Written by ForexBrokers.com
Is XM Group better than IC Markets? In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 62 of the best forex brokers, XM Group is considered low-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 88 out of 99. IC Markets is considered Trusted, with an overall Trust Score of 84 out of 99. Learn more about Trust Score.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | XM Group | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 88 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | IC Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XM Group | IC Markets | |
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| Regulation | XM Group | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 88 | 84 | |
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | 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) | XM Group | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | 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) | XM Group | IC Markets | |
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| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | XM Group | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1394 | 3583 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | XM Group | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.6 | 0.62 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.62 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XM Group | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $200 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XM Group | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | No | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | XM Group | IC Markets | |
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| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XM Group | IC Markets | |
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| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XM Group | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XM Group | IC Markets | |
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| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XM Group | IC Markets | |
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| 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 | |
| Review | XM Group Review | IC Markets Review |
| Overall | XM Group | IC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 88 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | IC Markets Review |
We’ve made it easy to compare the best forex brokers, side-by-side. Our editorial team has collected thousands of data points, written hundreds of thousands of words of research, and tested over 60 brokers to help you find the best forex brokers in the industry. Our research is unbiased and independent; learn more about how we test. That same research and data powers our broker comparisons. Let's compare XM Group vs IC Markets.
XM Group is not publicly-traded and does not operate a bank. XM Group is authorised by four Tier-1 regulators (highly trusted), one Tier-2 regulator (trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (average risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (high risk). XM Group is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) via its parent company's other brand Trading.com, and regulated in the European Union via the MiFID passporting system.
IC Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. IC Markets is authorised by two Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and two Tier-4 regulators (High Risk). IC Markets is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) and regulated in the European Union via the MiFID passporting system.
XM Group is a MetaTrader-only broker that offers a strong selection of high-quality educational content and market research.
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.
To open a trading account with XM Group, you'll need to make an initial minimum deposit of $5.
IC Markets requires a minimum deposit of $200 before you can open an account and start trading.
It's important to make sure that your forex broker accepts the funding options and deposit methods that work best for you. XM Group offers Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw) for banking, whereas IC Markets provides Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw), Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw).
Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spread data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough, data-driven testing of each broker's commissions and fees, we found that IC Markets offers better pricing overall for traders.
Methodology: When testing each broker's commissions, fees, and pricing, we analyze multiple trade scenarios and award points based on the expansiveness (or inexpensiveness) of the broker's spreads. We then run multiple scenarios for different investor types, incorporating any miscellaneous fees, to determine an "all-in" cost per trade. Learn more about how we test.
At ForexBrokers.com, we track over 110 international regulatory agencies and sort them by tiers (Tier-1, Tier-2, Tier-3, Tier-4, and Tier-5) to help you choose well-regulated, highly trusted forex brokers. Learn more about our proprietary Trust Score rating system. Based on our research on the regulatory status of over 60 brokers, we've found that XM Group holds 4 global Tier-1 licenses, while IC Markets holds 2. XM Group holds 1 global Tier-2 licenses, while IC Markets holds 0.
After evaluating each broker based on their number of held licenses, years in business, and a range of other data-driven variables, we've determined that XM Group (88) earned a higher Trust Score than IC Markets (84).
To compare the trading platforms of both XM Group and IC Markets, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, IC Markets offers a better experience. With research, XM Group offers superior market research. Finally, we found IC Markets to provide better mobile trading apps.
Here’s what trading platforms are available at XM Group:
Here’s what trading platforms are available at IC Markets:
The MetaTrader trading platform suite is wildly popular among forex and CFD traders across the globe. Both XM Group and IC Markets offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Forex traders also appreciate the ability to engage in social copy trading. XM Group and IC Markets both offer copy trading.
IC Markets provides traders 61 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to XM Group's 55 available pairs. If you are interested in trading a full range of securities, IC Markets offers traders access to 3583 tradeable symbols, while XM Group offers access to 1394 tradeable symbols; so IC Markets offers 2189 more tradeable symbols than XM Group.
We found in our testing that XM Group offers a more diverse selection of investment options than IC Markets, allowing you to trade both brokers allow traders to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), U.S. Stocks (CFD), Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD), Cryptocurrency (Derivative) and Social Trading / Copy Trading. Neither have Cryptocurrency (Physical) and Spread Betting.
Overall winner: XM Group
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