IC Markets vs FlowBank 2023

IC Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. IC Markets is authorised by two Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and two Tier-4 regulators (High Risk). IC Markets is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) and European Union Authorized (MiFID).

FlowBank operates a regulated Swiss bank, and is authorised by one Tier-1 regulator (high trust): the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

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.

As a relative newcomer to the Swiss online brokerage scene, FlowBank already has a lot to offer its customers. FlowBank clients benefit from the advantages that come with holding a Swiss bank account, and its brokerage services provide access to more advertised symbols than any online broker that we’ve reviewed thus far.

To open a forex trading account with IC Markets, you'll need to make an initial minimum deposit of $200.

IC Markets requires a minimum deposit of $0 before you can open an account and start trading forex.

It's important to make sure that your forex broker accepts the funding options and deposit methods that work best for you. IC Markets offers Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw), Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw) for banking, whereas FlowBank provides Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw)

Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spread data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough, data-driven testing of each broker's commissions and fees, we found that IC Markets offers better pricing overall for traders.

Methodology: When testing each broker's commissions, fees, and pricing, we analyze multiple trade scenarios and award points based on the expansiveness (or inexpensiveness) of the broker's spreads. We then run multiple scenarios for different investor types, incorporating any miscellaneous fees, to determine an "all-in" cost per trade. Learn more about how we test.

At ForexBrokers.com, we track over 100 international regulatory agencies to help you choose the most well-regulated, highly trusted forex brokers. Learn more about our proprietary Trust Score rating system. Based on our research on the regulatory status of over 60 brokers, we've found that IC Markets holds 2 global Tier-1 licenses, while FlowBank holds 1. Both IC Markets and FlowBank hold 0 global Tier-2 licenses.

After evaluating each broker based on their number of held licenses, years in business, and a range of other data-driven variables, we've determined that IC Markets (84) earned a higher Trust Score than FlowBank (80).

To compare the trading platforms of both IC Markets and FlowBank, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, IC Markets offers a better experience. With research, IC Markets offers superior market research. Finally, we found FlowBank to provide better mobile trading apps.

Here’s what trading platforms are available at IC Markets:

• Proprietary Platform - No
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - Yes
• DupliTrade - No
• MT4 - Yes
• MT5 - Yes
• ZuluTrade - Yes
• TradingView - No

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Here’s what trading platforms are available at FlowBank:

• Proprietary Platform - Yes
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - No
• DupliTrade - No
• MT4 - Yes
• MT5 - Yes
• ZuluTrade - No
• TradingView - No

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The MetaTrader trading platform suite is wildly popular among forex and CFD traders across the globe. Both IC Markets and FlowBank offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Forex traders also appreciate the ability to engage in social copy trading. IC Markets and FlowBank both offer copy trading.

IC Markets provides traders 61 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to FlowBank's 52 available pairs. If you are interested in trading CFDs, FlowBank offers traders access to 408600 CFDs, while IC Markets offers access to 3583 CFDs; so FlowBank offers 405017 more CFDs than IC Markets.

We found in our testing that IC Markets offers a more diverse selection of investment options than FlowBank, allowing you to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), U.S. Stocks (CFD), Cryptocurrency (Derivative) and Social Trading / Copy Trading. Neither have Cryptocurrency (Physical) and Spread Betting.