Interactive Brokers vs IC Markets 2025

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.

Regulation

Interactive Brokers and IC Markets are notable online brokers that offer a variety of trading services, but they differ significantly in their regulatory standings and trust scores as rated by ForexBrokers.com. Interactive Brokers, established in 1977, holds a stellar reputation with a perfect Trust Score of 99. It boasts an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, which are considered highly trusted. Additionally, Interactive Brokers is publicly traded, adding an extra layer of transparency and accountability, although it is not itself a bank.

In contrast, IC Markets, founded in 2007, is not publicly traded and maintains a Trust Score of 84, which is considered trusted. This broker has secured two Tier-1 licenses, ensuring a reasonable degree of trust but fewer high-level regulatory endorsements compared to Interactive Brokers. IC Markets does not have any Tier-2 licenses, which adds depth to the comparison, showing variations in their regulatory commitments. Both brokers, however, do not operate as banks.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Year Founded info	1977	2007
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	No
Bank info	No	No
Tier-1 Licenses info	9	2
Tier-2 Licenses info	2	0
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	3

Fees

When comparing Interactive Brokers to IC Markets based on commissions and fees, both stand out with a five-star rating. Interactive Brokers, ranked #2 by ForexBrokers.com, offers competitive pricing for forex trades. However, their average spreads aren't publicly available, making direct comparisons challenging. The average spread for EUR/USD during Q3 2024 was about 0.59 pips, inclusive of commission. Forex commissions per side typically start at 0.2 basis points of the U.S. dollar trade value, with a $2 minimum per order. For active traders, these costs can reduce significantly, with the possibility of dropping to just $1 per order depending on monthly trade volume. Interactive Brokers aggregates prices from top interbank dealers and charges between $16 to $40 per million round turn.

IC Markets, ranked #5 in the same category, competes fiercely with other low-cost forex brokers, offering varied account types. Their Standard account is commission-free, with spreads averaging 0.62 pips. The commission-based Raw Spread account and the cTrader Raw Spread account charge $3.5 and $3.0 per side for every 100,000 units, respectively. Their effective spread for the EUR/USD is remarkably low at 0.02 pips before commissions, making the all-in cost around 0.62 pips on cTrader accounts. IC Markets is recognized for offering discounts to highly active traders who trade over 100 standard lots monthly.

While both brokers provide competitive forex trading options, each has distinct advantages depending on an investor's trading volume and platform preference. Interactive Brokers is a robust choice for those trading in large volumes due to its tiered discount structure, while IC Markets appeals to traders seeking low spreads and flexible account options.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$200
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.59 info	0.62 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.65 info	0.62 info
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Range of investments

Interactive Brokers stands out for sheer variety, listing about 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs versus IC Markets’ 3,583 symbols and 61 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading via CFDs and/or spot contracts. For Range of Investments, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets scores 4.5 stars and ranks #22.

Access to assets also differs: Interactive Brokers lets you buy exchange-traded U.S. shares (like Apple) and international shares, and it offers both actual cryptocurrency and crypto CFDs. IC Markets offers international shares (not U.S. shares), no delivered crypto, but it does provide crypto CFDs and adds copy trading (Interactive Brokers does not). In short, Interactive Brokers delivers the widest overall menu, while IC Markets pairs a broad CFD lineup with copy trading for strategy sharing.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	3583
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	61
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	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).

Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers vs IC Markets: both brokers check key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers free paper trading (demo accounts), a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. Interactive Brokers adds a proprietary, in-house platform, while IC Markets does not. On ratings, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools at ForexBrokers.com; IC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #17.

Feature preferences may guide your choice. If you want copy trading or access to MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), IC Markets is the better fit. If you prefer an in-house platform backed by top-tier platform/tool ratings, Interactive Brokers stands out. Both let you trade directly from charts and offer demo accounts, so you can test-drive their platforms in your browser or on Windows before committing.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	30
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Both Interactive Brokers and IC Markets offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, complete with price alerts, trendline drawing, and charting tools. Interactive Brokers stands out for analysis with 97 technical studies and watchlist syncing between the app and the online platform. IC Markets includes 30 technical studies and does not sync watchlists, but it does auto-save chart drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not.

When it comes to quality and recognition, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers’ mobile trading apps at 5 stars and ranks them #4 out of 63 brokers, compared with IC Markets at 4 stars and #22. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want deeper chart analysis and synced watchlists; pick IC Markets if automatic saving of chart drawings is a priority.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	97	30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers and IC Markets both deliver strong market research essentials. Each provides daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources (such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones), an economic calendar, sentiment tools that show long and short positioning, and research from Trading Central. That means traders at either broker can follow the news cycle, scan technical and fundamental insights, and plan around key economic events with confidence.

The standout differences come from add-on tools. IC Markets includes Autochartist for pattern recognition, while Interactive Brokers adds TipRanks for stock research plus Acuity Trading (Signal Centre). According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers, whereas IC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #21. If you want Autochartist integrated with a MetaTrader workflow, IC Markets can be appealing; if you prefer broader third-party research and stock-focused insights, Interactive Brokers has the edge.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	Yes
Autochartist info	No	Yes
Trading Central info	Yes	Yes
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	Yes	No
Acuity Trading info	Yes	No
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

For beginner traders comparing education at Interactive Brokers vs IC Markets, both brokers make it easy to get started. Each hosts online client webinars at least once per month and offers at least 10 beginner-friendly videos that explain trading basics across forex and CFDs. This steady mix of webinars and videos helps new traders learn step by step at their own pace.

As your skills grow, both brands also provide 10 or more advanced videos. That said, Interactive Brokers stands out: it holds a 5-star Education rating and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. IC Markets earns a strong 4-star rating and ranks #16. If top-tier education is your priority, Interactive Brokers is the front-runner, while IC Markets still delivers solid training for newcomers.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than IC Markets. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21.

Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Overall Rating info
Trust Score info	99	84
Range of Investments
Trading Fees
Trading Platforms
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

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Overall Rating	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	84
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	IC Markets Review

Broker Screenshots	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info

Regulation	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Trust Score info	99	84
Year Founded info	1977	2007
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	No
Bank info	No	No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info	9	2
Tier-2 Licenses info	2	0
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	3

Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info	Yes	No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info	Yes	No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info	Yes	No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info	Yes	No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info	Yes
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info	Yes	No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info	Yes	No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info	No	No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	Yes info

Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info	No	No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info	No	No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info	Yes	No
India (SEBI Authorised) info	Yes	No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info

Investments	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	3583
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	61
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	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).

Cost	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.59 info	0.62 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.65 info	0.62 info
Inactivity Fee info	No	No
Order execution: Agency info	Yes	Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info	No	Yes

Funding	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$200
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No

Trading Platforms	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	Yes
cTrader info	No	Yes

Trading Tools	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	30
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes
Charts can be saved info	Yes	Yes

Mobile Trading	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	97	30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Research	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	Yes
Autochartist info	No	Yes
Trading Central info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	Yes	No
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Education	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Major Forex Pairs	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info	Yes	Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	IC Markets Review

Overall	Interactive Brokers	IC Markets
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	84
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	IC Markets Review