Plus500 vs IC Markets 2023

Plus500 is publicly traded and does not operate a bank. Plus500 is authorised by six Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), three Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). Plus500 is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC), Japanese Financial Services Authority (JFSA), Financial Markets Authority (FMA), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and regulated in the European Union via the MiFID passporting system.

IC Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. IC Markets is authorised by two Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and two Tier-4 regulators (High Risk). IC Markets is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) and regulated in the European Union via the MiFID passporting system.

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.

IC Markets’ competitive pricing and scalable execution make it an excellent option for algorithmic traders. Though it supports an impressive range of third-party tools and plugins, IC Markets’ research and education offerings are not as impressive as those offered by industry leaders.

To open a trading account with Plus500, you'll need to make an initial minimum deposit of €100.

IC Markets requires a minimum deposit of $200 before you can open an account and start trading.

It's important to make sure that your forex broker accepts the funding options and deposit methods that work best for you. Plus500 offers Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) and Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) for banking, whereas IC Markets provides Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw), Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw)

Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spread data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough, data-driven testing of each broker's commissions and fees, we found that IC Markets offers better pricing overall for traders.

Methodology: When testing each broker's commissions, fees, and pricing, we analyze multiple trade scenarios and award points based on the expansiveness (or inexpensiveness) of the broker's spreads. We then run multiple scenarios for different investor types, incorporating any miscellaneous fees, to determine an "all-in" cost per trade. Learn more about how we test.

At ForexBrokers.com, we track over 100 international regulatory agencies to help you choose the most well-regulated, highly trusted forex brokers. Learn more about our proprietary Trust Score rating system. Based on our research on the regulatory status of over 60 brokers, we've found that Plus500 holds 6 global Tier-1 licenses, while IC Markets holds 2. Plus500 holds 3 global Tier-2 licenses, while IC Markets holds 0.

After evaluating each broker based on their number of held licenses, years in business, and a range of other data-driven variables, we've determined that Plus500 (99) earned a higher Trust Score than IC Markets (84).

To compare the trading platforms of both Plus500 and IC Markets, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, Plus500 offers a better experience. With research, Plus500 offers superior market research. Finally, we found Plus500 to provide better mobile trading apps.

Here’s what trading platforms are available at Plus500:

• Proprietary Platform - Yes
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - No
• DupliTrade - No
• MT4 - No
• MT5 - No
• ZuluTrade - No
• TradingView - No

Here’s what trading platforms are available at IC Markets:

• Proprietary Platform - No
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - Yes
• DupliTrade - No
• MT4 - Yes
• MT5 - Yes
• ZuluTrade - Yes
• TradingView - No

The MetaTrader trading platform suite is wildly popular among forex and CFD traders across the globe. Neither broker offers Meta Trader. Forex traders also appreciate the ability to engage in social copy trading. Copy trading is not offered by either broker.

Plus500 provides traders 65 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to IC Markets's 61 available pairs. If you are interested in trading CFDs, Plus500 offers traders access to 5500 CFDs, while IC Markets offers access to 3583 CFDs; so Plus500 offers 1917 more CFDs than IC Markets.

We found in our testing that IC Markets offers a more diverse selection of investment options than Plus500, allowing you to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), U.S. Stocks (CFD), Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) and Cryptocurrency (Derivative). Neither have Cryptocurrency (Physical) and Spread Betting.