CMC Markets vs. IC Markets

Comparison: CMC Markets vs. IC Markets – Which broker is better? A quick comparison based on the trading platform, fees, deposit or withdrawal options, and regulation in 2026.

Winner of this comparison: IC Markets with an overall rating of 60%

CMC Markets vs. IC Markets
CMC Markets
IC Markets

Basic information

Deposit
1 EUR/USD
200 EUR/USD
Spreads
0.8 EUR/USD
0.5 EUR/USD
Established
1989
2007
Currency Pairs (Total Forex pairs)
158
90
Country
UK, Australia
UK
Regulation
FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia)
FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), Cysec
Trading app
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)
MetaTrader 4 (MT4), cTrader, MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
Number of CFD asset classes
5
6
Broker type
MM
MM
Support
Phone, Mail, Chat
Phone, Mail, Chat
Funding methods
* Some of the payment methods may not be available in your country. Visa/Mastercard, Bank Wire
* Some of the payment methods may not be available in your country. Skrill, Qiwi, FasaPay, PayPal, Poli, Visa/Mastercard, Bank Wire
Real Stocks and ETFs
Yes
Yes

*The value is indicative from the broker's website. The spread amount is variable.

Comparison Result

If you don’t want to read the full comparison, the winner of our review is IC Markets, which takes the lead with a rating of 60%, while CMC Markets only reaches 36%. CMC Markets requires a minimum deposit of 1 EUR/USD, while IC Markets sets it at 200 EUR/USD. Thanks to the lower deposit, CMC Markets is more welcoming to traders with smaller budgets. For CMC Markets, the spread is 0.8 EUR/USD, while for IC Markets it is 0.5 EUR/USD. Lower spreads at IC Markets give it the edge. CMC Markets offers 158 forex pairs, while IC Markets provides 90. A wider selection gives CMC Markets the advantage. CMC Markets was founded in 1989, while IC Markets has been operating since 2007. The longer tradition of CMC Markets means greater experience. Unfortunately, neither of them offers this option. CMC Markets is overseen by 2 regulatory bodies, while IC Markets has 3. Stricter oversight at IC Markets gives it an advantage. CMC Markets supports 1 platforms, while IC Markets offers 3. More options are provided by IC Markets.
36%
CMC Markets
60%
IC Markets

Key Strengths

CMC Markets
  • Affordable forex trading with low fees
  • High-quality mobile and web platform for easy trading
  • Extensive analytical tools and educational materials
  • Clients under the supervision of top financial regulators
  • CMC Markets Plc is a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange
  • Built-in negative balance protection
IC Markets
  • Competitive spreads and low commissions: Low variable spreads, from 0 pips.
  • Wide range of trading instruments: Trading with over 2250 instruments.
  • Support for all trading methods: Scalping, HFT, and automated trading.

Comparison by Categories

  1. Investments 62 75
  2. Cost 80 80
  3. Trading app 14 43
  4. Trading Tools 80 100
  5. Research 50 100
  6. Education 33 100
  7. Forex 100 100
  8. Commodities 27 91
  9. Indicies 60 100
  10. Cryptocurrencies 20 50
  11. Regulations 33 50
  12. Support 100 100
  13. Overall 36 60

Comprehensive Comparison: CMC Markets vs IC Markets

CMC Markets
IC Markets

Investments

62 % 75 %
Currency Pairs (Total Forex pairs)
158
90
CFDs – Total Offered
4500+
300+
Options CFD
No
No
Share CFDs
Yes
Yes
Forex CFD
Yes
Yes
Commodities CFD
Yes
Yes
ETF CFD
No
Yes
Indicies CFD
Yes
Yes
Cryptocurrency traded as actual
No
No
Cryptocurrency traded as CFD
Yes
Yes
Winner
No
No

Cost

80 % 80 %
Average Spread EUR/USD *The value is indicative from the broker's website. The spread amount is variable.
0.8
0.5
Deposit from
1
200
Account fee
No
No
Inactivity fee
Yes
Yes
Active Trader or VIP Discounts
No
No
Withdrawal fees
No
No
Deposit fees
No
No
Winner
No
No

Trading app

14 % 43 %
Desktop Platform (Windows)
No
No
Web Platform
No
No
Social Trading / Copy-Trading
No
No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)
Yes
Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
No
Yes
Currenex
No
No
cTrader
No
Yes
Winner
No
No

Trading Tools

80 % 100 %
Financial leverage
Yes
Yes
Virtual Trading (Demo)
Yes
Yes
Alerts – Basic Fields
Yes
Yes
Charting – Indicators / Studies (Total)
Yes
Yes
Charting – Drawing Tools (Total)
Yes
Yes
Charting – Trade From Chart
Yes
Yes
Stop-Loss
Yes
Yes
Finacial Calendar
Yes
Yes
Daily financial news
No
Yes
Order Type – Trailing Stop
No
Yes
Winner
No
No

Research

50 % 100 %
Daily Market Commentary
Yes
Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources)
Yes
Yes
Weekly Webinars
Yes
Yes
Social Sentiment – Currency Pairs
No
Yes
Economic Calendar
No
Yes
Research
No
Yes
Winner
No
No

Education

33 % 100 %
Has Education – Forex
Yes
Yes
Has Education – CFDs
Yes
Yes
Client Webinars
No
Yes
Videos – Advanced Trading Videos
No
Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary)
No
Yes
Education
No
Yes
Winner
No
No

Forex

100 % 100 %
GBP/USD
Yes
Yes
USD/JPY
Yes
Yes
EUR/USD
Yes
Yes
USD/CHF
Yes
Yes
USD/CAD
Yes
Yes
NZD/USD
Yes
Yes
AUD/USD
Yes
Yes
Winner
No
No

Commodities

27 % 91 %
Gold
Yes
No
Silver
Yes
Yes
WIT Oil
Yes
Yes
Brent Oil
No
Yes
Coffee
No
Yes
Cocoa
No
Yes
Soybeans
No
Yes
Rice
No
Yes
Corn
No
Yes
Platinum
No
Yes
Palladium
No
Yes
Winner
No
No

Indicies

60 % 100 %
DAX 40
Yes
Yes
S&P 500
Yes
Yes
Nasdaq
Yes
Yes
Dow Jones
No
Yes
Nikkei
No
Yes
Winner
No
No

Cryptocurrencies

20 % 50 %
Bitcoin
Yes
Yes
Litecoin
No
Yes
Ethereum
Yes
Yes
Ripple
No
Yes
Neo
No
No
Stellar
No
No
Cardano
No
No
Tron
No
No
Monero
No
No
EOS
No
Yes
Winner
No
No

Regulations

33 % 50 %
Cysec
No
Yes
ASIC (Australia)
Yes
Yes
FCA (UK)
Yes
Yes
Authorised in the European Union (EU)
No
No
CFTC Registered (USA)
No
No
FINMA (Switzerland)
No
No
Winner
No
No

Support

100 % 100 %
Chat
Yes
Yes
Phone
Yes
Yes
Mail
Yes
Yes
Winner
No
No

Overall

36 % 60 %
Winner
No
No

Our Recommendations

Best for IC Markets

Thanks to comprehensive educational materials and a user-friendly platform, IC Markets is an ideal choice for new traders.

Best Platform IC Markets

The trading platform of broker IC Markets offers an intuitive interface and advanced features for efficient trading.

Lowest Costs

Both brokers have comparable fee structures and spreads.

CMC Markets IC Markets