Is IC Markets better than Plus500? In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 39 brokers, IC Markets is considered average-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 86 out of 99. Plus500 is considered low-risk, with an overall trust score of 99 out of 99. Learn more about Trust Score.
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Plus500 vs IC Markets 2021
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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Overall Rating
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
| Overall | ||
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Offering of Investments | ||
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Mobile Trading Apps | ||
| Research | ||
| Education | ||
| Trust Score | 99 | 86 |
| Plus500 Review | IC Markets Review | |
| 77% of retail CFD accounts lose money | 74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Regulation
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
| Trust Score | 99 | 86 |
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Year Founded |
2008 | 2007 |
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Publicly Traded (Listed) |
Yes | No |
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Bank |
No | No |
|
Tier-1 Licenses |
4 | 1 |
|
Tier-2 Licenses |
3 | 1 |
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Tier-3 Licenses |
0 | 1 |
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Authorised in the European Union |
Yes | No |
Tier-1 Licenses (High Trust)
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
|
ASIC Authorised (Australia) |
Yes | Yes |
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IIROC Authorised (Canada) |
No | No |
|
SFC Authorised (Hong Kong) |
No | No |
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FSA Authorised (Japan) |
No | No |
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MAS Authorised (Singapore) |
Yes | No |
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FINMA Authorised (Switzerland) |
No | No |
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FCA Authorised (UK) |
Yes | No |
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CFTC Registered (USA) |
No | No |
Tier-2 Licenses (Average Trust)
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
|
CBRC Authorised (China) |
No | No |
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CySEC Authorised (Cyprus) |
Yes | Yes |
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CBI Authorised (Ireland) |
No | No |
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ISA Authorised (Israel) |
Yes | No |
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FMA Authorised (New Zealand) |
Yes | No |
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CBR Authorised (Russia) |
No | No |
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FSCA Authorised (South Africa) |
Yes | No |
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SEC Authorised (Thailand) |
No | No |
Tier-3 Licenses (Low Trust)
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
| SCB Authorised (Bahamas) | No | Yes |
| IFSC Authorised (Belize) | No | No |
| BMA Authorised (Bermuda) | No | No |
|
FSC Authorised (British Virgin Islands) |
No | No |
|
FSC Authorised (Mauritius) |
No | No |
Investments
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
|
Forex Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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CFD Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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Tradeable Symbols (Total) |
1896 | 3583 |
|
Forex Pairs (Total) |
71 | 61 |
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US Stock Trading (Non CFD) |
Yes | No |
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Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) |
Yes | No |
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Social Trading / Copy-Trading |
No | Yes |
|
Cryptocurrency (Physical) |
No | No |
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Cryptocurrency (CFD) |
Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Disclaimer (UK) | 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
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
|
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard |
0.6 (as of Aug 2018) | 0.62 (August 2021) |
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All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active |
N/A | 0.62 (August 2021) |
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Active Trader or VIP Discounts |
No | Yes |
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Execution: Agency Broker |
No | Yes |
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Execution: Market Maker |
Yes | Yes |
Funding
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
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Minimum Deposit |
€100 | $200 |
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Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) |
Yes | Yes |
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Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) |
Yes | Yes |
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PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) |
Yes | Yes |
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Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) |
Yes | Yes |
Trading Platforms
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
|
Proprietary Platform |
Yes | No |
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Desktop Platform (Windows) |
No | Yes |
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Web Platform |
Yes | Yes |
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Social Trading / Copy-Trading |
No | Yes |
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MetaTrader 4 (MT4) |
No | Yes |
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MetaTrader 5 (MT5) |
No | Yes |
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cTrader |
No | Yes |
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DupliTrade |
No | No |
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ZuluTrade |
No | Yes |
Trading Tools
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
|
Virtual Trading (Demo) |
Yes | Yes |
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Alerts - Basic Fields |
Yes | Yes |
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Watchlists - Total Fields |
9 | 7 |
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Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) |
110 | 30 |
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Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) |
21 | 15 |
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Charting - Trade From Chart |
No | Yes |
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Charting - Drawings Autosave |
No | Yes |
Mobile Trading
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
|
Android App |
Yes | Yes |
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Apple iOS App |
Yes | Yes |
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Alerts - Basic Fields |
Yes | Yes |
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Watch List |
Yes | Yes |
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Watch List Syncing |
Yes | No |
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Charting - Indicators / Studies |
110 | 30 |
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Charting - Draw Trendlines |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Trendlines Moveable |
No | No |
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Charting - Multiple Time Frames |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Drawings Autosave |
No | No |
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Forex Calendar |
Yes | Yes |
Research
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
|
Daily Market Commentary |
Yes | Yes |
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Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) |
No | Yes |
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Autochartist |
No | Yes |
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Trading Central (Recognia) |
No | Yes |
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Delkos Research |
No | No |
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Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs |
Yes | Yes |
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Economic Calendar |
Yes | Yes |
Education
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
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Has Education - Forex or CFDs |
No | Yes |
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Client Webinars |
No | Yes |
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Client Webinars (Archived) |
No | Yes |
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Videos - Beginner Trading Videos |
Yes | No |
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Videos - Advanced Trading Videos |
No | No |
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Investor Dictionary (Glossary) |
No | Yes |
Major Forex Pairs
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
|
GBP/USD |
Yes | Yes |
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USD/JPY |
Yes | Yes |
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EUR/USD |
Yes | Yes |
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USD/CHF |
Yes | Yes |
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USD/CAD |
Yes | Yes |
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NZD/USD |
Yes | Yes |
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AUD/USD |
Yes | Yes |
Overall
| Feature | Plus500 | IC Markets |
| Overall | ||
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Offering of Investments | ||
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Mobile Trading Apps | ||
| Research | ||
| Education | ||
| Trust Score | 99 | 86 |
| Plus500 Review | IC Markets Review |
Comparing forex brokers side by side is no easy task. For our 2022 annual forex broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 39 forex and CFD brokerages to find the best forex broker. Let's compare IC Markets vs Plus500.
Does IC Markets or Plus500 offer lower pricing?
Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spreads data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough annual assessment, IC Markets offers better pricing overall for traders.
Is IC Markets or Plus500 safer for forex and CFDs trading?
At ForexBrokers.com, we track where each forex and CFD broker is regulated across over 23 international regulator databases. Here's our findings. Plus500 holds 4 global Tier-1 licenses, while IC Markets holds 1. Plus500 holds 3 global Tier-2 licenses, while IC Markets holds 1. In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 50 brokers, Plus500 earned a higher Trust Score than IC Markets.
Which trading platform is better: IC Markets or Plus500?
To compare the trading platforms of both IC Markets and Plus500, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, Plus500 offers a better experience. With research, IC Markets offers superior market research. Finally, we found Plus500 to provide better mobile trading apps.
What about MetaTrader and copy trading?
For forex and CFDs traders, copy trading and MetaTrader are both popular platform options. While IC Markets offers copy trading, Plus500 does not. IC Markets offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while Plus500 does not.
How many forex pairs and CFDs are available to trade?
Plus500 provides traders 71 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to IC Markets's 61 available pairs. Forex pairs aside, IC Markets offers traders access to 3583 CFDs while Plus500 has 1896 available CFDs, a difference of 1,687.
Can I trust IC Markets?
IC Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. IC Markets is authorised by one tier-1 regulator (high trust), one tier-2 regulator (average trust), and one tier-3 regulator (low trust). IC Markets is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC).
Can I trust Plus500?
Plus500 is publicly traded and does not operate a bank. Plus500 is authorised by four tier-1 regulators (high trust), three tier-2 regulators (average trust), and zero tier-3 regulators (low trust). Plus500 is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC), and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
Is IC Markets good?
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.
Is Plus500 good?
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to share trading and a thorough selection of CFDs.
Overall winner: Plus500
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Trading CFDs, FX, and cryptocurrencies involves a high degree of risk. All providers have a percentage of retail investor accounts that lose money when trading CFDs with their company. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money and whether you understand how CFDs, FX, and cryptocurrencies work. All data was obtained from a published website as of 01/10/2022 and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. The ForexBrokers.com staff is constantly working with its online broker representatives to obtain the latest data. If you believe any data listed above is inaccurate, please contact us using the "Contact" link at the bottom of this page.
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Plus500UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 509909).
