Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IC Markets vs Vantage, 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 and Vantage are online brokers with different histories and structures: IC Markets was founded in 2007, while Vantage launched in 2009. Neither broker is publicly traded nor operates as a bank, so both are private companies rather than listed financial institutions.
In terms of regulation, both brokers hold two Tier-1 licenses, the level ForexBrokers.com views as most trusted. Vantage also holds one Tier-2 license, while IC Markets holds none. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score, IC Markets earns 83/99 (trusted) and Vantage earns 91/99 (highly trusted). For context: 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and under 59 not trusted.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
When comparing IC Markets vs. Vantage for commissions and fees, IC Markets comes out ahead for most traders. IC Markets offers three account types, including commission-free and commission-based options, and its low spreads and small commissions keep overall trading costs close to top low-cost brokers like IG and CMC Markets. It also earned a 5-star rating and ranked #4 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.
Vantage also gives traders several account choices, including spread-only and commission-based accounts, but its pricing is generally more in line with the industry average. Its Standard account has wider spreads, while its RAW and PRO accounts can be cheaper for active traders, especially those who qualify for the PRO pricing. Vantage is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #12 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.
In simple terms, IC Markets is the better pick if your main goal is to keep trading costs low, especially on forex pairs like EUR/USD. Vantage can still be a good option, mainly if you qualify for its lower-cost PRO account or want to use its rebate program, but overall IC Markets offers stronger value on commissions and fees.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.72 | 0.72 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | 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.
IC Markets and Vantage both give traders access to forex as CFDs or spot contracts, along with 61 forex pairs, copy trading, and cryptocurrency CFDs. Neither broker offers access to buying actual cryptocurrencies, nor do they let clients buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international stock exchanges. For forex traders and those looking for basic access to crypto price moves, both brokers cover the same core markets.
The main difference is the overall size of their product lists. IC Markets offers 7,435 tradeable symbols, compared with 1,028 at Vantage, which gives IC Markets a much wider range of markets to choose from. This is reflected in third-party ratings as well: IC Markets scores 4.5 out of 5 for Range of Investments and ranks #22 out of 36 brokers, while Vantage scores 3.5 out of 5 and ranks #34. In short, both are suitable for forex-focused trading, but IC Markets has the broader selection overall.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7435 | 1028 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 61 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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). | 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 Vantage both give traders a wide range of platform choices, including free demo accounts, web-based trading, Windows desktop downloads, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. For most everyday traders, the two brokers feel very similar in this area because each one covers the core tools people expect when opening and managing trades online.
The main difference is that Vantage also offers a proprietary platform built in-house, while IC Markets does not. Even so, both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for this category, IC Markets places higher at #17 out of 36 brokers, compared with Vantage at #20 out of 36.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 32 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IC Markets and Vantage both give mobile traders a solid starting point, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings available on each platform. Both brokers also earn a 4-star rating for mobile trading apps, so the overall app experience is similar at a high level. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking, IC Markets places slightly ahead at #22 out of 36 brokers, while Vantage comes in at #24.
The biggest difference is in charting and watchlist tools. IC Markets offers 32 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with 14 at Vantage, which gives active chart users more to work with. Vantage, however, has a clear edge for convenience because it supports watchlist symbol syncing between the mobile app and the online account, while IC Markets does not. If you want more chart indicators, IC Markets may be the better fit; if synced watchlists matter more, Vantage has the advantage.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 32 | 14 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
IC Markets and Vantage both give traders useful market research tools, and each is rated 4 out of 5 stars for research. They both offer daily market commentary, Trading Central tools, sentiment data that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for upcoming global events. They also rank close together in ForexBrokers.com’s research category, with Vantage slightly ahead at #20 out of 36 brokers, compared with IC Markets at #21.
The main difference is in news and extra research sources. IC Markets stands out by offering forex news from top-tier providers such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus market research from TipRanks. Vantage does not offer those two extras, while both brokers do not provide Autochartist or Acuity Trading tools. For traders who want a broader mix of outside research and premium news coverage, IC Markets has the edge, while Vantage still covers the core research features most traders look for.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to education for beginners, both IC Markets and Vantage offer a solid range of learning tools for forex and CFD traders. Each broker provides at least 10 educational pieces on forex or CFDs, monthly client webinars, and at least 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos, so new traders can find help at different stages of their learning. Both are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education, which shows they each offer a useful learning experience overall.
The main difference is in how they rank. IC Markets is placed #16 out of 36 brokers for Education by ForexBrokers.com, while Vantage sits lower at #24 out of 36. That means IC Markets has a slight edge in the education category, but both brokers give beginners plenty of material to start with and continue building their knowledge over time.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 IC Markets is better than Vantage. IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21, while Vantage finished with an overall rank of #24.
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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Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 91 |
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IC Markets vs Vantage: neither broker allows buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs for trading without owning the underlying asset.
Both online brokers IC Markets and Vantage do not support ACH or SEPA transfers but do support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, while availability of Visa or Mastercard funding 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 | IC Markets | Vantage | |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 91 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Vantage Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IC Markets | Vantage | |
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| Regulation | IC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 83 | 91 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7435 | 1028 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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). | 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.8 | 1.4 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.72 | 0.72 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | IC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | IC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 32 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 32 | 14 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | IC Markets Review | Vantage Review |
| Overall | IC Markets | Vantage | |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 91 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Vantage Review |
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