Pepperstone vs IC Markets

Pepperstone vs IC Markets Comparison Table 2025
Pepperstone	IC Markets
Review 4.8	Review 4.8
Traders from US not accepted See available CFD brokers	Traders from US not accepted See available CFD brokers
Established in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a top-rated forex and CFD broker with over 400,000 clients worldwide. It offers access to 1,300+ instruments on leading platforms MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, maintaining low, transparent fees. Pepperstone is also regulated by trusted authorities like the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC, ensuring a secure environment for day traders at all levels.	IC Markets is a globally recognized forex and CFD broker known for its excellent pricing, comprehensive range of trading instruments, and premium trading technology. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Australia, the brokerage is regulated by the ASIC, CySEC and FSA, and has attracted more than 180,000 clients from over 200 countries.
CFDs and FX are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 81.8% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.
Customer Reviews
3.2 Based on 5 Pepperstone customer reviews	4 Based on 2 IC Markets customer reviews
Comment by Reviewer
"Pepperstone stands out as a top choice for day trading, offering razor-sharp spreads, ultra-fast execution, and advanced charting platforms for experienced traders. New traders are also welcomed with no minimum deposit, extensive educational resources, and exceptional 24/7 support."	"IC Markets offers superior pricing, exceptionally fast execution and seamless deposits. The introduction of advanced charting platforms, notably TradingView, and the Raw Trader Plus account, ensures it remains a top choice for intermediate to advanced day traders."
Pros
Pepperstone boasts impressive execution speeds, averaging around 30ms, facilitating fast order processing and execution that’s ideal for day trading. There’s support for a range of industry-leading charting platforms including MT4, MT5, TradingView, and cTrader, catering to various short-term trading styles, including algo trading. Pepperstone has greatly improved the deposit and withdrawal experience in recent years, adding Apple Pay and Google Pay in 2025, as well as PIX and SPEI for clients in Brazil and Mexico in 2024. Pepperstone emerges as a low-cost broker, especially for serious day traders with spreads from 0.0 in the Razor account and rebates up to 30% (index and commodities) and $3/lot (forex) through the Active Trader program. Pepperstone has scooped multiple DayTrading.com annual awards over the years, most recently 'Best Overall Broker' in 2025 and 'Best Forex Broker' runner up in 2025. Award-winning customer support is available via telephone, email or live chat with response times of <5 minutes during testing. Now offering spread betting through TradingView, Pepperstone provides a seamless, tax-efficient trading experience with advanced analysis tools.	IC Markets offers among the tightest spreads in the industry, with 0.0-pip spreads on major currency pairs, making it especially cost-effective for day traders. As a tightly regulated and widely respected broker, IC Markets prioritizes client security and transparency, helping to ensure a reliable trading experience globally. IC Markets secured DayTrading.com's 'Best MT4/MT5 Broker' in 2025 for its seamless, industry-leading MetaTrader integration, refined over years to maximize the platform experience. IC Markets offers fast and dependable 24/5 support based on firsthand experience, particularly when it comes to accounts and funding issues. You have access to over 2,250 CFDs across various markets, including forex, commodities, indices, stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrencies, allowing for diversified trading strategies.
Cons
Pepperstone’s demo accounts are active for only 30 days, which may not be not long enough to familiarize yourself with the different platforms and test trading strategies. Pepperstone does not support cTrader Copy, a popular copy trading feature built into the excellent cTrader platform and available at alternatives like IC Markets, though it has introduced an intuitive copy trading app. Despite enhancements to its range of markets, crypto offerings are relatively limited compared to other brokers such as eToro, with no option to invest in real coins.	While IC Markets offers a selection of metals and cryptos for trading via CFDs, the range is not as extensive as brokers like eToro, limiting opportunities for traders interested in these asset classes. The breadth and depth of tutorials, webinars and educational resources still need work, trailing alternatives like CMC Markets and reducing its suitability for beginners. There are fees for certain withdrawal methods, including a $20 wire charge, which can eat into profits, especially for frequent withdrawals. Despite four industry-leading third-party platforms, there is no proprietary software or trading app built with new traders in mind. Interest isn't paid on unused cash, an increasingly popular feature found at alternatives like Interactive Brokers.
Awards
Best Overall Broker - DayTrading.com 2025 Best Forex Broker Runner Up - DayTrading.com 2025 Best Trading App Runner Up - DayTrading.com 2025 Best MT4/MT5 Broker Runner Up - DayTrading.com 2025 Best TradingView Broker Runner Up - DayTrading.com 2025 Best Forex Broker - DayTrading.com 2024 Best Overall Broker - DayTrading.com 2023 Best Trading App - DayTrading.com 2022 Best Forex Broker - DayTrading.com 2021	Best MT4/MT5 Broker 2025 - DayTrading.com Best MT4/MT5 Broker 2023 - DayTrading.com Best Forex Broker 2022 - DayTrading.com Best Overall Broker 2020 - DayTrading.com Best Trading App 2020 - DayTrading.com
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto, Spread Betting	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, Futures, Crypto
Demo Account
Yes	Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0	$200
Trading Platforms
MT4 MT5 cTrader TradingView AutoChartist DupliTrade Quantower	MT4 MT5 cTrader TradingView TradingCentral DupliTrade Quantower
Payment Methods
Apple Pay BPAY Credit Card Debit Card Google Wallet Mastercard Neteller PayPal PIX Payment POLi Skrill UnionPay Visa Wire Transfer	BPAY Credit Card Klarna Mastercard Neteller PayPal POLi Rapid Transfer SafeCharge Skrill Swift UnionPay Visa Wire Transfer
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots	0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, CMA, BaFin, SCB	ASIC, CySEC, FSA, CMA
Margin Trading
Yes	Yes
STP Account
Yes	No
ECN Account
Yes	Yes
DMA Account
Yes	Yes
MAM Account
Yes	Yes
PAMM Account
No	Yes
LAMM Account
No	No
Demat Account
No	No
AI / Machine Learning
Yes	No
Robo Advisor
No	No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes	Yes
Market Maker
No	No
P2P Trading
No	No
Spot Trading
Yes	Yes
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android	iOS & Android
App Review
Pepperstone excels for its excellent integration with the MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView apps, making it a standout option for day traders familiar with these leading third-party trading solutions. These platforms deliver a stable and reliable mobile trading experience, enhanced by Pepperstone’s almost unrivalled execution speeds and wide range of asset classes. Recent improvements also helped it secure second place in DayTrading.com’s annual ‘Best Trading App’ award for 2025.	IC Markets deliver mobile apps for their cTrader, MT4, MT5 and TradingView platforms. They have been developed on Android and iOS separately, taking full advantage of the functionality available on each. With raw pricing, and spreads from 0.0, the apps deliver an excellent trading tool for all levels of trader. Yet what really stands out is how they’ve managed to maintain the lightning-fast execution speed IC Markets is known for, right within the apps. It’s a seamless trading experience that feels both professional and highly responsive.
Android App Rating
4.1	4.2
iOS App Rating
4.4	3.1
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader	Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader, Myfxbook AutoTrade
Copy Trading
Yes	Yes
Copy Trading Platform
Pepperstone facilitates the replication of experienced traders' strategies through MetaTrader Signals, DupliTrade and now its own copy trading app (available in certain regions) through a partnership with Pelican Trading, providing access to thousands of experienced traders and personalized risk parameters. On the downside, it lacks support for cTrader Copy which may deter users familiar with the terminal from Spotware.	Launched in February 2023, the IC Social app offers an intuitive way to learn, share, and mirror the positions of other traders with just a few clicks. Additionally, the app features risk management tools and supports dedicated trading groups. Alternatively, IC Markets grants access to Signal Start, along with well-known third-party copy trading platforms including ZuluTrade and cTrader Copy.
Social Trading
No	Yes
Trade Signals
Yes (Via Chartist Software)	Signal Start
VPS Hosting
Yes	Yes
Tournaments
No	No
Demo Competitions
No	No
Ethical Investing
No	No
Custodial Account
No	No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No	No
Inactivity Fee
$0	$0
Islamic Account
Yes	Yes
Account Currencies
USD EUR GBP CAD AUD NZD JPY CHF HKD SGD	USD EUR GBP CAD AUD NZD JPY CHF HKD SGD
Stock Exchanges
Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) CAC 40 Index France DAX GER 40 Index Deutsche Boerse Dow Jones Euronext FTSE UK Index Hang Seng Hong Kong Stock Exchange IBEX 35 Japan Exchange Group Korean Stock Exchange London Stock Exchange Nasdaq New York Stock Exchange Russell 2000 S&P 500 Shanghai Stock Exchange SIX Swiss Exchange Shenzhen Stock Exchange Toronto Stock Exchange Taiwan Stock Exchange	Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) CAC 40 Index France DAX GER 40 Index Dow Jones Euronext FTSE UK Index Hang Seng IBEX 35 Nasdaq New York Stock Exchange Russell 2000 S&P 500
Commodities
Aluminium Cocoa Coffee Copper Corn Cotton Gasoline Gold Livestock Natural Gas Nickel Oil Orange Juice Palladium Platinum Precious Metals Silver Soybeans Sugar Wheat Zinc	Cocoa Coffee Corn Gold Natural Gas Oil Orange Juice Silver Soybeans Sugar Wheat
CFD Trading
Pepperstone maintains its position as one of the fastest and most dependable CFD brokers during our latest round of testing. With execution speeds averaging around 30ms and an outstanding fill rate of 99.90%, the broker ensures a seamless trading experience without requotes or dealing desk interference. It also provides ample trading opportunities across over 1,300 assets.	You gain access to over 2,250 CFDs, available for trading 24/5 across popular markets such as forex, commodities, indices, stocks, and bonds. Utilizing deep liquidity and advanced bridge technology, IC Markets ensures optimal conditions for scalpers, hedgers, and algo traders alike.
Leverage
1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)	1:30 (ASIC & CySEC), 1:500 (FSA), 1:1000 (Global)
FTSE Spread
1.0	1.0
GBPUSD Spread
0.4	0.23
Oil Spread
2.5	0.03
Stocks Spread
0.02	0.02
Forex Trading
Pepperstone offers ultra-competitive forex spreads averaging 0.12 pips on EUR/USD in the Razor account, accompanied by a diverse portfolio comprising 100+ currency pairs - an extensive selection surpassing most competitors. Additionally, Pepperstone distinguishes itself by offering three currency indices (USDX, EURX, JPYX), not commonly found among alternative platforms. Pepperstone has now won our annual 'Best Forex Broker' award twice.	IC Markets maintains its commitment to providing exceptionally tight 0.0-pip forex spreads on major currency pairs such as EUR/USD. This makes it an excellent option if you are seeking superior execution, with an average of 35 milliseconds. Additionally, if you are a high-volume trader, you can benefit from rebates of up to $2.50 per forex lot.
Forex App
Pepperstone deliver their MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader and TradingView platforms across both Android and iOS. With faster processing times, the ability to hedge your positions, advanced pending orders and more tools and indicators to take your trading to the next level – they are a powerful addition for mobile traders.	IC Markets deliver mobile apps for both their cTrader and MT5 platforms. Both have been developed on android and iOS separately, taking full advantage of the functionality available on each. With raw pricing, and spreads from 0.0, the apps deliver an excellent trading tool for all levels of trader. The speed of execution synonymous with IC Markets is retained across their apps.
GBPUSD Spread
0.4	0.23
EURUSD Spread
0.1	0.02
EURGBP Spread
0.4	0.27
Assets
100+	75
Currency Indices
USD EUR JPY
Cryptocurrency
Pepperstone continues to prove itself as one of the most trusted crypto brokers. Although its selection of digital tokens is average, you can trade popular cryptos like Bitcoin and altcoins like Ripple with up to 1:10 leverage, while its crypto indices provide a holistic view of the digital currency markets not found on most day trading platforms.	IC Markets offers 20+ cryptocurrencies which are tradable via CFDs, including lesser-known tokens such as Avalanche, Kusama and Uniswap. Commission-free trading is available, and experienced crypto traders can access high leverage up to 1:200 in the MetaTrader platforms.
Spread
BTC 30, ETH 0	BTC 42.036
Coins
BCH BTC ETH LTC DASH ADA LINK DOGE EOS DOT XRP XLM XTZ UNI BNB	BTC BCH DOT DSH EMC EOS ETH LNK LTC NMC PPC XLM XRP ADA BNB DOG UNI XTZ
Crypto Lending
No	No
Crypto Mining
No	No
Crypto Staking
No	No
Auto Market Maker
No	No

Review	Review
CFDs and FX are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 81.8% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.