Forex.com
Regulated in your country Forex.com is allowed by FCA to onboard clients residing in the UK.
74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
IC Markets
Not regulated in your country IC Markets does not accept residents in the UK because it is not regulated by FCA.
72.52% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders Forex.com and IC Markets are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.Forex.com is better than IC Markets for day traders, while IC Markets is better for crypto traders. Professional traders, high-volume traders and scalpers can choose either Forex.com or IC Markets.
| Overall score | Forex.com 85 -2 | IC Markets 87 |
|---|---|---|
| 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
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise Forex.com and the ones that supervise IC Markets.Only Forex.com is regulated in the UK, by the FCA. IC Markets holds no licence in the UK and is regulated by CySEC and ASIC (Australia).
| Section score | Forex.com 100 | IC Markets 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | ||
| 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
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that Forex.com and IC Markets have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.Both Forex.com and IC Markets offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication. Forex.com also offers an investor compensation scheme. IC Markets holds no licence in the UK and is not covered by the FSCS.
| Section score | Forex.com 86 Best | IC Markets 65 -21 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1999 | 2007 |
| Parent company i | StoneX Group (via GAIN Capital) | International Capital Markets Pty Ltd |
| CEO i | Glenn Stevens | Andrew Budzinski |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | N/A | N/A |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 400,000 | |
| Annual revenue i | USD 169,500,000 | |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 1.9M monthly visits | 2.2M monthly visits |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with Forex.com and with IC Markets in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.Forex.com and IC Markets are equally good for costs, as Forex.com is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 4.5 USD per lot (against IC Markets' 7.55 USD), and charges lower US stock CFD fees, at 0.02 USD (against IC Markets' 0.02 USD). On the other hand, IC Markets has tighter EUR/USD raw spreads, at 0.01 pips (against Forex.com's 0.2 pips), and has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.49 points (against Forex.com's 0.6 points). Neither Forex.com nor IC Markets charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
| Section score | Forex.com 81 | IC Markets 79 -2 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Free | USD 7 |
| EUR/USD average standard spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average raw spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average fixed spread i | ||
| EUR/USD total cost per lot i | USD 4.5 | USD 7.55 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.6 points | 0.492 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.1 points | 0.09 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | USD 12.01 | |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | USD 0.018 | USD 0.02 |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission, Percentage | Commission, Percentage |
| US stocks fees (real) i | ||
| ETF fees (real) i | ||
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | Free | |
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | ||
| 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
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with Forex.com and with IC Markets in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.Forex.com and IC Markets are close on available markets. Both Forex.com and IC Markets offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks. IC Markets goes a step further, as it offers CFDs on crypto, and gives access to 180 tradable symbols (against Forex.com's 150).
| Section score | Forex.com 75 | IC Markets 75 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 150 | 180 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | ||
| Options i | ||
| Assets you can own i |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that Forex.com and IC Markets make available to their clients in United Kingdom.Forex.com and IC Markets are equally good for platforms, since Forex.com offers a proprietary platform and AutoChartist. On the other hand, IC Markets offers cTrader and MetaTrader 5. Both Forex.com and IC Markets offer MetaTrader 4 and one-click trading.
| Section score | Forex.com 88 -1 | IC Markets 89 |
|---|---|---|
| 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
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of Forex.com and IC Markets in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.Forex.com and IC Markets are close on mobile trading, as both offer a proprietary mobile app and the MetaTrader 4 app. IC Markets has a slight edge, as it offers the cTrader app and the MetaTrader 5 app.
| Section score | Forex.com 93 | IC Markets 93 |
|---|---|---|
| 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
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that Forex.com and IC Markets allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.Forex.com is better than IC Markets for trading features, because Forex.com executes orders faster, within 3 ms (against IC Markets' 40 ms), and offers negative balance protection, which IC Markets does not. Forex.com and IC Markets both offer trailing stops and tier-1 liquidity providers. The leverage shown for IC Markets is set by its Seychelles entity and exceeds the retail limit in the UK (30:1 on major currency pairs).
| Section score | Forex.com 87 Best | IC Markets 83 -4 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | NDD |
| Average execution time i | 3 ms | 40 ms |
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| Requotes occurrence i | ||
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1 | 5000:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 5000:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 200:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 200:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 2000:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 1000:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 20:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 500:1 | |
| 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
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at Forex.com and at IC Markets in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.IC Markets is better than Forex.com for account types, given that IC Markets offers a corporate account, a managed account and an ECN account, which Forex.com does not. Both Forex.com and IC Markets offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
| Section score | Forex.com 52 -40 | IC Markets 92 Best |
|---|---|---|
| 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
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with Forex.com and with IC Markets in United Kingdom.IC Markets is better than Forex.com for account opening, given that IC Markets does not require a minimum deposit (against Forex.com's 100 USD), offers 10 account base currencies (against Forex.com's 3), and supports e-wallets, which Forex.com does not. Forex.com and IC Markets both offer credit cards and debit cards. IC Markets holds no licence in the UK.
| Section score | Forex.com 62 -33 | IC Markets 95 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | USD 100 | 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, GBP, 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
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of Forex.com and IC Markets in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.IC Markets is better than Forex.com for customer care, because IC Markets offers customer support in 17 languages (against Forex.com's 2), and has a website in 17 languages (against Forex.com's 7). Both Forex.com and IC Markets offer a dedicated account manager and phone support.
| Section score | Forex.com 66 -21 | IC Markets 87 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 7 | 17 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, German, English, Japanese, Polish, Spanish, 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 | English, 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
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that Forex.com and IC Markets provide to their clients in United Kingdom.IC Markets is better than Forex.com for learning, as IC Markets offers an economic calendar, which Forex.com does not. Both Forex.com and IC Markets offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
| Section score | Forex.com 95 -5 | IC Markets 100 Best |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
Forex.com vs IC Markets: which one should you choose?
Forex.com
CFD/FX Choose Forex.com if you want a CFD and forex broker regulated in the UK by the FCA, with low trading costs, fast execution and fixed-spread accounts.
Open Account 74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
IC Markets
CFD/FX Choose IC Markets if you want an online CFD broker with copy and social trading, a choice of trading platforms and no minimum deposit and live in a country where it is licensed to operate.
Not licensed in the UK 72.52% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include Forex.com or IC Markets, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
