Is FXCM better than IC Markets? In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 50 brokers, FXCM is considered low-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 96 out of 99. IC Markets is considered average-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 86 out of 99. Learn more about Trust Score.
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FXCM vs IC Markets 2021
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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Overall Rating
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
| Overall | ||
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Offering of Investments | ||
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Mobile Trading Apps | ||
| Research | ||
| Education | ||
| Trust Score | 96 | 86 |
| FXCM Review | IC Markets Review | |
| Between 74% of retail CFD accounts lose money | 74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Regulation
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
| Trust Score | 96 | 86 |
|
Year Founded |
1999 | 2007 |
|
Publicly Traded (Listed) |
Yes | No |
|
Bank |
No | No |
|
Tier-1 Licenses |
3 | 1 |
|
Tier-2 Licenses |
3 | 1 |
|
Tier-3 Licenses |
0 | 1 |
|
Authorised in the European Union |
Yes | No |
Tier-1 Licenses (High Trust)
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
|
ASIC Authorised (Australia) |
Yes | Yes |
|
IIROC Authorised (Canada) |
Yes | No |
|
SFC Authorised (Hong Kong) |
No | No |
|
CBI Authorised (Ireland) |
No | No |
|
FSA Authorised (Japan) |
No | No |
|
MAS Authorised (Singapore) |
No | No |
|
FINMA Authorised (Switzerland) |
No | No |
|
FCA Authorised (UK) |
Yes | No |
|
CFTC Registered (USA) |
No | No |
|
FMA Authorised (New Zealand) |
No | No |
Tier-2 Licenses (Average Trust)
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
|
CBRC Authorised (China) |
No | No |
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CySEC Authorised (Cyprus) |
Yes | Yes |
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SEBI Authorised (India) |
No | No |
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ISA Authorised (Israel) |
Yes | No |
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CBR Authorised (Russia) |
No | No |
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FSCA Authorised (South Africa) |
Yes | No |
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SEC Authorised (Thailand) |
No | No |
|
DFSA / Central Bank Authorised (UAE) |
No | No |
Tier-3 Licenses (Low Trust)
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
| SCB Authorised (Bahamas) | No | Yes |
| IFSC Authorised (Belize) | No | No |
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Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) |
No | No |
| BMA Authorised (Bermuda) | No | No |
|
FSC Authorised (British Virgin Islands) |
No | No |
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FSC Authorised (Mauritius) |
No | No |
|
VFSC Authorised (Vanuatu) |
No | No |
Investments
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
|
Forex Trading |
Yes | Yes |
|
CFD Trading |
Yes | Yes |
|
Tradeable Symbols (Total) |
276 | 3583 |
|
Forex Pairs (Total) |
42 | 61 |
|
US Stock Trading (Non CFD) |
Yes | No |
|
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) |
Yes | No |
|
Social Trading / Copy-Trading |
Yes | Yes |
|
Cryptocurrency (Physical) |
No | No |
|
Cryptocurrency (CFD) |
Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Disclaimer (UK) | 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
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
|
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard |
1.4 (Q2 2020) | 0.62 (August 2021) |
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All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active |
1.1 (Q2 2020) | 0.62 (August 2021) |
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Active Trader or VIP Discounts |
Yes | Yes |
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Execution: Agency Broker |
Yes | Yes |
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Execution: Market Maker |
Yes | Yes |
Funding
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
|
Minimum Deposit |
Starts from $50 | $200 |
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Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) |
Yes | Yes |
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Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) |
Yes | Yes |
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PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) |
No | Yes |
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Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) |
Yes | Yes |
Trading Platforms
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
|
Proprietary Platform |
Yes | No |
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Desktop Platform (Windows) |
Yes | Yes |
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Web Platform |
Yes | Yes |
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Social Trading / Copy-Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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MetaTrader 4 (MT4) |
Yes | Yes |
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MetaTrader 5 (MT5) |
No | Yes |
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cTrader |
No | Yes |
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DupliTrade |
No | No |
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ZuluTrade |
Yes | Yes |
Trading Tools
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
|
Virtual Trading (Demo) |
Yes | Yes |
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Alerts - Basic Fields |
Yes | Yes |
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Watchlists - Total Fields |
12 | 7 |
|
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) |
57 | 30 |
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Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) |
26 | 15 |
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Charting - Trade From Chart |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Drawings Autosave |
Yes | Yes |
Mobile Trading
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
|
Android App |
Yes | Yes |
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Apple iOS App |
Yes | Yes |
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Alerts - Basic Fields |
Yes | Yes |
|
Watch List |
Yes | Yes |
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Watch List Syncing |
Yes | No |
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Charting - Indicators / Studies |
59 | 30 |
|
Charting - Draw Trendlines |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Trendlines Moveable |
Yes | No |
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Charting - Multiple Time Frames |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Drawings Autosave |
Yes | No |
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Forex Calendar |
Yes | Yes |
Research
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
|
Daily Market Commentary |
Yes | Yes |
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Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) |
Yes | Yes |
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Autochartist |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading Central (Recognia) |
Yes | Yes |
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Delkos Research |
No | No |
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Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs |
Yes | Yes |
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Economic Calendar |
Yes | Yes |
Education
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
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Has Education - Forex or CFDs |
Yes | Yes |
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Client Webinars |
Yes | Yes |
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Client Webinars (Archived) |
Yes | Yes |
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Videos - Beginner Trading Videos |
Yes | No |
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Videos - Advanced Trading Videos |
Yes | No |
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Investor Dictionary (Glossary) |
Yes | Yes |
Major Forex Pairs
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
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GBP/USD |
Yes | Yes |
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USD/JPY |
Yes | Yes |
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EUR/USD |
Yes | Yes |
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USD/CHF |
Yes | Yes |
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USD/CAD |
Yes | Yes |
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NZD/USD |
Yes | Yes |
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AUD/USD |
Yes | Yes |
Overall
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
| Overall | ||
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Offering of Investments | ||
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Mobile Trading Apps | ||
| Research | ||
| Education | ||
| Trust Score | 96 | 86 |
| FXCM Review | IC Markets Review |
Comparing forex brokers side by side is no easy task. For our 2022 annual forex broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 39 forex and CFD brokerages to find the best forex broker. Let's compare FXCM vs IC Markets.
Does FXCM or IC Markets offer lower pricing?
Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spreads data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough annual assessment, IC Markets offers better pricing overall for traders.
Is FXCM or IC Markets safer for forex and CFDs trading?
At ForexBrokers.com, we track where each forex and CFD broker is regulated across over 23 international regulator databases. Here's our findings. FXCM holds 3 global Tier-1 licenses, while IC Markets holds 1. FXCM holds 3 global Tier-2 licenses, while IC Markets holds 1. In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 50 brokers, FXCM earned a higher Trust Score than IC Markets.
Which trading platform is better: FXCM or IC Markets?
To compare the trading platforms of both FXCM and IC Markets, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, FXCM offers a better experience. With research, FXCM offers superior market research. Finally, we found FXCM to provide better mobile trading apps.
What about MetaTrader and copy trading?
For forex and CFDs traders, copy trading and MetaTrader are both popular platform options. FXCM and IC Markets both offer copy trading. Both FXCM and IC Markets offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4).
How many forex pairs and CFDs are available to trade?
IC Markets provides traders 61 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to FXCM's 42 available pairs. Forex pairs aside, IC Markets offers traders access to 3583 CFDs while FXCM has 276 available CFDs, a difference of 3,307.
Can I trust FXCM?
FXCM's parent company is publicly-traded, does not operate a bank, and is authorised by three tier-1 regulators (high trust), three tier-2 regulators (average trust), and zero tier-3 regulators (low trust). FXCM is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and via Friedberg Direct, with the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC).
Can I trust IC Markets?
IC Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. IC Markets is authorised by one tier-1 regulator (high trust), one tier-2 regulator (average trust), and one tier-3 regulator (low trust). IC Markets is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC).
Is FXCM good?
For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading. Its range of tradeable markets is fairly narrow, however, and the pricing at FXCM is just average.
Is IC Markets good?
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.
Overall winner: FXCM
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Trading CFDs, FX, and cryptocurrencies involves a high degree of risk. All providers have a percentage of retail investor accounts that lose money when trading CFDs with their company. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money and whether you understand how CFDs, FX, and cryptocurrencies work. All data was obtained from a published website as of 01/10/2022 and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. The ForexBrokers.com staff is constantly working with its online broker representatives to obtain the latest data. If you believe any data listed above is inaccurate, please contact us using the "Contact" link at the bottom of this page.
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