Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FOREX.com 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.
FOREX.com, established in 1999, and IC Markets, founded in 2007, are two prominent online brokers catering to traders worldwide. When examining trustworthiness, FOREX.com shines with a perfect Trust Score of 99 out of 99 by ForexBrokers.com, indicating it's highly reliable. In comparison, IC Markets holds a commendable Trust Score of 84, marking it as a trusted broker as well. Notably, FOREX.com is publicly traded, while IC Markets remains privately owned, and neither operates as a bank.
In terms of regulatory credibility, FOREX.com possesses an impressive seven Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, which underscores its reliable standing in the financial market. Meanwhile, IC Markets holds two Tier-1 licenses but lacks Tier-2 licensing, reflecting a solid yet less comprehensive regulatory standing compared to FOREX.com. These distinctions highlight key differences in regulatory oversight and trust factor between the two brokers.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
Comparing commissions and fees, IC Markets generally comes out cheaper than FOREX.com for most traders. IC Markets earns 5/5 stars and ranks #5 of 63 for Commissions & Fees, while FOREX.com earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #15 of 63. IC Markets offers very low all-in costs on EUR/USD with its Raw accounts, and even its commission-free Standard account is competitive. FOREX.com can be a bit pricier on average in the U.S., though its newer RAW pricing helps narrow the gap for high-volume traders.
FOREX.com’s Standard account is spread-only and averages about 1.4 pips on EUR/USD in the U.S. (July 2023), with non-U.S. averages closer to 0.74 pips (July 2023). Its commission-based RAW account posts typical EUR/USD spreads near 0.13 pips (Feb 2024) plus a $7 round-turn commission per standard lot, which brings the all-in cost to roughly 0.83 pips at the base tier. Volume rebates range from $2 to $9 per million, and very high turnover (think $50M+ per month, with the very top tiers above $2B) is needed to approach pricing comparable to leading low-cost brokers. Bottom line: for many U.S. traders, the Commission/RAW setup often lands near the Standard account’s overall cost unless you qualify for higher rebate tiers.
IC Markets offers three accounts: a commission-free Standard account averaging about 0.62 pips on EUR/USD, and two Raw Spread accounts with per-trade commissions. The cTrader Raw account charges $3 per side ($6 round-turn) and the MT4/MT5 Raw account charges $3.5 per side ($7 round-turn). With average EUR/USD spreads listed at 0.02 pips (Aug 2022), the all-in cost works out to about 0.62 pips on cTrader Raw and 0.72 pips on MetaTrader Raw—among the lowest available. Active traders (100+ lots per month) get additional discounts, helping explain IC Markets’ top scores for pricing.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $200 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 0.62 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 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.
FOREX.com vs IC Markets: both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot and both offer crypto as CFDs (not actual coins). FOREX.com provides a wider range overall, with 5,500 tradeable symbols and 80 forex pairs, compared with IC Markets’ 3,583 symbols and 61 pairs.
When it comes to exchange-traded shares (not CFDs), FOREX.com lets you buy U.S. stocks as well as international stocks, while IC Markets offers international shares but not U.S.-listed shares. IC Markets supports copy trading; FOREX.com does not. For range of investments, ForexBrokers.com rates FOREX.com 5/5 (ranked 6th of 63) and IC Markets 4.5/5 (ranked 22nd of 63).
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 3583 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 61 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
FOREX.com vs IC Markets: both brokers offer free demo accounts, Windows desktop downloads, and web-based platforms. Each supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and both let you place trades directly from the chart. Key differences: FOREX.com provides a proprietary, in-house platform, while IC Markets does not; IC Markets offers copy trading, while FOREX.com does not. Both include technical indicators and watch list functionality, though specific counts aren’t disclosed here.
For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates FOREX.com 5 stars and ranks it #5 of 63 brokers, while IC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #17. Pick FOREX.com if you want an in-house platform alongside MT4/MT5; choose IC Markets if copy trading matters most. In either case, you can try a free virtual demo account to explore the web and desktop platforms before trading live.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FOREX.com and IC Markets both offer iPhone and Android trading apps with forex price alerts. Only FOREX.com syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account. For charting, FOREX.com includes 90 technical studies (indicators) compared with 30 on IC Markets. Both apps let you draw trendlines and auto-save those drawings, so your charts stay intact across sessions.
In independent evaluations, FOREX.com earns 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #22. If you want deeper charting and synced watchlists, the FOREX.com mobile app stands out. If you only need the essentials for mobile forex trading, the IC Markets app covers the basics on both iPhone and Android.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
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 | 90 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing FOREX.com vs IC Markets for market research: both provide daily market commentary and real-time forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Each broker includes Trading Central analytics, a sentiment tool showing long/short ratios, and an economic calendar. Neither integrates TipRanks or Acuity Trading (Signal Centre).
Key difference: IC Markets offers Autochartist screening and pattern recognition, while FOREX.com does not. Despite that, ForexBrokers.com rates FOREX.com higher for Research (4.5/5, ranked 7th of 63) than IC Markets (4/5, ranked 21st of 63). Pick IC Markets if Autochartist matters to you; choose FOREX.com if you want a higher-rated overall research experience backed by rich news, commentary, and tools.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
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 | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Both FOREX.com and IC Markets provide forex and CFD education that meets the benchmark of at least 10 educational pieces. Each broker offers ongoing client webinars (at least once per month) and more than 10 beginner-friendly videos to help new traders understand the basics. They also supply 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to go beyond the fundamentals, making both platforms suitable for a learning path that grows with you.
For overall education quality, FOREX.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets scores 4 stars and ranks #16. In practice, that means beginners who want a slightly stronger, more structured learning experience may prefer FOREX.com, while IC Markets remains a solid choice with plentiful webinars and videos for both new and experienced traders.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
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 FOREX.com is better than IC Markets. FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #4, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21.
FOREX.com is a trusted brand that delivers an excellent trading experience for forex and CFDs traders across the globe. It offers a wide range of markets and provides an impressive suite of proprietary platforms – alongside limited access to MetaTrader.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
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IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 84 |
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FOREX.com vs IC Markets: Neither online broker offers actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both provide access to cryptocurrency CFDs (not the underlying asset).
FOREX.com vs IC Markets: for account deposits and withdrawals, FOREX.com supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires, while IC Markets offers PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA.
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 | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
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| Regulation | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 84 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| 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) | No |
| Investments | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 3583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 0.62 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 0.62 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $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 | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FOREX.com | 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 | 90 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FOREX.com | 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 | FOREX.com Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | FOREX.com | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | IC Markets Review |
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