FOREX.com vs IFC Markets 2024

FOREX.com is publicly traded, does not operate a bank, and is authorised by seven Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), one Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). FOREX.com is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), Japanese Financial Services Authority (JFSA), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and regulated in the European Union via the MiFID passporting system.

IFC Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. IFC Markets is authorised by zero Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). IFC Markets is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: BVI Financial Services Commission (FSC).

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.

IFC Markets is a well-established broker that has been in operation for 17 years. Forex traders at ICF Markets gain access to multiple trading platforms, a growing range of tradeable markets, and a balanced offering of research and educational content. However, IFC Markets’ Trust Score suffers due to the broker’s limited range of regulatory licenses.

To open a trading account with FOREX.com, you'll need to make an initial minimum deposit of $100.

IFC Markets requires a minimum deposit of $1 before you can open an account and start trading.

It's important to make sure that your forex broker accepts the funding options and deposit methods that work best for you. FOREX.com offers Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) and PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) for banking, whereas IFC Markets provides Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) and Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw). Neither have Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (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 FOREX.com 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 110 international regulatory agencies and sort them by tiers (Tier-1, Tier-2, Tier-3, Tier-4, and Tier-5) to help you choose 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 FOREX.com holds 7 global Tier-1 licenses, while IFC Markets holds 0. Both FOREX.com and IFC Markets hold 1 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 FOREX.com (99) earned a higher Trust Score than IFC Markets (73).

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

Here’s what trading platforms are available at FOREX.com:

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

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

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

The MetaTrader trading platform suite is wildly popular among forex and CFD traders across the globe. Both FOREX.com and IFC Markets offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Forex traders also appreciate the ability to engage in social copy trading. While IFC Markets offers copy trading, FOREX.com does not.

FOREX.com provides traders 91 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to IFC Markets's 49 available pairs. If you are interested in trading a full range of securities, FOREX.com offers traders access to 5500 tradeable symbols, while IFC Markets offers access to 630 tradeable symbols; so FOREX.com offers 4870 more tradeable symbols than IFC Markets.

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