Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Spreadex 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.
Spreadex and IFC Markets are two online brokers offering trading services, but they differ in terms of regulatory credentials and trust ratings. Spreadex, established in 1999, holds one Tier-1 license, indicating a high level of trust. Despite its solid regulatory standing, it scores 71 on the Trust Score rating from ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the average risk category. Spreadex is not publicly traded or a bank, which might influence its trust perception among traders.
In contrast, IFC Markets, founded in 2006, operates with one Tier-2 license, considered trusted, though it lacks Tier-1 credentials. IFC Markets scores slightly higher than Spreadex with a Trust Score of 73, also in the average risk category. Like Spreadex, IFC Markets is neither publicly traded nor a banking institution. These factors may impact trader confidence, but the choice between the two could depend on individual preferences and regulatory priorities.
| Feature |
Spreadex
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Spreadex and IFC Markets both offer competitive options for traders, each earning a commendable four-star rating. Spreadex stands out with an average spread of 0.81 pips for EUR/USD, noted in January 2024, with a minimum spread of 0.6 pips for the majority of the month. This places Spreadex at the 30th position out of 62 brokers ranked by ForexBrokers.com in the Commissions and Fees category, making it an appealing choice for those focused on favorable spreads.
On the other hand, IFC Markets, while also rated four stars, doesn't disclose specific spread data. Despite this, the broker maintains a respectable presence, ranking 39th among 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com for Commissions and Fees. Although concrete numbers aren't available, IFC Markets' consistent ranking suggests a reliable fee structure for traders who might prioritize other factors in their trading experience.
In conclusion, both Spreadex and IFC Markets offer solid commission and fee structures, albeit with different strengths. Spreadex gives clear data on spreads, appealing to those who prioritize transparency and cost efficiency. Meanwhile, IFC Markets holds its ground with an undefined but evidently competitive fee arrangement, catering to traders with varying preferences and trading strategies.
| Feature |
Spreadex
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.81 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Spreadex and IFC Markets both offer forex trading through CFDs, making them accessible to those interested in this market. When it comes to the sheer number of tradeable symbols, Spreadex stands out with an impressive 10,000 options, offering 52 forex pairs. Meanwhile, IFC Markets provides a more modest selection of 630 tradeable symbols, including 49 forex pairs. Although both brokers offer cryptocurrency derivatives, neither allows for the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies, focusing instead on derivative trading. While Spreadex does not support copy trading, IFC Markets fills this gap by offering such capabilities to their users.
When considering investments outside of forex, Spreadex does not provide exchange-traded securities on either U.S. or international exchanges. On the other hand, IFC Markets distinguishes itself by offering these opportunities on international exchanges, allowing clients to explore a broader spectrum of investments. However, neither broker offers tradeable securities on U.S. exchanges. With a 5-star rating for its range of investments, Spreadex is ranked #13 by ForexBrokers.com, showcasing its broad market appeal. IFC Markets, rated 3.5 stars, is ranked lower at #43, reflecting a more limited but still substantial offering.
| Feature |
Spreadex
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10000 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 52 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools offered by Spreadex and IFC Markets, several differences and similarities emerge that could guide traders in choosing the right online broker for their needs. Spreadex provides a proprietary web-based platform that allows for trading directly from stock charts and features 11 drawing tools for charting. The platform supports eight columns in watchlists but does not offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), or a Windows-based desktop download platform. While simulacrum trading isn't available, Spreadex's straightforward approach might appeal to those looking for simplicity and direct interaction with stock charts.
On the other hand, IFC Markets also offers a proprietary platform, but it stands out by also supporting the widely-used MT4 and MT5 platforms, along with a Windows-based desktop download option. Traders may appreciate the capability for simulated trading with a free virtual demo account and the availability of copy trading features. IFC Markets offers a comprehensive web-based platform, provides 15 drawing tools, and includes seven columns for watchlists. While both brokers rate four stars for trading platforms and tools, IFC Markets has a slightly higher ranking at 36 out of 62 brokers compared to Spreadex's 46, suggesting a broader array of functionalities that might attract more diverse and strategic traders.
| Feature |
Spreadex
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | No | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 55 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 11 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 8 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing mobile trading apps from online brokers Spreadex and IFC Markets, both companies provide dedicated apps for iPhone and Android users. These apps feature price alerts for stocks and forex, along with the ability to create watchlists with real-time quotes, ensuring traders stay informed on market movements. However, IFC Markets offers watchlist symbol syncing between the mobile app and the client's online account, a feature Spreadex lacks, ensuring a seamless user experience across platforms.
In terms of charting tools, while both apps allow drawing trend lines and viewing various time frames, IFC Markets significantly outshines Spreadex by offering 30 technical studies, whereas Spreadex's offerings are unspecified. Moreover, IFC Markets goes a step further by auto-saving chart drawings, a convenience not provided by Spreadex. Despite these differences, both Spreadex and IFC Markets have earned a 4-star rating for their mobile trading apps. Interestingly, within a ranking of 62 brokers, Spreadex is placed at #49, just ahead of IFC Markets, which sits at #52, indicating that while both brokers offer commendable mobile experiences, Spreadex slightly edges out IFC Markets in ranking.
| Feature |
Spreadex
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | N/A | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, both Spreadex and IFC Markets provide daily market commentary, offering traders valuable insights into current market trends. However, Spreadex distinguishes itself by delivering forex news sourced from prominent providers such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, giving its users access to high-quality information that IFC Markets lacks. Both brokers do not offer research tools from companies like Autochartist or Trading Central but provide sentiment-based trading tools that reveal the shared market positions in currency pairs and other instruments. Additionally, users will find economic calendars on both platforms, keeping them informed about global news events that may impact the market.
Evaluating their performance, Spreadex earns a 4-star rating for its research capabilities, outpacing IFC Markets, which receives a 3.5-star rating. Although neither platform features research tools from TipRanks or Acuity Trading, Spreadex holds a higher ranking in the Research category by ForexBrokers.com, coming in at #31 out of 62 brokers, whereas IFC Markets is ranked at #40. This difference underscores Spreadex's slight edge in providing comprehensive market research resources compared to IFC Markets.
| Feature |
Spreadex
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
If you're just starting out in the world of forex or CFDs trading, both Spreadex and IFC Markets offer educational resources tailored to beginners. Spreadex provides a wealth of foundational materials, including over 10 educational pieces such as articles and videos. Additionally, they offer a collection of beginner-friendly videos covering key trading topics and an investor dictionary with definitions of over 50 investing terms. However, Spreadex does not offer monthly webinars or archives of past webinars, and they miss out on advanced videos for seasoned traders. This balanced approach earns Spreadex an education rating of 4 stars, placing them in the #45 spot among 62 brokers rated by ForexBrokers.com in the Education category.
Meanwhile, IFC Markets mirrors Spreadex in offering at least 10 educational pieces for those new to trading and beginner-focused videos to help novices gain confidence. Like Spreadex, they also provide an investor dictionary with extensive definitions. However, IFC Markets shines with a collection of advanced videos, catering to those looking to deepen their trading expertise. Despite this, IFC Markets, similar to Spreadex, does not host monthly webinars or maintain a repository of past events. Consequently, IFC Markets is given a slightly lower education rating of 3.5 stars but ranks higher at #30, offering a slightly different set of educational strengths for beginners and experienced traders alike.
| Feature |
Spreadex
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Spreadex is better than IFC Markets. Spreadex finished with an overall rank of #39, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45.
Spreadex is an FCA-regulated broker in the UK, offering forex and CFDs, and is well known for its sports betting business, and proprietary web trading platforms. Spreadex still has considerable room to improve, in key categories such as research and education, compared to the best forex brokers.
| Feature |
Spreadex
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IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 71 | 73 |
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Both Spreadex and IFC Markets do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do provide options to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.
Neither Spreadex nor IFC Markets supports ACH, SEPA transfers, PayPal, or Skrill for depositing or withdrawing funds, but both brokers offer Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transfers as accepted methods.
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 | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 71 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Spreadex Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
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| Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
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| Regulation | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 71 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | 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) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10000 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 52 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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 | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.81 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | No | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 8 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 55 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 11 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | N/A | 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 | Spreadex | 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 | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Spreadex Review |
| Overall | Spreadex | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 71 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Spreadex Review |
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