Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM vs IUX, 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.
Founded in 1999, FXCM is a well-established online broker with a strong presence in the financial market. It is publicly traded, offering transparency to its clients, and holds 4 Tier-1 licenses, which are highly trusted according to ForexBrokers.com. Additionally, FXCM possesses 2 Tier-2 licenses. With a Trust Score of 95 out of 99, it is considered a highly trusted broker, making it a favored choice for many traders.
In contrast, IUX was established more recently in 2016 and operates without the backing of being publicly traded. This broker holds 1 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 license, reflecting a more modest regulatory standing. With a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 78, IUX is regarded as an average risk brokerage. While it is a viable option for some traders, its trust rating and regulatory credentials are not as strong as those of FXCM.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
FXCM and IUX both earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s category rankings out of 63 brokers, FXCM places #17 while IUX is #19. Both support spread-only and commission-based pricing, but the details and trade-offs differ, which can affect your all-in costs depending on account type, location, and trading volume.
FXCM’s standard EUR/USD spread averaged about 0.78 pips in the EU, U.K., and Australia, and about 1.38 pips via its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. Its commission-based accounts showed low core spreads near 0.28 pips, but the effective cost is closer to about 0.74 pips once commissions are included. High-volume traders can qualify for discounts: the Active Trader Rebate Program pays $5–$25 per million traded in eligible regions (not available in the U.K. or EU), while the U.K. offers separate Active Trader pricing that can reduce commissions to about $2.50 per side with sizable balance and volume. As with most brokers, spreads may widen during rollovers or volatile markets.
IUX ties pricing to account choice. Standard and Standard+ need only $10 to open; Standard+ allows deposit bonuses but usually has wider spreads, while Standard has lower spreads without promos. The $500-minimum Pro (spread-only) and Raw (commission-based) accounts target active traders. IUX lists average EUR/USD spreads of about 0.9 pips on Standard, 0.7 pips on Pro, and an estimated 0.6 pips all-in on Raw when you factor in its $6 per lot commission. Bottom line: IUX’s Raw can edge FXCM’s commission-based effective pricing, while FXCM’s volume programs can narrow the gap for heavy traders. Consider spreads, commissions, and minimum deposits—plus where your account is regulated—before you choose.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | 10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 0.86 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing FXCM vs. IUX on range of investments: FXCM lists 440 tradeable symbols and 46 forex pairs, while IUX offers 152 symbols and 34 pairs. Both support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. For Range of Investments, each earns 3.5 out of 5 stars, with FXCM ranked 21st of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com and IUX ranked 35th.
The two brokers differ in a few key ways. Neither offers exchange-traded U.S. shares (so you can’t buy Apple on NASDAQ), but IUX does let you buy real international shares (for example, stocks listed in London like Vodafone), whereas FXCM does not. FXCM supports copy trading; IUX does not. Neither broker sells actual cryptocurrency, but both provide crypto CFDs. In short, choose FXCM if you want more markets and copy trading, or choose IUX if you want access to real international stocks alongside forex and crypto CFDs.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 152 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 34 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
FXCM and IUX both offer free demo (paper) trading so you can practice before risking real money. Each broker provides its own proprietary platform along with a Windows desktop download and a web-based platform, giving you flexibility to trade from your computer browser or a dedicated app.
The key differences are in third-party tools and features. FXCM supports copy trading, while IUX does not. FXCM offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4) but not MT5, whereas IUX offers MetaTrader 5 (MT5) but not MT4. Both brokers let you place trades directly from charts. The number of built-in technical indicators and watch list columns wasn’t specified. According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, while IUX earns 3.5 stars and ranks #35 out of 63.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both FXCM and IUX offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. If you rely on real-time price alerts and synced watchlists, FXCM has both, while IUX does not support alerts or syncing between mobile and web. This makes FXCM easier for staying on top of market moves and keeping your watchlists consistent across devices.
For charting, IUX lists 106 technical studies versus FXCM’s 59, which may appeal to indicator-focused traders. However, FXCM lets you draw trendlines in the app (IUX does not), and both apps auto-save chart drawings. Overall app quality tilts to FXCM: it earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks 16th out of 63 in ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps category, compared with IUX at 3.5/5 stars and 35th.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 106 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FXCM vs IUX: when it comes to market research, FXCM clearly offers more. FXCM provides daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, Trading Central analysis tools, a sentiment tool that shows long/short ratios, TipRanks insights, and an economic calendar. IUX includes an economic calendar but does not offer daily commentary, top-tier news, Trading Central tools, a sentiment tool, or TipRanks. Both brokers do not provide Autochartist or Acuity Trading tools.
These differences show up in independent ratings: FXCM scores 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers for Research on ForexBrokers.com, while IUX scores 3 stars and ranks #35. If built-in research and news matter to you, FXCM is the stronger choice; IUX may suit traders who only need a calendar and plan to get research elsewhere.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginner traders comparing forex and CFD education, FXCM offers a stronger learning experience than IUX. Both brokers provide at least 10 beginner-focused videos, giving newcomers a solid starting point. FXCM goes further with live online educational webinars held at least monthly, plus a full set of advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up. IUX does not run monthly webinars and lacks a collection of advanced videos, so its learning path is more limited once you move beyond the basics.
These differences show up in third-party ratings: FXCM earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #13 out of 63 brokers with ForexBrokers.com, while IUX scores 3 stars and ranks #35. If you want ongoing guidance, live sessions, and materials that grow with you, FXCM is likely the better pick. If you only need a basic set of beginner videos, IUX can cover the essentials.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 FXCM is better than IUX. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #10, while IUX finished with an overall rank of #35.
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.
| Feature |
FXCM
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IUX
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 78 |
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Neither FXCM nor IUX allows the purchase of actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but both online brokers offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
In a deposit and withdrawal methods comparison of online brokers FXCM and IUX, FXCM supports ACH/SEPA transfers and PayPal (which IUX lacks), while both brokers accept Skrill and bank wire transfers.
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 | FXCM | IUX | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 78 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | IUX Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | IUX | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 78 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 152 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 34 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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). |
| Cost | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 0.86 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.6 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | 10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 106 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FXCM Review | IUX Review |
| Overall | FXCM | IUX | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 78 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | IUX Review |
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