Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IC Markets vs Spreadex, 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.
IC Markets vs Spreadex: IC Markets launched in 2007, while Spreadex dates back to 1999. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank.
Regulation and trust: IC Markets holds two Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and no Tier-2 licenses; Spreadex holds one Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. On ForexBrokers.com’s 99-point Trust Score—90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, below 59 do not trust—IC Markets scores 83 (trusted) and Spreadex scores 70 (average risk).
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
IC Markets has low trading costs that appeal to active forex traders. Its commission-based Raw Spread and cTrader Raw Spread accounts offer very tight pricing, with EUR/USD all-in costs of about 0.62 to 0.72 pips depending on the platform. The commission-free Standard account is also competitive, with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.62 pips. IC Markets earned a 5-star rating and ranks #5 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees, making it one of the strongest low-cost choices in this category.
Spreadex is also fairly priced, but its trading costs are higher than IC Markets overall. In January 2024, its average EUR/USD spread was 0.81 pips, with a minimum spread of 0.6 pips available 60% of the time during the month. Spreadex received a 4-star rating and ranks #25 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.
For traders comparing commissions and fees, IC Markets comes out ahead thanks to its lower effective spreads and commission-based pricing options. Spreadex remains a solid option, but IC Markets is the better pick for traders looking to keep costs down, especially if they trade often or in larger volume.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.62 | 0.81 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IC Markets and Spreadex both let you trade forex as CFDs, and both also offer cryptocurrency CFDs rather than actual crypto. IC Markets gives access to 3,583 tradeable symbols and 61 forex pairs, while Spreadex lists a much larger overall selection with 10,000 tradeable symbols but a slightly smaller forex lineup of 52 pairs. In simple terms, IC Markets has a wider forex range, while Spreadex offers more total markets to choose from.
There are also some clear differences in what you can buy directly. IC Markets offers exchange-traded securities on international exchanges, so you can invest in real shares outside the U.S., and it also supports copy trading. Spreadex does not offer either of those features. On independent ratings for range of investments, Spreadex comes out ahead with 5 stars and a #13 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with IC Markets at 4.5 stars and #22 out of 36.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 10000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 52 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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). | 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.
IC Markets and Spreadex both give traders a choice of web-based platforms and free demo accounts, so each is easy to test before using real money. Both also let you trade directly from a chart, and both earn the same 4-star rating for trading platforms and tools. Where IC Markets stands out is in its wider platform selection: it offers Windows desktop software, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and copy trading, which may appeal to active traders who want more familiar tools and more ways to trade. It also ranks higher with ForexBrokers.com in this category, coming in at #17 out of 36 brokers.
Spreadex takes a different path by offering its own in-house trading platform, which may suit traders who prefer a broker-built experience over third-party software. It also supports browser-based trading and a free demo account, but it does not offer a Windows desktop download, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, or copy trading. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools ranking, Spreadex places at #34 out of 36, so while it covers the basics well, IC Markets has the edge for traders looking for more platform choice and extra tools.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 58 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IC Markets and Spreadex both make it easy to trade on the go, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Both mobile apps are rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading, so each offers a solid experience for everyday use. Neither broker offers watchlist symbol syncing, so changes made in the app do not carry over to the online account.
Where IC Markets pulls ahead is charting. Its app includes 30 technical studies and can auto-save chart drawings, which can be helpful for traders who like to track patterns over time. Spreadex does not list technical studies in the same way and does not auto-save drawings. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps ranking, IC Markets comes in at #22 out of 36 brokers, while Spreadex ranks #33, giving IC Markets the edge overall for mobile charting and app features.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
IC Markets and Spreadex both give traders a solid set of market research tools. Each broker provides daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, a sentiment tool showing long and short positions, and an economic calendar for key global events. Both also include Autochartist, which can help with technical and fundamental analysis.
IC Markets has an edge in this area because it also offers Trading Central tools, while Spreadex does not. Neither broker includes TipRanks or Acuity Trading research tools. Even so, both are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Research, though IC Markets ranks higher overall at #21 out of 36 brokers, compared with Spreadex at #27.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners who want to learn before they trade, IC Markets offers a wider range of education than Spreadex. IC Markets provides forex and CFDs learning material, runs online educational webinars at least once a month, and has at least 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos for more experienced traders. Spreadex also offers at least 10 beginner videos, but it does not provide monthly educational webinars and does not meet the same level of forex or CFDs education, making its learning support feel more limited overall.
Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education, but IC Markets is placed higher by ForexBrokers.com, ranking #16 out of 36 brokers, compared with Spreadex at #33. In simple terms, both can help new traders get started, yet IC Markets gives learners more ways to build knowledge and move from basic lessons to more advanced topics.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IC Markets is better than Spreadex. IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21, while Spreadex finished with an overall rank of #32.
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.
| Feature |
IC Markets
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Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 70 |
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IC Markets vs Spreadex: neither broker allows purchases of actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
IC Markets vs Spreadex: both brokers do not support ACH or SEPA transfers and both accept bank wire transfers; IC Markets additionally supports PayPal and Skrill while Spreadex does not, and support for Visa or Mastercard is not specified for either.
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 | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Spreadex Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
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| Regulation | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 83 | 70 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 10000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 52 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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). | 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 | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.62 | 0.81 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 58 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Spreadex Review |
| Overall | IC Markets | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Spreadex Review |
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