IC Markets Review 2026

How safe is IC Markets?

Yes, IC Markets is a safe broker with a reputation rating of 8/10. I had to mark it down in the regulation category, however.

1. Regulation

The account you open on the global site sits with Raw Trading Ltd, trading as IC Markets Global, company number 8419879-1, authorised by the Financial Services Authority of Seychelles under Securities Dealer licence SD018. The table below lists the other companies in the group, each serving its own clients.

Some of the abbreviations on this page are expanded to the regulator's full name: a broker regulated by ASIC is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. AFSL is an Australian Financial Services Licence.

The Raw Trading Ltd terms name no retail or professional categories, and every trade is dealt with the company as principal rather than agent. Client balances are pooled in accounts kept separate from company funds, the interest on those accounts belongs to the company, and it can draw on the pool to settle sums a client owes it. The terms call a margin at a 100% margin level and stop you out at 50%, and although Negative Balance Protection can wipe a negative balance back to zero, they leave open who qualifies. No government scheme stands behind client money; a private policy does, and its US$1,000,000 cap has to stretch across every claimant. A client unhappy with a complaint outcome has 30 days from the company’s decision to take it to the Financial Commission, and I would read these terms closely before you put money in.

Each company in the group answers to its supervisor only for the clients it serves, so the 30:1 retail leverage caps and the Investor Compensation Fund attached to the ASIC and CySEC licences do not reach a client of Raw Trading Ltd. The group also holds licences from ASIC, through International Capital Markets Pty Ltd, and CySEC, through IC Markets (EU) Ltd, which I treat as a point of trust even though your contract stays with the Seychelles company. IC Trading, run by Capital Point Trading Ltd under the FSC of Mauritius, is not part of IC Markets.

2. Reputation

IC Markets was established in 2007. IC Markets draws 246,220 worldwide branded Google searches for September 2026, which ranks it seventh among the 61 brokers this site tracks.

Having over 180,000 active clients and 500,000 trades executed daily, IC Markets generated an impressive USD 1.64 trillion in trading volume in April 2024, firmly establishing itself as one of the world’s largest brokers. Notably, 60% of these trades were driven by algorithmic trading.

Google searches point the same way: IC Markets draws 246,220 worldwide branded Google searches for September 2026, which ranks it seventh among the 61 brokers this site tracks. Similarweb data from February 2026 puts it thirteenth for broker visits worldwide, on 2,745,000 total visits.

Show all 65 countries

Country, 55 rows.

Country	2025 Monthly Searches
Italy	5,400
Spain	5,400
France	5,400
Singapore	5,400
Pakistan	5,400
Malaysia	4,400
Morocco	4,400
Kenya	3,600
Colombia	3,600
Netherlands	3,600
Philippines	3,600
Canada	3,600
Mexico	2,900
Hong Kong	2,900
Nigeria	2,900
Poland	2,900
Saudi Arabia	2,900
Sri Lanka	2,900
Brazil	2,400
Switzerland	2,400
Turkey	1,900
Taiwan	1,900
Japan	1,900
Bangladesh	1,900
Algeria	1,900
Peru	1,600
Egypt	1,600
Sweden	1,300
Uzbekistan	1,300
Ecuador	1,000
Chile	1,000
Argentina	1,000
Portugal	1,000
Uganda	1,000
Austria	1,000
Ghana	1,000
Dominican Republic	880
Venezuela	880
Cyprus	880
Ireland	880
Greece	880
Mongolia	720
Ethiopia	590
Jordan	590
Mauritius	590
Tanzania	480
Panama	480
Costa Rica	480
Cambodia	260
Uruguay	260
New Zealand	260
Bolivia	210
Guatemala	210
Botswana	210
Honduras	170

3. Reviews

Our score for IC Markets is set against every other broker on Forex And CFD Broker Reviews.

Verdict On IC Markets Safety

What traders say about IC Markets

What other review sites say about IC Markets

These are ratings of IC Markets from other platforms, read on the date shown and expressed on each platform's scale, so you can weigh them against our own score.

Platform	Rating	Volume	Read on
Trustpilot	4.8 / 5	56,823	Oct 1, 2026
TradingView	4.5 / 5	8,368	Oct 2, 2026

IC Markets holds a Trustpilot rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 56,823 reviews, checked Oct 1, 2026.

On TradingView, IC Markets is rated 4.5 out of 5 from 8,368 ratings, checked Oct 2, 2026. The TradingView profile for IC Markets shows 84.6K traders, the count of those who have connected an account through TradingView. TradingView shows the Best 2025 badge on the profile.

App Store and Google Play ratings for IC Markets

Our score is based on published criteria and is not influenced by these third-party ratings.

How popular is IC Markets?

People worldwide made 246,220 branded searches for IC Markets in September 2026, placing it 7th of the 61 brokers we review. Search interest measures attention, not quality; the score above is the review verdict.

7of 61Search interest rank

246,220

Brand searches, September 2026

0.0%

vs August 2026

41,090

Login searches

3.9%

Share of all searches

Source: Google search volume, Worldwide, September 2026.

How this is measured

Google Ads reports how many times a month people searched each broker's brand terms, and the brokers are ranked on that figure alone.

A term counts for a broker only when that broker's own website holds the first organic Google result for it; bare brand words that any company could own are left out.

A month-on-month change prints only where the previous month reached 1,000 searches, because Google rounds smaller volumes.

The figures refresh on the 15th of each month with the newest month Google has published, and the first-result check repeats every quarter.

IC Markets by market, September 2026

Market	Rank	Brand searches	vs August
Worldwide	7 / 61	246,220	0.0%
Malaysia	5 / 16	3,940	-17.9%

Source: branded Google search volume, September 2026, covering Worldwide, Malaysia.

IC Markets at a glance

IC Markets spreads and fees

What trading IC Markets costs

One standard lot of EUR/USD on IC Markets' raw account costs US$8.90 for the round turn: 0.19 pips of spread (US$1.90) plus US$7.00 commission. One standard lot of EUR/USD on IC Markets' standard account costs US$7.30 for the round turn: 0.73 pips of spread (US$7.30), with no commission.

Cost of trading EUR/USD with IC Markets, at 1 standard lot and 20 trades a month

Account	A month of trading	One round turn, 1 lot
Raw spread plus commission0.19 pips, tested, US$7.00 commission	US$178.00	US$8.90
One spread, no commission0.73 pips, tested	US$146.00	US$7.30

A pip on EUR/USD is US$10.00 per standard lot, so the cost of a round turn is the spread in pips times that, plus any commission.

IC Markets provides two distinct pricing options: the Standard Account with no commission and spreads from 0.8 pips, and the Raw Account featuring spreads from 0.0 pips plus a commission fee.

Every spread and commission is broken down account by account in the IC Markets Spreads And Fees Review.

• Standard Account: Ideal for beginners, offering straightforward pricing with no commission fees.
• Raw Account: Suited for experienced traders, as well as high volume, and algorithmic traders, due to its lower spreads and commission-based structure.

To assess IC Markets’ competitiveness, we compared its spreads with industry averages and with other leading brokers.

1. Raw Account Spreads

IC Markets publishes an average of 0.1 pips on EUR/USD for the Raw account, a figure few brokers in this space undercut.

Avg. spreads are taken from each broker’s website and updated monthly. Last update on 1 Sep 2026, corrected 12 Oct 2026

IC Markets offers Raw spreads that are significantly tighter than the industry average, as shown in the table below.

View the comparison table of IC Markets Raw Spread Vs Standard Accounts to find the right account for your needs.

2. Raw Account Commission Rate

As an IC Markets Raw spread account holder, you pay a commission fee of $3.50 per lot of 100k traded. The rate is higher than the industry average for the AUD, USD, and GBP base currencies. However, if your account’s base currency is EUR, IC Markets’ fees are slightly more competitive than brokers like Pepperstone.

To see how IC Markets’ trading costs stack up against competitors like Pepperstone and Eightcap, you can use our Fee Comparison tool. Try out different base currencies, trade sizes, and currency pairs with the tool. You learn more about their fees in our comprehensive review of IC Markets Spreads and Fees. Commission Rebates This year, IC Markets has introduced a new ‘Raw Trader Plus’ program, designed to reward high-volume traders. As a member of Raw Trader Plus, you’ll receive rebates on your trading commissions, as well as exclusive benefits like VPS hosting and dedicated client support. The Raw Trader Plus program offers three tiers of commission rebates, which are automatically refunded daily if you meet specific criteria. Reaching tier 3 can result in significant savings, reducing your effective commission rate to just $1 per lot.

To retain your Raw Trader Plus membership, you must consistently meet the volume requirements over a 3-month period. Use the calculator below to compare IC Markets’ trading costs with competitors such as Pepperstone, Eightcap and CMC Markets, adjusting for trade size, currency pair, and base currency.

3. Standard Account Fees

I found that IC Markets’ Standard Account offers some of the best no-commission spreads in the industry, with EUR/USD spreads from 0.8 pips. For the AUD/USD pair, IC Markets maintains a tight spread of 1.0 pips, while the USD/CAD pair trades from 0.8 pips. The table below illustrates that IC Markets consistently offers low spreads across a wide range of major currency pairs, reinforcing their position as a leading broker for commission-free spreads

4. Swap-Free Account Fees

For CFD traders who need to adhere to Sharia Law, IC Markets provides an Islamic Account option. This is available on both Raw and Standard pricing structures. These accounts feature the same spreads as their conventional counterparts, but replace interest-based swap rates with a flat rate administrative fee. The changed fee structure ensures compliance with Islamic finance practices. You can find out more about the Swap Free Islamic Accounts.

Which IC Markets Account Type To Choose

The Standard, Raw and swap-free accounts are compared side by side in IC Markets Account Types.

For Beginners: I recommend the Standard account for its no-commission structure, and MT4’s simplicity keeps the learning curve manageable. For Experts: My pick is the Raw account paired with cTrader’s Level II data, which helps you refine your entries and exits.

5. Other Fees

IC Markets doesn’t charge hidden fees as many brokers do. This means:

• $0 Deposit Fee
• $0 Withdrawal Fee
• $0 Inactivity Fee

Verdict On IC Markets Fees

IC Markets keeps costs tight whether you pick the commission-free Standard account or the commission-based Raw account, with competitive spreads on each. My trading costs score for the broker is 9.5/10, reflecting spreads that stay low and fees that are easy to see. That score is weighted 2.5x when the overall grade is calculated.

Lowest Spread Forex BrokersVisit IC Markets

Deposits and withdrawals with IC Markets

IC Markets is a relatively accessible broker, with a low minimum deposit and a range of fee-free funding methods.

What is the minimum deposit at IC Markets?

At Raw Trading Ltd, you can open the Standard, Raw Spread, or cTrader Raw account with a US$0 minimum. Raw Pro starts at US$5,000 and Raw Pro+ at US$100,000.

The deposit position by account type and funding method is covered in IC Markets Minimum Deposit.

Account Base Currencies

IC Markets offer 10 base currencies including the AUD, USD, EUR, GBP, SGD, JPY, CHF, NZD, CAD to HKD.

Deposit Options and Fees

Deposits at this company carry no IC Markets fees, and cards, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, and cryptocurrency arrive instantly, while wire transfers and broker-to-broker moves clear in 2 to 5 business days. Availability of some methods turns on your currency or country, and the table below lists what is on offer at this company.

Withdrawal Options and Fees

IC Markets also charges no withdrawal fees, although certain banks may charge $20 AUD for international bank transfers.

• PayPal/NETELLER/Skrill = Instant
• Domestic Wire Transfer = 1 working day
• Credit Cards and Debit Cards = 3, 5 working days

It should be noted your withdrawals will be sent to your deposit account, so the withdrawal and deposit methods need to be the same.

View our detailed IC Markets Minimum Deposit page for more details on deposit methods, requirements and fees.

Ease To Open An Account

Opening an account with IC Markets is straightforward and efficient. You submit your personal information, take an appropriateness test, and have your ID and residence verified.

My Verdict on IC Markets Funding

IC Markets’ deposit methods are satisfactory, and so are its withdrawal methods, with plenty of options, although these do vary depending on your exact location. For these reasons and due to the fee-free deposits/withdrawals, I give funding a score 9.0/10. Withdrawals are generally fast, although some methods are faster than others.

IC Markets trading platforms and app

IC Markets offers a suite of trading platform options. These options include MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and TradingView.

IC Markets offers the four most popular forex trading platforms worldwide. These are MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), cTrader, and TradingView.

• MetaTrader 4 (MT4): Best for automated trading strategies, with Expert Advisors and extensive customisation.
• MetaTrader 5 (MT5): A multi-asset platform with improved technical tools.
• cTrader: Provides an ECN-like forex trading environment with advanced charting tools.
• TradingView: User-friendly interface offering advanced trading solutions.

MetaTrader 4

In my view, MT4 remains a decent platform for anyone who values simplicity and reliability. Its uncluttered interface is a big part of that appeal.

The Expert Advisors (EAs) ecosystem is large: you can automate strategies with MQL4 code and access thousands of free EAs from the MetaTrader Marketplace.

Key Differences vs. MT5:

• Asset Focus: MT4 supports forex and CFDs only, no stock trading.
• Technical Tools: 30 built-in indicators vs. MT5’s 80+.
• Timeframes: 9 timeframes vs. 21 on MT5. MT4 should be sufficient for most scalpers/swing traders.
• No Economic Calendar: Unlike MT5, MT4 lacks integrated macroeconomic data.

Best For:

• New Traders: Intuitive design reduces learning curves.
• Forex Scalpers: Lightning-fast order execution (under 30ms).
• EA Developers: Vast library of pre-built algorithms.

MetaTrader 5

MT5 is my top pick for traders diversifying beyond forex. The platform’s multi-asset coverage spans forex, shares, and commodities. Its built-in economic calendar and Depth of Market (DOM) feature help you follow economic events and see market depth.

If you like to trade across both centralised and decentralised exchanges, MT5 supports it while MT4 does not.

Key Upgrades vs. MT4:

• Asset Classes: Stocks, bonds, futures, and crypto CFDs.
• Technical Tools: 80+ indicators, 21 timeframes, and advanced charting tools like Renko bars.
• MQL5 Language: Faster back-testing and more complex EAs.

Best For:

• Multi-Asset Traders: Ideal for portfolios that combine forex, stocks, and commodities.
• Algorithmic Traders: Enhanced coding flexibility with MQL5.
• Data-Driven Traders: Integrated economic insights that reduce third-party tool dependency.

cTrader

I think cTrader suits algorithmic traders and scalpers because of its ECN-like execution and cAlgo automation tools.

Level II pricing helps you refine your entries and exits, and the back-testing feature lets you simulate strategies on historical tick data.

Unique Advantages:

• Detachable Charts: Custom workspace layouts improved my multitasking.
• C# Automation: Better suited than MQL4/MQL5 to complex algorithms.
• No Dealing Desk: Direct liquidity access minimises requotes.

Best For:

• Professional Traders: Institutional-grade tools and transparency.
• Scalpers: cTrader is amazing if you are a scalper, due to its lightning execution speed.
• Algorithmic Developers: C# integration for high-frequency strategies.
• Price Action Traders: Level II data and heatmaps enhance decision-making.

If you prefer trading on shorter timeframes, then responsive software is really important for your bottom line. You need your market or limit trades to execute exactly when you want them to, and the software is going to help you make sure of that.

TradingView

TradingView suits cross-market analysis and charting alongside your other trading platforms. In my view, its charts and custom indicators are its biggest strengths.

Beyond this, TradingView’s social trading features are great for newer traders, as you can gather good ideas for possible trading strategies. A word of warning here, though, actually copying other traders and being profitable is not so straightforward.

The platform has 100+ pre-built indicators (e.g., Ichimoku Cloud, Elliott Wave) by default.

Standout Features:

• Community Ideas: Collaborate with 90M+ users to spot trends.
• Cross-Device Sync: Switch between desktop and mobile.
• No Coding Required: Drag-and-drop strategy builder for quick testing.

Best For:

• Visual Learners: Intuitive charts with minimal setup.
• Market Analysis and Charting due to the large number of timeframes/indicators.
• Social Traders: Leverage crowd-sourced insights.
• Long-Term Investors: Advanced charting for macro trends.

Overall, I’d suggest that new IC Markets traders use TradingView for price analysis and charting, as it is intuitive and offers a gentle learning curve.

IC Markets app

IC Markets provides mobile trading apps for all four of its forex platforms (MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView), as well as on the share trading platform.

These apps are designed for both iOS and Android devices, offering you the flexibility to manage your trades on the go.

The mobile versions retain the core functionalities of their desktop counterparts, including real-time quotes, charting tools, and order management features.

My Verdict on IC Markets Trading Platforms

I give the broker a 9/10 score in the trading platform category. This high score is due to a highly versatile platform suite, which includes MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView, four of the very best platforms in the industry.

Trading Experience

IC Markets’ forex trading platforms use Equinix servers, providing fast order execution speeds. The cTrader platform uses the LD5 server in London, while MT4 and MT5 use the NY4 data centre in New York.

The broker also has direct access to interbank price feeds from over 50 banks and institutional liquidity providers. This means you can expect ultra-tight spreads and minimal slippage when forex trading, perfect for scalpers and traders who enjoy hedging the forex market.

My Verdict on Trading Experience

We’ve rated IC Markets as one of the best forex brokers. The fast servers and excellent infrastructure both minimise latency, greatly improving the experience.

With fast execution and platform diversity, I give IC Markets a score of 8/10. All of this has a strong impact on day-to-day trading efficiency.

IC Markets execution speed and slippage

In our 2026 execution test, IC Markets filled limit orders in 134 ms, ranking 16th of 36 and coming in faster than the other 35 brokers’ average of 143 ms on limit orders. Its market orders took 153 ms, ranking 22nd and running slower than the other 35 brokers’ average of 149 ms on market orders. For scalpers, high-frequency traders, and algorithmic strategies, execution speed is a critical factor.

Our 2026 execution test used Expert Advisors on MetaTrader 4 demo accounts, which were not funded accounts, at 36 brokers over two 30-hour periods, and measured the average time in milliseconds from placing a limit or market order to its execution, with network latency (ping) subtracted.

IC Markets trading servers include the Equinix NY4 (New York) and LD5 (London) data centres. These serve the MetaTrader and cTrader platforms, respectively. Both data centres are co-located with major liquidity venues, which keeps order routing latency low for traders close to NY or London.

The table below lists all 36 brokers in our 2026 execution test, ordered by limit order time, fastest first. Each broker’s row shows its execution type, its limit order time and rank, and its market order time and rank, with ranks given for each order type. IC Markets sits 16th on limit order time.

Markets you can trade with IC Markets

IC Markets offers a number of CFD trading instruments, such as forex, indices, commodities, stocks, bonds, futures, and cryptocurrency. In terms of execution method, IC counts itself among the no dealing desk brokers.

CFDs

1. Forex 61 major, minor and currency pairs with tight spreads as low as 0.0 pips plus commission, or 0.8 pips with no commission.
2. Indices Gain exposure to 25 of the largest indices around the world. You can trade index CFDs on all three trading platforms with no commission fees.
3. Commodities Trade CFDs across agriculture, metals and energy markets, predicting the USD’s performance against various commodities. Raw Trading Ltd (FSA) offers 22 commodity CFDs, made up of 14 spot instruments and 8 soft commodities.
4. Stocks You can trade over 2100 major stocks as CFDs. This is only available through the MetaTrader 5 (MT5) trading platform. The shares available are across the NYSE, Nasdaq and the Australian Stock Exchange.
5. Bonds Raw Trading Ltd (FSA) lists 9 bonds, including those from the UK, Japan, USA and Europe. IC charges no commission fees when you are trading CFDs derived from bonds.
6. Cryptocurrency CFD traders can access 94 cryptocurrency CFDs at Raw Trading Ltd (FSA), with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and XRP among them. If you are looking to trade crypto, Eightcap provides the better range, with 250 coins.
7. Futures You can trade 4+ global futures CFDs with no commission fees. This includes both the ICE Dollar Index and the CBOE VIX Index. Futures CFDs are available only on MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5.

Our Verdict On IC Markets Product Range

IC Markets Global offers 61 forex pairs, 25 indices, 22 commodity CFDs, 9 bonds, 94 crypto CFDs, and over 2,100 share CFDs on MT5 only, plus at least 4 futures CFDs. The crypto range is thinner than one rival on this site, which lists 250 coins. I deducted for that narrow coverage in niche markets, but the breadth elsewhere earns a score of 9/10.

IC Markets customer service, research and education

IC offers 24/7 support via live chat and email. Phone support runs Sunday 10 PM to Friday 10 PM GMT, and the team is also active on social media.

Local customer support is available from their Sydney office at Level 6 309 Kent Street Sydney, NSW 2000.

CFD traders can reach them through different channels like email, Skype or phone. I was impressed that their Sydney response time is under 15 minutes, and more complex issues are resolved within a day.

Live chat customer service is also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The company is dedicated to providing a high-quality educational centre (video journals and articles) that is great for those who have no previous knowledge of trading forex and CFDs.

The broker is one of the leaders in this category.

My Verdict on IC Markets Customer Service Levels

IC Markets excels in customer support, offering round-the-clock assistance via live chat and email, with phone support during market hours. All of this is complemented by a very responsive local team in Sydney. For these reasons, I give IC Markets a customer service score of 9.0/10.

Research and education

Trading Central LogoIC offers various research tools and support when forex trading, including:

• A blog offering fundamental and technical analysis
• Content from 3rd parties including Trading Central
• An economic calendar
• Myfxbook news headlines
• ZuluTrade social copy trading
• FX Blue LLP Advanced Trading Tools

Outside these features, my IC Markets review didn’t find many advanced research options. I’d like to have seen some news headlines features and pattern-recognition tools.

IC Your Trade

IC Markets has launched a podcast series discussing current events and the opportunities and issues that affect the markets. The data is analysed by experts to provide valuable insights for traders as they make informed decisions.

Verdict on quality of education and research offered

The research suite covers analysis, economic calendars, podcasts, and social copy trading. It falls short of some brokers on advanced research features, and my score reflects that: I gave IC Markets 8.5/10 for education and research, deducting points because there are no webinars. There are some useful resources in Spanish on the IC Markets YouTube channel, however.

Our final verdict on IC Markets

In my view, IC Markets is the best broker for traders looking for low spreads and fees.

Supporting the MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and TradingView forex trading platforms, the broker caters to all trading styles. I recommend it most for intermediate or expert traders.

In my weighted score, IC Markets earned an impressive 89/100 points overall. This is a direct reflection of IC Markets’ strengths in the costs, platforms, and trust categories. I balanced these scores against weaker categories, like education and market diversity.

A few points are docked for the slower support and lack of educational content, but the upside of low-cost trading more than makes up for this.