Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IFC Markets vs iFOREX, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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When comparing IFC Markets and iFOREX, two online brokers established in 2006 and 1996 respectively, it's essential to consider their regulatory backgrounds and trust scores. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank. IFC Markets boasts a Trust Score rating of 73 out of 99, categorizing it as a broker with an average risk. The firm holds one Tier-2 regulatory license, which suggests a moderately trusted standing in the financial market.
On the other hand, iFOREX has a slightly higher Trust Score of 75, also placing it within the average risk category according to ForexBrokers.com. Notably, iFOREX holds one Tier-1 license, indicating a higher trust level in its operations. While both brokers have their strengths, iFOREX's possession of a Tier-1 license might offer an edge for those prioritizing regulatory compliance and trust in their trading platforms.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 1996 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When considering online brokers, IFC Markets and iFOREX present different scenarios in terms of commissions and fees. IFC Markets offers an average spread for EUR/USD at 1.44, which is above the industry average of 1.08. However, this broker becomes more appealing for active traders through its ECN account, which provides effective spreads of 1.1 pips once accounting for a 0.005% commission on both sides of a trade. Additionally, IFC Markets does not charge inactivity fees and offers active trader discounts, adding up to financial advantages for consistent traders. These features have earned IFC Markets a 4-star rating in commissions and fees, securing the 39th spot out of 63 brokers ranked by ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, iFOREX does not provide specific average spread data, making it challenging to compare directly on similar metrics. The absence of this data could be a drawback for traders who prioritize transparent costs and competitive pricing. Consequently, iFOREX has been given a 3-star rating for commissions and fees. According to ForexBrokers.com, iFOREX is positioned at number 61 out of 63 brokers, suggesting that users may encounter less favorable fee structures when compared to its peers.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.44 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing IFC Markets and iFOREX, both brokers provide ample opportunities for forex trading, offering it as a contract for difference (CFD) or spot contract. IFC Markets presents its users with 630 tradeable symbols, while iFOREX raises the bar with 750 symbols. In terms of forex pairs, iFOREX again leads with 88 compared to IFC Markets' 49. It’s important to note that neither broker offers direct access to purchase U.S. exchange-traded securities like Apple shares. However, IFC Markets distinguishes itself by providing access to trade securities on international exchanges, such as Vodafone shares from the London Stock Exchange, a feature iFOREX does not provide.
Cryptocurrency enthusiasts will find that both brokers support trading through derivatives rather than actual cryptocurrency purchases. For those interested in social trading, IFC Markets offers copy trading, whereas iFOREX does not. Despite these differences, both brokers received a rating of 3.5 stars for their range of investments. In terms of ranking by ForexBrokers.com, iFOREX holds the 41st position, slightly ahead of IFC Markets at 43rd, among 63 brokers evaluated.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 630 | 750 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 88 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools of IFC Markets and iFOREX, both brokers offer unique advantages for online traders. IFC Markets stands out by providing a virtual demo account, a valuable feature for beginners to practice trading without financial risk. The platform also supports Windows-based desktop downloads, well-suited for traders preferring a dedicated application. Besides their proprietary platform, IFC Markets offers popular options like MetaTrader 4 and 5, enhancing flexibility. While it doesn't support DupliTrade or ZuluTrade, IFC Markets enables copy trading, attracting traders interested in replicating experienced strategies. With 15 drawing tools for charting and seven watch list columns, IFC Markets receives four stars and ranks 36th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
iFOREX, on the other hand, offers a web-based proprietary platform, making it accessible directly from any browser without the need for downloads. However, it lacks a demo account feature, which might not be ideal for beginners looking to hone their skills risk-free. While it doesn't support MetaTrader platforms, DupliTrade, or ZuluTrade, iFOREX compensates with a rich selection of 25 drawing tools for enhanced charting capability. Despite having fewer features in some areas compared to IFC Markets, iFOREX offers nine fields for watch lists, providing detailed market tracking. Like IFC Markets, iFOREX also garners a four-star rating for its trading platforms and tools, though it ranks slightly lower at 54th place in the ForexBrokers.com comparative broker list.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | No |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 57 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 25 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 9 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of IFC Markets and iFOREX, both platforms offer apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. IFC Markets stands out with its comprehensive features, offering stock and forex price alerts, which iFOREX does not provide. With IFC Markets, users also benefit from watchlist symbol syncing, ensuring changes made on your mobile app are automatically updated across your account, a convenience absent in iFOREX's app.
IFC Markets further distinguishes itself by offering 30 technical studies in its charting feature, complete with the ability to draw and auto-save trendlines. Users can explore different time frames and set up watchlists with real-time quotes—features that are not part of the iFOREX mobile experience. Despite these advantages, both apps share an overall rating of four out of five stars for mobile trading, however, IFC Markets is ranked slightly higher at #52 compared to iFOREX's #55 by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both IFC Markets and iFOREX provide daily market commentary to their users, making it easier for traders to stay informed. While they both lack access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, iFOREX stands out by offering technical analysis tools from Trading Central, whereas IFC Markets does not. Both brokers supply a sentiment-based trading tool, which indicates the ratio of long and short positions across various instruments, and they each provide an economic calendar covering global news events. However, neither offers research from TipRanks or tools from Acuity Trading.
When it comes to their research offerings, both IFC Markets and iFOREX receive a rating of 3.5 stars. Despite this equal rating, IFC Markets ranks higher at #40 compared to iFOREX's #48 spot out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. While both brokers offer useful features in market research, those looking for advanced technical analysis from Trading Central will find iFOREX to be advantageous.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available for beginners at IFC Markets and iFOREX, there are noticeable differences that can guide new traders. IFC Markets provides a substantial set of educational pieces focused on forex and CFDs, including articles, videos, and more, ensuring beginners have access to essential information. Additionally, IFC Markets offers more than ten beginner-level video tutorials to help newcomers grasp trading concepts. Furthermore, they provide an investor dictionary with definitions for over 50 investing terms, making it easier for beginners to understand complex financial jargon. On the other hand, iFOREX lacks extensive educational content, falling short of the ten educational pieces for forex and CFDs. However, like IFC Markets, iFOREX does offer beginner-level educational videos but does not provide an investor dictionary with numerous investment terms.
Although neither IFC Markets nor iFOREX hosts monthly webinars or offers a searchable archive of past webinars, IFC Markets stands out with advanced educational videos that cater to experienced traders, a feature not available with iFOREX. Both brokers have their strengths, yet IFC Markets earns a higher rank for its educational resources, positioned at #30 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared to iFOREX's rank at #53. Despite these differences, both brokers receive a similar education rating of 3.5 stars, reflecting that both have room for growth in delivering beginner-friendly content to their clients.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IFC Markets is better than iFOREX. IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45, while iFOREX finished with an overall rank of #52.
IFC Markets is a well-established broker that has been in operation for 17 years. Forex traders at IFC Markets gain access to multiple trading platforms, a growing range of tradeable markets, and a balanced offering of research and educational content. However, IFC Markets’ Trust Score suffers due to the broker’s limited range of regulatory licenses.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
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iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 73 | 75 |
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Both IFC Markets and iFOREX provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives, although neither platform offers the ability to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrency.
While both IFC Markets and iFOREX allow deposits and withdrawals via Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, only iFOREX provides additional options such as PayPal and Skrill, neither offering ACH or SEPA transfers.
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 | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
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| Trust Score | 73 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
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| Broker Screenshots | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
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| Regulation | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 73 | 75 | |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 1996 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 630 | 750 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 88 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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). |
| Cost | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.44 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | No | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 9 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 57 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 25 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | No | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Overall | IFC Markets | iFOREX | |
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| Trust Score | 73 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review |
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