IC Markets vs. Interactive brokers
Comparison: IC Markets vs. Interactive brokers – 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 |  IC Markets |  Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | 200 EUR/USD | 10 EUR/USD |
| Spreads | 0.5 EUR/USD | 1 EUR/USD |
| Established | 2007 | 1978 |
| Currency Pairs (Total Forex pairs) | 90 | 22 |
| Country | UK | UK |
| Regulation | FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), Cysec | Authorised in the European Union (EU) |
| Trading app | MetaTrader 4 (MT4), cTrader, MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Desktop Platform (Windows), Web Platform |
| Number of CFD asset classes | 6 | 5 |
| Broker type | MM | ECN, STP |
| Support | Phone, Mail, Chat | Phone, Mail, Chat |
| Funding methods | * Some of the payment methods may not be available in your country. Skrill, Qiwi, FasaPay, PayPal, Poli, Visa/Mastercard, Bank Wire | * Some of the payment methods may not be available in your country. 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
In terms of overall rating, both brokers are equal – both have 60%. IC Markets requires a minimum deposit of 200 EUR/USD, while Interactive brokers sets it at 10 EUR/USD. Conversely, Interactive brokers scores with a lower minimum deposit. For IC Markets, the spread is 0.5 EUR/USD, while for Interactive brokers it is 1 EUR/USD. Tighter spreads make IC Markets a more advantageous choice. IC Markets offers 90 forex pairs, while Interactive brokers provides 22. A wider selection gives IC Markets the advantage. IC Markets was founded in 2007, while Interactive brokers has been operating since 1978. The older Interactive brokers has the upper hand in this regard. This advantage goes to Interactive brokers, while IC Markets lacks it. IC Markets is overseen by 3 regulatory bodies, while Interactive brokers has 1. More regulations at IC Markets enhance its trustworthiness. IC Markets supports 3 platforms, while Interactive brokers offers 2. A greater choice of platforms gives IC Markets the lead.
60%
IC Markets
50%
Interactive brokers
Key Strengths
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.
Interactive brokers
- Extremely low fees
- Wide range of products
- Many great research tools
- Low margin rates
- No inactivity fee and no withdrawal fee
Comparison by Categories
Comprehensive Comparison: IC Markets vs Interactive brokers
IC Markets Interactive brokers Investments
75 % 62 %| Investments | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Currency Pairs (Total Forex pairs) | 90 | 22 |
| CFDs – Total Offered | 300+ | 100+ |
| Options CFD | No | Yes |
| Share CFDs | Yes | No |
| Forex CFD | Yes | Yes |
| Commodities CFD | Yes | Yes |
| ETF CFD | Yes | Yes |
| Indicies CFD | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency traded as actual | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency traded as CFD | Yes | No |
Cost
80 % 80 %| Cost | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD *The value is indicative from the broker's website. The spread amount is variable. | 0.5 | 1 |
| Deposit from | 200 | 10 |
| 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
43 % 29 %| Trading app | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy-Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Currenex | No | No |
| cTrader | Yes | No |
Trading Tools
100 % 100 %| Trading Tools | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Order Type – Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes |
Research
100 % 83 %| Research | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Weekly Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment – Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Yes | Yes |
Education
100 % 100 %| Education | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Has Education – Forex | Yes | Yes |
| Has Education – CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos – Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Yes | Yes |
Forex
100 % 100 %| Forex | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| 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
91 % 100 %| Commodities | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | No | Yes |
| Silver | Yes | Yes |
| WIT Oil | Yes | Yes |
| Brent Oil | Yes | Yes |
| Coffee | Yes | Yes |
| Cocoa | Yes | Yes |
| Soybeans | Yes | Yes |
| Rice | Yes | Yes |
| Corn | Yes | Yes |
| Platinum | Yes | Yes |
| Palladium | Yes | Yes |
Indicies
100 % 100 %| Indicies | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| DAX 40 | Yes | Yes |
| S&P 500 | Yes | Yes |
| Nasdaq | Yes | Yes |
| Dow Jones | Yes | Yes |
| Nikkei | Yes | Yes |
Cryptocurrencies
50 % 0 %| Cryptocurrencies | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | Yes | No |
| Litecoin | Yes | No |
| Ethereum | Yes | No |
| Ripple | Yes | No |
| Neo | No | No |
| Stellar | No | No |
| Cardano | No | No |
| Tron | No | No |
| Monero | No | No |
| EOS | Yes | No |
Regulations
50 % 17 %| Regulations | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Cysec | Yes | No |
| ASIC (Australia) | Yes | No |
| FCA (UK) | Yes | No |
| Authorised in the European Union (EU) | No | Yes |
| CFTC Registered (USA) | No | No |
| FINMA (Switzerland) | No | No |
Support
100 % 100 %| Support | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Chat | Yes | Yes |
| Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes |
Overall
60 % 50 %| Overall | IC Markets | Interactive brokers |
|---|
Our Recommendations
Best for Interactive brokers
Thanks to comprehensive educational materials and a user-friendly platform, Interactive brokers 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.
IC Markets Interactive brokers