Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro vs IFC 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 vs IFC Markets: for regulation and safety, eToro (founded 2007) is publicly traded and not a bank. It holds four Tier-1 licenses (the most trusted category) and one Tier-2 license. IFC Markets (founded 2006) is not publicly traded and is not a bank, with one Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses.
Per ForexBrokers.com, eToro’s Trust Score is 97/99 (90–99 = highly trusted). IFC Markets scores 73/99 (70–79 = average risk). On this scale, 80–89 is trusted, 60–69 is high risk, and below 59 should not be trusted. These ratings help indicate each broker’s oversight and potential risk.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 5 |
When comparing commissions and fees, eToro and IFC Markets are both rated 4 out of 5 stars, but eToro has the better rank in this category. ForexBrokers.com places eToro at #22 out of 36 brokers, while IFC Markets comes in at #32 out of 36. eToro’s typical EUR/USD spread is 1 pip, which is a bit above the industry average, so many traders choose it more for its social copy trading tools than for low-cost pricing.
IFC Markets is also a mixed choice on pricing. Its average EUR/USD spread is 1.44, which is higher than the industry average of 1.08 and makes it less competitive for standard trading. That said, its new ECN account can bring the effective spread down to about 1.1 pips after commissions are included, which may appeal more to active traders.
Both brokers offer some fee-related advantages, but in different ways. eToro’s VIP Club includes five tiers, from Silver to Diamond, for balances between $5,000 and $250,000, with perks such as Trading Central access, lower withdrawal and deposit fees, and a dedicated account manager. IFC Markets stands out for having no inactivity fees and for offering active trader discounts, which can help offset its wider spreads.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, eToro offers a wider selection than IFC Markets. eToro lists 7,441 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, compared with IFC Markets’ 630 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, and both offer copy trading, but eToro also lets clients buy exchange traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, while IFC Markets only offers international exchange traded securities.
Crypto access is another key difference. eToro allows users to buy actual cryptocurrency as well as cryptocurrency CFDs, while IFC Markets offers crypto CFDs only. Overall, eToro earns 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets scores 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #31, making eToro the stronger choice for traders looking for more market variety.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
eToro and IFC Markets both give traders a choice of a free demo account, a web-based platform, a built-in platform, copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. The main difference is that IFC Markets also offers a Windows desktop download platform and supports both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, while eToro does not. For traders who want a simple browser experience and social features, eToro is a strong fit; for those who want MetaTrader access and a desktop app, IFC Markets has the edge.
In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, eToro is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #8 out of 36 brokers, while IFC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #29. Both brokers cover the basics well, but eToro stands out more for its platform experience overall, while IFC Markets may appeal more to traders who prefer classic desktop and MetaTrader tools.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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 IFC Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each app includes stock or forex price alerts, watchlist syncing, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. This means traders can track markets, manage watchlists, and work on charts while away from a desktop. For everyday mobile use, both platforms cover the core features most people expect from a trading app.
Where eToro stands out is charting depth and overall app performance. Its mobile app offers 104 technical studies, compared with 30 at IFC Markets, giving traders more tools for analyzing price action. eToro is also rated higher for mobile trading apps, with 4.5 out of 5 stars and a ForexBrokers.com rank of #10 out of 36 brokers, while IFC Markets has a 4-star rating and ranks #34. One area where IFC Markets does better is that it auto-saves chart drawings, while eToro does not.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, eToro has the edge over IFC Markets. Both brokers provide daily market commentary, a sentiment tool for tracking long and short positions, and an economic calendar with key global events. However, eToro stands out with forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus TipRanks research, while IFC Markets does not offer those extras.
Neither broker includes Autochartist, Trading Central, or Acuity Trading tools, so their research offerings are fairly similar in those areas. Even so, eToro is rated higher for research at 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #12 out of 36 brokers, compared with IFC Markets’ 3.5 stars and #30 ranking, making eToro the stronger choice overall for market research.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to learning support for beginners, eToro comes out ahead of IFC Markets. eToro offers forex and CFDs education, monthly live educational webinars, and at least 10 beginner videos plus 10 advanced videos, giving new traders and more experienced users plenty of material to work through. It is also rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers in this category, which points to a strong learning experience overall.
IFC Markets also provides at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, so it does give traders some useful video-based learning. However, it does not offer monthly educational webinars, and it is not listed as providing the same level of forex or CFDs education as eToro. Its Education rating is 3.5 out of 5 stars, and it ranks #25 out of 36 brokers, which suggests a more limited education offering for beginners compared with eToro.
| Feature |
eToro
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| 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 IFC Markets. eToro finished with an overall rank of #9, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #33.
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
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IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 97 | 73 |
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Compared with IFC Markets, which only offers cryptocurrency trading via CFDs, eToro lets you buy both actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency CFDs.
eToro vs IFC Markets: eToro supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits/withdrawals, while IFC Markets offers only bank wire transfers and does not support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, or Skrill; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | eToro | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 97 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | IFC Markets | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 97 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 5 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 | |
| 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). |
| Cost | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | No |
| Trading Tools | eToro | IFC 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 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | eToro | IFC 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 |
| Overall | eToro | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 97 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review |
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