Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IFC Markets vs GBE brokers, 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.
When comparing IFC Markets and GBE Brokers, several key factors differentiate these online trading platforms. IFC Markets, established in 2006, holds a Tier-2 license, indicating a trusted regulatory status within the industry. Despite lacking Tier-1 licenses, IFC Markets maintains a Trust Score of 73 out of 99, thanks to its singular Tier-2 accreditation. As neither a publicly traded company nor a bank, IFC Markets is independently operated, offering clients a moderate level of reassurance with an average risk rating from ForexBrokers.com.
On the other hand, GBE Brokers, founded in 2013, holds one coveted Tier-1 license, suggesting a higher level of regulatory compliance. Despite this, GBE Brokers has a slightly lower Trust Score of 71, which categorizes it similarly as an average risk investment option. Like IFC Markets, GBE Brokers is not publicly traded and operates independently from any banking institution. This comparison highlights that while GBE Brokers may offer a slight edge in licensing, both platforms sit within an average level of trust, providing reasonable safety for those looking to trade online.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2013 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, IFC Markets provides more transparent pricing details than GBE brokers. IFC Markets lists an average EUR/USD spread of 1.44 pips, which is higher than the industry average of 1.08 pips, so standard pricing is a bit less competitive. For GBE brokers, average spread data is not available, making a direct spread comparison difficult.
Active traders may find IFC Markets more appealing thanks to its ECN account: after a 0.005% commission on both sides of a trade, the effective EUR/USD spread is about 1.1 pips. IFC Markets also does not charge inactivity fees and offers active trader discounts, which can help lower overall trading costs.
Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com. In the Commissions and Fees category, GBE brokers ranks #38 out of 63, while IFC Markets ranks #40 out of 63. If you prioritize known ECN pricing and fee perks, IFC Markets stands out; if you weigh rankings more heavily, GBE brokers edges it by a small margin. Always check each broker’s website for the latest pricing.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $1000 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.44 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IFC Markets and GBE brokers both let you trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts, and each supports copy trading. IFC Markets lists about 630 tradeable symbols versus 500 at GBE brokers. When it comes to currency choice, GBE brokers offers 71 forex pairs, while IFC Markets has 49. Both brokers offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual crypto.
Stock access differs: neither broker provides U.S.-listed shares as real (non-CFD) securities, but IFC Markets does let you trade some international exchange-listed shares, while GBE brokers does not. For range of investments, both earn 3.5 out of 5 stars from ForexBrokers.com, with IFC Markets ranked 44th out of 63 brokers and GBE brokers close behind at 45th. In short, IFC Markets suits traders who want more total markets and access to certain international shares, while GBE brokers appeals to those who prioritize a wider choice of forex pairs.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 630 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 71 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
Comparing IFC Markets vs GBE Brokers for trading platforms and tools: both brokers provide free demo (paper) trading, plus desktop platforms for Windows and web-based platforms you can use in a browser. Each supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), offers copy trading, and lets you place trades directly from charts. One key difference is that IFC Markets also has its own proprietary platform, while GBE Brokers does not.
In terms of third-party ratings, both earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. However, ForexBrokers.com ranks IFC Markets higher at #37 of 63 brokers, compared with GBE Brokers at #58 of 63. Specific counts for chart indicators and watchlist columns were not provided. If you want a broker with a proprietary platform in addition to MT4/MT5, IFC Markets could appeal; if you’re focused on MetaTrader and standard features like web and desktop access with copy trading and chart trading, both are suitable choices.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IFC Markets and GBE brokers both deliver capable mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, trendline drawing, and auto-saving of chart annotations. A key difference is watchlist syncing: IFC Markets syncs watchlists across mobile and your online account, while GBE brokers does not. If you switch between phone and desktop often, that syncing can save time and reduce errors.
Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings of 63 brokers, IFC Markets places at #53 and GBE brokers at #58. If seamless watchlists matter, IFC Markets has the edge; if you mainly want charts, alerts, and basic tools on the go, both apps should meet your needs.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
IFC Markets and GBE Brokers both cover the basics of market research with daily market commentary and an economic calendar. Each also provides a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long vs. short positions. However, neither broker integrates premium forex news feeds from Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and neither offers research tools from Autochartist or Trading Central.
IFC Markets does not include TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools; availability of TipRanks and Acuity at GBE Brokers is not specified. For Research, IFC Markets is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #41 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while GBE Brokers holds 3 stars and ranks #63. If you need integrated third‑party analytics or top‑tier news, you may want to pair either broker with external research sources.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
IFC Markets vs GBE brokers for beginner education: IFC Markets offers a larger video library, with at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos that cover trading topics, giving new traders a clearer learning path. GBE brokers does not meet the 10-video mark for beginner or advanced content. Neither broker runs monthly educational webinars, so live learning options are limited with both.
In independent assessments, IFC Markets earns 3.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #30 at ForexBrokers.com, while GBE brokers scores 3 out of 5 stars and ranks #64. If you value a bigger set of beginner-friendly videos for forex and CFD learning, IFC Markets has the edge; if webinars are important, note that neither broker offers them monthly.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 IFC Markets is better than GBE brokers. IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45, while GBE brokers finished with an overall rank of #57.
IFC Markets is a well-established broker that has been in operation for 17 years. Forex traders at IFC Markets gain access to multiple trading platforms, a growing range of tradeable markets, and a balanced offering of research and educational content. However, IFC Markets’ Trust Score suffers due to the broker’s limited range of regulatory licenses.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 73 | 71 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
IFC Markets vs GBE brokers: neither online broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
IFC Markets supports bank wire deposits and withdrawals but not ACH/SEPA, PayPal, or Skrill, whereas GBE brokers supports ACH/SEPA, with PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wire availability not specified.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 73 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
| Regulation | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 73 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2013 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 630 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.44 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $1000 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review |
| Overall | IFC Markets | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 73 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill