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IC Markets vs FXCM 2019
Is FXCM better than IC Markets? After scoring forex brokers on nearly 100 different variables, FXCM is better than IC Markets. While its range of tradeable markets is narrow, FXCM caters well to high-volume traders, algorithmic traders, and traders that appreciate robust charting tools and quality market research.
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 | IC Markets | FXCM |
| Overall | ||
| IC Markets Review | FXCM Review | |
| 74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money | 74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money |
Regulation
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
| Trust Score | 72 | 90 |
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Year Founded |
2007 | 1999 |
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Publicly Traded (Listed) |
No | Yes |
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Bank |
No | No |
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Tier-1 Licenses |
1 | 3 |
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Tier-2 Licenses |
0 | 2 |
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Tier-3 Licenses |
0 | 0 |
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Authorised in the European Union |
No | Yes |
Tier-1 Licenses
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
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ASIC Authorised (Australia) |
Yes | Yes |
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IIROC Authorised (Canada) |
No | Yes |
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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) |
No | Yes |
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CFTC Registered (USA) |
No | No |
Tier-2 Licenses
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
|
CBRC Authorised (China) |
No | No |
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CySEC Authorised (Cyprus) |
No | No |
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ISA Authorised (Israel) |
No | Yes |
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FMA Authorised (New Zealand) |
No | No |
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CBR Authorised (Russia) |
No | No |
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FSB Authorised (South Africa) |
No | Yes |
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SEC Authorised (Thailand) |
No | No |
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DFSA / Central Bank Authorised (UAE) |
No | No |
Tier-3 Licenses
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
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FSC Authorised (British Virgin Islands) |
No | No |
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FSC Authorised (Mauritius) |
No | No |
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Offshore Authorised |
No | No |
Investments
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
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Forex: Spot Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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Currency Pairs (Total Forex pairs) |
63 | 39 |
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CFDs - Total Offered |
41 | 24 |
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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 | IC Markets | FXCM |
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Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard |
1.1 (as of May 18) | 1.3 (as of Apr -Jun 18) |
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All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active |
0.7 (as of May 18) | 0.8 (as of Nov 18) |
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Active Trader or VIP Discounts |
No | Yes |
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Funding
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
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Minimum Initial Deposit |
$200 | $0.00 |
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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) |
Yes | No |
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Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) |
Yes | Yes |
Trading Platforms
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
|
Proprietary Platform |
No | Yes |
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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) |
Yes | No |
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cTrader |
Yes | No |
Trading Tools
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
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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 |
7 | 7 |
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Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) |
51 | 51 |
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Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) |
31 | 31 |
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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 | IC Markets | FXCM |
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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 |
Yes | Yes |
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Watch List |
Yes | Yes |
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Watch List Syncing |
No | Yes |
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Charting - Indicators / Studies |
30 | 30 |
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Charting - Draw Trend Lines |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Trend Lines Moveable |
No | Yes |
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Charting - Multiple Time Frames |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Drawings Autosave |
No | Yes |
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Forex Calendar |
No | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Research
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
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Daily Market Commentary |
Yes | Yes |
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Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) |
No | Yes |
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Weekly Webinars |
No | Yes |
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AutoChartist |
No | No |
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Trading Central (Recognia) |
No | Yes |
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Delkos Research |
No | No |
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Social Trading / Copy-Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs |
No | Yes |
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Economic Calendar |
Yes | Yes |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Education
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
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Has Education - Forex |
Yes | Yes |
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Has Education - CFDs |
No | No |
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Client Webinars |
No | Yes |
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Client Webinars (Archived) |
Yes | Yes |
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Videos - Beginner Trading Videos |
No | Yes |
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Videos - Advanced Trading Videos |
No | Yes |
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Investor Dictionary (Glossary) |
Yes | Yes |
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Tutorials/Guide (PDF or Interactive) |
No | Yes |
| Education | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Major Forex Pairs
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
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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 |
No | Yes |
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USDCNH (or CNHUSD) |
Yes | Yes |
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USDSGD (or SGDUSD) |
Yes | Yes |
Overall
| Feature | IC Markets | FXCM |
| IC Markets Review | FXCM Review | |
| Overall | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
To find the top fx brokers, the team here at ForexBrokers.com collected over 2,200 data points during a several month review of the forex industry. In this fx broker comparison, we will compare FXCM vs IC Markets.
To assess both of these forex brokers, we will begin with cost. Comparing two fx brokers on cost is not easy. First, not every broker publicizes their average spreads. And, for the brokers that do publish their data, the formulas used to calculate average spreads can vary. Furthermore, the currency pair you are trading can impact cost, as well as the execution policies of the broker. Dealing desk or no dealing desk? The list goes on and on. To make comparing cost easy, we have a star rating that takes everything into account. IC Markets received a rating of 4.00 stars over FXCM's 3.50 stars.
Next to commissions and fees, regulation and currency availability are important to take into consideration. You want to trust and have confidence the forex broker you choose. FXCM and IC Markets both are regulated in a major hub. FXCM is a publicly traded company, IC Markets isn't. And, when it comes to total currency pairs available to trade, a quick comparison is helpful. FXCM trails IC Markets by 24 total currency pairs (for example, EUR/USD), with IC Markets offering 63 and FXCM offering 39.
To round out our comparison of FXCM vs IC Markets, let's look at the tools and features most used by forex traders. For trading platforms, traders are all familiar with MetaTrader. FXCM and IC Markets both offer Meta Trader. With a platform picked out, looking at charts is a must so they should be of high-quality. As part of our research, we count the number of drawing tools and total technical indicators available. FXCM and IC Markets offer the same number of charting tools, 31. Both brokers offer clients access to the same number of indicators (eg, moving averages), 51.
FXCM Review
IC Markets Review
To assess both of these forex brokers, we will begin with cost. Comparing two fx brokers on cost is not easy. First, not every broker publicizes their average spreads. And, for the brokers that do publish their data, the formulas used to calculate average spreads can vary. Furthermore, the currency pair you are trading can impact cost, as well as the execution policies of the broker. Dealing desk or no dealing desk? The list goes on and on. To make comparing cost easy, we have a star rating that takes everything into account. IC Markets received a rating of 4.00 stars over FXCM's 3.50 stars.
Next to commissions and fees, regulation and currency availability are important to take into consideration. You want to trust and have confidence the forex broker you choose. FXCM and IC Markets both are regulated in a major hub. FXCM is a publicly traded company, IC Markets isn't. And, when it comes to total currency pairs available to trade, a quick comparison is helpful. FXCM trails IC Markets by 24 total currency pairs (for example, EUR/USD), with IC Markets offering 63 and FXCM offering 39.
To round out our comparison of FXCM vs IC Markets, let's look at the tools and features most used by forex traders. For trading platforms, traders are all familiar with MetaTrader. FXCM and IC Markets both offer Meta Trader. With a platform picked out, looking at charts is a must so they should be of high-quality. As part of our research, we count the number of drawing tools and total technical indicators available. FXCM and IC Markets offer the same number of charting tools, 31. Both brokers offer clients access to the same number of indicators (eg, moving averages), 51.
FXCM Review
IC Markets Review
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 web site as of 02/18/2019 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.
