Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Pepperstone 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.
Pepperstone (founded 2010) and IFC Markets (founded 2006) are online brokers that are not publicly traded and are not banks. Both offer access to global markets, but their regulatory footprints differ in meaningful ways that matter for everyday traders.
Pepperstone holds 3 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, while IFC Markets holds 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. Reflecting this, Pepperstone’s ForexBrokers.com Trust Score is 94/99—classified as highly trusted (90–99). IFC Markets scores 73/99, which falls into the average risk category (70–79). These ratings help indicate how strictly each broker is overseen and the level of protection clients can expect.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 5 |
Pepperstone comes out ahead on commissions and fees, especially for active forex traders. Its Razor account uses commission-based pricing and, with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.10 pips plus a 0.70-pip commission equivalent, works out to about 0.80 pips all-in as of July 2024. Pepperstone’s Standard account is commission-free, but the average EUR/USD spread of 1.1 pips makes it pricier than Razor. Pepperstone also offers an Active Trader program with spread rebates for high-volume clients, which can lower costs even further. Pepperstone is rated 5 stars and ranked #6 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com.
IFC Markets is less competitive on price overall, but it does offer some useful cost-saving features. Its average EUR/USD spread is 1.44 pips, which is above the industry average and makes the standard account more expensive for many traders. For active traders, the ECN account is the better option, with an effective spread of about 1.1 pips after the 0.005% commission on both sides of the trade. IFC Markets does not charge inactivity fees, and it offers active trader discounts, which may help reduce costs over time. IFC Markets is rated 4 stars and ranked #33 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.1 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Pepperstone offers a wider range of investments than IFC Markets, with 2,631 tradable symbols compared with 630. It also provides more forex pairs, with 65 available versus 49 at IFC Markets. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both offer copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs.
Where they differ is in product variety outside forex and crypto. Pepperstone lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, while IFC Markets does not. IFC Markets, however, offers exchange traded securities on international exchanges, such as shares listed outside the U.S., while Pepperstone does not offer these. Based on ForexBrokers.com, Pepperstone is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #23 out of 36 brokers, while IFC Markets is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #32.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2631 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
Pepperstone and IFC Markets both give traders a wide choice of platform options, including free demo accounts, web-based trading, Windows desktop downloads, and access to MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Each broker also offers a proprietary platform and copy trading, so both are well suited to traders who want flexibility and the option to follow other investors. In addition, both support trading directly from charts, which can make placing orders faster and more convenient.
When it comes to trading platforms and tools, both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars, but Pepperstone comes out ahead in ForexBrokers.com’s ranking, placing #21 out of 36 brokers compared with IFC Markets at #30. That suggests Pepperstone has a slight edge overall in this category, even though the two brokers are closely matched on key features that matter most to everyday traders.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | 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) | 90 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Pepperstone and IFC Markets both give mobile traders a very similar app experience. Each broker offers iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, watchlist syncing between mobile and online accounts, and the ability to draw trendlines and have those drawings saved automatically. Both apps also include 30 technical studies for charting, so neither broker has a clear edge on core mobile trading features.
Where they begin to differ is in overall recognition. Pepperstone is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #19 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets also earns 4 out of 5 stars but places lower at #35. For traders comparing mobile usability, both are solid choices, but Pepperstone appears to have the stronger standing overall.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
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 | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Pepperstone and IFC Markets both give traders daily market commentary, a sentiment tool showing long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking upcoming global events. Neither broker offers research from Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. The main difference is that Pepperstone also provides forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, while IFC Markets does not.
Overall, Pepperstone comes out ahead for market research. It is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research and is ranked #13 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with IFC Markets at 3.5 stars and #31. For traders who want more high-quality news coverage alongside standard market tools, Pepperstone has the stronger research offering.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Pepperstone is the stronger choice for beginners who want more help learning forex and CFD trading. It offers a large range of education focused on these markets, including regular online webinars, at least 10 beginner videos, and at least 10 advanced videos for traders who want to go further. That support is reflected in its 4.5-star Education rating and its #15 ranking out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
IFC Markets also offers beginner and advanced trading videos, but it falls behind Pepperstone in overall learning support. It does not provide monthly educational webinars, and its Education rating is 3.5 stars with a #25 ranking out of 36. For new traders looking for more frequent live learning and a wider range of forex and CFD education, Pepperstone stands out as the better option.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
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 Pepperstone is better than IFC Markets. Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #17, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #34.
Pepperstone offers a growing range of tradeable markets, good-quality research, and support for multiple social copy trading platforms.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
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IFC Markets
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| Trust Score | 94 | 73 |
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Pepperstone and IFC Markets both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but only Pepperstone also allows traders to buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency rather than just a CFD.
Pepperstone vs IFC Markets: For deposits and withdrawals, Pepperstone offers ACH/SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, while IFC Markets supports bank wires only and does not offer ACH/SEPA, PayPal, or Skrill (Visa/Mastercard availability not specified for either broker).
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 | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
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| Regulation | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 5 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2631 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.1 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.8 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | 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 | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Pepperstone | 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 | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Pepperstone | 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 | Pepperstone Review |
| Overall | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review |
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