Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of VT Markets vs IronFX, 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.
VT Markets, established in 2016, and IronFX, in the business since 2010, are both online brokers that aren't publicly traded or banks. When it comes to regulatory credentials, VT Markets holds one Tier-1 license, signifying a high level of trust, and one Tier-2 license, indicating it's trusted. IronFX outshines VT Markets in Tier-1 licenses, with three that elevate its trust level, but it doesn't hold any Tier-2 licenses.
In terms of Trust Score ratings from ForexBrokers.com, VT Markets scores a 70, which is categorized as average risk. IronFX, however, achieves a score of 83, placing it in the trusted category. This comparison suggests IronFX might offer a more secure trading environment based on its regulatory standing and trust rating.
| Feature |
VT Markets
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Comparing the commission and fee structures of VT Markets and IronFX highlights key differences in their offerings. VT Markets presents a choice between two account types: the Raw ECN and the Standard STP account. The Standard STP account allows for commission-free trading but has higher spreads, with an average of 1.2 pips on the EUR/USD pair. In contrast, the Raw ECN account offers lower effective spreads at 0.83 pips, although it includes a round turn commission of 0.6. Both accounts have a low minimum deposit requirement of just $100. This pricing structure earns VT Markets a commendable rating of 4.5 stars for commissions and fees, securing the 20th spot out of 62 brokers as ranked by ForexBrokers.com.
On the other hand, IronFX's commission and fees strategy suggest room for enhancement, particularly in offering competitive spreads. The broker lists a typical spread of 1.8 pips for its Standard variable spread account, although it's worth noting that no specific date range is given, and spreads can vary across different accounts. IronFX's zero fixed-spread account starts with no spread but incorporates an $18 commission per lot, with spreads expanding to 3 pips overnight. This contributes to IronFX's rating of 4 stars, placing it at the 47th position out of 62 brokers as reported by ForexBrokers.com.
In summary, VT Markets provides a more budget-friendly trading experience with its lower spreads and minimal deposit requirement, leading to a higher ranking compared to IronFX. While IronFX includes a variety of account types with distinct features, its higher average spreads reflect a need for further competitiveness in the fast-paced world of online trading.
| Feature |
VT Markets
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the range of investments between VT Markets and IronFX, both platforms provide opportunities in forex trading via CFDs or spot contracts. VT Markets stands out with a broader selection of 1,000 tradeable symbols, though it offers fewer forex pairs at 39 compared to IronFX's 83 pairs. Neither broker provides direct access to U.S. exchange-traded securities like Apple shares, but VT Markets offers international exchange options, allowing clients to invest in companies like Vodafone, a feature IronFX lacks.
Both brokers support cryptocurrency derivatives, though not actual cryptocurrencies, and include copy trading in their arsenal. On a scale of investment variety, both are rated at 3.5 stars. However, VT Markets is placed higher at #39 in ForexBrokers.com's ranking compared to IronFX at #51, suggesting a slightly more favorable reception regarding their diverse offerings.
| Feature |
VT Markets
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1000 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 39 | 83 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When comparing trading platforms and tools, VT Markets and IronFX both offer traders a range of features, with some distinct differences. VT Markets provides access to a virtual demo account, as does IronFX, allowing users to practice trading without any financial risk. Neither broker offers a proprietary platform developed in-house, but both support the popular MetaTrader 4 platform. However, VT Markets goes a step further by also offering MetaTrader 5, which IronFX does not. Both brokers have Windows-based desktop and web-based trading platforms, as well as copy trading capabilities.
In terms of charting tools, VT Markets offers more variety with 30 drawing tools compared to IronFX's 15. Both platforms allow trading directly from stock charts and feature seven customizable fields for watch lists. VT Markets is rated higher with 4 stars for trading platforms and tools, while IronFX receives a 3.5-star rating. According to ForexBrokers.com, VT Markets is ranked 47th among 62 brokers in this category, whereas IronFX comes in at 60th. This suggests that VT Markets may offer a slightly more comprehensive trading experience overall.
| Feature |
VT Markets
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both VT Markets and IronFX provide mobile trading apps compatible with iPhones and Android devices, ensuring traders have access to their portfolios on the go. When it comes to features, both apps provide stock and forex price alerts, enabling users to stay updated with market movements. They also support the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes. However, neither platform offers watchlist symbol syncing, meaning any changes made in one location won't reflect in the other, requiring manual updates across different devices.
For charting capabilities, both VT Markets and IronFX offer 30 technical studies, with the added functionality of drawing trendlines and changing chart time frames—be it daily, weekly, or intraday. A distinct difference arises in charting where IronFX automatically saves chart drawings while VT Markets does not, potentially impacting user convenience. In user ratings, VT Markets scores slightly higher with 4 stars compared to IronFX's 3.5 stars. Additionally, VT Markets is ranked #44 by ForexBrokers.com in the Mobile Trading Apps category, outperforming IronFX, which sits at #61.
| Feature |
VT Markets
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | 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 Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing VT Markets and IronFX for market research, both brokers provide daily market commentary and comprehensive forex news from esteemed sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. They each offer valuable tools from Trading Central, including technical analytics, to support traders' research needs. However, VT Markets stands out by providing a sentiment-based trading tool that reveals the ratio of long and short positions, a feature not available with IronFX. On the other hand, neither platform incorporates resources from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading, ensuring a somewhat even playing field in terms of specific research tool offerings.
Both VT Markets and IronFX include an economic calendar, allowing traders to stay informed about global news events, enhancing their market strategy. Despite these similarities, IronFX edges ahead with a research rating of 4 stars compared to VT Markets' 3.5 stars. Furthermore, in a ranking of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, IronFX holds the 28th spot, whereas VT Markets is positioned at 36th, indicating a slightly stronger research capability for IronFX in the competitive landscape of online brokers.
| Feature |
VT Markets
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 comparing the educational resources for beginners offered by VT Markets and IronFX, both online brokers provide a helpful collection of at least 10 educational pieces, such as articles and videos, with a focus on forex and CFDs. They each offer more than 10 beginner-friendly educational videos covering essential trading topics, making them a solid starting point for new traders. However, when it comes to delivering ongoing learning opportunities through monthly educational webinars, both platforms fall short, as neither offers this feature. Despite this, IronFX takes a step further by providing access to a searchable archive of past webinars, a feature VT Markets does not provide.
Both brokers include an investor dictionary with over 50 trading terms defined, aiding beginners in understanding complex jargon. However, for those looking to dive deeper with advanced trading videos, both brokers lack comprehensive offerings in this area. Overall, IronFX slightly edges out VT Markets with a 4-star education rating compared to VT Markets' 3.5 stars. This difference is reflected in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, with IronFX positioned at #44 out of 62 brokers, while VT Markets falls behind at #55. This comparison suggests that while both platforms cater to beginners, IronFX offers a slightly richer educational experience.
| Feature |
VT Markets
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | 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 VT Markets is better than IronFX. VT Markets finished with an overall rank of #44, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.
VT Markets benefits from being part of the Vantage Group of companies, and provides access to the MetaTrader suite of platforms as well as its own VT Pro trading app.
| Feature |
VT Markets
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 70 | 83 |
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Both VT Markets and IronFX do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they both provide options to trade cryptocurrency derivatives instead.
Both VT Markets and IronFX provide options for depositing or withdrawing account funds via Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but neither supports ACH, SEPA, or PayPal transfers.
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 | VT Markets | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 70 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | VT Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | VT Markets | IronFX | |
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| Regulation | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 70 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| 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) | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1000 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 39 | 83 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| 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 | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | 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 | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | VT Markets | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | VT Markets Review |
| Overall | VT Markets | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 70 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | VT Markets Review |
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