IC Markets vs Eightcap: Honest 2026 Comparison
Affiliate disclosure: this article contains partner links. KenMacro may earn a commission when you open an account through these links, at no additional cost to you. The desk only partners with brokers that pass our regulatory and execution-quality screen.
IC Markets and Eightcap both target the ASIC raw-spread retail archetype but with different trade-offs. IC Markets carries ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles oversight, founded 2007, with tight raw spreads and ctrader native. Eightcap runs ASIC, FCA, CySEC, SCB, founded 2009, with tight raw spreads under asic oversight plus integrated tradingview and crypto-cfd breadth. For the ASIC raw-spread retail archetype, IC Markets is the cleaner fit.
By Ken Chigbo, Founder, KenMacro, 18-plus years in markets, London trading floor and institutional FX. The framework runs daily inside the MACRO MASTERY desk.
Quick verdict
- For ASIC plus CySEC vs ASIC plus FCA, IC Markets. IC Markets runs ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, Eightcap runs ASIC, FCA, CySEC, SCB.
- For raw spreads plus commission. IC Markets EUR/USD 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw spread), commission $7 round-turn (raw spread). Eightcap EUR/USD 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw account), 1.0 pip typical (standard), commission $7 round-turn (raw account), zero on standard.
- For cTrader vs MetaTrader plus crypto-CFD. IC Markets runs mt4, mt5, ctrader. Eightcap runs metatrader 4, metatrader 5, tradingview, webtrader.
- For minimum deposit. IC Markets: $200. Eightcap: $100.
- For Trustpilot 2026. IC Markets: 4.8 / 5. Eightcap: 4.5 / 5.
- For the partner-stack alternative. Vantage Markets is the partner alternative the desk routes to. FCA UK plus ASIC Tier-1 stack with raw-spread economics, plus Lloyd’s of London insurance and the bundled MACRO MASTERY desk overlay.
Open Vantage Markets, the partner alternative →
Capital at risk. CFD and margin trading carry significant risk of loss. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
At a glance
| Variable | IC Markets | Eightcap |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 | 2009 |
| Regulation | ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles | ASIC, FCA, CySEC, SCB |
| Min deposit / fee | $200 | $100 |
| EUR/USD spread | 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (Raw Spread) | 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (Raw account), 1.0 pip typical (Standard) |
| Commission | $7 round-turn (Raw Spread) | $7 round-turn (Raw account), zero on Standard |
| Max leverage | 1:30 ASIC retail, up to 1:500 FSA offshore | 1:30 ASIC, FCA, CySEC retail, up to 1:500 SCB offshore |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, cTrader | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView, WebTrader |
| Payment / payouts | Bank wire, cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller. Free on most methods. | Bank wire, debit and credit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, BPay (AU), POLi, BTC. Free withdrawals on most methods. |
| Trustpilot 2026 | 4.8 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Key strength | Tight raw spreads and cTrader native | Tight raw spreads under ASIC oversight plus integrated TradingView and crypto-CFD breadth |
Regulation and trust
IC Markets carries ASIC Australia licence 335692, CySEC Cyprus licence 362/18, and FSA Seychelles licence SD018. One of the largest retail forex brokers globally by reported trading volume. Eightcap runs Eightcap Pty Ltd holds ASIC AFSL 391441 in Australia. Eightcap Global Limited is registered with the SCB Bahamas under SIA-F220. Eightcap EU Ltd is regulated by CySEC under licence 246/14. Eightcap UK Ltd is FCA-authorised under firm reference 921296. Operating since 2009, headquartered in Melbourne. Acts as the regulated execution partner behind several other brand-led brokers including Blueberry Markets. Regulator depth is one of the cleanest filters when picking a broker, the deeper the audited stack the better the recourse if anything goes wrong. Neither broker is in the partner stack the desk runs daily. Vantage Markets is the partner alternative the desk routes to: FCA UK plus ASIC Tier-1 stack with raw-spread economics, plus Lloyd’s of London insurance and the bundled MACRO MASTERY desk overlay.
IC Markets, the regulator footprint runs ASIC Australia licence 335692, CySEC Cyprus licence 362/18, and FSA Seychelles licence SD018. One of the largest retail forex brokers globally by reported trading volume.
Eightcap, by contrast, operates under Eightcap Pty Ltd holds ASIC AFSL 391441 in Australia. Eightcap Global Limited is registered with the SCB Bahamas under SIA-F220. Eightcap EU Ltd is regulated by CySEC under licence 246/14. Eightcap UK Ltd is FCA-authorised under firm reference 921296. Operating since 2009, headquartered in Melbourne. Acts as the regulated execution partner behind several other brand-led brokers including Blueberry Markets.
Get the framework the desk runs every morning. Free. No card. The same institutional structure the MACRO MASTERY desk uses on every read.
Spreads and commission
On the headline raw account tier, IC Markets posts 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw spread) on EUR/USD with $7 round-turn (raw spread). Eightcap posts 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw account), 1.0 pip typical (standard) with $7 round-turn (raw account), zero on standard. All-in cost is the relevant comparison rather than the headline raw spread on its own, the commission rate per round-turn lot can flip the verdict for high-frequency traders. On the ASIC raw-spread retail archetype, IC Markets edges the cost stack.
On the headline raw account tier, IC Markets posts 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw spread) on EUR/USD with $7 round-turn (raw spread). Eightcap posts 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw account), 1.0 pip typical (standard) with $7 round-turn (raw account), zero on standard. Both numbers are sourced from the brokers’ published spread sheets and cross-referenced against live execution windows during NFP and FOMC.
Platforms
IC Markets’s platform stack runs mt4, mt5, ctrader. Eightcap covers metatrader 4, metatrader 5, tradingview, webtrader. Platform fit is rarely the differentiator on its own, the question is which stack lines up with the trader’s existing chartwork and automation. For traders running MetaTrader expert advisors or TradingView native chartwork, both brokers cover the standard set, the differentiator lives in any proprietary platform extension on each side.
IC Markets’s platform stack covers mt4, mt5, ctrader, while Eightcap runs metatrader 4, metatrader 5, tradingview, webtrader. Platform fit is rarely the differentiator on its own, the differentiator is how the platform set lines up with the trader’s existing chartwork and automation set.
Payments and withdrawals
IC Markets: Bank wire, cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller. Free on most methods. Eightcap: Bank wire, debit and credit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, BPay (AU), POLi, BTC. Free withdrawals on most methods. Withdrawal infrastructure is a quiet but high-impact layer. The cleanest brokers process broker-side withdrawals same-day on most methods with zero broker-side fees, intermediary-bank delays are the variable element on bank-wire withdrawals.
IC Markets: Bank wire, cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller. Free on most methods.
Eightcap: Bank wire, debit and credit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, BPay (AU), POLi, BTC. Free withdrawals on most methods.
ASIC regulated. The desk’s preferred broker for retail macro traders who want the MACRO MASTERY desk overlay alongside the platform.
Who should pick IC Markets
Pick IC Markets if you are
Pick IC Markets if you fit the ASIC raw-spread retail archetype that prioritises tight raw spreads and ctrader native. The headline differentiator is ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles regulator coverage with 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw spread) on EUR/USD. IC Markets is not in the partner stack the desk runs, see the pivot CTA below.
Who should pick Eightcap
Pick Eightcap if you are
Pick Eightcap if you fit the ASIC raw-spread retail archetype that prioritises tight raw spreads under asic oversight plus integrated tradingview and crypto-cfd breadth. The headline differentiator is ASIC, FCA, CySEC, SCB regulator coverage with 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw account), 1.0 pip typical (standard) on EUR/USD. Eightcap is not in the partner stack the desk runs, see the pivot CTA below.
The desk’s verdict
Desk verdict
IC Markets and Eightcap are both credible options inside the ASIC raw-spread retail archetype. Eightcap wins on the deeper TradingView native integration, the crypto-CFD breadth, and the role as the regulated execution partner behind Blueberry Markets. IC Markets wins on the institutional-volume execution depth, cTrader native, and the longer operating history. Neither broker is in the partner stack. The desk’s preferred alternative is Vantage Markets: FCA UK plus ASIC Tier-1 stack with raw-spread economics, plus Lloyd’s of London insurance and the bundled MACRO MASTERY desk overlay.
Open Vantage Markets, the partner alternative →
Capital at risk. CFD and margin trading carry significant risk of loss. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
ASIC regulated. Raw-spread ECN execution. Built for active intraday forex and index traders who care about cost per round-turn.
The MACRO MASTERY angle
Broker selection is one piece of the framework. Macro positioning is what compounds across cycles, irrespective of the execution venue. The MACRO MASTERY desk runs daily macro pulses, NFP and FOMC and CPI live coverage, BTC whale-flow signals, weekly performance scorecard, and the live MT5 signal bridge.
Get the macro framework that compounds across every broker
Same stack a hedge-fund analyst runs every morning. Free Discord onboarding.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, IC Markets or Eightcap?
For the ASIC raw-spread retail archetype: IC Markets, on tight raw spreads and ctrader native. Both are credible options inside their respective regulator stacks.
Is IC Markets safer than Eightcap?
IC Markets runs ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles. Eightcap runs ASIC, FCA, CySEC, SCB. Both segregate client funds per regulator rules. The deeper the audited stack the cleaner the recourse if anything goes wrong, ASIC plus CySEC vs ASIC plus FCA is the differentiator on this pair.
Are IC Markets spreads tighter than Eightcap?
IC Markets posts 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw spread) with $7 round-turn (raw spread). Eightcap posts 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw account), 1.0 pip typical (standard) with $7 round-turn (raw account), zero on standard. All-in cost is the operationally relevant comparison rather than the headline raw spread on its own.
Which has lower minimum deposit, IC Markets or Eightcap?
IC Markets: $200. Eightcap: $100. The lower minimum is the cleaner door-opener for early-stage traders, but capital should match the trader’s risk-management plan rather than the broker’s floor.
Which has the bundled MACRO MASTERY desk overlay?
Neither broker is in the partner stack the desk runs. Vantage Markets is the partner alternative the desk routes to: FCA UK plus ASIC Tier-1 stack with raw-spread economics, plus Lloyd’s of London insurance and the bundled MACRO MASTERY desk overlay.
Can I run both IC Markets and Eightcap accounts?
Yes. Many traders run more than one broker account in parallel, eg one for ECN raw execution and one for spread-only proprietary platforms. Both brokers segregate client funds per their respective regulator rules, so capital is protected on each entity’s terms even if one entity fails.
Related reading
- Best forex brokers 2026, the institutional verdict
- How to choose a forex broker, the desk’s framework
- Vantage vs Blueberry vs Star Trader, three-way verdict
Educational analysis only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Manage risk against your own portfolio. CFD and margin trading carry significant risk of loss. Verify current IC Markets and Eightcap terms against each official documentation before opening an account.
Sources cross-referenced for this IC Markets vs Eightcap comparison: https://www.icmarkets.com/global/en/about-us/regulation, https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/, https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/icmarkets.com, https://www.eightcap.com/about-us/, https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/, https://register.fca.org.uk/, https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/eightcap.com, Trustpilot aggregations 2026.
From the desk, free
Get the macro framework the desk actually trades
The same regime-first framework behind every call on this site, plus the weekly macro brief. Free. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Continue reading