Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM vs IFC Markets, 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.
FXCM and IFC Markets are online brokers with different regulatory profiles. FXCM, founded in 1999, is publicly traded and not a bank; IFC Markets, founded in 2006, is not publicly traded and is also not a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM has a Trust Score of 95/99 (highly trusted), while IFC Markets scores 73/99 (average risk).
Licensing helps explain the gap. FXCM holds four Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses—designations ForexBrokers.com views as highly trusted and trusted, respectively. IFC Markets holds one Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. On ForexBrokers.com’s scale, 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and under 59 not trusted.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 5 |
FXCM comes out ahead of IFC Markets on commissions and fees overall. FXCM’s pricing for forex trading is slightly above the industry average, but it still offers competitive options for active traders. In May 2024, its EUR/USD spread averaged 0.78 pips on EU, U.K., and Australia accounts, while commission-based accounts averaged 0.28 pips before commissions. FXCM also has an Active Trader Rebate Program in some regions, which can lower costs further for high-volume traders. FXCM is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and is ranked #17 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
IFC Markets is a bit less competitive on pricing, with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.44 pips, compared with the industry average of 1.08. Its newer ECN account improves costs for active traders, with effective spreads around 1.1 pips after the 0.005% commission on both sides of a trade. IFC Markets also stands out for not charging inactivity fees and for offering active trader discounts, which can help offset some costs. IFC Markets is rated 4 out of 5 stars and is ranked #33 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
In simple terms, FXCM is the lower-cost choice for most traders, especially those who trade often or qualify for rebate programs. IFC Markets can still be appealing if you want an account with no inactivity fee and are considering its ECN pricing, but FXCM has the stronger edge on overall commissions and fees.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
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FXCM and IFC Markets both give traders access to forex as a CFD or spot contract, along with copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. FXCM lists 440 tradeable symbols and 46 forex pairs, while IFC Markets offers a larger selection overall with 630 tradeable symbols and 49 forex pairs. Neither broker lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency.
Where IFC Markets stands out is in exchange-traded securities on international exchanges, which FXCM does not offer. However, neither broker provides U.S.-listed exchange-traded securities. Based on range of investments, FXCM is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked 21st out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranked 32nd.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
FXCM and IFC Markets both give traders a good range of platform choices, including free demo accounts, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, a web-based platform, copy trading, and MetaTrader 4. Both also let users place trades directly from charts, which can make it easier to act on market moves without switching screens. In short, each broker covers the main tools many traders look for when comparing trading platforms.
The key difference is that IFC Markets also offers MetaTrader 5, while FXCM does not. FXCM, however, scores higher overall for Trading Platforms and Tools, with a 5-star rating and a #4 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with IFC Markets’ 4-star rating and #30 ranking. That makes FXCM the stronger pick for platform quality overall, even though both brokers provide a similar base of tools.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FXCM and IFC Markets both give mobile traders the basics many people look for, including iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, and watchlist syncing between the app and online account. Each app also lets users draw trendlines on charts and automatically saves those drawings, which can help traders keep track of their analysis across sessions. For everyday mobile trading needs, both brokers cover the core features well.
Where FXCM stands out is in charting depth and overall mobile app quality. FXCM offers 59 technical studies in its app, compared with 30 at IFC Markets, giving traders more tools for chart analysis. FXCM also earns a higher mobile trading apps rating at 4.5 out of 5 stars, while IFC Markets is rated 4 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps ranking, FXCM places #16 out of 36 brokers, far ahead of IFC Markets at #35, making FXCM the stronger choice for traders who want a more feature-rich mobile experience.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FXCM comes out ahead of IFC Markets for market research tools overall. Both brokers provide daily market commentary, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking upcoming global events. FXCM also adds forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus Trading Central research and TipRanks market insights, giving traders more ways to follow market moves and find ideas.
IFC Markets covers the basics well, but its research lineup is more limited. It does not include top-tier forex news, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Autochartist. As a result, FXCM earns a higher research score, with 4.5 out of 5 stars and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #11 out of 36 brokers, compared with IFC Markets’ 3.5 stars and #31 ranking.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
FXCM is the stronger choice for beginners who want more help learning forex and CFD trading. It offers at least 10 education pieces focused on forex or CFDs, holds online educational webinars at least once a month, and provides 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos for traders who want to keep learning. FXCM also earns a 4.5-star education rating and ranks #13 out of 36 brokers for education, which suggests a well-developed learning section for new traders and those ready to move beyond the basics.
IFC Markets also gives beginners useful learning material, including 10 or more beginner videos and 10 or more advanced videos, plus at least 10 education pieces centered on forex or CFDs. However, it does not offer monthly educational webinars, which may matter for traders who prefer live guidance. With a 3.5-star education rating and a #25 ranking out of 36 brokers, IFC Markets still offers learning support, but it does not match FXCM’s overall depth or frequency of beginner-friendly education.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that FXCM is better than IFC Markets. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #10, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #34.
For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading. Its range of tradeable markets is fairly narrow, however, and the pricing at FXCM is just average.
| Feature |
FXCM
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IFC Markets
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| Trust Score | 95 | 73 |
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FXCM vs IFC Markets: neither online broker lets you buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
In a head-to-head comparison of deposit and withdrawal options, FXCM offers ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires, whereas IFC Markets lacks ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and Skrill but does support bank wires, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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 | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 5 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FXCM Review |
| Overall | FXCM | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review |
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