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.
FXCM vs IUX: FXCM was founded in 1999 and is publicly traded, while IUX launched in 2016 and is not listed. Neither broker is a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com Trust Scores, FXCM earns 95/99 (highly trusted), whereas IUX scores 76/99 (average risk).
On regulation, FXCM holds 4 Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted). IUX holds 1 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 license. These differences in licensing help explain FXCM’s higher Trust Score in this comparison.
| 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 |
Comparing commissions and fees, both FXCM and IUX earn 4.5 out of 5 stars. FXCM ranks #17 of 63 brokers for this category on ForexBrokers.com, while IUX ranks #19 of 63. FXCM’s forex pricing tends to sit slightly above the industry average unless you use its commission-based or high-volume tiers. IUX is competitive for a smaller broker, with account choices that let you balance spreads, commissions, and minimum deposits.
FXCM’s standard EUR/USD spreads averaged about 0.78 pips in the EU, U.K., and Australia during May 2024, and around 1.38 pips via its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. Its commission-based accounts posted a 0.28-pip core spread in May 2024, but the effective cost is closer to 0.74 pips once the commission (roughly 0.50 pips per round turn) is included. The Active Trader Rebate Program (five tiers, $5–$25 per million traded; minimum $10 million per month) is not available in the U.K. or EU. In the U.K., however, traders meeting higher balance and volume thresholds (e.g., $25,000 balance and $50 million per month) can see commissions reduced to $2.50 per side ($5 round turn), implying an effective EUR/USD spread near 0.78 pips based on a 0.28-pip core. As with many brokers, spreads can widen during rollover or in volatile markets.
IUX tiers pricing by account type. Standard and Standard+ require just $10 to start; Standard+ allows deposit bonuses but typically has wider spreads, while the Standard account trades off promotions for tighter pricing. For active traders, the Pro and Raw accounts each require $500. Pro is spread-only with tighter pricing than Standard, while Raw charges $6 per standard lot in commission but advertises the lowest underlying spreads. For EUR/USD, IUX lists average spreads of about 0.9 pips on Standard, 0.7 pips on Pro, and an effective cost near 0.6 pips on Raw after factoring in the commission. The result: IUX is price-friendly and flexible, though it doesn’t usually beat the absolute lowest-cost leaders, whereas FXCM can be more expensive unless you qualify for its commission-based or high-volume discounts.
| 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.
FXCM vs IUX: both brokers support forex trading (CFDs or spot), but FXCM offers a wider selection overall. FXCM lists 440 tradeable symbols and 46 forex pairs, while IUX provides 152 symbols and 34 pairs. FXCM also supports copy trading, which IUX does not. For crypto, neither broker lets you buy actual coins, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs.
When it comes to exchange-traded securities (not CFDs), FXCM does not offer U.S. or international shares. IUX does not offer U.S. stocks either, but it does let you buy certain international shares directly. For Range of Investments, FXCM earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 21st out of 63 brokers, while IUX scores 3.5 stars and ranks 35th. Choose FXCM if you want more markets and copy trading; consider IUX if access to select international shares matters to you.
| 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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| Trust Score | 95 | 76 |
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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 | 76 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | IUX Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | IUX | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 76 | |
| 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 CMA 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 | 76 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | IUX Review |
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