Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of IC Markets' Seychelles entity and XM's Belize entity. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers (real shares and ETFs you own outright), using the data of IC Markets' Seychelles entity and XM's Belize entity.
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.
XM
Not available in your country XM is not available in the UK.
72.82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders IC Markets and XM are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.IC Markets is better than XM for professional traders and high-volume traders, while XM is better for long-term investors. Scalpers, swing traders and news traders can choose either IC Markets or XM.
| Overall score | IC Markets 87 Best not offered | XM 74 -13 73 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 IC Markets and the ones that supervise XM.Neither IC Markets nor XM is regulated in the UK. IC Markets and XM are both regulated by top-tier authorities, IC Markets by CySEC and ASIC (Australia) and XM by CySEC. XM does not operate in the UK.
| Section score | IC Markets 100 Best not offered | XM 90 -10 90 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 IC Markets and XM have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.Both IC Markets and XM offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication. IC Markets holds no licence in the UK and is not covered by the FSCS.
| Section score | IC Markets 65 not offered | XM 65 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 2007 | 2009 |
| Parent company i | International Capital Markets Pty Ltd | Trading Point Holdings |
| CEO i | Andrew Budzinski | Tasos Anastasiou |
| 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 | 20,000,000 | |
| Annual revenue i | USD 1,000,000,000 | |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 2.2M monthly visits | |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with IC Markets and with XM in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.IC Markets is better than XM for CFD/FX costs, because IC Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 7.55 USD per lot (against XM's 20 USD), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.49 points (against XM's 0.6 points), and has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.09 points (against XM's 0.55 points). Neither IC Markets nor XM charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
Only XM can be assessed for real stock costs, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | IC Markets 79 Best not offered | XM 26 -53 72 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 7 | Free |
| 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 7.55 | USD 20 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.492 points | 0.6 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.09 points | 0.55 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | USD 12.01 | USD 40 |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | USD 0.02 | Free |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission, Percentage | Commission, Percentage, Spread |
| US stocks fees (real) i | USD 2.8 | |
| 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 IC Markets and with XM in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.There is little between IC Markets and XM on CFD/FX markets. Both IC Markets and XM offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks. XM has a slight edge, as it gives access to 1,400 tradable symbols (against IC Markets' 180), and lets you own stocks outright.
There is no like-for-like comparison for real stock markets, as IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | IC Markets 75 not offered | XM 75 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 180 | 1,400 |
| 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 | Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that IC Markets and XM make available to their clients in United Kingdom.IC Markets is better than XM for platforms, since IC Markets offers cTrader, social trading and TradingView, which XM does not. Both IC Markets and XM offer MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4.
XM and IC Markets cannot be compared for platforms, because XM is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while IC Markets is a CFD broker.
| Section score | IC Markets 89 Best not offered | XM 63 -26 63 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 IC Markets and XM in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.IC Markets is better than XM for mobile trading, since IC Markets offers the cTrader app and mobile trading signals, which XM does not. IC Markets and XM both offer a proprietary mobile app and the MetaTrader 5 app.
XM and IC Markets cannot be compared for mobile trading, because XM is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while IC Markets is a CFD broker.
| Section score | IC Markets 93 Best not offered | XM 86 -7 86 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 IC Markets and XM allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.XM is better than IC Markets for CFD/FX trading features, since XM offers negative balance protection, which IC Markets does not. Both IC Markets and XM 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). The leverage shown for XM is set by its Belize entity and exceeds the retail limit in the UK (30:1 on major currency pairs).
XM and IC Markets cannot be compared for real stock trading features, because XM is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while IC Markets is a CFD broker.
| Section score | IC Markets 83 -4 not offered | XM 87 Best 77 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | NDD | Agency |
| Average execution time i | 40 ms | 66 ms |
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| Requotes occurrence i | 0% | |
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 5000:1 | 1000:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 5000:1 | 1000:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 200:1 | 500:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 200:1 | 250:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 2000:1 | 1000:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 1000:1 | 400:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 500:1 | 1000:1 |
| 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 IC Markets and at XM in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.IC Markets is better than XM for CFD/FX account types, given that IC Markets offers a professional traders account, an ECN account and a copy trading account, which XM does not. IC Markets and XM both offer a demo account and a corporate account.
XM and IC Markets cannot be compared for real stock account types, because XM is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while IC Markets is a CFD broker.
| Section score | IC Markets 92 Best not offered | XM 60 -32 68 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 IC Markets and with XM in United Kingdom.IC Markets and XM are close on account opening, as both offer credit cards and debit cards. IC Markets goes a step further, as it does not require a minimum deposit (against XM's 5 USD), and supports 3 e-wallets (against XM's 2). XM does not operate in the UK and IC Markets holds no licence there.
Only XM can be assessed for account opening, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks. XM does not operate in the UK and IC Markets holds no licence there.
| Section score | IC Markets 95 not offered | XM 95 95 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | USD 0 | USD 5 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | USD 0 | USD 5 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | PayPal, Neteller, Skrill | Neteller, Skrill |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | AUD, CAD, CHF, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, NZD, SGD, USD | AUD, CHF, EUR, GBP, HUF, PLN, RUB, SGD, USD, ZAR |
| Deposit waiting time i | Instant | Instant |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 1 business days | up to 1 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of IC Markets and XM in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.IC Markets is better than XM for customer care, since IC Markets offers priority support, which XM does not. IC Markets and XM both offer a dedicated account manager and phone support.
Only XM can be assessed for customer care, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | IC Markets 87 Best not offered | XM 78 -9 78 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 17 | 20 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, German, English, French, Croatian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese | Arabic, Czech, German, Greek, English, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, German, English, French, Croatian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese | Arabic, Czech, German, Greek, English, French, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, 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 IC Markets and XM provide to their clients in United Kingdom.IC Markets is better than XM for learning, since IC Markets offers professional reports, which XM does not. IC Markets and XM both offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
Only XM can be assessed for learning, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | IC Markets 100 Best not offered | XM 88 -12 88 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
IC Markets vs XM: which one should you choose?
IC Markets
CFD/FX Choose IC Markets if you want a CFD and forex broker with low trading costs, no minimum deposit and social trading 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.
XM
CFD/FX Choose XM if you want an online CFD broker with micro accounts and live in a country where it accepts clients.
Stocks Choose XM if you want a stock brokerage service with micro accounts and live in a country where it accepts clients.
Not available in the UK 72.82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include IC Markets or XM, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
