Written by ForexBrokers.com
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.
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 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
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
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
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.00 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.00 | 1.1 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
XTB vs IFC Markets: For range of investments, XTB offers far more choice with 7,184 tradeable instruments compared to IFC Markets’ 630. XTB also lists 71 forex pairs versus IFC Markets’ 49, and both brokers support forex trading via CFDs and/or spot contracts.
XTB lets you buy real, exchange-traded stocks on both U.S. and international exchanges, while IFC Markets offers real international shares but not U.S.-listed stocks. IFC Markets supports copy trading; XTB does not. Both provide cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither offers direct, delivered crypto. For Range of Investments, XTB earns 5/5 stars and ranks #15 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets is rated 3.5/5 stars and ranks #44.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7184 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
XTB and IFC Markets both check key boxes for trading platforms and tools: each offers a free demo (paper) account, an in-house proprietary platform, and both Windows desktop and web-based platforms. You can place trades directly from charts with either broker. The big differences are platform choices and social features: IFC Markets supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and offers copy trading, while XTB does not support MT4/MT5 and does not offer copy trading. Neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
For charting, XTB lists 32 drawing tools versus 15 at IFC Markets, and watch lists include 8 columns at XTB versus 7 at IFC Markets. The number of built-in technical indicators was not specified for either broker. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools ratings, XTB scores 4.5/5 and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets scores 4/5 and ranks #37. If you want MetaTrader and copy trading, IFC Markets fits; if you prioritize a highly rated in-house platform experience with more drawing tools, XTB stands out.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 32 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 8 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XTB and IFC Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, with price alerts and the ability to build watchlists with real-time quotes. A key difference is watchlist syncing: IFC Markets syncs symbols between the app and your online account, while XTB does not. That means changes you make to watchlists in IFC Markets carry over across devices, which can simplify monitoring your markets.
For charting, each app lets you draw trendlines, switch between multiple time frames, and auto-save your drawings. XTB provides 39 technical studies compared with 30 at IFC Markets, giving XTB a slight edge for technical analysis on the go. According to ForexBrokers.com, XTB’s mobile app is rated 4.5/5 and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets is rated 4/5 and ranks #53.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
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
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
XTB shines when it comes to educational resources, particularly for those just starting out in the trading world. Beginners at XTB have access to a wide variety of educational materials, including articles, videos, and archived webinars, specifically focused on forex and CFDs. What sets XTB apart is its commitment to continual learning; they offer monthly educational webinars online, a feature that IFC Markets lacks. Furthermore, XTB provides a searchable archive of these recorded webinars, further enhancing their educational offerings. Both XTB and IFC Markets cater to novice traders with a range of beginner-focused videos, yet XTB positions itself ahead with its comprehensive approach and additional resources like client webinars.
IFC Markets, while offering a good selection of beginner educational videos and articles, doesn't quite match XTB's interactive education style, particularly due to the absence of live monthly webinars and archived access. However, IFC Markets does have an edge with an investor dictionary filled with over 50 investing terms, a resource that XTB doesn't provide. Despite this, XTB ranks significantly higher in education among brokers, holding an 11th place ranking and a 5-star rating. In comparison, IFC Markets is ranked 30th with a 3.5-star rating, highlighting the broader and more accessible educational experience XTB offers to its clientele.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
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
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IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 73 |
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XTB and IFC Markets both do not provide the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they each offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers, XTB provides more diverse deposit and withdrawal options than IFC Markets, as XTB supports PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires, while IFC Markets supports Visa/Mastercard and bank wires only, with neither broker offering ACH or SEPA transfers.
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 | XTB | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | IFC Markets | |
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| Regulation | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC 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). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7184 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | 1.00 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.00 | 1.1 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 8 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 32 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | XTB Review |
| Overall | XTB | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review |
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