IG Group vs HYCM

IG vs HYCM Comparison Table 2024
IG HYCM
4.4
3.8

Founded in 1974, IG is part of IG Group Holdings Plc, a publicly traded (LSE: IGG) brokerage. The brand offers spread betting, CFD and forex trading across an almost unrivalled selection of 17,000+ markets, with a range of user-friendly platforms and investing apps. For 50 years, IG has maintained its position as an industry leader, excelling in all key areas for traders.

HYCM is an online broker with authorization from four international bodies including the FCA and CySEC. The broker offers short-term CFD trading on forex, shares, commodities, indices, ETFs and Bitcoin, and supports the MT4 and MT5 platforms, as well as Trading Central analysis.

Customer Reviews
4
Bonus Offer
10% deposit bonus up to $5,000
Comment by Reviewer
"IG continues to provide a comprehensive package with an intuitive web platform and best-in-class education for beginners, plus advanced charting tools, real-time data, and fast execution speeds for experienced day traders." "Traders looking for a multi-asset broker with good platform support, extra analysis features and strong regulation should try HYCM. The competitive raw-spread accounts will also serve scalpers and high-volume traders."
Pros
  • IG is amongst the best in terms of its range of instruments, which includes stocks, forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies, providing ample diversification opportunities
  • The proprietary web-based platform continues to caters to traders of all levels, with advanced charting tools and real-time market data useful for day trading
  • The IG app offers a superb mobile trading experience with a clean design that helped it secure Runner Up at our Best Trading App award
  • As a well-established broker, IG operates under strict regulatory guidelines in multiple jurisdictions, maintaining a high level of trust
  • IG offers an extensive collection of professional and engaging educational resources, including webinars, articles, and analysis
  • The ProRealTime advanced charting platform is free as long as certain modest monthly trading activity requirements are met
  • The low $20 minimum deposit is suitable for beginners, as well as the Fixed spread account with no commissions
  • The broker is overseen by trusted regulators, including the FCA
  • MT4 and MT5 integration ensures that active day traders can access a vast selection of technical charting tools
  • There's a good range of free analytical tools, particularly Seasonax for pattern analysis
  • Spreads are competitive in the Raw account, starting from 0.1 pips for EUR/USD
  • Traders can access fee-free payments with rapid processing
Cons
  • Beginners might find IG’s fee structure complex, with various fees for different types of trades or services, potentially leading to confusion or unexpected charges
  • While there is negative balance protection in the UK and EU, there is no account protection or guaranteed stop losses for US clients
  • IG has discontinued its swap-free account, reducing its appeal to Islamic traders
  • Stock and CFD spreads still trail the cheapest brokers like CMC Markets based on tests
  • IG applies an inactivity fee of $12 per month after 2 years, deterring casual investors
  • Not the best overall range of assets, with just 200+ stocks
  • Market coverage varies quite significantly between account types and platforms
  • There's a high commission of $4 each way on the Raw account
Awards
  • Best Customer Service 2022 - Online Money Awards
  • Best Spread Betting Provider 2022 - Online Money Awards
  • Best Platform for the Active Trader 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
  • Best Multi Platform Provider 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
  • Best Finance App 2022 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
  • Best Forex Broker 2021-2022 - Spain, Middle East, Asia, Germany
  • Best Trading Platform App 2021 - Forex Expo
  • Best Mobile Trading App 2020 - World of Finance Forex Award
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $20
Trading Platforms
  • Web
  • ProRealTime
  • L2 Dealer
  • MT4
  • AutoChartist
  • TradingCentral
  • HYCM Trader
  • MT4
  • MT5
  • TradingCentral
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA FCA, DFSA, CIMA, CySEC
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
2.5% Variable upon regulation and jurisdiction
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No Yes
DMA Account
Yes No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
Yes No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
Yes No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
App Review

IG offers a superb all-round trading app. One of the pioneers of mobile trading, the application has been developed and refined over many years, meaning it is now among the best trading apps. Quick response, user-friendly layout, access to full charting and a stable and reliable application. It also offers guaranteed stops – an important risk management tool not available on many apps we’ve tested.

Android App Rating
4
3.6
iOS App Rating
4.6
3
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
Yes No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Yes No
Inactivity Fee
$12 $10
Islamic Account
No Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • SEK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • HKD
  • SGD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • RUB
  • AED
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
IG offers a huge selection of 17,000+ CFDs, providing more trading opportunities than most CFD brokers. Traders can go long or short on popular markets like stocks, currencies, commodities and cryptos, while custom price alerts and the IG Academy continue to enhance the trading experience. HYCM traders can access CFDs on a range of stocks, indices, commodities and ETFs with floating spreads and maximum leverage varying by instrument. Clients also have a choice between two industry-leading platforms.
Leverage
1:30 (Retail), 1:250 (Pro) 1:301:500
FTSE Spread
1.0 1.5
GBPUSD Spread
0.9 0.1
Oil Spread
2.8 2.0
Stocks Spread
0.02 2.2%
Forex Trading
IG offers an above-average suite of 80+ currency pairs on its proprietary web platform, mobile app or MetaTrader 4, with more advanced charts and forex analysis tools available on the ProRealTime software. Forex spreads are competitive based on tests, starting from 0.1 pips on majors like the EUR/USD. HYCM offers 40+ forex pairs, with most available to trade on either the MT4 or MT5 platform. The maximum leverage on offer is 1:30 in accordance with regulations, and tight spreads start from 0.2 on the Raw account and from 1.2 on the commission-free Classic account.
Forex App

IG offers a superb all-round trading app. One of the pioneers of mobile trading, the application has been developed and refined over many years, meaning it is now among the best trading apps. Quick response, user friendly layout, access to full charting and a stable and reliable application. Top marks.

GBPUSD Spread
0.9 0.4
EURUSD Spread
0.8 0.1
EURGBP Spread
0.9 0.4
Assets
80+ 40+
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
IG's modest selection of 11 crypto CFDs trails top crypto brokers like Vantage which offers 40+ tokens. That said, it stands out with its crypto index, which tracks the value of the top 10 digital currencies by market cap and provides a holistic way to speculate on the value of the crypto market. HYCM only offers trading opportunities on Bitcoin, which is traded via CFD in a pair with USD. Whilst exposure to the largest crypto by market cap is good, access to other digital currencies would bring the broker in line with competitors.
Spread
Variable Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • ADA
  • DOT
  • DOGE
  • LINK
  • UNI
  • XLM
  • BTC
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
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