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Markets.com vs IronFX 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

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

Markets.com
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $100
  • Trust Score: 93
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 2179
IronFX
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $50
  • Trust Score: 83
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 340

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

Markets.com and IronFX are both reputable online brokers, but they each have their unique attributes, especially regarding regulation and trust ratings. Markets.com was established in 1999 and holds three Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license. According to ForexBrokers.com, these licenses contribute to its high trust score of 93 out of 99, indicating it is highly trusted. In contrast, IronFX, founded in 2010, likewise holds three Tier-1 licenses but does not have any Tier-2 licenses. It has a trust score of 83 out of 99, reflecting a trusted status. Importantly, neither broker is a publicly traded company or a bank.

The regulatory landscape can help potential investors determine which broker might be the best fit. Markets.com's slightly higher trust score and additional Tier-2 license might appeal to those who prioritize regulatory security. Meanwhile, IronFX's solid Tier-1 licensing and decade-long presence in the market still make it a strong contender in the trading community. Both platforms offer a secure environment, but differences in trust scores and regulatory credentials could sway decisions based on individual preference for regulatory backing.

Feature Markets.com logoMarkets.com
IronFX logoIronFX
Year Founded info 1999 2010
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 3 3
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1

Fees

For commissions and fees, IronFX has a slight edge over Markets.com in third-party ratings. IronFX earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #47 of 63 at ForexBrokers.com, while Markets.com holds 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #51 of 63. That said, each broker structures costs differently, which can change your real trading expense.

IronFX lists a typical spread of 1.8 pips on its Standard variable account (no date range provided), and notes that pricing varies by account type. Its Zero fixed-spread account can start at 0 spread but adds a $18 per lot commission, with spreads widened to 3 pips overnight. Overall, IronFX’s spreads appeared higher than the industry average, so it pays to compare account types and trading times.

Markets.com does not provide average spread data, making direct apples-to-apples comparisons tougher. If commissions and fees are your priority, consider checking live quotes and any account-specific costs to gauge your likely all-in price before choosing between Markets.com and IronFX.

Feature Markets.com logoMarkets.com
IronFX logoIronFX
Minimum Deposit info $100 $50
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info N/A info 1.2
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info N/A info N/A
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info No No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

Comparing Markets.com vs IronFX for range of investments: both let you trade forex as CFDs or spot. Markets.com lists 2,179 tradeable symbols, far more than IronFX’s 340, while IronFX offers more currency pairs (83 vs 57). In short, Markets.com covers more markets overall, and IronFX leans toward a deeper selection of forex pairs.

Neither broker lets you buy real, exchange-traded shares in the U.S. or abroad; stock exposure is via CFDs. Both support copy trading. Neither sells actual crypto, but both offer cryptocurrency derivatives. In the Range of Investments ratings from ForexBrokers.com, Markets.com scores 4 stars and ranks 30th out of 63 brokers, while IronFX scores 3.5 stars and ranks 52nd.

Feature Markets.com logoMarkets.com
IronFX logoIronFX
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 2179 340
Forex Pairs (Total) info 57 83
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) 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). 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

Markets.com and IronFX both offer free paper trading demo accounts, desktop downloads for Windows, and web-based platforms, plus copy trading. Markets.com adds a proprietary, in-house platform alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while IronFX sticks with MT4 and does not offer MT5 or its own platform. Neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.

For trading tools, IronFX lets you place trades directly from a stock chart and includes 15 drawing tools, while Markets.com does not support trading from charts and offers 4 drawing tools. Watchlists are slightly deeper at IronFX (7 fields) versus Markets.com (6). Indicator counts weren’t specified for either broker. In independent testing, Markets.com earned 4 stars and ranked 27th out of 63 brokers for trading platforms and tools, compared with IronFX at 3.5 stars and 62nd. Choose Markets.com if you want MT5 and a proprietary platform; pick IronFX if trading from charts and more drawing tools matter most.

Feature Markets.com logoMarkets.com
IronFX logoIronFX
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 89 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 4 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info No Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 6 7

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

Forex trading apps

Markets.com and IronFX both offer iPhone and Android apps with price alerts, trendline drawing, and watchlists featuring real-time quotes. Markets.com stands out for watchlist syncing across mobile and web, while IronFX does not sync. In third-party ratings, Markets.com scores 4 stars and ranks #34 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, compared with IronFX at 3.5 stars and #63.

For charting, IronFX includes 30 technical indicators, offers multiple time frames, and auto-saves drawings. Markets.com’s own app has no built-in indicators and does not support multiple time frames or auto-saving drawings; if you use MT4 with Markets.com, you’ll get MT4’s default indicators instead. Choose Markets.com if synced watchlists and overall rating matter most, or IronFX if you want more built-in indicators and flexible time-frame viewing on mobile.

Feature Markets.com logoMarkets.com
IronFX logoIronFX
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info (default on MT4, none on Markets app) 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info No Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Markets.com and IronFX both deliver daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and a handy economic calendar. Neither broker includes Autochartist. Markets.com stands out with a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long vs. short positions across instruments, while IronFX does not offer this. IronFX, however, features Trading Central research tools, which Markets.com does not. Markets.com does not provide TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools, and IronFX has not disclosed whether it offers TipRanks or Acuity integrations.

Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for research from ForexBrokers.com, yet Markets.com ranks higher (#17 of 63) than IronFX (#29 of 63). Choose Markets.com if trader sentiment insights matter to you; pick IronFX if you want access to Trading Central, as the core news and daily commentary are similar across both.

Feature Markets.com logoMarkets.com
IronFX logoIronFX
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info No Yes
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes No
TipRanks info No
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) info No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

When it comes to educational resources for beginners, Markets.com and IronFX provide different benefits for prospective traders. Markets.com excels in offering monthly online webinars, which can be a helpful tool for real-time learning and interaction. Additionally, this broker provides a good selection of beginner and advanced educational videos, making it appealing for traders who want to build their skills progressively. However, Markets.com falls short in providing a wide array of educational articles or a comprehensive investor dictionary for those who prefer learning through reading and terminology clarification.

IronFX, on the other hand, stands out with its extensive library of educational content related to forex and CFDs, making it a solid choice for beginners who prioritize a wealth of written or video materials. The broker also offers a searchable archive of previously recorded webinars and an investor dictionary, enriching the learning experience. Where IronFX lags is in the absence of regular live webinars, which could otherwise enhance direct engagement with learning content. Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses in educational offerings, resulting in each receiving a four-star rating for education, with Markets.com slightly edging ahead in overall ranking.

Feature Markets.com logoMarkets.com
IronFX logoIronFX
Education (Forex or CFDs) info No Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info No Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info No Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Markets.com is better than IronFX. Markets.com finished with an overall rank of #23, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.

Thanks to its web-based MarketsX platform, Markets.com is easy to use and new trader friendly. However, Markets.com is pricey and lacks the feature-rich trading tools required to compete with the best trading platforms.

Feature Markets.com logoMarkets.com
IronFX logoIronFX
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 93 83
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Markets.com or IronFX?

Both Markets.com and IronFX do not offer the ability to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do provide options to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Both Markets.com and IronFX provide Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wire options for depositing or withdrawing funds, but neither offers ACH, SEPA, nor PayPal as payment methods for transactions.




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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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Markets.com IronFX
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 93 83
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Review
Broker Screenshots Markets.com IronFX
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
Regulation Markets.com IronFX
Trust Score info 93 83
Year Founded info 1999 2010
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 3 3
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Markets.com IronFX
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info No No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info No No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info No Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Markets.com IronFX
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info Yes No
UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) info No No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments Markets.com IronFX
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 2179 340
Forex Pairs (Total) info 57 83
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) 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). 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 Markets.com IronFX
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info N/A info 1.2
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info N/A info N/A
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes Yes
Inactivity Fee info No No
Execution: Agency Broker info No Yes
Execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding Markets.com IronFX
Minimum Deposit info $100 $50
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info No No
Trading Platforms Markets.com IronFX
Proprietary Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes No
cTrader info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Trading Tools Markets.com IronFX
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info No Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 6 7
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 89 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 4 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info No Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Markets.com IronFX
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info (default on MT4, none on Markets app) 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info No Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No Yes
Mobile Economic Calendar info No Yes
Research Markets.com IronFX
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info No Yes
TipRanks info No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Markets.com IronFX
Education (Forex or CFDs) info No Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info No Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info No Yes
Major Forex Pairs Markets.com IronFX
GBP/USD info Yes Yes
USD/JPY info Yes Yes
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF info Yes Yes
USD/CAD info Yes Yes
NZD/USD info Yes
AUD/USD info Yes Yes
Review
Overall Markets.com IronFX
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 93 83
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