Written by ForexBrokers.com
Is Saxo Bank better than IC Markets? In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 62 of the best forex brokers, Saxo Bank is considered low-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 99 out of 99. IC Markets is considered average-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 86 out of 99. Learn more about Trust Score.
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❯×| Overall Rating | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Bank Review | IC Markets Review |
| Regulation | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 86 | |
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Authorised in European Union | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (High Trust) | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASIC Authorised (Australia) | Yes | Yes | |
| IIROC Authorised (Canada) | No | No | |
| SFC Authorised (Hong Kong) | Yes | No | |
| CBI Authorised (Ireland) | No | No | |
| FSA Authorised (Japan) | Yes | No | |
| MAS Authorised (Singapore) | Yes | No | |
| FINMA Authorised (Switzerland) | Yes | No | |
| FCA Authorised (U.K.) | Yes | No | |
| CFTC Registered (USA) | No | No | |
| FMA Authorised (New Zealand) | No | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Average Trust) | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBRC Authorised (China) | No | No | |
| CySEC Authorised (Cyprus) | No | Yes | |
| SEBI Authorised (India) | No | No | |
| ISA Authorised (Israel) | No | No | |
| CBR Authorised (Russia) | No | No | |
| FSCA Authorised (South Africa) | No | No | |
| SEC Authorised (Thailand) | No | No | |
| DFSA / Central Bank Authorised (UAE) | Yes | No |
| Tier-3 Licenses (Low Trust) | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCB Authorised (Bahamas) | No | Yes | |
| IFSC Authorised (Belize) | No | No | |
| CIMA Authorised (Cayman Islands) | No | No | |
| BMA Authorised (Bermuda) | No | No | |
| FSC Authorised (British Virgin Islands) | No | No | |
| FSC Authorised (Mauritius) | No | No | |
| VFSC Authorised (Vanuatu) | No | No |
| Investments | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 60000 | 3583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFD) | 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 | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.9 | 0.62 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.62 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €2,000 | $200 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 62 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 62 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 62 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Forex Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Has Education - Forex or CFDs | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Saxo Bank Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | Saxo Bank | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Commissions & Fees |
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| Offering of Investments |
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| Platform & Tools |
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| Mobile Trading |
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| Research |
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| Education |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Bank Review | IC Markets Review |
Compare
0 of 5Comparing forex brokers side by side is no easy task. For our 2023 annual forex broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 62 forex and CFD brokerages to find the best forex broker. Let's compare Saxo Bank vs IC Markets.
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.
At ForexBrokers.com, we track where each forex and CFD broker is regulated across over 23 international regulator databases. Here's our findings. Saxo Bank holds 6 global Tier-1 licenses, while IC Markets holds 1. Both Saxo Bank and IC Markets hold 1 global Tier-2 licenses. In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 50 brokers, Saxo Bank earned a higher Trust Score than IC Markets.
To compare the trading platforms of both Saxo Bank and IC Markets, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, Saxo Bank offers a better experience. With research, Saxo Bank offers superior market research. Finally, we found Saxo Bank to provide better mobile trading apps.
For forex and CFDs traders, copy trading and MetaTrader are both popular platform options. Neither broker offers Meta Trader.Saxo Bank and IC Markets both offer copy trading.
Saxo Bank provides traders 190 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to IC Markets's 61 available pairs. Forex pairs aside, Saxo Bank offers traders access to 60000 CFDs while IC Markets has 3583 available CFDs, a difference of 56417.
Saxo Bank is not publicly traded, does operate a bank, and is authorised by six tier-1 regulators (high trust), one tier-2 regulator (average trust), and zero tier-3 regulators (low trust). Saxo Bank is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC), Securities Futures Commission (SFC), Japanese Financial Services Authority (JFSA), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
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).
Saxo Bank is an exclusive multi-asset broker with brilliant research and a superb trading platform experience – as well as a stunning selection of over 40,000 securities.
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.
Overall winner: Saxo Bank
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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