IFC Markets vs XM

IFC Markets vs XM Comparison Table 2024
IFC Markets XM
2.9
4.4

IFC Markets is an STP broker that was founded in 2006 and has since gained 200,000 clients and several awards. This broker has some of the most interesting and wide-ranging additional tools, elevating its clients' trading experience via portfolio quoting, personal composite instruments and extensive analytics.

XM is a globally recognized forex and CFD broker with 10+ million clients in 190+ countries. Since 2009, this trusted broker has been known for its low fees on 1000+ instruments. XM is regulated by multiple financial bodies, including the ASIC and CySEC.

Customer Reviews
4.3
Bonus Offer
30% welcome bonus + 30% activity bonus $30 No Deposit Bonus When You Register A Real Account
Comment by Reviewer
"I recommend this firm to users looking for new speculative opportunities and strategies not available at most brokers, including a blockchain-based proprietary platform and a bespoke synthetic instrument development tool. That said, it's a shame that the firm is not regulated by a more reputable authority." "XM is one of the best forex and CFD brokers we have tested. The flexible account types will suit a variety of short-term trading styles while the $5 minimum deposit and smooth sign-up process make it easy to start trading."
Pros
  • Users can choose from the powerful MT4, MT5 or the firm's proprietary NetTradeX platform for all assets
  • I appreciate that the broker offers beginner-friendly Micro accounts with a minimum deposit of just $1
  • The brokerage supports a unique system that allows clients to develop their own synthetic instruments
  • IFC Markets clients can trade more than 600 instruments with fixed or floating spreads from 0.4 pips
  • Clients have a wide range of payment methods and base currencies to choose from
  • XM continues to deliver diverse and multilingual educational materials and offers a useful live education schedule for its webinars and insights
  • 1000+ instruments are available, including recently added thematic indices, providing exposure to emerging industries
  • Transparent and low fees with spreads from 0.0 pips that will help protect day trading profit margins
  • The broker offers premium research including market sentiment, fundamental insights and strategy builders
  • Accessible trading accounts with a $5 minimum deposit and fast account opening
  • Powerful MT4 and MT5 platforms are available with 60+ and 80+ technical charting tools
  • XM is a hugely respected broker authorized by tier-one regulators
Cons
  • IFC Markets is regulated by the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission, a weak financial regulator
  • I'm disappointed that several payment methods incur steep deposit and withdrawal fees of up to 20%
  • GBP base currency isn't supported, so UK clients will have to pay hefty currency conversion fees
  • There is weak regulatory oversight through the global entity
  • There's $5 inactivity fee after only 3 months, though this won't affect active traders
  • PayPal deposits are not supported
Awards
  • Best Broker South East Asia 2020 - International Business Magazine 
  • The Best Crypto CFDs 2022 - Financial Expo Egypt
  • Best FX Service Provider 2022 - City of London Wealth Management Awards
  • Best MT4/MT5 Broker 2021 - DayTrading.com
  • Best FX Educational Broker in the MENA region 2021 - Dubai Expo Awards
  • Best Trading Experience 2021 - Ultimate Fintech
  • Best FX Service Provider 2021 - City of London Wealth Management Awards
  • Best Broker in Customer Service 2020 - FX168
  • Global Forex Broker of the Year 2020 - Global Forex Awards
Instruments
Forex, CFDs, indices, shares, commodities, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, bonds Forex, Stock CFDs, Turbo Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Precious Metals, Energies, Shares, Crypto, Futures
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$1, ¥100 $5
Trading Platforms
  • MT4
  • MT5
  • MT4
  • MT5
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
BVI FSC, SC, Labuan Financial Services Authority ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, FSC, FSCA
Margin Trading
No Yes
Margin Rate
0.2%
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
No Yes
Market Maker
No Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No Yes
Mobile Apps
Yes iOS, Android & Windows
App Review

XM offer a mobile app for both Android and iOS that has been specifically tailored to each platform, maximizing the functionality of both. The app delivers the MT4 and MT5 software on the move, with full access to the broker’s 1000+ instruments. Where they shine is their dependability with minimal glitches and delays during testing. The built-in news, trading journal and push notifications also ensure you have everything you need to day trade from your hand.

Android App Rating
3.9
iOS App Rating
4.7
Auto Trading
Yes (APIs) Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
Yes Yes
Copy Trading Platform
Follow and profit from top traders using IFC Market's copy solution. XM global offers a pre-integrated signals service via the MT5 platform. Aspiring investors can view detailed performance metrics and copy the trades of strategy managers. It's easy to set up, only requiring a handful of steps after logging in to your MQL5 community account.
Social Trading
Yes Yes
Trade Signals
Yes (Via Chartist Software) Yes
VPS Hosting
No Yes
Tournaments
No Yes
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$5
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • CHF
  • SGD
  • PLN
  • HUF
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
IFC Markets clients can access CFDs across commodities, cryptos, indices and ETFs. I’m pleased to see that assets are all available on MT4, MT5 and NetTradeX with decent leverage rates of up to 1:400. Day traders can speculate on leveraged CFDs with zero commissions, spanning popular markets including currencies, equities and commodities. Additionally, the MetaTrader platforms collectively offer dozens of advanced technical indicators built for short-term strategies.
Leverage
1:400
FTSE Spread
300 1.5 pts
GBPUSD Spread
3 1.9
Oil Spread
12 0.03
Stocks Spread
Variable 0.002
Forex Trading
I like that there’s a decent range of 50+ major, minor and exotic forex pairs available at IFC Markets, with just a $1 minimum deposit. That said, spreads are fixed from 1.8 pips, which isn’t the lowest I’ve seen. XM offers ultra low spreads across a wide range of forex assets with no re-quotes or hidden charges. Over 50 currency pairs are available, which is above the market average and is in line with one of our top award-winners, AvaTrade.
Forex App

XM offer a mobile app for both Android and iOS that has been specifically tailored to each platform, maximizing the functionality of both. The app delivers the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms in your hand, with full forex trading and charting capabilities. Try it out today.

GBPUSD Spread
3 1.9
EURUSD Spread
1.8 1.6
EURGBP Spread
1.8 1.8
Assets
50 55+
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • CAD
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
IFC Markets also boasts a good selection of 15 cryptocurrency CFD pairs and I’m particularly impressed to see Bitcoin futures on offer. The free demo account is an excellent place to start if you want to practice your crypto trading strategies. XM offers a handful of cryptocurrencies against the USD via the South African entity only. These are tradable via CFDs with high leverage up to 1:500. You can explore major tokens like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple with just a $30 deposit.
Spread
50 pips Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XRP
  • BCH
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
More Comparisons
IFC Markets
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XM
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