfers, IC Markets supports PayPal while Exness does not, and 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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 84 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 84 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 209 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 96 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.62 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 107 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Exness Review |
| Overall | IC Markets | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 84 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Exness Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill