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 vs. IFC Markets on commissions and fees: Pepperstone’s Razor account offers a low all-in cost for EUR/USD of 0.80 pips (0.10-pip average spread plus a 0.70-pip commission equivalent), which sits near the industry average and is attractive for frequent traders. Its Standard account is commission-free at 1.1 pips on EUR/USD, making it pricier than Razor. High-volume traders can lower costs further with Pepperstone’s Active Trader program: in the U.K./EU, Professional clients trading at least £20 million per month get a 15% per-lot rebate, rising to 25% above £200 million; in Australia, Professionals start at 100 lots over three months for a 10% discount, with Tier Three cutting spreads by 30% for 3001+ lots monthly. Pepperstone is rated 5/5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers.
IFC Markets’ typical EUR/USD spread is 1.44 pips, which is higher than the 1.08-pip industry average. That said, its ECN account improves value for active traders with an effective EUR/USD cost of about 1.1 pips after the 0.005% commission charged on both sides. The broker also has no inactivity fees and offers active-trader discounts, adding some savings for frequent users. IFC Markets is rated 4/5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #32 out of 63 brokers.
In a direct comparison, Pepperstone generally delivers lower trading costs—especially on the Razor account and even more so with volume-based rebates—while IFC Markets narrows the gap via its ECN account and perks like no inactivity fees. If your priority is the lowest all-in pricing, Pepperstone’s Razor (0.80 pips on EUR/USD) typically beats IFC Markets’ options; if you prefer a simple, commission-free setup, Pepperstone’s Standard account (1.1 pips) aligns closely with IFC’s ECN effective pricing, with the difference that IFC’s ECN includes a commission component.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 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.
Pepperstone vs IFC Markets: Both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot, support cryptocurrency CFDs (but not actual crypto), and offer copy trading. Pepperstone delivers a bigger selection with 1,726 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, while IFC Markets lists 630 symbols and 49 pairs—giving Pepperstone the edge if you want more markets to choose from.
Neither broker lets you buy U.S.-listed stocks outright, but IFC Markets does provide some international exchange-traded shares (not CFDs), while Pepperstone does not. For Range of Investments, Pepperstone scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 23rd out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with IFC Markets at 3.5 stars and 31st. Choose Pepperstone for greater instrument and forex pair variety, or IFC Markets if direct access to certain overseas shares matters to you.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1726 | 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) | 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Pepperstone and IFC Markets both check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each broker offers a free demo (paper) account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop platform, and a web-based platform. You’ll also find copy trading and support for MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Both let you place orders directly from charts, which is handy for timing entries and exits.
In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, both brokers earned 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. Pepperstone holds a higher category ranking at #21 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets ranks #29. In short, the feature set is very similar, but Pepperstone has a slight edge in overall platform/tools ranking, while IFC Markets delivers comparable capabilities with its own in-house platform option.
| 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) | 15 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Pepperstone and IFC Markets both deliver capable mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app offers price alerts, synced watchlists between mobile and your online account, and charting with 30 built-in technical studies. You can draw trendlines on charts, and your drawings auto-save so your work is there when you come back.
Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps from ForexBrokers.com, but Pepperstone holds a higher category ranking (#19 of 63) compared with IFC Markets (#34). If you want similar tools on the go, either app fits the bill; if rankings influence your choice, Pepperstone edges ahead.
| 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 cover the essentials for market research: daily market commentary and an economic calendar to track upcoming events. Each also provides a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long versus short positions, which can help you gauge crowd behavior. That said, neither broker integrates Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
Pepperstone pulls ahead with forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and it offers Autochartist tools that highlight trade ideas and technical patterns—features IFC Markets does not provide. Reflecting these differences, Pepperstone earns 4.5/5 stars for Research and ranks #12 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets holds 3.5/5 stars and ranks #30. If you want deeper news coverage and automated chart insights, Pepperstone is the stronger pick; if you just need essential commentary, a calendar, and sentiment data, IFC Markets can get the job done.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
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 | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Pepperstone vs IFC Markets for beginners: Pepperstone offers monthly online educational webinars and a large catalog of beginner and advanced videos (10+ in each category) that cover forex and CFDs. IFC Markets does not host monthly client webinars, but it also provides 10+ beginner videos and 10+ advanced videos on trading topics. If you prefer live sessions where you can learn in real time, Pepperstone has the advantage; for self-paced video learning, both brokers deliver plenty of content.
In independent reviews, Pepperstone earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #15 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. IFC Markets is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #25 out of 63. For most new traders seeking ongoing webinars plus a deep video library, Pepperstone is likely the stronger pick, while IFC Markets remains a solid option for video-based learning.
| 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 #33.
Pepperstone offers a growing range of tradeable markets, good-quality research, and support for multiple social copy trading platforms.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 94 | 73 |
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Pepperstone vs IFC Markets: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs instead.
Pepperstone vs IFC Markets: Pepperstone supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, while IFC Markets supports bank wires but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; neither broker offers 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 | 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) | 1726 | 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) | 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). |
| Cost | Pepperstone | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 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 | $0 | $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 | 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) | 15 | 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 | Yes | 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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