Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Exness 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.
Exness, founded in 2008, consistently ranks as a trusted online broker with a Trust Score of 81 according to ForexBrokers.com. Despite not being publicly traded or a banking entity, Exness holds two Tier-1 licenses, signifying a high level of trust. Additionally, it possesses three Tier-2 licenses, further adding to its credibility and trustworthiness.
In comparison, IFC Markets, established in 2006, has a Trust Score of 73, marking it as an average risk broker. Like Exness, it is neither publicly traded nor a bank, but it falls behind in regulatory credentials, holding no Tier-1 licenses and just one Tier-2 license. This regulatory standing may make Exness a slightly more attractive option for those prioritizing regulatory oversight.
| Feature |
Exness
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
If you’re comparing commissions and fees, both Exness and IFC Markets earn 4 out of 5 stars. By ForexBrokers.com’s Commissions and Fees rankings, Exness is #36 of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets is #40 of 63. Exness can deliver lower trading costs when you pick its commission-based accounts, whereas IFC Markets appeals with no inactivity fees and discounts for active traders.
Exness offers multiple account types. The Standard Cent and Standard accounts are commission-free with higher spreads, while the Pro account is also commission-free with lower spreads and allows both instant and market execution (other accounts use market execution). The Zero Spread account carries a per-trade commission of $0.05 and aims for near‑zero spreads; the Raw account charges up to $7 per round-turn lot ($3.5 per side) with tighter spreads. For Zero Spread and Raw, leverage isn’t restricted and margin calls trigger at 30%.
IFC Markets’ average EUR/USD spread is 1.44 pips, above the industry average of 1.08 pips. Cost-conscious and higher-volume traders may prefer its ECN account, where effective spreads can drop to about 1.1 pips after a 0.005% commission on both sides of a trade. The broker does not charge inactivity fees and offers active trader discounts, adding savings for frequent traders.
| Feature |
Exness
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $1 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.1 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IFC Markets offers a wider selection overall, with 630 tradeable symbols compared with Exness’s 227. Forex specialists may lean toward Exness, which lists 96 currency pairs versus IFC Markets’ 49. Both brokers support forex trading via CFDs/spot-style contracts and offer cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither lets you buy actual (delivered) crypto. Copy trading is available at both.
Neither broker provides real, exchange-traded U.S. stocks. However, IFC Markets does offer some real shares on international exchanges, while Exness does not. For Range of Investments, both earn 3.5 out of 5 stars; still, ForexBrokers.com ranks IFC Markets #44 out of 63 brokers in this category, ahead of Exness at #56.
| Feature |
Exness
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 227 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 96 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Exness and IFC Markets offer a similar lineup of trading platforms and tools. Both provide free demo (paper) accounts, their own in-house platforms alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and access via web browsers and Windows desktop apps. Copy trading is available at both, while DupliTrade and ZuluTrade are not supported. Each broker lets you trade directly from charts and customize watchlists with seven columns.
In charting tools, Exness stands out with 87 drawing tools compared with 15 at IFC Markets; the number of built-in indicators wasn’t specified for either broker. For Trading Platforms and Tools, both earned 4 out of 5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, Exness placed higher at #26 out of 63, while IFC Markets ranked #37 out of 63—useful context if you value more drawing options and a slightly higher placement in industry comparisons.
| Feature |
Exness
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 107 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 87 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Exness and IFC Markets both deliver mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android with price alerts, real-time quote watchlists, trendline drawing, and multiple time frames for charts. For charting depth, Exness offers 35 technical indicators compared with 30 at IFC Markets. Both apps earn 4 stars, but Exness ranks higher in ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps category (#26 of 63) than IFC Markets (#53 of 63).
Key differences come down to workflow and convenience. IFC Markets syncs watchlists across devices and auto-saves your chart drawings, making it easier to pick up where you left off. Exness does not offer watchlist syncing or auto-save for drawings. Choose Exness if you want a larger set of built-in indicators and a higher industry ranking, or go with IFC Markets if seamless syncing and saved annotations matter more to your day-to-day use.
| Feature |
Exness
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 35 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Exness and IFC Markets both check the main boxes for market research: each offers daily market commentary, a sentiment tool that shows the long/short split, and an economic calendar. Exness goes further with forex news from top sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and it includes Trading Central tools for technical and fundamental insights. IFC Markets does not provide those two extras. Neither broker offers research from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading’s Signal Centre.
Both brokers earn a 3.5 out of 5 stars for research, though ForexBrokers.com ranks IFC Markets slightly higher at #41 of 63, with Exness at #42. If you value premium news and Trading Central analysis, Exness may feel more complete. If you just need standard research like commentary, sentiment, and an economic calendar, IFC Markets can cover the basics.
| Feature |
Exness
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| 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 forex or CFDs, both Exness and IFC Markets provide a comprehensive learning experience. Each of these platforms offers a range of more than ten educational pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars that focus on forex and CFDs. For those just starting out, both Exness and IFC Markets deliver over ten beginner-focused educational videos, making it suitable for novice traders. Additionally, both brokers offer an investor dictionary with the definitions of over fifty investing terms, ensuring users have the terminology they need at their fingertips. While neither broker hosts monthly educational webinars, Exness provides access to a searchable archive of past client webinars, giving users the opportunity to learn from previously recorded sessions at their convenience.
Advanced traders may notice a difference in offerings between the two brokers. IFC Markets surpasses Exness by providing over ten advanced educational videos, catering to those who are more experienced and looking to refine their trading strategies. Despite these differences, both brokers receive an equal education rating of 3.5 stars out of five. However, in the broader comparison of 63 brokers, IFC Markets holds a higher education category rank (#30) compared to Exness (#47) according to ForexBrokers.com. This ranking suggests that while both brokers offer valuable resources, IFC Markets may appeal slightly more to users seeking depth in advanced trading education.
| Feature |
Exness
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Exness is better than IFC Markets. Exness finished with an overall rank of #43, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45.
Exness is a MetaTrader-only broker regulated in the EU offering multiple account types and forex pairs, but its offering lacks the range of CFDs forex brokers typically offer.
| Feature |
Exness
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IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 73 |
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Both Exness and IFC Markets provide opportunities to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither platform allows for the purchase of actual delivered cryptocurrencies.
In a comparison of online brokers, both Exness and IFC Markets do not offer ACH or SEPA transfers or PayPal for deposits or withdrawals, but Exness uniquely provides the option to use Skrill, with both platforms supporting Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transactions.
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 | Exness | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Exness | IFC Markets | |
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| Regulation | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| 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) | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 227 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 96 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| 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). |
| Cost | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.1 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 107 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 87 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 35 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Exness | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Exness Review |
| Overall | Exness | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Exness Review |
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