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IC Markets vs BlackBull Markets 2026

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025
  Fact Checked

In this head to head comparison of IC Markets vs BlackBull Markets, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

IC Markets
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $200
  • Trust Score: 83
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 3583
BlackBull Markets
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 77
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 26000

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Regulation

IC Markets (founded 2007) and BlackBull Markets (founded 2014) are online brokers that are not publicly traded and are not banks. On ForexBrokers.com’s 99-point Trust Score, IC Markets scores 83 (trusted), while BlackBull Markets scores 77 (average risk). For context, 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 should not be trusted.

Looking at regulation, IC Markets holds two Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com), compared with one Tier-1 license for BlackBull Markets; neither broker holds any Tier-2 licenses. This gives IC Markets a slight edge in top-tier oversight, which may appeal to traders who prioritize licensing and safety.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Year Founded info 2007 2014
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-2 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 3 1

Fees

IC Markets comes out ahead of BlackBull Markets on commissions and fees, especially for traders who want low trading costs. IC Markets offers three account types: a commission-free Standard account and two commission-based Raw Spread accounts, including cTrader and MetaTrader versions. The cTrader Raw Spread account charges $3.00 per side per 100,000 units, while the MT4/MT5 Raw Spread account charges $3.50 per side. With average EUR/USD spreads as low as 0.02 pips on its commission-based setup, IC Markets can deliver very competitive all-in pricing. It also offers lower costs for active traders who trade more than 100 standard lots per month.

BlackBull Markets has fair pricing overall, but its costs are generally higher than IC Markets. Its Standard account has no commission and no minimum deposit, though spreads are wider. The Prime account has lower spreads and charges $3 per side, but requires a $2,000 minimum deposit. For very active traders, the ECN Institutional account lowers commissions to $2 per side, but it requires at least $20,000 to open. Based on EUR/USD pricing, BlackBull’s Prime account lands at an all-in cost of about 0.76 pips, which is decent but not as low as IC Markets.

In ForexBrokers.com’s Commissions and Fees category, IC Markets is rated 5 stars and ranked #5 out of 36 brokers, while BlackBull Markets is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #9 out of 36 brokers. Overall, IC Markets is the better choice for traders focused on keeping fees low, while BlackBull Markets is more of a middle-of-the-road option with a wider range of account types.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Minimum Deposit info $200 $0
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.62 info 1.16 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.62 info 0.76 info
Non-wire bank transfer info No Yes
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

IC Markets and BlackBull Markets both let clients trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts, and both also support copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. When it comes to market access, each broker offers international exchange-traded securities, but BlackBull Markets goes a step further by also offering U.S. exchange-traded shares such as Apple. IC Markets lists 3,583 tradable symbols and 61 forex pairs, while BlackBull Markets offers a much wider selection with 26,000 tradable symbols and 72 forex pairs.

For investors focused on choice, BlackBull Markets has the edge in range of investments, with a 5-star rating and a #7 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com. IC Markets is still competitive, earning 4.5 stars and a #22 ranking, but it does not offer direct buying of U.S. listed stocks. Neither broker currently allows clients to buy actual cryptocurrency, so traders looking for digital assets would be limited to CFDs on both platforms.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 3583 26000
Forex Pairs (Total) info 61 72
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info Yes Yes
Disclaimers Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).

Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.

Trading platforms and tools

When comparing IC Markets vs BlackBull Markets for trading platforms and tools, both brokers offer a very similar setup for everyday traders. Each provides a free demo account for simulated trading, plus access to both MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can trade on a Windows desktop platform or a web-based browser platform with either broker, and both also support copy trading and direct trading from charts. Neither IC Markets nor BlackBull Markets offers a proprietary in-house platform, so traders will be using third-party software rather than a broker-built app.

In terms of ratings, both IC Markets and BlackBull Markets score 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. However, IC Markets ranks higher in this category at #17 out of 36 brokers, while BlackBull Markets sits at #25 out of 36. For traders who want familiar platform choices, chart trading, and copy trading options, both brokers are well matched, with IC Markets holding a slight edge in overall category ranking.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info No No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 30 109
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

IC Markets and BlackBull Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts, 30 technical studies, trendline drawing, and auto-saving of chart drawings. Both brokers are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, so each one gives traders a solid on-the-go trading experience.

The main difference is watchlist syncing. BlackBull Markets lets you sync watchlists between its mobile app and online account, while IC Markets does not. That gives BlackBull Markets a slight edge for traders who want their watchlists to stay updated across devices. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps ranking, IC Markets is placed #22 out of 36 brokers, while BlackBull Markets is ranked #27.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info No Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 30 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

IC Markets and BlackBull Markets both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, Autochartist, sentiment data, and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. Both brokers also make it easier to stay on top of market moves with tools that help traders spot trends and follow news that may affect prices.

The main difference is that IC Markets adds forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus Trading Central research tools like Technical Analytics. BlackBull Markets does not offer those extra sources, but it still earns a slightly higher research score, with 4.5 stars and a #17 ranking versus IC Markets’ 4 stars and #21 ranking out of 36 brokers.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info Yes Yes
Trading Central info Yes No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
TipRanks info No No
Acuity Trading info No No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

When comparing IC Markets and BlackBull Markets for beginner education, both brokers give new traders plenty to work with. Each offers forex and CFD learning materials, regular online client webinars at least once a month, and at least 10 beginner videos plus 10 advanced videos. That means either broker can help someone start learning the basics and then move on to more advanced trading topics. For new traders, the overall experience is quite similar, with both firms providing a solid mix of articles, videos, and webinars.

There are a few differences in how these two brokers are viewed for education. BlackBull Markets is rated slightly higher at 4.5 out of 5 stars, while IC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 stars. However, IC Markets ranks better with ForexBrokers.com for education, placing #16 out of 36 brokers, compared with BlackBull Markets at #24. In simple terms, both brokers offer strong educational support for beginners, but BlackBull Markets gets the higher star rating, while IC Markets holds the stronger ranking.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IC Markets is better than BlackBull Markets. IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21, while BlackBull Markets finished with an overall rank of #22.

IC Markets’ competitive pricing and scalable execution make it an excellent option for algorithmic traders. Though it supports an impressive range of third-party tools and plugins, IC Markets’ research and education offerings are not as impressive as those offered by industry leaders.

Feature IC Markets logoIC Markets
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 83 77
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with IC Markets or BlackBull Markets?

In the IC Markets vs BlackBull Markets comparison, neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer trading via cryptocurrency CFDs.

What funding options does each broker offer?

IC Markets supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers but not ACH/SEPA (Visa/Mastercard info not provided), while BlackBull Markets supports ACH/SEPA, Skrill, and bank wire transfers but not PayPal (Visa/Mastercard info not provided).

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We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.

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Overall Rating IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 83 77
Winner check_circle
Review IC Markets Review BlackBull Markets Review
Broker Screenshots IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
IC Markets cTrader mobile app charting IC Markets EU cTrader desktop trading platform layout IC Markets webinar IC Your Trade YouTube video series. IC Markets Educational content blog articles.
BlackBull Markets MT5 mobile trading app BlackBull Markets MetaTrader 5 MT5 desktop platform. BlackBull Markets economic calendar. BlackBull Markets Trading Podcasts playlist.
Regulation IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Trust Score info 83 77
Year Founded info 2007 2014
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No info
Tier-1 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-2 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 3 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info No No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info No No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info No No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No Yes
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) info No No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 3583 26000
Forex Pairs (Total) info 61 72
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info Yes Yes
Disclaimers Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).
Cost IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.62 info 1.16 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.62 info 0.76 info
Inactivity Fee info No No
Order execution: Agency info Yes No
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Minimum Deposit info $200 $0
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info No Yes
Trading Platforms IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info No No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes Yes
cTrader info Yes Yes
Trading Tools IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 30 109
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info No Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 30 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info Yes Yes
Trading Central info Yes No
TipRanks info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs IC Markets BlackBull Markets
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review IC Markets Review BlackBull Markets Review
Overall IC Markets BlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 83 77
Winner check_circle
Review IC Markets Review BlackBull Markets Review
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