Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Vantage 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.
Comparing regulation and safety, Vantage (founded 2009) holds two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, and earns a 91/99 Trust Score from ForexBrokers.com—placing it in the “highly trusted” range (90–99). IFC Markets (founded 2006) holds one Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses, with a 73/99 Trust Score—classified as “average risk” (70–79). Neither broker is publicly traded or a bank.
For traders who prioritize stricter oversight, Vantage’s higher Trust Score and broader licensing mix signal stronger regulatory standing. IFC Markets offers a simpler regulatory profile, but with a lower score that indicates more risk compared to Vantage.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 5 |
When comparing Vantage vs. IFC Markets on commissions and fees, Vantage comes out ahead overall. Vantage offers three main account types: the spread-only Standard STP account, plus the commission-based RAW ECN and PRO ECN accounts. Its pricing is around the industry average, but it still trails top low-cost brokers like Saxo, IG, and CMC Markets. Vantage earns a 4.5-star rating and ranks #12 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
Vantage’s Standard account had typical EUR/USD spreads of 1.30 pips, while the RAW account showed average spreads of 0.15 pips plus a $3 commission per side ($6 round turn), for about 0.75 pips all-in. Its PRO account is the cheapest option, with a $2 per-side commission ($4 round turn), though it has stricter account requirements depending on the Vantage entity you open with. Active traders can also get rebates of $2 to $8 per lot, but only on the Standard account.
IFC Markets is a bit less competitive on trading costs. Its average EUR/USD spread is 1.44 pips, which is above the industry average of 1.08. For active traders, IFC Markets’ ECN account improves pricing to about 1.1 pips after commissions, and the broker also stands out for having no inactivity fee and offering some active trader discounts. Even so, IFC Markets is rated 4 stars and ranks #34 out of 36 for commissions and fees, so Vantage is the stronger choice for lower overall trading costs.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.4 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.72 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | 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.
Vantage and IFC Markets both give traders access to forex as CFDs or spot contracts, and each also supports copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. In terms of choice, Vantage offers a larger lineup overall, with 1,028 tradable symbols and 61 forex pairs, compared with IFC Markets’ 630 tradable symbols and 49 forex pairs. Neither broker lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, and neither offers exchange-traded U.S. stocks outside of CFDs.
The main difference is that IFC Markets offers exchange-traded securities on international exchanges, while Vantage does not. That gives IFC Markets an edge for investors who want access to listed shares beyond CFDs. Still, both brokers receive the same Range of Investments rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, with Vantage ranked #34 and IFC Markets ranked #33 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1028 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 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.
Vantage and IFC Markets both give traders a solid mix of platform choices and useful tools. Each broker offers a free demo account for practice, its own in-house platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform for trading from a browser. Both also support copy trading, MetaTrader 4 (MT4), and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), along with the ability to place trades directly from a chart. In short, either broker gives beginners and active traders several ways to access the markets and test ideas before using real money.
When it comes to third-party ratings, both brokers are scored 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. However, Vantage has a stronger placement overall in ForexBrokers.com’s ranking, coming in at #20 out of 36 brokers, compared with IFC Markets at #32. That suggests Vantage is viewed a bit more favorably in this category, even though the two brokers share many of the same platform features.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
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) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Vantage and IFC Markets both give mobile traders a solid set of app features on iPhone and Android, along with stock or forex price alerts and watchlist syncing between the mobile app and online account. Each app also lets users draw trendlines on charts, and both save those drawings automatically. In other words, the core mobile trading experience is similar for both brokers, making either one a workable choice for traders who want to stay connected on the go.
The main difference is in charting depth and overall ranking. Vantage offers 14 technical studies in its mobile app, while IFC Markets offers 30, which may appeal to traders who want more chart tools on the move. Even so, both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps. On ForexBrokers.com, Vantage is ranked #24 out of 36 brokers for mobile trading, while IFC Markets comes in at #37, giving Vantage the edge in this category overall.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
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 | 14 | 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, Vantage and IFC Markets both give traders daily market commentary, a sentiment tool that shows long-versus-short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking upcoming global events. Neither broker includes forex news from major wire services like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and neither offers research tools from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
The key difference is that Vantage also provides Trading Central research tools, such as Technical Analytics, while IFC Markets does not. That extra feature helps explain why Vantage scores higher for research, with 4 out of 5 stars and a #20 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with IFC Markets’ 3.5 stars and #33 ranking.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
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 it comes to education for beginners, Vantage and IFC Markets both give new traders a helpful start, but Vantage has the edge overall. Vantage offers forex and CFDs learning material, runs online educational webinars at least once a month, and provides 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos. IFC Markets also offers beginner and advanced video content and forex or CFDs education, but it does not offer monthly educational webinars. This makes Vantage a better pick for beginners who want more regular live learning support.
The ratings back this up too. Vantage is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #24 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #26. In simple terms, both brokers have useful learning tools, but Vantage offers a wider and more active education program, especially for traders who want guidance as they are starting out.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
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 Vantage is better than IFC Markets. Vantage finished with an overall rank of #24, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #36.
Vantage rounds out its MetaTrader platform suite offering with support for multiple social trading platforms, content powered by Trading Central and a proprietary mobile app. However, Vantage trails industry leaders in key areas such as research and education.
| Feature |
Vantage
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IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 91 | 73 |
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Vantage vs IFC Markets: neither online broker offers the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs (not the underlying asset).
Comparing online brokers Vantage and IFC Markets for deposit and withdrawal methods: neither supports ACH or SEPA transfers; Vantage accepts PayPal and Skrill while IFC Markets does not; both support bank wire transfers; 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 | Vantage | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 91 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Vantage Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Vantage | IFC Markets | |
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| Regulation | Vantage | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 91 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 5 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Vantage | 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). | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Vantage | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Vantage | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1028 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 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 | Vantage | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.4 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.72 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Vantage | 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 (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Vantage | 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 | Vantage | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Vantage | 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 | 14 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Vantage | 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 | Vantage | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Vantage | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Vantage Review |
| Overall | Vantage | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 91 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Vantage Review |
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