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CMC Markets vs IC Markets: Comparison and Analysis

Written by Filippo Ucchino Fact-Checked by Luca Puddu Publication Date Last Updated
Our verdict · CFD trading

IC Markets is better than CMC Markets for CFD trading in the UK by a small margin, because it runs cTrader next to the MetaTrader platforms and TradingView both brokers share, allows expert advisors, high-frequency strategies, VPS hosting and API access, and holds more account base currencies (ten against two). IC Markets credits deposits on the same day and pays out withdrawals in 1 day, against 2 days at CMC Markets, and opens raw spread, ECN, Islamic and managed accounts. CMC Markets, on the other hand, is regulated in the UK by the FCA, while IC Markets is not, has a lower EUR/USD cost (7.00 USD per lot against 8.00 USD) and lists far more tradable symbols (12,000 against 180), filling orders in 9 ms. Both brokers ask for no minimum deposit, cover CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks, allow scalping and hedging, provide a demo account with no expiry date, and offer copy and social trading.

Our verdict · Real stock investing

CMC Markets and IC Markets cannot be compared for real stock investing in the UK, because IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks to buy. If you want to invest in real stocks and you are choosing between CMC Markets and IC Markets, CMC Markets is the better option of the two, because it lets you own ETFs and stocks outright.

Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD brokers: leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers: real shares and ETFs you own outright.

Best overall

CMC Markets

CFDCFD This broker offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD to rate it on that. StocksStocks This broker lets you buy real assets that you own outright. Switch the comparison to Stocks to rate it on that. Regulated in your country CMC Markets holds a licence from the regulator of the country this site is for, so local investor protections apply.
CMC Markets review ›
84CFDOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above. 78StocksOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above.
Open Account

78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Best overall

IC Markets

CFDCFD This broker offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD to rate it on that. Not regulated in your country IC Markets has no licence from the regulator of the country this site is for, so local investor protections do not apply.
IC Markets review ›
90CFDOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above. not offeredStocksOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above.
Open Account

72.52% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Best for

1 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders CMC Markets and IC Markets are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.

CMC Markets is better than IC Markets for long-term investors, while IC Markets is better for day traders and crypto traders. High-volume traders, scalpers and algo traders can choose either CMC Markets or IC Markets.

Best for
Overall score CMC Markets 84 -6 78 IC Markets 90 Best not offered
Day trading i
Long-term investing i
Professional traders i
High-volume traders i
Scalpers i
Swing traders i
News traders i
Algo traders i
Stock traders i
Crypto traders i
Futures traders i
Options traders i

Regulation

2 / 12
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise CMC Markets and the ones that supervise IC Markets.
Regulation
Section score CMC Markets 100 100 IC Markets 100 not offered
Tier-1 regulators
ESMA (European Union) i CySEC (Cyprus)
FCA (United Kingdom) i
ASIC (Australia) i
CFTC (United States) i
NFA (United States) i
SEC (United States) i
CIRO (Canada) i
MAS (Singapore) i
SFC (Hong Kong) i
JFSA (Japan) i
FINMA (Switzerland) i
Tier-2 regulators
FMA (New Zealand) i
CBR (Russia) i
FSCA (South Africa) i
DFSA (Dubai) i
CSRC (China) i
ISA (Israel) i
LFSA (Malaysia) i
JSC (Jordan) i
CMA (Kenya) i
Tier-3 regulators
FSA (Seychelles) i
MMA (Maldives) i
SCB (Bahamas) i
FSC (Mauritius) i
VFSC (Vanuatu) i
FSC (Belize) i
CIMA (Cayman Islands) i
SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i
FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i
BMA (Bermuda) i
BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i
EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i

Safety

3 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that CMC Markets and IC Markets have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.
Safety
Section score CMC Markets 95 Best 95 IC Markets 78 -17 not offered
Company info
Is it publicly traded i
Is it a bank i
Year founded i 1989 2007
Parent company i CMC Markets plc International Capital Markets Pty Ltd
CEO i Peter Cruddas Andrew Budzinski
Money safety
Segregated client funds i
Two-factor authentication i
Investor compensation scheme i
Additional money insurance i
Partner bank i NatWest, Barclays, Lloyds
Brand power
Number of customers worldwide i 1,000,000
Annual revenue i USD 324,700,000
Monthly website search traffic i 10.5M monthly visits 2.2M monthly visits

Costs

4 / 12
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with CMC Markets and with IC Markets in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.

IC Markets is better than CMC Markets for CFD costs.

CMC Markets and IC Markets cannot be set side by side for real stock costs, as IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike CMC Markets.

Costs
Section score CMC Markets 73 -10 44 IC Markets 83 Best not offered
Broker fees
Deposit fees i
Withdrawal fees i
Overnight fees i
Inactivity fees i
Currency conversion fees i
Discounts on volume i
Real time market data fee i
Dividend withholding i
Account opening fees i
Account maintenance fee i
Portfolio management fee i
Fees on CFDs
Forex commission per lot i USD 5 USD 7
EUR/USD average standard spread i
0.7 pips
0.8 pips
EUR/USD average raw spread i
0.1 pips
EUR/USD average fixed spread i
EUR/USD total cost per lot i USD 7 USD 8
S&P 500 fees (CFD) i 0.5 points 0.6 points
Gold fees (CFD) i 0.2 points
Bitcoin fees (CFD) i
US stocks fees (CFD) i USD 0.02 USD 0.4
Fees on stocks
Stock fee type i
US stocks fees (real) i
ETF fees (real) i
Management costs i
Connection costs i
Fees on futures
Futures fees per contract i
Platform fees i
Fees on options
Options fees per contract i Free
Event fees i
Fees on savings plans
IRA opening fee i
IRA maintenance fee i
401k opening fee i
401k maintenance fee i

Available markets

5 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with CMC Markets and with IC Markets in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.

CMC Markets and IC Markets are equally good for CFD markets.

IC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so CMC Markets and IC Markets cannot be compared for real stock markets.

Available markets
Section score CMC Markets 75 30 IC Markets 75 not offered
Total tradable symbols i 12,000 180
Currency pairs i
Indices i
Commodities i
Stocks i
ETF i
Cryptocurrencies i
Bonds i
Interest rates i
Portfolios i
CFDs i Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks
Futures i
Options i
Assets you can own i ETF, Stocks

Platform

6 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that CMC Markets and IC Markets make available to their clients in United Kingdom.

CMC Markets is better than IC Markets for platforms.

IC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so CMC Markets and IC Markets cannot be compared for platforms.

Platform
Section score CMC Markets 97 Best 97 IC Markets 89 -8 not offered
Proprietary platform i
MetaTrader 4 i
MetaTrader 5 i
cTrader i
Social trading platform i
Copy trading platform i
ZuluTrade i
TradingView i
Duplitrade i
Mirror Trader i
NinjaTrader i
AutoChartist i
Real time pricing i
5 digit pricing i
One-click trading i

Mobile

7 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of CMC Markets and IC Markets in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.

IC Markets is better than CMC Markets for mobile trading.

CMC Markets and IC Markets cannot be set side by side for mobile trading, as IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike CMC Markets.

Mobile
Section score CMC Markets 73 -20 73 IC Markets 93 Best not offered
Proprietary app i
Social trading app i
Copy trading app i
MetaTrader 4 app i
MetaTrader 5 app i
cTrader app i
Mobile trading signals i
Mobile alerts i
Mobile charting tools i
Mobile drawing tools i
Mobile watchlist i
Smartwatch app i

Trading features

8 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that CMC Markets and IC Markets allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.

IC Markets is better than CMC Markets for CFD trading features.

Only CMC Markets can be assessed for real stock trading features, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Trading features
Section score CMC Markets 69 -24 71 IC Markets 93 Best not offered
Trade execution
Broker type i Agency NDD
Average execution time i 9 ms 66 ms
Slippage occurrence i
Requotes occurrence i 0.08%
Tier-1 liquidity providers i
PFOF i
Leverage
Major FX pairs leverage i 30:1 30:1
Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i 20:1 20:1
Major indices leverage i 20:1 20:1
Minor indices leverage i 10:1 10:1
Gold leverage i 20:1 20:1
Commodities leverage i 10:1 10:1
Equities leverage i 5:1 5:1
Cryptocurrency leverage i 2:1
Risk management
Stop losses i
Take profits i
Limit orders i
Trailing stop i
Margin call i
OCO orders i
Guaranteed stop loss i
Negative balance protection i
Minimum trade size (FX) i 0.01 lots 0.01 lots
Minimum trade size (stocks) i USD 0 USD 0
Fractional stocks i
Trading compliance
Scalping strategies allowed i
Hedging strategies allowed i
Automated trading strategy allowed i
EAs use allowed i
HFT strategy allowed i
VPS use allowed i
API use allowed i
Price scraping allowed i
FIFO rule applies i

Account types

9 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at CMC Markets and at IC Markets in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.

IC Markets is better than CMC Markets for CFD account types.

CMC Markets and IC Markets cannot be set side by side for real stock account types, as IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike CMC Markets.

Account types
Section score CMC Markets 48 -44 45 IC Markets 92 Best not offered
Demo account i
Unlimited demo account i
Standard account i
Micro account i
Cent account i
Nano account i
Raw spread account i
ECN account i
Swap-free account i
Islamic account i
Professional traders account i
Fixed spread account i
Spread betting account i
Copy trading account i
Corporate account i
Managed account i
Stock investing account i
Margin investing account i
Savings account i
Retirement account i

Account opening

10 / 12
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with CMC Markets and with IC Markets in United Kingdom.

IC Markets is better than CMC Markets for account opening.

Only CMC Markets can be assessed for account opening, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Account opening
Section score CMC Markets 65 -30 65 IC Markets 95 Best not offered
Minimum deposit i USD 0 USD 0
Minimum withdrawal i USD 0 USD 0
Wire transfers i
Credit cards i
Debit cards i
eWallets i PayPal, Neteller, Skrill
Local payment methods i
Account base currencies i EUR, USD AUD, CAD, CHF, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, NZD, SGD, USD
Deposit waiting time i up to 2 business days Instant
Withdrawal waiting time i up to 2 business days up to 1 business days
Bonus program i

Customer care

11 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of CMC Markets and IC Markets in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.

IC Markets is better than CMC Markets for customer care.

IC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so CMC Markets and IC Markets cannot be compared for customer care.

Customer care
Section score CMC Markets 73 -14 73 IC Markets 87 Best not offered
Number of languages supported i 9 17
Website languages i German, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, German, English, French, Croatian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese
Website available in English i
Customer support languages i German, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, German, English, French, Croatian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese
Customer support in English i
Call back request i
Email support i
Phone support i
Live chat i
Priority customer support i
Dedicated account manager i
Cash sweep i
Stock lending i
Distributes proceeds i
Tax withholding agent i
Tax assistance i

Learning

12 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that CMC Markets and IC Markets provide to their clients in United Kingdom.

CMC Markets and IC Markets are equally good for learning.

There is no like-for-like comparison for learning, as IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Learning
Section score CMC Markets 100 100 IC Markets 100 not offered
Education
Education center i
Education for beginners i
Education for advanced traders i
Webinars i
Tutorials i
Glossary i
Research
Economic calendar i
Traders' sentiment i
Daily market commentary i
Daily trading ideas i
News via social media i
Professional reports i
Watchlist i
CMC Markets
Open Account 78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
IC Markets
Open Account 72.52% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Our verdict

CMC Markets vs IC Markets: which one should you choose?

CMC Markets

CFD Choose CMC Markets, regulated in the UK by the FCA, if you want a CFD and forex broker with a wide choice of markets and low trading costs.

Stocks Choose CMC Markets if you want a broker for securities investing with copy and social trading.

Open Account 78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
IC Markets

CFD Choose IC Markets if you want an online CFD broker with several trading platforms and room for automated strategies.

Open Account 72.52% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

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CMC Markets vs Forex.com IC Markets vs Interactive Brokers CMC Markets vs Trading 212 IC Markets vs XTB CMC Markets vs Interactive Brokers IC Markets vs OctaFX

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