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Rankings updated November 2026

CMC Markets vs IC Trading

Your capital is at risk. Trade only with funds you can afford to lose.

Higher rated

CMC Markets

4.7/5

Haiti flag Doesn't accept traders from Haiti. See available CFD brokers

Not available in your countryRead CMC Markets review

Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Rating breakdown

  • Regulation & trust4.81.8 higher than IC Trading (3.0)
  • Assets & markets4.71.3 higher than IC Trading (3.4)
  • Fees & costs4.30.2 higher than IC Trading (4.1)
  • Platforms & tools4.3same as IC Trading (4.3)
  • Accounts & banking4.51.0 higher than IC Trading (3.5)
  • Education4.30.6 higher than IC Trading (3.7)
  • Research4.51.5 higher than IC Trading (3.0)
  • Customer support4.51.7 higher than IC Trading (2.8)

IC Trading’s score. Numbers show the difference.

IC Trading

4.2/5

Haiti flag Doesn't accept traders from Haiti. See available CFD brokers

Not available in your countryRead IC Trading review

Rating breakdown

  • Regulation & trust3.01.8 lower than CMC Markets (4.8)
  • Assets & markets3.41.3 lower than CMC Markets (4.7)
  • Fees & costs4.10.2 lower than CMC Markets (4.3)
  • Platforms & tools4.3same as CMC Markets (4.3)
  • Accounts & banking3.51.0 lower than CMC Markets (4.5)
  • Education3.70.6 lower than CMC Markets (4.3)
  • Research3.01.5 lower than CMC Markets (4.5)
  • Customer support2.81.7 lower than CMC Markets (4.5)

CMC Markets’s score. Numbers show the difference.

CMC Markets vs IC Trading comparison table 2026
CMC MarketsIC Trading
OverviewEstablished in 1989, CMC Markets is a respected broker listed on the London Stock Exchange and authorized by several tier-one regulators, including the FCA, ASIC and CIRO. More than 1 million traders from around the world have signed up with the multi-award winning brokerage.IC Trading is part of the established IC group (including what used to be 'IC Markets'). Built for serious traders, it boasts some of the most competitive spreads, reliable order execution, and advanced trading tools. The catch is that it’s registered in the offshore financial centre of Mauritius, enabling it to offer high leverage but in a weakly regulated trading setting.
Customer Reviews
4.5
Based on 4 customer reviews
3.7
Based on 3 customer reviews
Trustpilot Score
4.3
4.5
Comment by Reviewer“With advanced charting tools and an extensive range of tradable CFDs, including an almost unrivalled selection of currencies and custom indices, CMC Markets provides a fantastic online platform for traders of all levels. ”“With superior execution speeds averaging 40 milliseconds, deep liquidity, and powerful charting software, IC Trading delivers an optimal trading environment tailored for scalpers, day traders, and algorithmic traders. ”
Pros
  • The CMC web platform delivers a fantastic user experience with advanced charting tools for day trading and customizable features, catering to both beginners and experienced traders. MT4, MT5 and TradingView (added in 2025) are also supported.
  • We've bumped up its 'Assets & Markets' rating after almost monthly product additions in 2025 and 2026, from extended hours trading on 5,000+ US stocks and ETFs to new share CFDs and certificates and warrants, plus fractional shares in some regions.
  • CMC Funded available from October 2026, providing up to a $100k prop trading-style simulated account to traders looking to prove their skills on CMC's trading infrastructure with wide market access, including prediction markets.
  • CMC offers excellent pricing, including tight spreads and low trading fees for all but stock CFDs. The Alpha and Price+ schemes also offer perks for active traders with up to 40% discounts on spreads.
  • CMC Markets has added an AI News feature, using AI to surface and summarise market stories rather than place trades for you, hinting at where broker research tools are heading.
  • IC Trading provides industry-leading spreads, including 0.0-pip spreads on major currency pairs such as EUR/USD, making it ideal for day traders.
  • Trading Central and Autochartist are valuable tools for in-depth technical summaries and actionable trading ideas and are accessible from within the account area or the cTrader platform.
  • IC Trading offers unusual flexibility in its accounts, enabling traders to open up to 10 live and 20 demo accounts, meaning you can run separate profiles for different activities, such as manual trading and algo trading.
Cons
  • An inactivity fee of $15 per month is applied after 12 months of inactivity, which may deter casual investors.
  • Despite improvements, the web platform still requires enhancements to make it as intuitive to trade on as software from rivals like IG.
  • The CMC Markets app offers the complete trading package but the design and user experience trails category leaders like eToro.
  • Customer support performed poorly during testing with multiple attempts to connect via live chat and no one available to assist, plus unanswered emails, raising concerns about its ability to address urgent trading concerns.
  • Despite being part of the trusted IC group, IC Trading is authorized by a weak regulator - the FSC of Mauritius, with limited financial transparency and regulatory safeguards.
  • The educational resources are greatly in need of improvement, unless you navigate to the IC.com website, posing a limitation for beginners in search of a comprehensive learning journey, especially compared to category leaders like eToro.
Awards
  • Best Trading App 2023 - DayTrading.com
  • No.1 Platform Technology 2022
  • No.1 New Tool 2022
  • No.1 Most Currency Pairs 2022
  • Best Trade Execution 2021
  • Best Forex Broker For Beginners 2021
  • Most Transparent Forex Broker Europe 2020
  • Best Trading Platform 2020
  • Best Trading App 2019
  • Best Customer Service 2018
–
InstrumentsCFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting, Certificates and Warrants (Germany and Austria)CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, Cryptos, Futures
Demo AccountYesYes
Minimum Deposit$0$200
Trading Platforms
  • Web
  • MT4
  • MT5
  • TradingView
  • MT4
  • MT5
  • cTrader
  • AutoChartist
  • TradingCentral
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade0.01 Lots0.01 Lots
RegulatorFCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSAFSC
Margin TradingYesYes
Margin Rate3.0%–
STP AccountNoNo
ECN AccountNoYes
DMA AccountNoNo
MAM AccountNoNo
PAMM AccountNoNo
LAMM AccountNoNo
Demat AccountNoNo
AI / Machine LearningNoNo
Robo AdvisorNoNo
Negative Balance ProtectionYesNo
Market MakerYesNo
P2P TradingNoNo
Spot TradingYesYes
Mobile AppsiOS & AndroidiOS & Android
App ReviewThe award-winning app from CMC Markets has transformed mobile trading. The app's modern and customizable interface offers a unique user experience, distinct from competitors. Moreover, with its comprehensive charting capabilities featuring 25 technical indicators and 15 drawing tools, as well as its fast and stable trading environment, it's an exceptional choice for day traders.IC Trading provides a range of powerful apps that let you trade from a variety of devices. There’s no proprietary app - which may be a red flag for beginner traders - but MetaTrader 4/5 and cTrader apps are available for mobile devices. These industry-proven apps let you access advanced charting tools, execute day trades swiftly, and conduct in-depth market analysis on the move.
Android App Rating
3.7
4.6
iOS App Rating
4.1
4.8
Auto TradingExpert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTraderExpert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader
Copy TradingNoYes
Copy Trading Platform–IC Trading added copy trading capabilities via ZuluTrade, allowing users to connect their MT4 and MT5 accounts for opportunities to replicate the strategies and positions of experienced, active traders with easy-to-configure risk controls and detailed performance metrics. cTrader copy trading is also supported, providing an reliable alternative route.
Social TradingYesYes
Trade SignalsYes–
VPS HostingYesYes
TournamentsNoNo
Demo CompetitionsYesNo
Ethical InvestingNoNo
Custodial AccountNoNo
Guaranteed Stop LossYesNo
Inactivity Fee$15–
Islamic AccountYesYes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • SGD
  • PLN
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • JPY
  • CHF
  • HKD
  • SGD
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
OverviewCMC lets you trade CFDs on 12,000+ assets across currencies, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs and treasuries with new equities spanning quantum computing, AI learning, and digital car sales in 2025. Spreads are tight, there are no hidden fees and the industry-leading MetaTrader 4 platform is also supported for leveraged trading. Year after year, CMC shines as one of the best CFD brokers in the market.IC Trading specializes in CFD trading with over 2,250 tradable assets spanning sought-after markets including forex, commodities, indices, stocks, and bonds. Utilizing deep liquidity and cutting-edge bridge technology, the broker provides excellent trading conditions for short-term traders looking for leveraged derivatives.
Leverage1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)1:500
FTSE Spread1 pt2.133
GBPUSD Spread0.90.23
Oil Spread3.50.028
Stocks Spread0.02Variable
Forex Trading
OverviewCMC presents an extensive array of 300+ forex pairs characterized by tight spreads and rapid executions, surpassing the offerings of many competitors in terms of currency diversity. Forex indices also present a fairly unique and holistic way to speculate on the value of key currencies like the USD, EUR and GBP.IC Trading delivers remarkably narrow forex spreads across 60+ currency pairs, particularly on key forex assets like EUR/USD. This renders it an outstanding choice for forex day traders in pursuit of superior pricing with top-tier execution speeds. High-volume traders also stand to gain significant advantages, with rebates reaching up to $2.50 per forex lot.
GBPUSD Spread0.90.2
EURUSD Spread0.70.1
EURGBP Spread1.10.3
Assets300+60+
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • CHF
–
Cryptocurrency
OverviewCMC Markets offers trading on popular digital tokens like Bitcoin but really stands out for its crypto indices that provide broader exposure to the cryptocurrency market. There is also minimal slippage and an excellent 99.9% fill rate, making CMC a great option for active crypto day traders.You can trade over 20 of the most popular cryptos with leverage up to 1:200 seven days a week, although direct trading of the underlying asset like purchasing Bitcoin or Ethereum is not facilitated. The selection of tokens also trails Eightcap, which picked up our 'Best Crypto Broker' award, offering 100+ crypto derivatives.
SpreadFrom 1.3Floating
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • EOS
  • TRON
  • NEO
  • ADA
  • XLM
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • DSH
  • LTC
  • BCH
  • XRP
  • EOS
  • EMC
  • NMC
  • PPC
  • DOT
  • XLM
  • LINK
  • DOGE
  • XTZ
  • UNI
  • ADA
  • BNB
  • AVAX
  • LUNA
  • MATIC
  • GLMR
  • KSM
Crypto LendingNoNo
Crypto MiningNoNo
Crypto StakingNoNo
Auto Market MakerNoNo
Not available in your countryRead CMC Markets review

Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Not available in your countryRead IC Trading review