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Plus500 vs IFC Markets 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

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.

Plus500
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: €50 info
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 5500 info
IFC Markets
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $1
  • Trust Score: 73
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 630

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.

Regulation

Plus500 and IFC Markets are noteworthy online brokers, each with unique strengths and regulatory standings. Founded in 2008, Plus500 is publicly traded and holds an impressive six Tier-1 licenses, which reflect the highest level of trust according to ForexBrokers.com. This substantial regulatory backing contributes to its perfect Trust Score of 99. Despite not being a bank, Plus500 is distinguished by its transparency and reliability, making it a prominent choice for many traders.

In contrast, IFC Markets, established in 2006, is not publicly traded and holds no Tier-1 licenses, instead relying on one Tier-2 license deemed "trusted." With a Trust Score of 73, it is considered to have an average risk level. Despite these differences, IFC Markets still competes in the brokerage industry, particularly appealing to those who prioritize other trading features over high regulatory credentials.

Feature Plus500 logoPlus500
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Year Founded info 2008 2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 6 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 3 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 2 1

Fees

Comparing costs at a glance: Plus500 earns 4.0 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #24 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #40 out of 63. Both brokers’ standard spreads sit above the industry average, but they differ in discounts and account options that can matter for active traders.

Plus500’s pricing is slightly above the industry average and lags top-tier active trader pricing. Its EUR/USD spread averaged 1.5 pips in April 2024. There are no retail discounts, though Professional clients may qualify for cash rebates similar to an active trader program.

IFC Markets’ typical EUR/USD spread is 1.44 pips versus an industry average of 1.08, so standard pricing is also on the high side. However, active traders can find better value via the ECN account, where the effective spread is about 1.1 pips after a 0.005% commission is charged on both sides of a trade. IFC Markets also has no inactivity fees and offers active trader discounts, which can further lower overall trading costs for frequent traders.

Feature Plus500 logoPlus500
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Minimum Deposit info €50 info $1
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.3 info 1.44 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 1.3 info 1.1 info
Non-wire bank transfer info No No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

Plus500 vs IFC Markets: both support forex trading and offer cryptocurrency CFDs (neither provides direct crypto purchases). Plus500 stands out for sheer variety with about 5,500 tradeable symbols and 65 currency pairs, while IFC Markets lists roughly 630 symbols and 49 pairs. This wider catalog can matter if you want more sectors, regions, and instruments to choose from.

When it comes to exchange-traded stocks (not CFDs), Plus500 lets you buy shares on both U.S. and international exchanges, whereas IFC Markets offers international shares only. Copy trading is available at IFC Markets but not at Plus500. For Range of Investments, Plus500 earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks 22nd out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets scores 3.5/5 stars and ranks 44th—making Plus500 the stronger pick for breadth, and IFC Markets a fit if you value copy trading alongside international share access.

Feature Plus500 logoPlus500
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes info Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 5500 info 630
Forex Pairs (Total) info 65 49
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info Yes info 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.

Trading platforms and tools

Plus500 and IFC Markets both offer free demo accounts and their own proprietary platforms with web-based trading. The key differences come down to features: IFC Markets supports a Windows desktop platform, copy trading, and the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Plus500 does not provide a desktop download, copy trading, or MT4/MT5. IFC Markets also lets you place trades directly from a chart, while Plus500 does not.

For trading platforms and tools, Plus500 is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets is rated 4 stars and ranks #37. In short, Plus500 suits traders who prefer a simple web platform and a straightforward demo experience, whereas IFC Markets is a better fit if you want desktop software, MT4/MT5, copy trading, and the ability to trade from charts.

Feature Plus500 logoPlus500
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info No Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 115 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info No Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Plus500 and IFC Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports stock and forex price alerts and watchlist syncing, so changes carry over between mobile and your online account. Both apps let you draw trendlines on charts, helping you mark support and resistance with a finger tap.

For charting tools, Plus500 stands out with 115 technical studies, while IFC Markets includes 30. If saving your chart drawings matters, note that IFC Markets auto-saves drawings, whereas Plus500 does not. In independent reviews, Plus500 earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 14th out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com. IFC Markets receives 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 53rd. These differences can help you choose based on indicators depth versus auto-saving convenience.

Feature Plus500 logoPlus500
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 115 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Plus500 and IFC Markets both cover the basics of market research: each offers daily market commentary, a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. Neither broker includes third‑party newswires like Bloomberg or Reuters, and both omit Autochartist, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading integrations.

The key difference is that Plus500 adds Trading Central tools, while IFC Markets does not. That extra analysis helps explain Plus500’s higher research score (4.0/5, ranked 19th of 63) compared with IFC Markets (3.5/5, ranked 41st of 63). If you want built‑in expert analytics, Plus500 has the edge; if you only need commentary, sentiment, and a calendar, both brokers will do the job.

Feature Plus500 logoPlus500
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info No No
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
TipRanks info No No
Acuity Trading info No No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

For beginners exploring forex and CFD trading, both Plus500 and IFC Markets offer substantial video education. Each broker provides at least 10 beginner-friendly videos and a deeper set of advanced lessons for when you’re ready to level up. Plus500 also hosts monthly live client webinars, giving newcomers a chance to see strategies explained in real time and ask questions—something IFC Markets does not currently provide.

In independent evaluations by ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 earns 4.0 stars for Education and ranks 31st out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets earns 3.5 stars and ranks 30th. Bottom line: both brands deliver accessible video learning for new traders, with Plus500 adding recurring live webinar support and IFC Markets offering a comparable on-demand library without monthly webinars.

Feature Plus500 logoPlus500
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Webinars info Yes info No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

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 #45.

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 logoPlus500
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 73
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.0/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.0/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.0/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Plus500 or IFC Markets?

Plus500 vs IFC Markets: neither online broker allows you to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.

What funding options does each broker offer?

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.

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announcementPlease 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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Overall Rating Plus500 IFC Markets
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.0/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.0/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.0/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 73
Winner check_circle
Review Plus500 Review
Broker Screenshots Plus500 IFC Markets
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
Plus500 mobile app charts. Plus500 trading platform EURUSD Plus500 web platform market news analysis articles. Plus500 webinars with Corellian Academy YouTube video playlist
Regulation Plus500 IFC Markets
Trust Score info 99 73
Year Founded info 2008 2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 6 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 3 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Plus500 IFC Markets
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info Yes
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info Yes
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Plus500 IFC Markets
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info Yes
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info Yes info
India (SEBI Authorised) info No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments Plus500 IFC Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes info Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 5500 info 630
Forex Pairs (Total) info 65 49
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info Yes info 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 info 1.3 info 1.44 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 1.3 info 1.1 info
Inactivity Fee info Yes No
Order execution: Agency info No Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding Plus500 IFC Markets
Minimum Deposit info €50 info $1
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info No No
Trading Platforms Plus500 IFC Markets
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info No Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools Plus500 IFC Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 115 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info No Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Plus500 IFC Markets
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 115 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Plus500 IFC Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info No No
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes No
TipRanks info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Plus500 IFC Markets
Webinars info Yes info No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs Plus500 IFC Markets
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info Yes info Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review Plus500 Review
Overall Plus500 IFC Markets
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.0/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.0/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.0/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 73
Winner check_circle
Review Plus500 Review
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