menuclose
Back to Main Menu
ForexBrokers.com is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently. Learn How We Make Money

XTB vs IFC Markets 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of XTB vs IFC Markets, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

XTB
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0 info
  • Trust Score: 96
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 7184 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

Comparing XTB and IFC Markets offers insights into their trustworthiness and regulatory landscapes. XTB, established in 2002, stands out with a high trust score of 96 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com. As a publicly traded company, XTB boasts two Tier-1 licenses, which are considered highly trusted, and two Tier-2 licenses, adding layers of credibility to its operations. Furthermore, while not a bank, its public trading status underscores transparency and strong investor confidence.

In contrast, IFC Markets, founded in 2006, holds a trust score of 73, marking it as an average risk broker. Unlike XTB, IFC Markets is not publicly traded and does not hold any Tier-1 licenses, positioning it differently in terms of regulatory strength. Despite holding only one Tier-2 license, IFC Markets continues to serve its clients while navigating its own regulatory pathway. The differences in licensing and public transparency between XTB and IFC Markets highlight distinct choices based on user trust preferences.

Feature XTB logoXTB
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Year Founded info 2002 2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 2 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 2 1

Fees

XTB is the stronger value pick in this matchup for most retail traders. It earns 4.5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #12 out of 63 brokers, versus IFC Markets at 4 stars and #40 out of 63. Using Q4 2023 data, XTB’s average EUR/USD spread is 1.0 pip on its spread-only Standard account, while IFC Markets averages 1.44 pips (higher than the industry average of 1.08). That difference can add up for casual traders who don’t hit high monthly volumes.

XTB offers a Standard account with a 250 base-currency minimum deposit, plus an old commission-based Pro option that’s being phased out and is mostly limited to elective professionals in the U.K. and EU. XTB also runs an active-trader rebate (Lower Spread Group) that returns 5%–30% of the spread once you trade 20–1000 lots per month. IFC Markets counters with an ECN account where effective EUR/USD pricing can reach about 1.1 pips after a 0.005% commission on both sides, along with no inactivity fees and its own volume discounts. In short: XTB’s headline spreads are sharper for smaller trade sizes, while very active traders may find competitive effective costs at either broker depending on volume and account type.

Feature XTB logoXTB
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Minimum Deposit info $0 info $1
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.00 info 1.44 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 1.00 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

XTB vs IFC Markets: XTB lists 7,184 tradeable symbols and 71 forex pairs, while IFC Markets offers 630 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both support forex trading (CFD or spot), and both let you trade cryptocurrency via CFDs but not buy actual coins. XTB provides real, exchange-traded stocks on both U.S. and international exchanges, whereas IFC Markets offers real shares on select international exchanges but not U.S.-listed stocks such as Apple. Copy trading is available at IFC Markets, but not at XTB.

For range of investments, ForexBrokers.com rates XTB at 5 stars (ranked 15th of 63 brokers) and IFC Markets at 3.5 stars (ranked 44th of 63). In short, XTB suits traders who want a bigger menu of markets and access to U.S. shares, while IFC Markets may appeal if you want copy trading and are fine with fewer symbols.

Feature XTB logoXTB
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 7184 info 630
Forex Pairs (Total) info 71 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 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.

Trading platforms and tools

XTB and IFC Markets both make it easy to practice with a free demo account, and each offers its own proprietary trading platform. You can trade on Windows desktop or in your web browser with either broker, and both let you place orders directly from a chart.

The key differences are in extras and third‑party platform support. IFC Markets provides copy trading and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while XTB does not. For Trading Platforms and Tools, ForexBrokers.com rates XTB 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks it 9th out of 63 brokers; IFC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks 37th. Choose IFC Markets if you want MetaTrader or copy trading, or go with XTB if higher platform-and-tools ratings are your priority.

Feature XTB logoXTB
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes 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 39 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

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

Forex trading apps

XTB and IFC Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each supports price alerts for stocks and forex. Independent ratings favor XTB: it scores 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets holds 4 stars and ranks #53. If overall app quality and user feedback matter most, XTB has the edge.

For charting, XTB provides 39 technical studies compared with IFC Markets’ 30. Both apps let you draw trendlines and automatically save your chart drawings. A key difference is watchlists: XTB’s mobile watchlists don’t sync with the web platform, whereas IFC Markets supports watchlist syncing across devices. Choose XTB for more built-in indicators and higher-rated app experience, or IFC Markets if synced watchlists are a priority.

Feature XTB logoXTB
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 No Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 39 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

XTB and IFC Markets both cover the basics for market research: daily market commentary, an economic calendar with global events, and a sentiment tool that shows the long vs. short positioning across instruments. The key difference is news: XTB streams forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, while IFC Markets does not. Neither broker includes third-party toolsets from Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.

These features translate into stronger scores for XTB. It earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with IFC Markets’ 3.5-star rating and #41 ranking. If integrated, high-quality news is important to your trading decisions, XTB has the edge; if you just need daily commentary, a calendar, and sentiment data, both platforms deliver those essentials.

Feature XTB logoXTB
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info No 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 comparing education between XTB and IFC Markets, XTB offers a more interactive learning path thanks to regular client webinars (at least one per month) alongside a wide library of videos for both beginners and experienced traders (10+ in each category). IFC Markets also provides 10+ beginner and 10+ advanced trading videos, but it does not run monthly educational webinars, which can matter if you want live instruction and Q&A.

Ratings back up the difference: XTB earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets scores 3.5 stars and ranks #30. In short, if you value frequent live learning plus a deep video catalog, XTB is the stronger choice for getting started. If you mainly want on-demand video lessons without live classes, IFC Markets can still fit the bill.

Feature XTB logoXTB
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Webinars info Yes 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 XTB is better than IFC Markets. XTB finished with an overall rank of #7, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45.

As a trusted multi-asset broker, XTB offers outstanding customer service, a wide variety of forex and CFDs, and an excellent overall trading experience. Its xStation 5 trading platform is well-designed and packed with innovative features, and XTB’s offers comprehensive educational content and market research.

Feature XTB logoXTB
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 96 73
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with XTB or IFC Markets?

Both online brokers XTB and IFC Markets do not support buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but they do offer cryptocurrency CFD trading, enabling traders to speculate on crypto price movements without owning the underlying assets.

What funding options does each broker offer?

For deposits and withdrawals, XTB supports PayPal and Skrill in addition to bank wire transfers (no ACH/SEPA), while IFC Markets supports bank wire transfers but does not offer ACH/SEPA, PayPal, or Skrill.

More Comparisons

XTB vs Vantage XTB vs AvaTrade XTB vs IFC Markets XTB vs iFOREX XTB vs HFM XTB vs Questrade IFC Markets vs eToro IFC Markets vs Markets4you IFC Markets vs XTB IFC Markets vs Vantage IFC Markets vs Fineco IFC Markets vs HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)

Show all



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.

Select Brokers

↓×
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxActivTrades
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxACY Securities
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAdmirals
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlpari
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxATFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAvaTrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAxi
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBDSwiss
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBlackBull Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCharles Schwab
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCity Index
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCMC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxDooPrime
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxEarn
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeasyMarkets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxEightcap
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxExness
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFineco
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFOREX.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFP Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXCM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXGT.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXOpen
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXPrimus
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFxPro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxGBE brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHFM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIFC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxiFOREX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIG
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIronFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIUX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLegacyFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLibertex (Forex Club)
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMarkets.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMarkets4you
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMoneta Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMultiBank
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxOANDA
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxOcta
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPepperstone
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPlus500
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxQuestrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxRoboForex
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSaxo
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSpreadex
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSwissquote
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxThinkMarkets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTickmill
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTMGM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTopFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrade Nation
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrading 212
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVantage
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVT Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXM Group
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXTB
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXtrade

Compare

0 of 5
× XTB
× IFC Markets
Sponsored

+ Add Broker

Close Menu ×

navigate_before navigate_next
Overall Rating XTB IFC Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 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 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 96 73
Winner check_circle
Review XTB Review
Broker Screenshots XTB IFC Markets
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
XTB xStation mobile trading app sentiment XTB xStation 5 web platform XTB website news headlines and sentiment. XTB educational course intermediate article lesson details
Regulation XTB IFC Markets
Trust Score info 96 73
Year Founded info 2002 2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes
Tier-1 Licenses info 2 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) XTB IFC Markets
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) XTB IFC Markets
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No
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 XTB IFC Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 7184 info 630
Forex Pairs (Total) info 71 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 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 XTB IFC Markets
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.00 info 1.44 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 1.00 info 1.1 info
Inactivity Fee info Yes No
Order execution: Agency info Yes Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding XTB IFC Markets
Minimum Deposit info $0 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 XTB IFC Markets
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes 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 XTB IFC Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 39 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading XTB 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 No Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 39 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research XTB IFC Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info No No
TipRanks info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education XTB IFC Markets
Webinars info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs XTB IFC Markets
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review XTB Review
Overall XTB IFC Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 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 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 96 73
Winner check_circle
Review XTB Review
arrow_upward

close
navigate_before navigate_next