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InvestinGoal » Compare Forex Brokers » FXCM vs IC Markets

FXCM vs IC Markets: Comparison and Analysis

Trying to decide between FXCM and IC Markets? This comparison article will provide you with a detailed overview of both brokers, so you can make an informed decision based on your needs.

We have compared over 100 variables and features, and divided the comparisons into a logical structure for easy navigation.

Scroll down to read the full post or use the quick menu to jump to the relevant section.

Open Account
66% of retail investor accounts lose money
FXCM review
Open Account
74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money
IC Markets review

Overall Ratings


Rated
81
Rated
91

General Breakdown. This graph highlights the key scores from each Macro, uniquely calculated by us.

  • FXCM
  • IC Markets

Security 94
Security 93

Cost 73
Cost 85

Trading 73
Trading 100

Education 83
Education 66

Company Info


Foundation
1999
2007
Is it Regulated?
Is it Publicly Traded?
Is it a Bank?
Segregated Clients Funds ?
No-ESMA Branches? ?
Accepts EU Clients?
Accepts US Clients?
Accepts Canadian Clients?
Website Languages
en, ar, de, es, fr, gre, heb, po, ind, viet, mal, tag, chi
en, ar, bul, chi(t/s), cro, cz, de, es, fr, po, ru, thai, ko, ind, viet, mal, it

Leverage


Non-EU Leverage ?
400:1
500:1
European Leverage ?
30:1
30:1
Australian Leverage ?
30:1
30:1
US Leverage ?
0
0
Canadian Leverage ?
50:1
0

Tier 1 Regulation


FSA ?
MAS ?
FINMA ?
FCA ?
CFTC ?
MIFID-ESMA ?
ASIC ?
CIRO ?
SFC ?

Tier 2 Regulation


FMA ?
CBR ?
FSCA ?
SEC ?
DFSA ?
CBRC ?
CySEC ?
ISA ?

Tier 3 Regulation


Offshore ?
MMA (Maldives) ?
EDR ?
FSA (Seychelles) ?
SCB (Bahamas) ?
FSC (Mauritius) ?
VFSC (Vanuatu) ?
IFSC (Belize) ?
CIMA (Cayman Islands) ?
SVG (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) ?
FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) ?
BMA (Bermuda) ?
BVI (British Virgin Islands) ?

Brand Power


SimilarWeb - Website Ranking
89071
19551
SimilarWeb - Total Visits
807860
117889
Facebook Likes
83544
54458
Twitter Likes
92400
3276
Instagram Likes
14397

Deposit and Withdrawal


Minimum Deposit ?
50 USD
Minimum Withdraw ?
Credit Card ?
Bank Transfer ?
PayPal
Neteller
Skrill
Other Methods Available ?
Bpay, Broker to Broker, FasaPay, Klarna, POLi, RapidPay, THAI Internet Banking, UnionPay, Vietnamese Internet Banking, Bitcoin Wallet
Deposit Waiting Time ?
1 business day
instant
Withdraw Waiting Time ?
1-2 business days
1 business day
Bonus Program ?

Costs and Fees


Deposit Fees ?
Withdrawal Commissions ?
Overnight/Swap Fee ?
Inactivity Fee ?
Conversion Fee ?

Account Types


Demo Account ?
Demo Account Expiration ?
Account Currencies ?
AUD, EUR, GBP, USD, CHF
AUD, EUR, GBP, USD, CAD, CHF, HKD, JPY, NZD, SGD
Standard Account ?
Micro Account ?
Low-cost Account ?
Variable Spread Account ?
Fixed Spread Account ?
Zero Spread Account ?
ECN Account ?
Swap Free Account ?
Islamic Account ?
Professional Traders Account ?
Active Trader Program ?

Commodities


Crude Oil ?
0.03
0.010
Natural Gas ?
0.01
0.001
Silver ?
0.04
Platinum ?
Copper ?
0.00
Soybeans ?
1.35
Corn ?
0.64
0.6
Gold ?
0.76

Forex Fixed Spreads


EUR/GBP Spread
EUR/USD Spread
USD/JPY Spread
GBP/USD Spread
USD/CHF Spread
AUD/USD Spread
USD/CAD Spread
NZD/USD Spread

Forex Variable Spreads


EUR/USD Average Spread
1.3
0.1
USD/JPY Average Spread
1.4
0.2
USD/CHF Average Spread
1.7
0.5
GBP/USD Average Spread
2.0
0.4
USD/CAD Average Spread
2.3
0.5
AUD/USD Average Spread
1.9
0.2
NZD/USD Average Spread
2.1
0.4
EUR/GBP Average Spread
2.6
0.4

Fees on Stocks


Apple
Facebook
Alphabet
Snapchat
BP
Tesco
Barclays
Lloyds

Fees on Indices


FTSE100
0.96
1.0
S&P500
0.38
0.6
Dow Jones
Nasdaq
1.01
CAC40
1.24
1.0
DAX30
1.15
0.950
Nikkei 225
8.57
6.0
Euro Stoxx 50
1.08

Fees on Cryptocurrencies


Bitcoin
1
1
Ethereum
0,94
4.0
Ripple
0,01
0.015
Litecoin
0,19
3.0
Bitcoin Cash
3,37
5.0
Dash
0
4.0
Monero
0
0
Neo
0
0

Platforms


cTrader Desktop
cTrader Web
Mirror Trader
ZuluTrade ?
MT4 Dekstop
MT4 Web
MT5 Desktop
MT5 Web
Proprietary Desktop Platform
Proprietary Web Platform
MAC Platforms
Sirix

Mobile Trading


Android ?
iOS ?
Windows ?
Trading Signals on Mobile ?
Smart Watch App ?
Forex Trading ?
CFD Trading ?
Alerts ?
Chartings-Drawing Tools ?
Mobile Available Language ?
en, ar, de, es, fr, heb, po, ru, it, ur, chi
en, dan, de, ne, pol, afrk, chi
Watchlist Mobile ?

Available Markets


Forex Pairs ?
39
63
Crypto ?
8
63
Commodities ?
11
21
Stocks ?
15
1650
Indices ?
13
25
ETF ?
Futures ?
4
Options ?
Bonds ?
7
Metal ?
3
7
Agricultural ?
3
6
Energies ?
5
5
Interest Rates ?
Penny Stocks ?
IPO ?
Blends ?
Dow Jones ?
FTSE ?
Dax ?
Nikkei ?
Gold Market ?
Bitcoin ?
Real Assets ?

Trading Execution


Direct Market Access (DMA) ?
Straigh Through Processing (STP) ?
Electronic Communication Network (ECN) ?
Market Maker ?
Non Dealing Desk (NDD) ?
FIFO Applies? ?
4 Digits Decimal Pricing ?
5 Digits Decimal Pricing ?

Risk Management


Stop Losses ?
Take Profits ?
Limit Orders ?
Trailing Stop ?
Margin Call ?
OCO Orders ?
Guaranteed Stop Loss ?
Negative Balance Protection ?
Minimum Trade Size ?
0.001 lots
0.01 lots
Maximum Trade Size ?
100 lots
100 lots

Special Trading Conditions


MAM ?
PAMM ?
Social Trading ?
Copy Trading ?
LAMM ?

Available Trading Techniques


Scalping ?
Hedging ?
Spread Betting ?
Expert Advisor (EA) ?
Virtual Private Server ?
API ?

Trading Tools


One-Click Trading ?
Signal Trading ?
Price Alerts ?
Number Chart Indicators ?
51
51
Number Chart Drawing Tools ?
31
31
Trade Directly From Chart ?
Watchlist ?

Education


Education Center ?
Webinars
Platform Tutorial Video ?
Video on Trading for Beginners ?
Video on Trading for Experts ?
Tutorial Guide
Glossary

Customer Support


Call Back Request ?
Email Support
Phone Support
Live Chat
Support Language Available
en, ar, de, es, fr, gre, heb, po, ind, viet, mal, tag, chi
en, ar, bul, chi(t/s), cro, cz, de, es, fr, po, ru, thai, ko, ind, viet, mal, it

Research


Professional Reports
Social Trading Features - Social Feeds ?
Economic Calendar
Daily Email With Trading Ideas
Analysis From Trading Central (Recognia)
Analysis From Delkos Research
AutoChartist
Traders Sentiment ?
News via Twitter
News via FaceBook
Daily Market Commentary

Security and Rating

Both FXCM and IC Markets are highly regulated, with FXCM being regulated by FCA, ASIC, FSCA, CySEC, ISA, and IIROC, while IC Markets is regulated by CySEC, ASIC, FSA, and SCB. FXCM has a security rating of 94, while IC Markets has a security rating of 93.

Demo Account

Both FXCM and IC Markets offer demo accounts with virtual funds. FXCM offers an unlimited demo account with $50,000 virtual funds, while IC Markets offers a demo account with unlimited virtual funds, and traders can choose the amount up to $5,000,000. The virtual funds of the IC Markets demo account can be restored by contacting customer support.

Minimum Deposit

FXCM requires a minimum deposit of $50 for non-EU clients and $300 for UK and EU clients, while IC Markets does not have a minimum deposit in place, but suggests a minimum deposit of $200.

Social Trading and Copy Trading

FXCM allows traders to engage in copy and social trading through third-party platforms such as ZuluTrade and Tradingview, while IC Markets allows traders to engage in copy trading through third-party platforms such as ZuluTrade.

CFD and Forex Trading

FXCM offers a range of CFD trading options, including forex, commodities, indices, crypto, and stocks. IC Markets offers CFD trading only, including forex, commodities, indices, crypto, and stocks. This makes both brokers a good option for short-term trading.

Stock Market

FXCM offers 15 stocks, while IC Markets offers over 1600 stocks. IC Markets charges variable spreads on stocks.

Cryptocurrency Trading

FXCM offers 7 crypto assets for trading, while IC Markets offers 63 crypto assets for trading.

Platforms

FXCM offers the Trading Station proprietary platform, which is available via desktop, web, and mobile, as well as the MetaTrader 4 platform, which is available via web, desktop, and mobile. IC Markets offers the MetaTrader 4 platform, which is available via web, desktop, and mobile, the MetaTrader 5 platform, which is available via web, desktop, and mobile, and the cTrader platform, which is available via web, desktop, and mobile. All the platforms offered by both brokers allow traders to engage in algo trading. IC Markets also offers VPS services.

Education

Both FXCM and IC Markets offer a range of educational resources for traders. FXCM provides FAQs, trading guides, and a research section, while IC Markets offers a wide range of educational material, including webinars and podcasts. Customer care is easy to contact via phone, email, and live chat for both brokers, with IC Markets offering support in over 18 languages.

In conclusion, both FXCM and IC Markets offer a range of features and benefits for traders. FXCM is a good choice for traders who want to invest in a range of CFD trading options, including forex, commodities, indices, crypto, and stocks, as well as for short-term trading. IC Markets is a good choice for traders who want to invest in a wide range of trading assets, including forex, commodities, crypto, stocks, and indices, as well as for both short and long-term investing. IC Markets offers very low spreads and commission, making it a good broker for scalping. Ultimately, the choice between the two brokers will depend on your individual needs and preferences.