Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 vs IC Markets, 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.
Plus500 vs IC Markets: how they compare on trust and company profile. Founded in 2008, Plus500 is a publicly traded online broker, while IC Markets, founded in 2007, is privately held; neither is a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com Trust Scores, Plus500 scores 99/99 (90–99 = highly trusted), and IC Markets scores 83/99 (80–89 = trusted).
Regulation at a glance: Plus500 holds six Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and four Tier-2 licenses (trusted), indicating broad top-tier oversight. IC Markets holds two Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses. In short, Plus500 carries more high-grade regulatory approvals and the higher Trust Score, while IC Markets remains a trusted, regulated choice.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
Comparing commissions and fees, IC Markets generally comes out cheaper than Plus500. IC Markets is rated 5/5 stars and ranks #5 of 63 brokers for Commissions & Fees (Best in Class, 2024), while Plus500 holds 4.0/5 stars and ranks #24 of 63.
Plus500’s pricing sits slightly above the industry average. In April 2024, its EUR/USD spread averaged 1.5 pips, which is higher than many peers. Plus500 does not offer retail discounts; cash rebates are available only if you qualify as a Professional client.
IC Markets offers multiple account types and platforms that influence pricing. The commission-free Standard account lists an average EUR/USD spread of 0.62 pips. For lower raw spreads with commissions, the cTrader Raw Spread account charges $3.00 per side ($6 round turn) per 100,000 units, and the MT4/MT5 Raw Spread account charges $3.50 per side ($7 round turn). IC Markets lists an average EUR/USD spread of 0.02 pips (August 2022); with commissions added, the all-in cost is about 0.62 pips on cTrader (or 0.72 on MetaTrader). Pricing can vary by platform, account type, and the chosen IC Markets entity (EU, Australia, or Seychelles). Active traders who exceed 100 standard lots per month can receive discounts, and the commission-based accounts have a low minimum deposit.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $200 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.62 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | 0.62 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the range of investments, Plus500 offers a wider selection overall, with 5,500 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, versus IC Markets’ 3,583 symbols and 61 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading (available as CFDs or spot), and each earns 4.5/5 stars for Range of Investments from ForexBrokers.com. In the same category, Plus500 ranks #17 out of 63 brokers, while IC Markets ranks #22.
Asset access differs in a few key ways. Plus500 lets clients buy exchange-traded shares on both U.S. and international stock exchanges, while IC Markets offers exchange-traded shares on international exchanges but not U.S.-listed stocks. IC Markets supports copy trading; Plus500 does not. Neither broker allows you to buy actual cryptocurrency, but both provide cryptocurrency CFDs for trading.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 3583 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 61 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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.
If you’re choosing between Plus500 and IC Markets for trading platforms and tools, both offer free demo (paper) accounts and web-based trading. Plus500 uses its own proprietary platform built in-house and focuses on the browser experience rather than downloads; it does not offer a Windows desktop platform, MT4 or MT5, copy trading, or trading directly from charts. According to ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks 14th out of 63 brokers.
IC Markets takes a different path: there’s no in-house platform, but it supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), including a Windows desktop download and a web version. IC Markets also offers copy trading and lets you place orders directly from charts. ForexBrokers.com rates IC Markets 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, ranking it 17th out of 63.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Plus500 and IC Markets both deliver iPhone and Android apps with price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Where they differ is in workflow and charting depth: Plus500 syncs your watchlists between mobile and web, while IC Markets does not. For technical studies, Plus500 packs in 115 indicators compared to IC Markets’ 30. On the flip side, IC Markets auto-saves your chart drawings, whereas Plus500 does not.
In third-party reviews, Plus500 earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 14th out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets scores 4 stars and ranks 22nd. Choose Plus500 if you want more indicators and seamless watchlist sync; pick IC Markets if automatic saving of chart annotations matters most.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Plus500 and IC Markets both deliver daily market commentary, an economic calendar, Trading Central analytics, and a sentiment tool that shows the balance of long vs. short positions. Neither broker includes TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools. The key differences: IC Markets provides top-tier forex news (e.g., Reuters/Bloomberg-style feeds) and access to Autochartist for pattern recognition, while Plus500 does not offer those two extras.
In independent testing, Plus500 earns 4.5/5 stars for Research and ranks #17 out of 63 brokers, while IC Markets scores 4/5 stars and ranks #21. Choose IC Markets if integrated premium news and Autochartist are must-haves; pick Plus500 if you want strong built-in research with Trading Central and sentiment tools, plus daily commentary and an easy-to-use calendar.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Both Plus500 and IC Markets support beginner traders with education for forex and CFDs. Each runs monthly client webinars and offers sizable video libraries: at least 10 beginner-focused videos and at least 10 advanced videos, making it easier to move from the basics to more complex topics. The details here don’t confirm the total number of articles or other formats beyond those videos, but both brokers clearly provide ongoing learning through webinars and video content.
For quality signals, Plus500 holds a 4.5-star Education rating, while IC Markets has 4 stars. However, across 63 brokers, ForexBrokers.com ranks IC Markets higher in the Education category (#16) than Plus500 (#26). In short: choose Plus500 if you favor the higher star rating, or consider IC Markets if a stronger category ranking matters more—either way, beginners get frequent webinars and plenty of videos to learn from.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Plus500 is better than IC Markets. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21.
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to a thorough selection of CFDs. Share trading is available, but only via its Plus500 Invest product offering.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 |
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Plus500 vs IC Markets: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer trading in cryptocurrency CFDs.
Plus500 vs IC Markets: both brokers do not support ACH or SEPA transfers, both offer PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits/withdrawals, while Visa/Mastercard availability is 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.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 3583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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 | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.62 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | 0.62 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $200 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 115 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Plus500 Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | IC Markets Review |
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