Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB vs IC Markets, 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.
XTB, established in 2002, stands out with a Trust Score of 96, placing it in the highly trusted category according to ForexBrokers.com. Unique among many brokers, XTB is publicly traded, providing an extra layer of transparency for its clients. The broker holds two Tier-1 and two Tier-2 licenses, reinforcing its strong regulatory standing across different regions. Despite not being a bank, XTB's regulatory setup supports its reputation as a highly trusted broker in the online trading space.
In comparison, IC Markets, which began operations in 2007, holds a Trust Score of 84. While this positions it as a trusted broker, it operates without being publicly listed. IC Markets matches XTB with two Tier-1 licenses but does not hold any Tier-2 licenses, which may affect the perception of its regulatory coverage. Like XTB, IC Markets is not a bank, yet it successfully maintains a trustworthy profile among its users.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
Comparing commissions and fees, IC Markets generally edges out XTB on all-in trading costs. IC Markets holds a 5-star rating for Commissions & Fees and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers, while XTB earns 4.5 stars and ranks #13. Both offer spread-only accounts, but IC Markets’ Raw Spread options with low commissions make it especially attractive for cost-conscious traders.
XTB’s pricing is about average for the industry. Its Standard account is spread-only and lists an average EUR/USD spread of 1.0 pip (Q4 2023). The commission-based Professional account is being phased out and is mostly limited to elective professionals in the U.K. and EU, with availability largely restricted to legacy clients. Minimum deposits start at 250 in your base currency, and active traders may qualify for spread rebates of 5% to 30% once monthly volume hits 20 to 1000 lots.
IC Markets offers three account types: a commission-free Standard account with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.62 pips, plus two commission-based Raw Spread accounts. The cTrader Raw account charges $3.0 per side per 100,000 units ($6 round turn), delivering an all-in EUR/USD cost of about 0.62 pips; the MT4/MT5 Raw Spread account charges $3.5 per side ($7 round turn) for about 0.72 pips all-in. Spreads can vary by platform and regulatory entity (Cyprus, Australia, or Seychelles). IC Markets also provides discounts for very high-volume traders and earned Best in Class honors for Commissions & Fees in 2024.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $200 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.92 | 0.62 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | 0.62 |
| 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.
XTB and IC Markets both support forex trading as CFDs and/or spot, but their product lineups differ in size. XTB lists 10,900 tradeable symbols and 71 forex pairs, while IC Markets offers 3,583 symbols and 61 pairs. Both brokers provide crypto CFDs but do not support buying actual cryptocurrencies.
For stocks, XTB lets clients buy exchange-traded shares on both U.S. and international markets, whereas IC Markets offers exchange-traded shares on international exchanges but not U.S.-listed stocks. IC Markets does include copy trading; XTB does not. In our Range of Investments scoring, XTB earns 5 stars (ranked #14 of 63), and IC Markets scores 4.5 stars (ranked #22). Choose XTB if you want a wider market selection and access to U.S. shares, or IC Markets if copy trading matters more to you.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10900 | 3583 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 61 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
XTB and IC Markets both offer free demo accounts for paper trading, along with web-based platforms, Windows desktop platforms, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. XTB provides its own proprietary platform built in-house, while IC Markets does not; instead, IC Markets supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). If copy trading matters to you, IC Markets has it, whereas XTB does not.
For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates XTB at 4.5 stars (ranked #9 out of 63 brokers) and IC Markets at 4 stars (ranked #17). In short: choose XTB if you want a polished, broker-built platform experience, or go with IC Markets if you prefer MT4/MT5 and the option to copy trade.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both XTB and IC Markets offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, so you can trade and monitor markets on the go. Each app supports price alerts for stocks and forex, helping you stay on top of moves without staring at charts all day. One thing to note: neither broker syncs watchlist symbols between the mobile app and your online account, so changes made on one won’t carry over to the other.
For charting, XTB provides 39 technical studies compared with 30 on IC Markets. Both apps let you draw trendlines and will automatically save your chart drawings, which is handy when you switch between screens. In our ratings, XTB’s mobile app earns 4.5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets scores 4 stars and ranks #22. If you want more built-in indicators and a higher-rated mobile experience, XTB has the edge; if you already trade with IC Markets, its app still covers the essentials well.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
XTB and IC Markets both cover the essentials for market research: daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (from sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones), sentiment tools showing long/short ratios, and an economic calendar. Neither broker includes TipRanks or Acuity Trading. The key difference is third-party analytics: IC Markets adds Autochartist and Trading Central for extra technical and fundamental screening, while XTB does not.
On overall research quality, XTB earns 5 stars and ranks 9th out of 63 brokers, while IC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks 21st. If you want a higher-rated research experience with premium news and daily insights, XTB has the edge. If you value built-in scanners and trade ideas from Autochartist and Trading Central, IC Markets is the better fit.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
XTB and IC Markets both make it easier for beginners to learn forex and CFD trading. Each broker runs ongoing client webinars at least once a month and offers video lessons for every stage of the journey—new traders get at least 10 beginner-focused videos, and there are at least 10 advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up.
For pure education quality, XTB has the edge: it earns 5 stars and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers for Education on ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets holds 4 stars and ranks #16. If you want the strongest beginner-friendly guidance with frequent webinars and sizable video libraries, XTB is slightly ahead, though IC Markets remains a solid choice with plenty of learning content for both newcomers and experienced traders.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 XTB is better than IC Markets. XTB finished with an overall rank of #7, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21.
As a trusted multi-asset broker, XTB offers outstanding customer service, a wide variety of forex and CFDs, and an excellent overall trading experience. Its xStation 5 trading platform is well-designed and packed with innovative features, and XTB’s offers comprehensive educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XTB
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IC Markets
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 96 | 84 |
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Comparing XTB vs IC Markets for cryptocurrency trading: neither broker offers the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
XTB vs IC Markets: both brokers support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers for deposits and withdrawals, do not offer ACH or SEPA, and their Visa/Mastercard availability 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 | XTB | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | IC Markets | |
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| Regulation | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 84 | |
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | 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) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10900 | 3583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.92 | 0.62 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | 0.62 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $200 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 39 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XTB | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | XTB Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | XTB | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | IC Markets Review |
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