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%
Basic information
| Basic information |  CMC Markets |  IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
72.52% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
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
Comprehensive Comparison: CMC Markets vs IC Markets
CMC Markets IC Markets Investments
62 % 75 %| Investments | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Cost
80 % 80 %| Cost | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Trading app
14 % 43 %| Trading app | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Trading Tools
80 % 100 %| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Research
50 % 100 %| Research | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Education
33 % 100 %| Education | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Forex
100 % 100 %| Forex | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Commodities
27 % 91 %| Commodities | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Indicies
60 % 100 %| Indicies | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| DAX 40 | Yes | Yes |
| S&P 500 | Yes | Yes |
| Nasdaq | Yes | Yes |
| Dow Jones | No | Yes |
| Nikkei | No | Yes |
Cryptocurrencies
20 % 50 %| Cryptocurrencies | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Regulations
33 % 50 %| Regulations | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Support
100 % 100 %| Support | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Chat | Yes | Yes |
| Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes |
Overall
36 % 60 %| Overall | CMC Markets | IC Markets |
|---|
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