IC Markets vs IG (2026): Which Broker Is Better?
IC Markets
4.4/5
Regulated by ASIC · CySEC · FSA · Min. deposit $100
Our verdict
IC Markets wins on raw pricing, scalping conditions, copy trading, and leverage, offering lower overall costs for active forex traders. Meanwhile, IG stands out for its trustworthiness, extensive market selection, polished platform, and educational resources, backed by a long history as a London-listed company with access to more than 17,000 markets.
This comparison highlights the differences between a specialist broker and an institution, even though both operate in the same leveraged-trading environment. IC Markets, established in Sydney in 2007, focuses on executing forex and CFD orders at the lowest cost. Conversely, IG, founded in London in 1974, is a pioneer in online trading and has grown over the past 50 years into a publicly listed company with more than 800,000 active clients worldwide. It offers a wide range of products, including forex, CFDs, real share trading, spread betting, and spot crypto. Ultimately, the decision hinges on whether you prioritize lower trading costs or a broader, more refined selection of products.
IC Markets primarily competes on cost. Its raw spreads for EUR/USD typically range from 0.01 to 0.02 pips, resulting in an all-in cost (average spread plus round-turn commission on a standard lot) of about 0.62 pips on cTrader and 0.72 pips on MetaTrader. This contrasts with IG's average spread of 0.69 pips during the main session and about 0.98 pips over the entire day under its spread-only pricing model. Even IG's institutional-style Forex Direct DMA route, which requires a four-figure USD deposit, yields about 0.82 pips at its best commission tier. IC Markets' new Raw Trader Plus program further enhances benefits for high-volume traders by offering daily commission rebates, with effective commission rates as low as $1 per lot in its top-tier accounts. Around that pricing sits the full toolkit IG does not offer. IC Markets offers MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView, along with copy trading options through cTrader Copy, Myfxbook, and ZuluTrade. It offers leverage up to 1:500 via its offshore entities and achieves execution times of about 35 milliseconds, with no restrictions on trading strategies. Additionally, overnight financing costs are lower, benefiting those holding leveraged positions over multiple days.
IG's territory spans the entire trading ecosystem. It is regulated by eight tier-one authorities and listed on the London Stock Exchange, a level of accountability no private ECN broker can match. Its range covers more than 17,000 markets, including real shares, tax-free spread betting for UK and Irish clients, and a growing spot crypto offering backed by ownership of the Australian exchange Independent Reserve. The in-house platform remains the benchmark for broker-built software, flanked by ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, MT4, and TradingView, with IG Client Sentiment data and the structured IG Academy behind it. IG also reaches US residents for forex through , which IC Markets cannot do.
Scores compared
Category wins: IC Markets 1 · IG 4
| Feature | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|
Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 4.4 | 4.7 |
| Safety & Regulation | ||
IC Markets vs IG: full comparison
| Feature | IC Markets | IG |
|---|---|---|
Company | ||
| Headquarters | Level 4, 50 Carrington Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. | Cannon Bridge House, 25 Dowgate Hill, London, EC4R 2YA, United Kingdom. |
| Broker Type | ECN | Market Maker, DMA |
| Regulation | ||
Pros and cons
IC Markets
- Very low FX spreads on majors
- Tier-1 regulation (FCA)
- Strong platform lineup (MT4/MT5 + web)
- Good ETF and stock coverage
- Higher min deposit than some rivals
- Overnight financing can be pricey
IG
- Regulated by eight tier-one authorities
- Listed on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE 250)
- Over 17,000 instruments across all major asset classes
- Five advanced platforms, including a polished in-house one
- Competitive forex spreads from 0.6 pips
- Tighter pricing through Forex Direct DMA
- Strong research, including IG Client Sentiment
Which is better for…
Safety and trust
IG
IG is overseen by eight Tier 1 regulators, has been listed on the London Stock Exchange for over twenty years, and serves more than 800,000 active clients worldwide. IC Markets is legitimately regulated by ASIC and CySEC but remains privately owned with offshore entities.
Range of markets
IG
IG offers more than 17,000 instruments spanning CFDs, real shares, options, spread betting, and spot crypto. In contrast, IC Markets offers approximately 2,200 instruments, all of which are CFDs.
Platform choice
It depends
IG's five-platform lineup is led by our top-rated broker-built platforms, including ProRealTime and L2 Dealer. However, only MT4 is available in the MetaTrader suite. By contrast, IC Markets offers a full selection of third-party platforms, including MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView. Traders loyal to MetaTrader or cTrader are likely better off with IC Markets, while others will likely prefer IG's proprietary platforms.
Forex trading costs
IC Markets
IC Markets’ all-in EUR/USD costs on Raw accounts are roughly 0.62 to 0.72 pips, compared with IG's 0.69 pips during the main session and about 0.98 pips for the full day. Its Raw Trader Plus program further benefits high-volume traders by offering daily commission rebates, with effective commission rates as low as $1 per lot in its top-tier accounts. IG's DMA route lands near 0.82 all-in at its best tier.
Leverage
IC Markets
IC Markets offers leverage of up to 1:500 through offshore entities, whereas IG's leverage is capped by regulators.
Frequently asked questions
For active forex trading, IC Markets offers lower trading costs than IG. IC Markets' raw accounts typically have a total cost of about 0.62-0.72 pips on EUR/USD, whereas IG's main-session cost is about 0.69 pips, and the full-day cost is about 0.98 pips. Volume rebates at IC Markets further widen the gap. While IG remains competitive during high-liquidity hours and professional clients can receive spread rebates of 10-20%, IG also has higher overnight financing charges.
Both IC Markets and IG segregate client funds and provide negative balance protection to retail clients. However, IG has a stronger structural position as a London-listed company regulated by eight tier-one authorities, including the FCA, ASIC, and BaFin. IC Markets is well-regulated by ASIC and CySEC, with offshore entities overseen by the Seychelles FSA and other regulators, but it is privately held.
No. IG's MetaTrader support is limited to MT4, along with its in-house platform, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, and TradingView.
IC Markets. It offers an average execution time of about 35 milliseconds, raw spreads starting at 0.0 pips, and no limits on trading styles, making it ideal for high-frequency trading. In contrast, IG's costs and platform setup are not optimized for scalpers.
IG. It offers the IG Academy, a sleek, user-friendly platform, along with robust research tools to guide new traders. In contrast, IC Markets assumes more prior knowledge and offers significantly fewer educational resources.
IC Markets does not accept US residents. IG's group serves US clients for forex through tastyfx, its US brand, although CFDs are not available to US clients.
Related comparisons
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74-89% 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 risk of losing your money.