Written by ForexBrokers.com
Is FXCM better than IC Markets? In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 39 of the best forex 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.
| Overall Rating | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | |||
| Commissions & Fees | |||
| Offering of Investments | |||
| Platform & Tools | |||
| Mobile Trading | |||
| Research | |||
| Education | |||
| Trust Score | 96 | 86 | 99 |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | IC Markets Review | IG Review |
| Regulation | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 86 | 99 |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2007 | 1974 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Bank | No | No | Yes |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Authorised in European Union | Yes | No | Yes |
| About Regulation | A “Yes” for any individual regulator indicates that the broker has at least one brand or entity that is licensed and/or authorized by that regulator within its group/organizational structure. Learn more about Trust Score. | A “Yes” for any individual regulator indicates that the broker has at least one brand or entity that is licensed and/or authorized by that regulator within its group/organizational structure. Learn more about Trust Score. | A “Yes” for any individual regulator indicates that the broker has at least one brand or entity that is licensed and/or authorized by that regulator within its group/organizational structure. Learn more about Trust Score. |
| Tier-1 Licenses (High Trust) | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASIC Authorised (Australia) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IIROC Authorised (Canada) | Yes | No | No |
| SFC Authorised (Hong Kong) | No | No | No |
| CBI Authorised (Ireland) | No | No | No |
| FSA Authorised (Japan) | No | No | Yes |
| MAS Authorised (Singapore) | No | No | Yes |
| FINMA Authorised (Switzerland) | No | No | Yes |
| FCA Authorised (U.K.) | Yes | No | Yes |
| CFTC Registered (USA) | No | No | Yes |
| FMA Authorised (New Zealand) | No | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Average Trust) | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBRC Authorised (China) | No | No | No |
| CySEC Authorised (Cyprus) | Yes | Yes | No |
| SEBI Authorised (India) | No | No | No |
| ISA Authorised (Israel) | Yes | No | No |
| CBR Authorised (Russia) | No | No | No |
| FSCA Authorised (South Africa) | Yes | No | Yes |
| SEC Authorised (Thailand) | No | No | No |
| DFSA / Central Bank Authorised (UAE) | No | No | Yes |
| Tier-3 Licenses (Low Trust) | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCB Authorised (Bahamas) | No | Yes | No |
| IFSC Authorised (Belize) | No | No | No |
| CIMA Authorised (Cayman Islands) | No | No | No |
| BMA Authorised (Bermuda) | No | No | Yes |
| FSC Authorised (British Virgin Islands) | No | No | No |
| FSC Authorised (Mauritius) | No | No | No |
| VFSC Authorised (Vanuatu) | No | No | No |
| Investments | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 441 | 3583 | 19537 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 44 | 61 | 100 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFD) | Yes | 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). | 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 | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.38 (Q2 2022) | 0.62 (August 2021) | 0.86 (September 2022) |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.38 (Q2 2022) | 0.62 (August 2021) | 0.5957 (September 2022) |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Initial Deposit | Starts from $50 | $200 | £250.00 |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | No |
| cTrader | No | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 12 | 7 | 14 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 57 | 30 | 33 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 26 | 15 | 20 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 | 33 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | Yes |
| Forex Calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Has Education - Forex or CFDs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Review | FXCM Review | IC Markets Review | IG Review |
| Overall | FXCM | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | |||
| Commissions & Fees | |||
| Offering of Investments | |||
| Platform & Tools | |||
| Mobile Trading | |||
| Research | |||
| Education | |||
| Trust Score | 96 | 86 | 99 |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | IC Markets Review | IG 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.
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.
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.
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, IG offers a better experience. With research, IG offers superior market research. Finally, we found IG to provide better mobile trading apps.
For forex and CFDs traders, copy trading and MetaTrader are both popular platform options. Both FXCM and IC Markets offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4).FXCM and IC Markets both offer copy trading.
IC Markets provides traders 61 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to FXCM's 44 available pairs. Forex pairs aside, IC Markets offers traders access to 3583 CFDs while FXCM has 441 available CFDs, a difference of 3142.
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).
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).
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.
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: IG
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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