Written by ForexBrokers.com
Is Markets.com better than IFC Markets? In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 62 of the best forex brokers, Markets.com is considered Highly Trusted, with an overall Trust Score of 96 out of 99. IFC Markets is considered High Risk, with an overall Trust Score of 67 out of 99. Learn more about Trust Score.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
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| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Regulation | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2179 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 57 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | 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). |
| Cost | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.9 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.9 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | No | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 4 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Markets.com | IFC 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 | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | No | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review |
| Overall | Markets.com | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| 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 Markets.com vs IFC Markets.
Markets.com is publicly traded, does not operate a bank, and is authorised by three Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), one Tier-2 regulator (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulator (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). Markets.com is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC).
IFC Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. IFC Markets is authorised by zero Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). IFC Markets is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: BVI Financial Services Commission (FSC).
Thanks to its web-based MarketsX platform, Markets.com is easy to use and new trader friendly. However, Markets.com is pricey and lacks the feature-rich trading tools required to compete with the best trading platforms.
IFC Markets is a well-established broker that has been in operation for 17 years. Forex traders at ICF Markets gain access to multiple trading platforms, a growing range of tradeable markets, and a balanced offering of research and educational content. However, IFC Markets’ Trust Score suffers due to the broker’s limited range of regulatory licenses.
To open a trading account with Markets.com, you'll need to make an initial minimum deposit of $100.
IFC Markets requires a minimum deposit of $1 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. Markets.com offers Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) and Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) for banking, whereas IFC Markets provides Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) and Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw). Neither have PayPal (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 IFC 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 Markets.com holds 3 global Tier-1 licenses, while IFC Markets holds 0. Both Markets.com and IFC Markets hold 1 global Tier-2 licenses.
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 Markets.com (93) earned a higher Trust Score than IFC Markets (73).
To compare the trading platforms of both Markets.com and IFC Markets, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, Markets.com offers a better experience. With research, Markets.com offers superior market research. Finally, we found Markets.com to provide better mobile trading apps.
Here’s what trading platforms are available at Markets.com:
Here’s what trading platforms are available at IFC Markets:
The MetaTrader trading platform suite is wildly popular among forex and CFD traders across the globe. Both Markets.com and IFC Markets offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Forex traders also appreciate the ability to engage in social copy trading. Markets.com and IFC Markets both offer copy trading.
Markets.com provides traders 57 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to IFC Markets's 49 available pairs. If you are interested in trading a full range of securities, Markets.com offers traders access to 2179 tradeable symbols, while IFC Markets offers access to 630 tradeable symbols; so Markets.com offers 1549 more tradeable symbols than IFC Markets.
We found in our testing that Markets.com offers a more diverse selection of investment options than IFC Markets, allowing you to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), U.S. Stocks (CFD), Cryptocurrency (Derivative) and Social Trading / Copy Trading. Neither have Cryptocurrency (Physical) and Spread Betting.
Overall winner: Markets.com
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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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