Is FXCM better than IC Markets? After testing 30 of the best forex brokers over five months, FXCM is better than IC Markets. While its range of tradeable markets is narrow and pricing is just average for everyday trading, FXCM caters to multiple trader types. High-volume traders, algorithmic traders, and, overall, traders that appreciate robust trading tools alongside quality market research will find FXCM to be a good fit.
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FXCM vs IC Markets 2020
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 | ||
| FXCM Review | IC Markets Review | |
| 73.05% of retail CFD accounts lose money | 74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money |
Regulation
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
| Trust Score | 92 | 80 |
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Year Founded |
1999 | 2007 |
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Publicly Traded (Listed) |
Yes | No |
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Bank |
No | No |
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Tier-1 Licenses |
3 | 1 |
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Tier-2 Licenses |
2 | 1 |
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Tier-3 Licenses |
0 | 1 |
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Authorised in the European Union |
Yes | No |
Tier-1 Licenses
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
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ASIC Authorised (Australia) |
Yes | Yes |
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IIROC Authorised (Canada) |
Yes | No |
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SFC Authorised (Hong Kong) |
No | No |
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FSA Authorised (Japan) |
No | No |
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MAS Authorised (Singapore) |
No | No |
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FINMA Authorised (Switzerland) |
No | No |
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FCA Authorised (UK) |
Yes | No |
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CFTC Registered (USA) |
No | No |
Investments
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
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Forex: Spot Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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Social Trading / Copy-Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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Currency Pairs (Total Forex pairs) |
39 | 63 |
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CFDs - Total Offered |
32 | 41 |
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Cryptocurrency traded as actual |
No | No |
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Cryptocurrency traded as CFD |
Yes | Yes |
| Offering of Investments | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Cost
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
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Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard |
1.3 (as of Q2 19) | 1.1 (as of May 18) |
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All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active |
0.7 (as of Q2 19) | 0.7 (as of May 18) |
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Active Trader or VIP Discounts |
Yes | No |
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Funding
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
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Minimum Initial Deposit |
£300 | $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 |
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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 |
Trading Tools
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
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Virtual Trading (Demo) |
Yes | Yes |
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Alerts - Basic Fields |
Yes | Yes |
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Watchlists - Total Fields |
12 | (default MT4/MT5/cTrader) |
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Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) |
57 | (default MT4/MT5/cTrader) |
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Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) |
18 | (default MT4/MT5/cTrader) |
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Charting - Trade From Chart |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Drawings Autosave |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - Trailing Stop |
Yes | Yes |
| Platform & Tools | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Mobile Trading
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
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Android App |
Yes | Yes |
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Apple iOS App |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - Forex |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - CFDs |
Yes | Yes |
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Alerts - Basic Fields |
No | Yes |
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Watch List |
Yes | Yes |
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Watch List Syncing |
Yes | No |
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Charting - Indicators / Studies |
60 | (default MT4/MT5/cTrader) |
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Charting - Draw Trend Lines |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Trend Lines 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 | No |
| Mobile Trading | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Research
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
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Daily Market Commentary |
Yes | Yes |
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Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) |
Yes | No |
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Weekly Webinars |
Yes | No |
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AutoChartist |
Yes | No |
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Trading Central (Recognia) |
Yes | No |
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Delkos Research |
No | No |
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Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs |
Yes | No |
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Economic Calendar |
Yes | Yes |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Education
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
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Has Education - Forex |
Yes | Yes |
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Has Education - CFDs |
No | No |
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Client Webinars |
Yes | No |
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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 |
| Education | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
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 | No |
Overall
| Feature | FXCM | IC Markets |
| FXCM Review | IC Markets Review | |
| Overall | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Comparing forex brokers side by side is no easy task. For our 2020 annual forex broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 30 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, FXCM 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 20 international regulator databases. Here's our findings. FXCM holds 3 global Tier-1 licenses, while IC Markets holds 1. FXCM holds 2 global Tier-2 licenses, while IC Markets holds 1. All regulators considered, FXCM has a Trust Score of 92.00, while IC Markets's Trust Score is 80.00.
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 63 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to FXCM's 39 available pairs. Forex pairs aside, IC Markets offers traders access to 41 CFDs while FXCM has 32 available CFDs, a difference of 9.
Overall, between FXCM and IC Markets, FXCM is the better forex broker.
FXCM ReviewIC Markets Review
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Trading CFDs, FX, and cryptocurrencies involve 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 web site as of 01/20/2020 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 link at the bottom of this page.
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