Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Swissquote 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.
Swissquote and IFC Markets are online brokers with very different trust profiles. Swissquote, founded in 1996, is publicly traded and operates as a bank. It holds a 99/99 Trust Score from ForexBrokers.com, which falls in the highly trusted range (90–99). IFC Markets, founded in 2006, is not publicly traded and is not a bank. Its 73/99 Trust Score places it in the average risk range (70–79).
On regulation and licensing, Swissquote has 5 Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted). IFC Markets holds 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. For most traders, this means Swissquote offers wider top-tier regulatory oversight and a stronger safety profile, while IFC Markets has a more limited regulatory footprint.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 5 |
Swissquote and IFC Markets both offer trading costs that are higher than the cheapest brokers, but they appeal to different types of traders. Swissquote is a better fit for traders who value banking ties and account choice, while IFC Markets may look more attractive for active traders thanks to its ECN pricing and no inactivity fee. In ForexBrokers.com’s Commissions and Fees category, Swissquote is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #37 out of 36 brokers, while IFC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #34 out of 36 brokers.
Swissquote’s pricing depends on which entity and account type you use. Its U.K. accounts tend to have lower costs, with the Elite account charging a $5 round-turn commission and offering tighter spreads for traders who deposit at least $10,000. By contrast, Swissquote’s Standard accounts can be pricey, with EUR/USD spreads starting at 1.3 pips in the U.K., 1.5 pips in Luxembourg, and 1.7 pips in Switzerland. Higher-tier accounts can reduce spreads, but they often require much larger starting deposits, such as $50,000 for the Prime account.
IFC Markets has a simpler fee setup. Its average EUR/USD spread is 1.44 pips, which is above the industry average, but its new ECN account brings the effective spread down to about 1.1 pips after commission. That makes it more appealing for frequent traders than its standard pricing might suggest. The lack of inactivity fees and the availability of active trader discounts are also helpful for cost-conscious users.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 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.
When it comes to the range of investments, Swissquote gives traders more ways to diversify than IFC Markets. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts and both offer copy trading, plus access to international exchange-traded shares. However, Swissquote stands out with 472 tradeable symbols, including 80 forex pairs, while IFC Markets lists 630 symbols but only 49 forex pairs. Swissquote also lets clients buy U.S.-listed stocks directly, such as Apple, which IFC Markets does not offer.
Swissquote also goes further in crypto access by allowing both actual cryptocurrency purchases and crypto CFDs, while IFC Markets offers crypto CFDs only. Based on this wider selection of asset types, Swissquote earns a 5-star rating for Range of Investments and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. IFC Markets is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #33, making Swissquote the stronger choice for investors looking for a broader set of market options.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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.
Swissquote and IFC Markets both give traders a wide mix of platform choices and tools. Each broker offers a free demo account for paper trading, its own in-house platform, a Windows desktop download, a web-based platform, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Both also let users trade directly from charts, making it easier to act on price moves without switching screens. In short, either broker will suit traders who want flexible ways to access the market across desktop, browser, and MetaTrader setups.
Where they differ is in overall ratings and ranking. Swissquote is rated 4.5 out of 5 for Trading Platforms and Tools and is ranked #12 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 and ranked #32. That gives Swissquote the edge for platform quality and tools, even though both brokers cover the core features most traders look for.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
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) | 86 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Swissquote and IFC Markets both make it easy to trade on the go with iPhone and Android apps, plus price alerts and a full set of chart tools. Each app offers 30 technical studies, lets users draw trendlines, and saves those drawings automatically, which helps traders keep track of their analysis across sessions. In these core areas, the two brokers are closely matched for mobile trading.
The biggest difference is watchlist syncing. IFC Markets lets watchlists stay linked between the mobile app and the online account, so changes update in both places, while Swissquote does not offer this feature. Swissquote also comes out ahead in third-party recognition, with a 4.5-star mobile app rating and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #12 out of 36 brokers, compared with IFC Markets’ 4-star rating and #37 ranking.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | 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.
When it comes to market research, Swissquote has a clear edge over IFC Markets. Both brokers provide daily market commentary and an economic calendar, but Swissquote goes further by offering forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, plus research tools from Autochartist. IFC Markets does not include those news feeds or Autochartist, though it does offer a sentiment tool that shows the balance of long and short positions, which Swissquote does not.
Overall, Swissquote earns a higher research score of 4.5 out of 5 and ranks #15 out of 36 brokers for research, while IFC Markets is rated 3.5 out of 5 and ranks #33. For traders who want more third-party news and technical analysis support, Swissquote is the stronger choice. IFC Markets still covers the basics well, but its research range is more limited.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
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 | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners who want to learn before they trade, Swissquote comes out ahead of IFC Markets in education. Swissquote offers forex and CFDs learning content, runs online client webinars at least once a month, and provides 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos. That wider range of learning tools helps new traders build basic skills and then keep going as they gain experience. Swissquote is also rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #19 out of 36 brokers in this category.
IFC Markets also gives beginners access to at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, which is useful for learning trading basics and moving on to more complex topics. However, it does not offer monthly educational client webinars, and its overall education score is lower at 3.5 out of 5 stars. It also ranks #26 out of 36 brokers for Education, so while it still provides helpful learning material, Swissquote offers a stronger educational setup for new traders.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
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 Swissquote is better than IFC Markets. Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #12, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #36.
Traders choose Swissquote for its quality research and vast multi-asset offering – as long as they are willing to pay a premium to have their brokerage account held with a Swiss bank.
| Feature |
Swissquote
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IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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Online brokers Swissquote and IFC Markets both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but only Swissquote also lets you buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, whereas IFC Markets does not.
Swissquote vs IFC Markets: for deposit and withdrawal methods, Swissquote supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, while IFC Markets offers bank wires only and does not support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, or Skrill; Visa/Mastercard availability is 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 | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
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| Regulation | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 5 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| 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) | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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 | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $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 | Swissquote | 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 | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | 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 | Swissquote | 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 | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Swissquote Review |
| Overall | Swissquote | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review |
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