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 |
IC Markets and Vantage both offer competitive pricing, but IC Markets comes out ahead for commissions and fees. IC Markets earned a 5-star rating and ranked #5 out of 36 brokers for this category, thanks to its low effective spreads and commission-based accounts that keep trading costs near the top low-cost names in the market. It offers a spread-only Standard account, plus Raw Spread and cTrader Raw Spread accounts, with the cTrader option charging $3.00 per side per 100,000 units and the MetaTrader Raw Spread account charging $3.50 per side. On EUR/USD, IC Markets has shown all-in costs as low as 0.62 pips on cTrader, or 0.72 pips on MetaTrader, while its Standard account is commission-free with an average spread of 0.62 pips.
Vantage also provides solid pricing, but it is a step behind IC Markets overall. Vantage is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #12 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. Its Standard STP account is spread-only, while the RAW ECN account adds a $3.00 per side commission and comes to about 0.75 pips all-in on EUR/USD based on the figures provided. Vantage’s PRO ECN account is its cheapest option at $2.00 per side, though it has stricter opening requirements depending on the entity, such as wholesale-client status in Australia or a $10,000 minimum deposit under its Cayman Islands entity.
For most traders comparing online broker costs, IC Markets is the better pick if low commissions and tight spreads are the main goal. Vantage can still be a good choice, especially for traders who qualify for its PRO ECN account or can use the active trader rebates, but its pricing is generally closer to the industry average. In short, both brokers are affordable, but IC Markets offers the stronger overall value for fees and commissions.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.62 | 1.32 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | 0.72 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | 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.
When it comes to range of investments, IC Markets gives traders more choice than Vantage. Both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and each provides access to 61 forex pairs, plus copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. However, neither broker lets clients buy actual shares on U.S. or international exchanges, and neither offers delivered cryptocurrency.
The biggest difference is the overall number of tradeable markets available. IC Markets lists 7,435 tradeable symbols, while Vantage offers 1,000. This wider selection helps explain why IC Markets is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranked #22 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with Vantage’s 3.5 out of 5 stars and #33 ranking.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7435 | 1000 |
| 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 are both solid choices for mobile trading, with each broker offering iPhone and Android apps, along with stock and forex price alerts. Their mobile charting tools are also closely matched: both apps include 30 technical studies, let users draw trendlines, and automatically save chart drawings. In other words, either platform gives traders the basic mobile tools they need to monitor markets and manage trades on the go.
There are a few small differences, but not many. Neither IC Markets nor Vantage offers watchlist symbol syncing between the mobile app and the online account, so watchlists do not update across devices. Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, though IC Markets ranks slightly higher than Vantage in ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps category, coming in at #22 out of 36 brokers compared with Vantage at #24. Overall, the mobile experience is very similar, with IC Markets holding a narrow edge in ranking.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| 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 plenty of market research help, with daily market commentary, news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus an economic calendar for tracking key global events. Each also includes Trading Central tools and a sentiment feature that shows whether traders are mostly buying or selling a pair or other instrument, and both are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Research. In ForexBrokers.com’s Research ranking, IC Markets sits at #21 out of 36 brokers, while Vantage is slightly ahead at #20.
The main difference is that Vantage includes Autochartist, which can help with technical and fundamental analysis, while IC Markets does not. On the other hand, IC Markets offers TipRanks research, which Vantage does not. For traders choosing between the two, both brokers cover the basics well, but each has a small edge in different areas of research tools.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| 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 beginner-friendly learning tools, both IC Markets and Vantage give new traders a solid starting point. Each broker offers forex and CFD education with at least 10 pieces of content, plus monthly educational webinars and more than 10 videos for beginners. They also both provide at least 10 advanced videos, so traders can keep learning as their skills grow. For Education, both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars, which shows that each one offers a good mix of basic and more advanced learning material.
If you want to compare them side by side, IC Markets has the edge in the ForexBrokers.com Education ranking, placing #16 out of 36 brokers, while Vantage ranks #23. That suggests IC Markets may be a slightly better fit for traders who want a broader educational experience, although Vantage still offers plenty of useful resources for beginners. In short, both brokers are strong choices for learning, but IC Markets is the stronger pick on ranking.
| 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 | 1000 | |
| 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) - Standard account | 0.62 | 1.32 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | 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 | 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 Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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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