Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FOREX.com vs IronFX, 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, stands as a highly trusted online broker with a remarkable Trust Score of 99 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com. As a publicly traded entity, FOREX.com is regulated by various top-tier authorities, boasting an impressive seven Tier-1 licenses, which signifies strong reliability for traders. While it isn’t a bank, FOREX.com's extensive regulatory oversight and long-standing presence in the market contribute to its solid reputation among investors.
In contrast, IronFX, founded in 2010, holds a Trust Score of 83 from ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the "trusted" category. While not publicly traded, IronFX is underpinned by three Tier-1 regulatory licenses, reflecting a respectable level of safety and trustworthiness. However, it does not hold any Tier-2 licenses, which are also considered essential for added investor confidence. Both brokers are not banks, yet their regulatory standings highlight a key difference in their market credibility.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees, FOREX.com tends to be a little pricier than the industry average unless you tap its newer RAW pricing or trade outside the U.S., while IronFX generally comes in higher than average across its accounts. For ratings, FOREX.com earns 4.5/5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers, whereas IronFX earns 4/5 stars and ranks #47 out of 63.
FOREX.com offers a Standard account and a commission-based RAW account. In the U.S., the Standard account’s typical EUR/USD spread is about 1.4 pips (July 2023); outside the U.S., EUR/USD averaged 0.74 pips in July 2023 (time-weighted). The RAW account (which replaced the DMA account) posts typical EUR/USD spreads near 0.13 pips (Feb 2024) plus a $7 commission per standard lot ($3.50 per side). Active traders can earn volume rebates across six tiers, from $2 to $9 per million. Unless you trade more than $50 million per month, the all-in costs for the commission plan are roughly similar to the Standard account for U.S. residents. Overall commissions and fees rating: 4.5/5 stars; category rank: #14/63.
IronFX lists a typical 1.8-pip spread on its Standard variable spread account (no stated date range). Its zero fixed-spread account starts at 0.0 pips but charges $18 per lot in commission, and spreads widen to 3 pips overnight. Pricing has room to improve versus the industry average. Overall commissions and fees rating: 4/5 stars; category rank: #47/63.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing the range of investments at FOREX.com and IronFX, both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot. FOREX.com stands out for overall variety with 5,500 tradeable symbols, while IronFX lists 340. When it comes to currency pairs, IronFX offers a slight edge with 83 versus 80 at FOREX.com. Independent ratings reflect this spread: FOREX.com earns 5 stars and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers for Range of Investments, whereas IronFX scores 3.5 stars and ranks #52.
Neither broker lets you buy exchange-traded stocks directly in the U.S. or internationally; both focus on derivatives. For crypto, each offers cryptocurrency CFDs (not actual coins). Copy trading is available at IronFX, but not at FOREX.com. In short, choose FOREX.com if you want a wider selection across asset types, and consider IronFX if copy trading and a few more forex pairs are priorities.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 83 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| 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 and IronFX both provide free demo (paper) accounts, web platforms, Windows desktop platforms, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. FOREX.com adds a proprietary platform and supports both MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). IronFX does not have its own in-house platform and supports MT4 but not MT5. If copy trading matters, IronFX offers it, while FOREX.com does not.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, ForexBrokers.com rates FOREX.com at 5 stars and ranks it #7 out of 63 brokers, while IronFX earns 3.5 stars and ranks #62. In short, traders seeking an in-house platform plus MT5 may favor FOREX.com, whereas those who want copy trading within MT4 may prefer IronFX.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FOREX.com and IronFX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each supports price alerts. You can draw trendlines on charts in both apps, and your drawings auto-save. The key differences are charting depth and account syncing: FOREX.com includes 88 technical studies and syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while IronFX offers 30 technical studies and does not sync watchlists.
According to ForexBrokers.com, FOREX.com’s mobile apps earn 5 stars and rank #3 out of 63 brokers, whereas IronFX earns 3.5 stars and ranks #63. If you value richer chart tools and seamless watchlist syncing, FOREX.com will likely suit you better; if you just need core mobile trading with alerts and basic drawing tools, IronFX covers the essentials.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing FOREX.com vs IronFX for market research: both offer daily market commentary and stream forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Each provides Trading Central tools and an economic calendar, while neither includes Autochartist. FOREX.com stands out with a sentiment-based tool that shows long/short positioning across instruments; IronFX does not offer this feature. FOREX.com does not include TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools; IronFX’s availability of TipRanks or Acuity tools is not specified.
According to ForexBrokers.com, FOREX.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers, while IronFX scores 4 stars and ranks #29. If you want a strong mix of daily insights, top-tier news, Trading Central analysis, and trader sentiment data, FOREX.com has the edge; if your focus is mainly news, commentary, and Trading Central research, both platforms will meet your needs.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
FOREX.com vs IronFX for beginner forex and CFD education: both brokers provide at least 10 beginner-friendly videos that explain trading basics in simple terms. FOREX.com also hosts client webinars at least once a month and offers at least 10 advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up. IronFX does not run monthly educational webinars and does not meet the same advanced video depth, so learning beyond the basics is more limited.
If you want beginner videos plus ongoing live instruction and more advanced lessons, FOREX.com is the stronger choice. That’s reflected in third-party ratings: FOREX.com scores 4.5/5 stars for Education and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX scores 4/5 stars and ranks #44.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
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 IronFX. FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #5, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.
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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IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 |
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In the FOREX.com vs IronFX comparison for cryptocurrency trading, neither online broker offers buying actual (delivered) crypto, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
FOREX.com, the online broker, supports multiple deposit and withdrawal methods including ACH/SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, while IronFX does not support ACH/SEPA and does not specify whether PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, or bank wires are available.
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 | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FOREX.com | IronFX | |
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| Regulation | FOREX.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FOREX.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 83 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FOREX.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FOREX.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FOREX.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 88 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FOREX.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FOREX.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | FOREX.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Overall | FOREX.com | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review |
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