Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IFC Markets vs Xtrade, 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.
IFC Markets and Xtrade, both established in the early 2000s, are reputable names in the online brokerage landscape. Neither of the brokers is publicly traded nor operates as a bank, ensuring their sole focus is on providing brokerage services. While IFC Markets has one Tier-2 license, Xtrade boasts a slight edge with not only one Tier-2 license but also a Tier-1 license, indicating a higher level of regulatory trust.
When it comes to their Trust Scores as evaluated by ForexBrokers.com, IFC Markets holds a score of 73, marking it as an average risk broker. On the other hand, Xtrade is rated slightly higher at 74, just edging into the more favorable "trusted" category. This comparison provides potential investors with essential insights into the reliability and regulatory compliance of these brokers, aiding in more informed decision-making.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2003 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing online brokers on the basis of commissions and fees, IFC Markets and Xtrade offer distinct experiences for traders. IFC Markets, rated 4 out of 5 stars, provides a relatively appealing cost structure, ranking 39th out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Despite the lack of average spread data, this ranking reflects a competitive stance in terms of fees, making it a more favorable choice for those conscious of trading costs.
Xtrade, on the other hand, holds a lower rating of 2.5 stars for commissions and fees. As ranked by ForexBrokers.com, it stands at the bottom of the list at 62nd out of 62 brokers, indicating higher costs relative to its peers. Like IFC Markets, it lacks available average spread data, but its lower ranking suggests that traders could encounter more significant expenses when executing trades with Xtrade.
In summary, IFC Markets offers a more cost-effective trading environment compared to Xtrade, demonstrating a notable difference in their respective fees and commissions structures. Traders looking for better value might find IFC Markets a more advantageous option, particularly when prioritizing minimizing trading-related costs.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $250 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.44 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IFC Markets and Xtrade both provide a platform for trading forex as either Contract for Differences (CFDs) or spot contracts, catering to traders interested in currency markets. In terms of the total number of tradeable symbols, IFC Markets offers 630 options, making it a more expansive option compared to Xtrade's 482. While both brokers do not offer the capability to trade U.S. exchange-traded securities like Apple shares directly, IFC Markets stands out by providing access to international exchange-traded securities, such as Vodafone shares, which is not available with Xtrade.
When focusing on forex pair availability, Xtrade slightly outshines IFC Markets by offering 56 pairs compared to IFC's 49. However, IFC Markets introduces the appealing feature of copy trading, which is absent in Xtrade's offerings, potentially attracting those interested in mimicking successful traders' strategies. Both brokers allow access to cryptocurrency derivatives, though neither supports the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies. Rated equally at 3.5 stars for Range of Investments, IFC Markets nonetheless ranks higher at #43 compared to Xtrade's #49 according to ForexBrokers.com, indicating a slightly more favorable standing in their investment range offerings.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 630 | 482 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 56 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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 of IFC Markets and Xtrade, several key differences stand out. Both brokers offer a virtual demo account for users to practice trading risk-free as well as proprietary platforms developed in-house. However, IFC Markets provides a Windows-based desktop download platform, adding flexibility for traders who prefer a downloadable application, while Xtrade does not offer this option. Both brokers accommodate web-based trading for convenience. When considering third-party platforms, IFC Markets supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), offering traders familiar and advanced tools, whereas Xtrade does not include these options. Additionally, IFC Markets enables copy trading, a feature not available with Xtrade.
In terms of charting tools, IFC Markets offers 15 drawing tools, while Xtrade provides a wider range of 100. Both brokers allow direct trading from stock charts, catering to a seamless trading experience. For watch lists, Xtrade provides more customization with 9 columns compared to IFC Markets' 7. Overall, IFC Markets receives a higher rating of 4 stars for its trading platforms and tools, with a ranking of #36 out of 62 brokers. In contrast, Xtrade scores 3.5 stars and ranks at #58 in the same category. This suggests that while both brokers deliver functional trading platforms, IFC Markets may offer enhanced tools and flexibility that meet the diverse needs of traders.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | N/A |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 100 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 9 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps offered by IFC Markets and Xtrade, both companies provide iPhone and Android applications for traders. However, IFC Markets delivers a more feature-rich experience for those looking to receive stock or forex price alerts, which are not available on Xtrade. Moreover, traders using the IFC Markets mobile app benefit from watchlist symbol syncing, allowing seamless updates between the app and their online account—Xtrade lacks this synchronization feature.
Charting capabilities in mobile apps present another notable difference. IFC Markets supports 30 technical studies and lets its users draw trendlines, view multiple time frames, and automatically save drawings on stock and forex charts. Conversely, Xtrade does not offer these features. While both platforms are rated four stars for their mobile apps, IFC Markets achieves a slightly higher ranking at #52 compared to Xtrade's #53 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. If creating a watchlist with real-time quotes is essential, IFC Markets offers this functionality in their mobile app, whereas Xtrade does not include real-time updates for watchlists.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing IFC Markets and Xtrade for their market research offerings, both brokers provide daily market commentary and feature an economic calendar to keep traders informed of global news events. However, a key difference lies in their access to forex news from top-tier sources. Xtrade offers forex news from reputable sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, whereas IFC Markets does not. Another distinction can be found in sentiment-based trading tools, where IFC Markets provides a tool showing the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments, a feature Xtrade lacks.
Neither IFC Markets nor Xtrade offers technical analysis or fundamental research tools from providers such as Autochartist or Trading Central, nor do they provide market research from TipRanks or Acuity Trading. Despite these similarities, they are rated similarly with a 3.5-star ranking for research. Still, IFC Markets ranks higher at 40th out of 62 by ForexBrokers.com compared to Xtrade, which sits at 52nd. Therefore, while both have their strengths, IFC Markets may offer a slight advantage in overall research ranking, though decision-makers will weigh the importance of these features differently depending on their trading needs.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When delving into the world of forex and CFDs education, both IFC Markets and Xtrade provide at least ten educational pieces, like articles and videos. However, when it comes to catering specifically to beginners, IFC Markets takes the lead by offering over ten beginner-focused educational videos, while Xtrade falls short in this area. Both platforms provide investor dictionaries with definitions for more than fifty investing terms, helping users grasp key concepts. While neither broker hosts monthly webinars or maintains searchable archives of past sessions, both receive an equal rating of 3.5 stars for education.
Despite similar star ratings, IFC Markets surpasses Xtrade in its overall educational offerings, earning the #30 spot out of 62 brokers evaluated by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Xtrade is ranked at #46, reflecting its limitations in providing content suitable for beginners and more advanced traders alike. Consequently, those prioritizing diverse educational tools may find IFC Markets a more suitable choice.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 IFC Markets is better than Xtrade. IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #44, while Xtrade finished with an overall rank of #59.
IFC Markets is a well-established broker that has been in operation for 17 years. Forex traders at IFC 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.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
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Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 73 | 74 |
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Both IFC Markets and Xtrade do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they both provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers IFC Markets and Xtrade, neither provides ACH or SEPA transfer options, both lack PayPal as a payment method, IFC Markets does not support Skrill but Xtrade does, and both offer Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transfers for depositing or withdrawing funds.
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 | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 73 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Xtrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) | |||
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| Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
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| Regulation | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 73 | 74 | |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2003 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 630 | 482 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 56 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.44 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $250 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 9 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | N/A | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 100 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | No | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Xtrade Review |
| Overall | IFC Markets | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 73 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Xtrade Review |
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