IG Markets vs IC Markets: 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.
IG Markets and IC Markets both target the Tier-1 multi-asset vs raw-spread volume archetype but with different trade-offs. IG Markets carries FCA, ASIC, BaFin, FINMA, MAS, FMA NZ, JFSA, NFA, FSCA, DFSA oversight, founded 1974, with lse-listed parent, 50-year operating history, 17,000-plus instruments, deep proprietary platform, us-accessible via ig us llc. IC Markets runs ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, founded 2007, with tight raw spreads and ctrader native. For the Tier-1 multi-asset vs raw-spread volume archetype, both qualify and the choice splits on platform fit and account-tier accessibility.
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 LSE-listed broker vs ASIC plus CySEC, both deliver. IG Markets runs FCA, ASIC, BaFin, FINMA, MAS, FMA NZ, JFSA, NFA, FSCA, DFSA, IC Markets runs ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles.
- For spread-only vs raw plus commission. IG Markets EUR/USD 0.6 pips typical (standard, spread-only), commission spread-only on fx. stocks and etfs carry per-trade commissions per market. forex direct accounts available with raw spreads plus commission.. IC Markets EUR/USD 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw spread), commission $7 round-turn (raw spread).
- For IG Web Platform vs cTrader native. IG Markets runs ig web platform (proprietary), ig mobile app, metatrader 4, prorealtime, l2 dealer (dma), tradingview (charting partnership), api access. IC Markets runs mt4, mt5, ctrader.
- For minimum deposit. IG Markets: $0 (UK, Australia), $250 (most other jurisdictions). IC Markets: $200.
- For Trustpilot 2026. IG Markets: 4.0 / 5. IC Markets: 4.8 / 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 supplementary 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 | IG Markets | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1974 | 2007 |
| Regulation | FCA, ASIC, BaFin, FINMA, MAS, FMA NZ, JFSA, NFA, FSCA, DFSA | ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles |
| Min deposit / fee | $0 (UK, Australia), $250 (most other jurisdictions) | $200 |
| EUR/USD spread | 0.6 pips typical (Standard, spread-only) | 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (Raw Spread) |
| Commission | Spread-only on FX. Stocks and ETFs carry per-trade commissions per market. Forex Direct accounts available with raw spreads plus commission. | $7 round-turn (Raw Spread) |
| Max leverage | 1:30 retail (FCA, ASIC, ESMA, FMA NZ), 1:50 NFA US on majors | 1:30 ASIC retail, up to 1:500 FSA offshore |
| Platforms | IG Web Platform (proprietary), IG Mobile App, MetaTrader 4, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer (DMA), TradingView (charting partnership), API access | MT4, MT5, cTrader |
| Payment / payouts | Bank wire, debit and credit cards, PayPal (selected jurisdictions). No broker-side fees on most methods. | Bank wire, cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller. Free on most methods. |
| Trustpilot 2026 | 4.0 / 5 | 4.8 / 5 |
| Key strength | LSE-listed parent, 50-year operating history, 17,000-plus instruments, deep proprietary platform, US-accessible via IG US LLC | Tight raw spreads and cTrader native |
Regulation and trust
IG Markets carries IG Markets Ltd is FCA-authorised under firm reference 195355. IG Markets Limited (Australia) holds ASIC AFSL 220440. IG Europe GmbH is regulated by BaFin. IG Bank SA is regulated by FINMA Switzerland. IG Asia Pte Ltd is licensed by MAS Singapore. IG Markets Limited (NZ) is regulated by FMA New Zealand. IG Securities Ltd is regulated by JFSA. IG US LLC is registered with the NFA and CFTC for US-resident on-exchange forex. IG Markets South Africa is FSCA-regulated. IG MENA Ltd is regulated by DFSA Dubai. IG Group Holdings plc is the parent, listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: IGG) since 2000, FTSE 250 constituent. Founded 1974, the longest operating history of any broker on this list. IC Markets 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. 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 supplementary insurance and the bundled MACRO MASTERY desk overlay.
IG Markets, the regulator footprint runs IG Markets Ltd is FCA-authorised under firm reference 195355. IG Markets Limited (Australia) holds ASIC AFSL 220440. IG Europe GmbH is regulated by BaFin. IG Bank SA is regulated by FINMA Switzerland. IG Asia Pte Ltd is licensed by MAS Singapore. IG Markets Limited (NZ) is regulated by FMA New Zealand. IG Securities Ltd is regulated by JFSA. IG US LLC is registered with the NFA and CFTC for US-resident on-exchange forex. IG Markets South Africa is FSCA-regulated. IG MENA Ltd is regulated by DFSA Dubai. IG Group Holdings plc is the parent, listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: IGG) since 2000, FTSE 250 constituent. Founded 1974, the longest operating history of any broker on this list.
IC Markets, by contrast, operates under 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.
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Spreads and commission
On the headline raw account tier, IG Markets posts 0.6 pips typical (standard, spread-only) on EUR/USD with spread-only on fx. stocks and etfs carry per-trade commissions per market. forex direct accounts available with raw spreads plus commission.. IC Markets posts 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw spread) with $7 round-turn (raw spread). 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. Cost differential is marginal across both, the platform and regulator fit decides the verdict.
On the headline raw account tier, IG Markets posts 0.6 pips typical (standard, spread-only) on EUR/USD with spread-only on fx. stocks and etfs carry per-trade commissions per market. forex direct accounts available with raw spreads plus commission.. IC Markets posts 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw spread) with $7 round-turn (raw spread). Both numbers are sourced from the brokers’ published spread sheets and cross-referenced against live execution windows during NFP and FOMC.
Platforms
IG Markets’s platform stack runs ig web platform (proprietary), ig mobile app, metatrader 4, prorealtime, l2 dealer (dma), tradingview (charting partnership), api access. IC Markets covers mt4, mt5, ctrader. 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.
IG Markets’s platform stack covers ig web platform (proprietary), ig mobile app, metatrader 4, prorealtime, l2 dealer (dma), tradingview (charting partnership), api access, while IC Markets runs mt4, mt5, ctrader. 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
IG Markets: Bank wire, debit and credit cards, PayPal (selected jurisdictions). No broker-side fees on most methods. IC Markets: Bank wire, cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller. Free 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.
IG Markets: Bank wire, debit and credit cards, PayPal (selected jurisdictions). No broker-side fees on most methods.
IC Markets: Bank wire, cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller. Free 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 IG Markets
Pick IG Markets if you are
Pick IG Markets if you fit the Tier-1 multi-asset vs raw-spread volume archetype that prioritises lse-listed parent, 50-year operating history, 17,000-plus instruments, deep proprietary platform, us-accessible via ig us llc. The headline differentiator is FCA, ASIC, BaFin, FINMA, MAS, FMA NZ, JFSA, NFA, FSCA, DFSA regulator coverage with 0.6 pips typical (standard, spread-only) on EUR/USD. IG Markets is not in the partner stack the desk runs, see the pivot CTA below.
Who should pick IC Markets
Pick IC Markets if you are
Pick IC Markets if you fit the Tier-1 multi-asset vs raw-spread volume 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.
The desk’s verdict
Desk verdict
IG Markets and IC Markets are both credible options inside the Tier-1 multi-asset vs raw-spread volume archetype. IC Markets wins on the institutional-volume execution depth, cTrader native, and the tighter raw-spread cost stack. IG wins on the longer operating history, the LSE-listed parent, and the deeper proprietary platform stack including ProRealTime and the L2 Dealer DMA. 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 supplementary 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.
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Frequently asked questions
Which is better, IG Markets or IC Markets?
For the Tier-1 multi-asset vs raw-spread volume archetype: both qualify, the choice splits on platform and account-tier fit. Both are credible options inside their respective regulator stacks.
Is IG Markets safer than IC Markets?
IG Markets runs FCA, ASIC, BaFin, FINMA, MAS, FMA NZ, JFSA, NFA, FSCA, DFSA. IC Markets runs ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles. Both segregate client funds per regulator rules. The deeper the audited stack the cleaner the recourse if anything goes wrong, LSE-listed broker vs ASIC plus CySEC is the differentiator on this pair.
Are IG Markets spreads tighter than IC Markets?
IG Markets posts 0.6 pips typical (standard, spread-only) with spread-only on fx. stocks and etfs carry per-trade commissions per market. forex direct accounts available with raw spreads plus commission.. IC Markets posts 0.0 to 0.1 pips raw (raw spread) with $7 round-turn (raw spread). All-in cost is the operationally relevant comparison rather than the headline raw spread on its own.
Which has lower minimum deposit, IG Markets or IC Markets?
IG Markets: $0 (UK, Australia), $250 (most other jurisdictions). IC Markets: $200. 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 supplementary insurance and the bundled MACRO MASTERY desk overlay.
Can I run both IG Markets and IC Markets 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 IG Markets and IC Markets terms against each official documentation before opening an account.
Sources cross-referenced for this IG Markets vs IC Markets comparison: https://www.ig.com/uk/about-ig/regulatory-information, https://register.fca.org.uk/, https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/, https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/ig.com, https://www.icmarkets.com/global/en/about-us/regulation, https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/, https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/icmarkets.com, Trustpilot aggregations 2026.
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