Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro vs IC Markets, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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.
eToro and IC Markets are online brokers founded in 2007. eToro is publicly traded, while IC Markets is privately held; neither operates as a bank. In terms of regulation, eToro holds four Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, signaling wide oversight across top-tier regulators. IC Markets holds two Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses.
According to ForexBrokers.com, eToro’s Trust Score is 97/99, placing it in the “highly trusted” range (90–99). IC Markets scores 83/99, which is considered “trusted” (80–89). Lower bands reflect higher risk (70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, under 59 not trusted).
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, eToro is simple to use but not the cheapest choice. It is a market-maker broker and typically lists a 1 pip spread on EUR/USD, which is a bit above the industry average. That said, many retail traders are drawn to eToro more for its social copy trading tools than for low trading costs. eToro is rated 4 stars and is ranked #22 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.
IC Markets, by contrast, is built for lower-cost trading. It offers three account types: a commission-free Standard account, plus Raw Spread and cTrader Raw Spread accounts with tight pricing and low commissions. On EUR/USD, its average spread can be extremely low, and even after commissions, the all-in cost stays competitive with top low-cost brokers. IC Markets also gives discounts to active traders who trade over 100 standard lots per month. IC Markets is rated 5 stars and is ranked #5 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.
In short, eToro is better known for convenience and copy trading, while IC Markets is the stronger pick if keeping trading costs low is your main goal. If fees matter most, IC Markets has the edge by a clear margin.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $200 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 0.62 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1 | 0.62 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, eToro gives traders more choice than IC Markets overall. eToro offers 7,441 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, while IC Markets offers 3,583 symbols and 61 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both also offer copy trading. However, eToro stands out for its wider stock access, letting clients buy exchange-traded shares on both U.S. and international markets, while IC Markets only offers exchange-traded securities on international exchanges.
eToro also has an edge in crypto investing because it lets users buy actual cryptocurrency as well as crypto CFDs. IC Markets offers crypto CFDs, but not direct crypto ownership. This broader lineup is reflected in the ratings too: eToro earns 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers, while IC Markets scores 4.5 stars and ranks #22. For investors looking for a wider mix of markets and asset types, eToro is the stronger pick in this category.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 3583 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 61 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
When comparing eToro and IC Markets for trading platforms and tools, both brokers give traders a free demo account, web-based access, copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from a chart. eToro stands out for its own built-in platform, which is designed in-house and easy to use for newer traders, while IC Markets focuses more on choice and flexibility with both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 available, plus a Windows desktop platform for those who want a downloadable app.
In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, eToro has the edge with a 4.5-star rating and a #8 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with IC Markets at 4 stars and #17. In simple terms, eToro may appeal more to traders who want a streamlined, social-style platform, while IC Markets is a better fit for those who prefer the MetaTrader experience and a desktop trading setup.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
eToro and IC Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. That means either broker can work well if you want to trade or check markets from your phone. eToro also stands out with watchlist syncing, so changes you make in the app carry over to your online account, while IC Markets does not offer this feature.
When it comes to charting tools, eToro has a clear edge for mobile users, offering 104 technical studies compared with 30 at IC Markets. IC Markets does have one useful plus: it auto-saves chart drawings, while eToro does not. Overall, eToro is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets is rated 4 stars and ranks #22, making eToro the stronger choice for most mobile traders.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
eToro and IC Markets both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, news from top sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for global events. Both brokers also help traders stay informed with current market updates, making either platform a solid choice for following day-to-day price drivers.
The main difference is in the extra research features. IC Markets includes Autochartist and Trading Central, which can help with chart signals and trade ideas, while eToro does not offer those tools. On the other hand, eToro includes TipRanks research, which IC Markets does not. Overall, eToro scores slightly higher for research at 4.5 stars and ranks #12 out of 36 brokers, compared with IC Markets at 4 stars and #21 out of 36.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking to learn forex and CFD trading, both eToro and IC Markets provide a wide range of educational materials. Each broker offers at least 10 forex- or CFD-focused learning pieces, monthly educational webinars, and more than 10 beginner videos as well as more than 10 advanced videos, so new traders and more experienced users can both find useful content. In practical terms, that means either platform gives learners plenty of ways to build basic knowledge and keep expanding it over time.
That said, eToro has the edge in education overall. It is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers with ForexBrokers.com, while IC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #16. If education is a key factor for you, eToro appears to offer a slightly stronger learning experience, though IC Markets still provides a solid set of beginner-friendly resources.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that eToro is better than IC Markets. eToro finished with an overall rank of #9, while IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21.
eToro is a winner for its easy-to-use copy-trading platform, where traders can copy the trades of experienced investors – or receive exclusive perks for sharing their own trading strategies.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 97 | 83 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Trading Fees |
|
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
eToro vs IC Markets: eToro lets you buy and hold actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies in addition to trading crypto CFDs, while IC Markets offers crypto exposure only via CFDs and does not provide access to delivered coins.
eToro supports ACH/SEPA transfers (IC Markets does not), and both brokers offer PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire options for deposits and withdrawals, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
Please note:
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 97 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 97 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 3583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 0.62 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1 | 0.62 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $200 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | eToro Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | eToro | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 97 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | IC Markets Review |
IG
FOREX.com
CMC Markets
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill