Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 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.
Plus500 (founded 2008) and IFC Markets (founded 2006) are online brokers with different safety profiles. Plus500 is publicly traded, while IFC Markets is not, and neither company is a bank. On the ForexBrokers.com Trust Score, Plus500 earns 99 (rated highly trusted at 90–99), whereas IFC Markets scores 73 (rated average risk at 70–79).
Regulation is another key difference. Plus500 holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses, which ForexBrokers.com classifies as highly trusted and trusted, respectively. IFC Markets holds 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. This broader regulatory footprint helps explain Plus500’s higher trust rating compared with IFC Markets.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 5 |
When comparing commissions and fees, Plus500 is a bit more expensive than the industry average, though it still lands in a decent spot overall. Its EUR/USD spread averaged 1.5 pips in April 2024, which is higher than the market average, and it does not offer discounts to regular retail clients. That said, qualifying professional clients may receive cash rebates similar to an active trader program. Plus500 is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #25 out of 36 brokers for this category.
IFC Markets is also slightly above the industry average on pricing, with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.44 pips versus the industry average of 1.08. For more active traders, its new ECN account can improve overall value, with effective spreads around 1.1 pips after the 0.005% commission on both sides of a trade. IFC Markets also stands out for having no inactivity fees and offering active trader discounts, which can help lower costs for some clients. It is rated 4 stars out of 5 for commissions and fees and ranks #33 out of 36 brokers.
Overall, both brokers are fairly similar on fees, but Plus500 has the edge in ranking, while IFC Markets may appeal more to active traders looking for possible discounts and no inactivity fee. If lower trading costs are your main goal, neither broker is a top pick versus the cheapest forex brokers, but each offers some pricing benefits depending on how often you trade and what account type you use.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, Plus500 offers a wider choice than IFC Markets. Plus500 lists 5,500 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, compared with IFC Markets’ 630 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers let you trade forex as a CFD or spot contract, and both offer international exchange-traded securities as well as cryptocurrency CFDs. However, only Plus500 offers exchange-traded securities on U.S. markets, such as Apple shares, while IFC Markets does not.
There are also some key differences in extra features. IFC Markets offers copy trading, while Plus500 does not. Neither broker lets you buy actual cryptocurrency, only crypto CFDs. Overall, Plus500 is rated higher for Range of Investments at 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 36 brokers, while IFC Markets scores 3.5 stars and ranks #32, making Plus500 the stronger pick for traders who want more markets to choose from.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When comparing Plus500 and IFC Markets for trading platforms and tools, both brokers give beginners a simple way to practice with a free demo account and both offer their own in-house platform plus a web-based trading option. Plus500 focuses more on a straightforward online experience, while IFC Markets gives traders more platform choice, including a Windows desktop download, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. IFC Markets also supports copy trading and lets users place trades directly from a chart, features that Plus500 does not offer.
In terms of overall platform quality, Plus500 is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #14 out of 36 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, which is ahead of IFC Markets at 4 stars and #30 out of 36. For traders who want a cleaner, browser-based setup, Plus500 may be appealing, but IFC Markets is the stronger pick for those who want more desktop software, MetaTrader access, and extra trading features.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Plus500 and IFC Markets both make it easy to trade on the go, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, watchlist syncing, and trendline drawing tools. Each broker lets you keep an eye on markets from your phone, and both offer a similar basic mobile trading setup for everyday use. In this area, neither broker has a clear edge on core access and convenience.
The bigger difference shows up in charting and overall app quality. Plus500 offers 115 technical studies in its mobile app, while IFC Markets provides 30, giving Plus500 a much wider set of tools for chart analysis. Plus500 also has the higher mobile app rating at 4.5 stars versus 4 stars for IFC Markets, and it ranks better with ForexBrokers.com at #14 out of 36 brokers compared with IFC Markets at #35. One point in IFC Markets’ favor is that its app auto-saves chart drawings, while Plus500 does not.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
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 | 115 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, Plus500 has a slight edge over IFC Markets. Both brokers provide daily market commentary, a sentiment tool showing long and short positions, and an economic calendar for tracking global news events. Neither broker offers forex news from major outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and neither includes research from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
The main difference is that Plus500 adds Trading Central tools, such as Technical Analytics, while IFC Markets does not. That extra research support helps Plus500 earn a higher Research rating of 4.5 out of 5 and a stronger ForexBrokers.com ranking of 16th out of 36 brokers, compared with IFC Markets’ 3.5 out of 5 rating and 31st-place ranking.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing Plus500 and IFC Markets for beginner education, both brokers give new traders a fair amount of learning material, including at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos on trading topics. Both also offer forex or CFDs education, so beginners can find lessons focused on the markets they are most likely to trade. Plus500 stands out more for ongoing learning support because it offers online educational webinars at least once a month, while IFC Markets does not.
In overall education ratings, Plus500 scores 4.5 out of 5 stars, while IFC Markets comes in at 3.5 stars. That said, their ForexBrokers.com rankings are close, with IFC Markets placed #25 out of 36 brokers and Plus500 at #26. For beginners who want more frequent live teaching sessions, Plus500 has the edge, but both brokers provide a decent range of video-based learning content.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
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 Plus500 is better than IFC Markets. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #34.
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to a thorough selection of CFDs. Share trading is available, but only via its Plus500 Invest product offering.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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Plus500 vs IFC Markets: neither online broker allows you to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Plus500 vs IFC Markets: both brokers do not support ACH/SEPA but do support bank wire transfers; Plus500 uniquely offers PayPal and Skrill while IFC Markets does not, and information on Visa/Mastercard availability was not provided.
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 | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 5 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 | |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
| Cost | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | 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 | 115 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | 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 | Plus500 Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review |
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