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CMC Markets vs IC Markets 2026

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025
  Fact Checked

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

CMC Markets
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 12029
IC Markets
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $200
  • Trust Score: 83
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 3583

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

CMC Markets (founded 1989) and IC Markets (founded 2007) are well-known online brokers, but they differ in key ways. CMC Markets is publicly traded, while IC Markets is privately held; neither company is a bank.

On regulation, CMC Markets holds six Tier-1 licenses—considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com—plus one Tier-2 license, and earns a Trust Score of 99 out of 99, which falls in the 90–99 “highly trusted” range. IC Markets holds two Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses, with a Trust Score of 83 out of 99, placing it in the 80–89 “trusted” range. For context, ForexBrokers.com rates 70–79 as average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
IC Markets logoIC Markets
Year Founded info 1989 2007
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 6 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 3

Fees

CMC Markets and IC Markets are both top choices for low trading costs, and each earned 5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for this category, CMC Markets placed #4 out of 36 brokers, while IC Markets came in close behind at #5 out of 36. Both brokers are priced well below many competitors, but they take slightly different approaches to keeping costs down.

CMC Markets stands out for its consistently low spreads across all account types, with typical EUR/USD spreads around 0.61 pips based on its price data. It also offers the Price Plus active trader program, which can lower trading costs as volume rises, and its FX Active pricing can bring all-in EUR/USD costs down to about 0.5 pips with commission. That makes CMC Markets a strong pick for traders who want simple, competitive pricing without having to switch account types.

IC Markets is also a strong low-cost option, especially for traders who prefer commission-based accounts. It offers a Standard account with spread-only pricing, plus Raw Spread and cTrader Raw Spread accounts with very tight pricing and commissions as low as $3.00 per side on cTrader. Its average EUR/USD pricing can be very low once commissions are added, and active traders can qualify for discounts at higher monthly volumes. In short, CMC Markets is slightly ahead on ranking, while IC Markets remains one of the most affordable brokers for frequent forex trading.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
IC Markets logoIC Markets
Minimum Deposit info $0 $200
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.3 info 0.62 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info 0.62 info
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

When it comes to range of investments, CMC Markets offers a wider selection than IC Markets. CMC Markets lists 12,029 tradeable symbols and 141 forex pairs, compared with IC Markets’ 3,583 symbols and 61 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, offer copy trading, and let clients trade cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither allows buying actual cryptocurrency. Both also provide access to shares on international exchanges.

The biggest difference is in stock access and overall market choice. CMC Markets lets clients buy real, exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while IC Markets does not offer U.S.-listed shares in this way. This broader product range helps explain why CMC Markets earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers, while IC Markets scores 4.5 stars and ranks #22.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
IC Markets logoIC Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 12029 3583
Forex Pairs (Total) info 141 61
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes No
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

CMC Markets and IC Markets both give traders a wide choice of platforms and tools, including free demo accounts, web-based access, Windows desktop downloads, copy trading, and support for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Each broker also lets users trade directly from charts, which can make order entry quicker and easier. In other words, both are well set up for beginners who want to practice first and active traders who want flexibility across devices.

The main difference is that CMC Markets also offers its own in-house platform, while IC Markets does not. That extra proprietary option helps CMC Markets stand out for traders who want a broker-built platform alongside the familiar MetaTrader choices. This is reflected in the ratings too: CMC Markets scores 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, while IC Markets scores 4 stars and ranks #17, giving CMC Markets the edge overall in this category.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
IC Markets logoIC Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes 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 73 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

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

Forex trading apps

Both CMC Markets and IC Markets offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. On these basics, the two brokers are closely matched, so either app should cover the needs of traders who want to monitor markets and manage charts from a phone or tablet.

CMC Markets stands out for watchlist symbol syncing, which lets changes made in the mobile app and online account stay aligned, while IC Markets does not offer this feature. IC Markets does have a slight edge in charting, with 30 technical studies versus 29 for CMC Markets, but CMC Markets scores higher overall for mobile trading apps, earning 5 out of 5 stars and a #5 ranking from ForexBrokers.com, compared with IC Markets’ 4 stars and #22 ranking.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
IC Markets logoIC Markets
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 29 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

When it comes to market research, both CMC Markets and IC Markets give traders plenty of useful tools. Each broker offers daily market commentary, forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, Autochartist, sentiment data showing long and short positioning, and an economic calendar with major global events. Both also skip TipRanks and Acuity Trading tools, so their research suites are similar in many key areas.

The main difference is that IC Markets adds Trading Central, which CMC Markets does not offer. Even so, CMC Markets comes out ahead overall in research, with a 5-star rating and a #6 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with IC Markets’ 4-star rating and #21 ranking. For traders who want stronger market research coverage, CMC Markets has the edge, while IC Markets still delivers a solid set of research tools.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
IC Markets logoIC Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info Yes Yes
Trading Central info No Yes
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

For beginners looking for trading help, both CMC Markets and IC Markets provide a wide range of learning materials, including at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos. CMC Markets also stands out with a 5-star Education rating and a stronger overall ranking for education at #10 out of 36 brokers, compared with IC Markets at #16. CMC Markets also offers forex or CFDs education through a large set of learning pieces, making it a strong choice for traders who want to build their knowledge step by step.

That said, IC Markets has one clear edge: it offers online educational client webinars at least once a month, while CMC Markets does not. So if live learning sessions matter to you, IC Markets may be the better fit. But for beginners who want more structured study materials and a higher-rated education experience overall, CMC Markets comes out ahead.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
IC Markets logoIC Markets
Webinars info No 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 CMC Markets is better than IC Markets. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21.

CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.

Feature CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
IC Markets logoIC Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 83
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with CMC Markets or IC Markets?

CMC Markets and IC Markets do not allow buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both brokers offer cryptocurrency CFD trading for price exposure without owning the underlying asset.

What funding options does each broker offer?

In a funding-options comparison of online brokers CMC Markets vs IC Markets, CMC Markets supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire deposits/withdrawals but not Skrill, whereas IC Markets lacks ACH/SEPA, supports PayPal and Skrill, and offers bank wires.

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Overall Rating CMC Markets IC Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 83
Winner check_circle
Review CMC Markets Review IC Markets Review
Broker Screenshots CMC Markets IC Markets
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
CMC Markets Next Generation mobile trade ticket order. CMC Markets Next Generation web platform layout light theme CMC Markets research weekly outlook detail. CMC Markets OPTO Podcast.
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.
Regulation CMC Markets IC Markets
Trust Score info 99 83
Year Founded info 1989 2007
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 6 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 3
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) CMC Markets IC Markets
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info Yes No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) CMC Markets IC 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 Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments CMC Markets IC Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 12029 3583
Forex Pairs (Total) info 141 61
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes No
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 CMC Markets IC Markets
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.3 info 0.62 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info 0.62 info
Inactivity Fee info Yes No
Order execution: Agency info No Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding CMC Markets IC Markets
Minimum Deposit info $0 $200
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
Trading Platforms CMC Markets IC Markets
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes 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 No Yes
Trading Tools CMC Markets IC Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 73 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading CMC Markets IC 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 Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 29 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research CMC Markets IC Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info Yes Yes
Trading Central info No Yes
TipRanks info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education CMC Markets IC Markets
Webinars info No Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs CMC Markets IC 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 CMC Markets Review IC Markets Review
Overall CMC Markets IC Markets
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 83
Winner check_circle
Review CMC Markets Review IC Markets Review
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