Written by ForexBrokers.com
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.
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.
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
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When considering online brokers, the comparison of commissions and fees is a crucial factor. Markets.com receives a rating of 3.5 stars for its commissions and fees structure. Unfortunately, detailed average spread data is not available, which may make it challenging for potential users to get a comprehensive picture of potential costs. According to ForexBrokers.com, Markets.com is ranked #50 out of 63 brokers for its commissions and fees.
On the other hand, IronFX is slightly better rated, earning 4 stars for its commissions and fees. However, there’s room for improvement as the spreads can be higher than the industry average. For instance, a typical spread for their Standard variable spread account is listed at 1.8 pips, although it varies across different account types. If considering the zero fixed-spread account, it starts at zero but comes with an $18 per lot commission and can widen to 3 pips overnight. ForexBrokers.com ranks IronFX at #47 out of 63 brokers for commissions and fees.
Overall, both Markets.com and IronFX offer distinct pricing structures, each catering to different trading needs. Markets.com, while lacking detailed spread data, offers a straightforward option for those prioritizing ease of use. IronFX provides more account types with variable spreads, resulting in a potentially broader range of costs. Choosing between them will largely depend on your individual trading preferences and cost considerations.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to choosing between Markets.com and IronFX for investment options, there are key differences to consider. Markets.com offers an impressive 2,179 tradeable symbols, while IronFX provides 340. While both platforms enable forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, IronFX leads with 83 tradeable forex pairs compared to Markets.com's 57. Neither broker allows purchase of exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, such as Apple or Vodafone shares. Both platforms offer copy trading experiences and the opportunity to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, though they do not support the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies.
Evaluating their performance in investment range, Markets.com boasts a 4-star rating and is ranked 29th out of 63 on ForexBrokers.com for range of investments. In contrast, IronFX holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks 51st. This suggests that Markets.com offers a broader investment spectrum with a higher satisfaction level among users. Consequently, traders seeking more variety in different markets might find Markets.com a more appealing choice, while IronFX could be suitable for those focused on forex variety.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2179 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 57 | 83 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | 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). | 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.
Markets.com and IronFX both provide excellent opportunities for traders, featuring essential tools and comprehensive trading platforms. Both brokers offer free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to explore simulated trading without any financial commitment. However, Markets.com stands out by offering a proprietary platform, which is developed in-house for a more customized trading experience. On the other hand, IronFX does not provide an in-house platform but offers both the popular MetaTrader 4 and a Windows-based desktop platform. Markets.com goes a step further by including MetaTrader 5 in its lineup, expanding choices for traders seeking advanced features.
Both Markets.com and IronFX deliver a web-based trading platform for convenience and offer the ability to engage in copy trading. However, when it comes to chart customization, IronFX offers more drawing tools—15 compared to Markets.com's 4—and also provides the capability to trade directly from stock charts, a feature not available with Markets.com. Watch list customization is slightly richer with IronFX, offering 7 fields instead of 6. Nevertheless, Markets.com receives a higher rating of 4 stars for its trading platforms and tools, compared to IronFX's 3.5 stars, and is ranked significantly higher in a competitive analysis, suggesting a more favorable overall user experience and access to better trading resources.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 4 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of Markets.com and IronFX, both platforms offer accessibility through iPhone and Android apps, allowing users to stay connected and trade on the go. They also provide stock or forex price alerts to keep traders informed of market movements. However, a key difference is that Markets.com allows watchlist symbol syncing, meaning any changes made in the mobile app or online account are synchronized, whereas IronFX does not have this feature.
For mobile app charting capabilities, Markets.com offers users the ability to draw trendlines, though without automatic saving of drawings, and lacks the option to view multiple time frames, such as daily or intraday. On the other hand, IronFX provides more comprehensive charting features with 30 technical studies, the ability to draw trendlines, and support for multiple time frame views, including automatic saving of drawings. In terms of user ratings, Markets.com earns a slightly higher score with 4 stars compared to IronFX's 3.5 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, Markets.com is ranked #33 out of 63 brokers for their mobile trading apps, while IronFX ranks at #62, making Markets.com the better-rated choice for mobile trading enthusiasts.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both Markets.com and IronFX provide a robust array of market research features, making them competitive choices for traders seeking resourceful platforms. They each offer daily market commentary and source forex news from leading agencies like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders are well-informed with high-quality information. Despite their similarities, Markets.com stands out by offering a sentiment-based trading tool that provides insights into the ratio of long or short positions, a feature IronFX lacks. Conversely, IronFX distinguishes itself with access to technical analysis tools from Trading Central, which is not available on Markets.com.
Both platforms give traders access to economic calendars, helping them stay abreast of global news events that might impact trading. However, neither broker includes research tools from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. With equal ratings of four out of five stars for research, Markets.com slightly edges out IronFX by holding a higher position in the ForexBrokers.com rankings, being placed 17th out of 63 brokers compared to IronFX's 28th placement. These key differences may guide traders' decisions based on their specific research needs and preferences.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
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
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 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
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 83 |
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Both Markets.com and IronFX do not offer the ability to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do provide options to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.
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.
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 | Markets.com | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
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| Broker Screenshots | Markets.com | IronFX | |
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| Regulation | Markets.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Markets.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Markets.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Markets.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2179 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 57 | 83 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | 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). | 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 | N/A | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Markets.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Markets.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Markets.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | No | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 4 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Markets.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | Markets.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Markets.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Markets.com | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | No | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review |
| Overall | Markets.com | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review |
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