Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG vs IFC 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.
Comparing IG and IFC Markets reveals notable differences in their regulatory standing and trust ratings. Founded in 1974, IG is a publicly traded bank that commands a strong presence with 8 Tier-1 licenses, indicative of high trust, and 2 Tier-2 licenses. This positions IG with a stellar Trust Score of 99, reflecting its status as a highly trusted broker. In contrast, IFC Markets, established in 2006, remains a privately owned entity and not a bank. It holds 1 Tier-2 license and lacks Tier-1 certifications, which correlates to a Trust Score of 73, placing it in the average risk category for trustworthiness.
The distinctions between these brokers are also reflected in their market presence and regulatory oversight. IG's long-standing history and extensive regulatory approvals offer clients a heightened sense of security and confidence. Meanwhile, IFC Markets, with fewer licenses and a lower trust score, may appeal to those seeking different services or trading environments. Overall, while both brokers provide online trading solutions, IG's comprehensive regulatory backing offers greater assurances of trust compared to IFC Markets' more moderate framework.
| Feature |
IG
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
IG and IFC Markets take different approaches to commissions and fees. IG (5/5 stars; ranked #7 of 63 for Commissions and Fees) combines spread-only CFD pricing with a Direct Market Access (DMA) option geared to high-volume traders. IFC Markets (4/5 stars; ranked #32 of 63) lists higher average spreads on its standard account but counters with an ECN account and no inactivity fee.
IG details: On CFD accounts, typical EUR/USD spreads during the main session averaged 0.69 pips in July 2023 (around 1.03 pips during thin hours; 0.98 pips across all sessions globally, and 1.18 pips for IG US). Professional, high-volume traders can qualify for 10%–20% spread rebates, which can trim an example 0.76‑pip spread to about 0.60 pips. For the lowest all-in pricing, IG’s Forex Direct (DMA) account requires about £1,000 and uses tiered commissions: average raw spread was 0.62 pips (July 2023), with an all-in cost near 0.82 pips once commission is included; commissions range from $60 per million at entry tier down to $10 per million per side at the highest tier.
IFC Markets details: The average EUR/USD spread is about 1.44 pips on the standard account, above an industry average near 1.08 pips. Its ECN account narrows the effective spread to about 1.1 pips after a 0.005% commission on both sides of the trade. IFC Markets also charges no inactivity fees and offers active-trader discounts, helping frequent traders lower overall costs.
| Feature |
IG
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.91 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IG vs IFC Markets: Both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot, but IG offers far more to choose from. IG lists 19,537 tradeable symbols and 97 forex pairs, while IFC Markets has 630 symbols and 49 pairs. For shares, IG lets you buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, whereas IFC Markets offers international shares but not U.S.-listed stocks. In crypto, IG supports both real (delivered) cryptocurrency and crypto CFDs; IFC Markets offers crypto CFDs only.
If you want the widest range of markets, IG is the stronger pick. If copy trading matters, IFC Markets offers it while IG does not. Reflecting this spread of choices, ForexBrokers.com rates IG 5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked #4 of 63), and rates IFC Markets 3.5 stars (ranked #31 of 63).
| Feature |
IG
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
IG vs IFC Markets: Both brokers make it easy to get started with a free demo account for risk‑free practice. Each offers a proprietary, in‑house trading platform alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can trade on the web or install a Windows desktop platform with either broker.
Both IG and IFC Markets let you place orders directly from charts. For copy trading, IFC Markets includes this feature while IG does not. In third‑party testing by ForexBrokers.com for Trading Platforms and Tools, IG earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers, whereas IFC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #29. Choose IG if top‑rated platform quality matters most; pick IFC Markets if built‑in copy trading is a priority alongside MT4/MT5 access.
| Feature |
IG
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both IG and IFC Markets offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, watchlist syncing with your online account, and drawing tools like trendlines that auto-save on your charts. For traders who want to manage positions and monitor markets on the go—whether stocks or forex—both apps cover the key tools you’d expect.
Charting is slightly deeper on the IG mobile app, with 33 technical studies compared to 30 on IFC Markets. IG also earns higher marks overall: 5 stars and a #1 ranking out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps at ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets holds 4 stars and ranks #34. If you want the strongest mobile experience with more charting options and top-tier recognition, IG is the better pick; if you just need the essentials, IFC Markets gets the job done.
| Feature |
IG
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both IG and IFC Markets help you stay on top of the markets with daily commentary, an economic calendar, and sentiment tools that show the ratio of long vs. short positions. The key differences come down to depth and sources: IG streams forex news from leading outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and adds extra research from Autochartist, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading (Signal Centre). IFC Markets does not include these third‑party tools or top‑tier news feeds, and like IG, it does not offer Trading Central.
For research quality, IG is rated 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets holds 3.5 stars and ranks #30 out of 63. If you want broader news and analysis in one place, IG is the stronger pick; if you just need the basics—commentary, calendar, and sentiment—IFC Markets can do the job.
| Feature |
IG
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing education for beginners, both online brokers—IG and IFC Markets—provide forex and CFD learning hubs with at least 10 pieces of content, including articles, videos, and archived webinars. Each offers 10+ beginner videos and 10+ advanced videos, so you can start with the basics and move into more complex topics. A key difference is live events: IG runs client education webinars at least once a month, while IFC Markets does not.
Independent ratings support this gap. On ForexBrokers.com, IG earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets scores 3.5 stars and ranks #25. If you’re a beginner who values frequent webinars and top-rated teaching, IG is the stronger choice; if you mainly want on-demand videos without live sessions, IFC Markets can still cover the essentials.
| Feature |
IG
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| 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 IG is better than IFC Markets. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #33.
IG offers the ultimate comprehensive trading package, featuring excellent trading and research tools, industry-leading education, and an extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
IG
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IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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Between online brokers IG and IFC Markets, IG supports buying actual delivered cryptocurrency and trading crypto CFDs, whereas IFC Markets offers only cryptocurrency CFDs and does not provide access to delivered coins.
In a quick funding-methods comparison of online brokers IG and IFC Markets: IG supports ACH/SEPA and PayPal (both not available at IFC Markets), both brokers accept bank wire transfers, neither supports Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability 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 | IG | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | IFC Markets | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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). |
| Cost | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.91 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | IG Review |
| Overall | IG | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |
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