IC Markets review 2026

Our review is based on broker disclosures, regulatory records, platform research and available user information checked on 26 August 2026.

Is IC Markets regulated?

IC Markets is connected with 5 recorded regulatory licence or licences. The entity relevant to users in Seychelles is Raw Trading Ltd, reported as regulated by Financial Services Authority under licence number SD018.

The broker operates through multiple legal entities. The regulator and protections applying to an account depend on which entity accepts the client, not simply on the broker brand displayed.

IC Markets holds tier-one authorisations from ASIC and CySEC. That matters more than any headline spread: it determines your leverage cap, whether losses can exceed your deposit, and what happens to your money if the firm fails.

It also operates an offshore entity (SCB and FSA). Which one you are onboarded to depends on where you live, and the two carry very different protections - worth confirming before you deposit.

ASIC caps retail leverage at 1:30, requires negative balance protection, and obliges the broker to hold client money in a separate trust account.

CySEC licences passport across the EU and follow the 1:30 retail leverage cap, with the Investor Compensation Fund covering eligible claims.

The Securities Commission of The Bahamas is an offshore regulator, commonly used for entities offering leverage above EU and Australian caps.

How safe is IC Markets?

Client money is held separately from the firm's own money, at Top-tier international banks. That separation is what makes your balance recoverable if the company fails, rather than part of the pool its creditors divide up.

Covered by ICF up to €20,000 for eligible EU clients; Raw Trading Ltd insolvency insurance up to US$1,000,000, which pays eligible clients up to its limit if the firm fails owing client money.

Verify licence with ASIC

Licence information last checked 26 August 2026

IC Markets trading conditions

Trading conditions vary by account, platform, legal entity and client classification. The figures below reflect the latest information available to 88 Forex Brokers and should be confirmed before trading.

Spreads and commissions

IC Markets advertises spreads from 0.0 pips on Standard. The stated commission is $3.50 per side / $7 round turn (Raw Spread MetaTrader). Typical or live pricing may be higher than the advertised minimum, particularly outside liquid trading hours or during volatile markets.

A quoted spread from 0.0 pips is a raw-spread figure, which almost always means a separate commission per lot. Compare the two together - a "zero spread" account with a high commission can cost more than a wider spread with none.

Quoted spreads are best-case figures on the most liquid pair, in normal conditions. What you actually pay widens around news and at the session open.

IC Markets lists a minimum deposit of $200. Treat it as the cost of opening an account, not the cost of trading one - position sizing on a small balance is what tends to cause damage.

Spread type

Variable

EUR/USD average spread

0.1 pips (Raw Spread)

GBP/USD average spread

0.4 pips (Raw Spread)

Commission

$3.50 per side / $7 round turn (Raw Spread MetaTrader)

All-in cost, EUR/USD

Approx. 0.8 pips

Leverage and margin

Maximum leverage is reported as 1:30, although the available limit depends on the account entity, instrument, client classification and local rules. Higher leverage increases both potential gains and losses and can lead to rapid account depletion.

Execution model

IC Markets describes its execution model as Market execution. The available information indicates an average execution speed of Approx. 35ms on forex, order types of Market, limit, stop, stop-limit, stop-loss, take-profit, trailing stop and servers in Equinix NY4, New York; Equinix LD5, London. Execution labels are not standardised across the industry, so review the order-execution policy and conflict disclosures rather than relying on a single term.

Trading rules

Expert advisers

Yes; EAs/cBots supported; low-latency VPS available

Copy trading

IC Social; cTrader Copy; ZuluTrade; Myfxbook AutoTrade; Signal Start

Negative balance protection

Retail only

Scalping, Hedging, Stop-out level and Guaranteed stop loss: the broker does not publish enough information for us to confirm this trading condition.

IC Markets account types

IC Markets offers 4 reported account types. Compare the minimum deposit, spread model, commission, platform and eligibility before choosing an account.

IC Markets runs 4 account types. More choice is not automatically better: the tightest headline spread almost always sits on the account that also charges a commission, so the comparison that matters is the two added together.

Base currencies: USD, AUD, EUR, GBP, SGD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, CAD. Holding the account in the currency you fund it with avoids a conversion charge on every deposit and withdrawal - a cost that never shows up in a spread comparison.

The smallest position is 0.01 lots. For anyone starting carefully this matters more than the minimum deposit, because it sets the least you can put at risk on a single trade.

A demo account is available. Worth using for the platform rather than the results: fills are simulated, so it tells you how the software behaves but very little about execution.

StandardRaw SpreadcTrader Raw SpreadIslamic/Swap-Free

Minimum deposit

$200

Spreads from

0.0 pips

Commission

$3.50 per side / $7 round turn (Raw Spread MetaTrader)

Maximum leverage

1:30

Platforms

MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView

Base currencies

USD, AUD, EUR, GBP, SGD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, CAD

Available markets

Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, Bonds, Futures, Cryptocurrency CFDs

Minimum trade size

0.01 lots

Account opening time

Usually minutes to a few hours

Demo account

A demo account is reported as available for testing the platform and practising with virtual funds. Demo pricing and execution may not match live conditions.

Islamic account

An Islamic or swap-free option is reported as available. Alternative charges, holding limits or eligibility conditions may apply.

IC Markets fees and trading costs

The total cost of trading can include spreads, commissions, overnight financing, currency conversion, deposit or withdrawal charges and inactivity fees.

Advertised spreads start from 0.0 pips, but typical pricing may be higher.

The reported trading commission is $3.50 per side / $7 round turn (Raw Spread MetaTrader).

Overnight financing applies to eligible positions at rates that can change.

The broker reports none; third-party/bank charges may apply for withdrawals.

An inactivity fee of None on Global; EU: 10 account-currency units/month applies after 6 months inactivity.

A currency-conversion charge of Conversion at applicable exchange rate/charges; no fixed percentage published may apply.

Spreads from

0.0 pips

Commission

$3.50 per side / $7 round turn (Raw Spread MetaTrader)

Overnight financing

Both: swaps charged; swap-free accounts available

Deposit fee

Not confirmed

Withdrawal fee

None; third-party/bank charges may apply

Inactivity fee

None on Global; EU: 10 account-currency units/month after 6 months inactivity

Currency conversion

Conversion at applicable exchange rate/charges; no fixed percentage published

Fees can change and may differ by entity, platform, account or payment method. Confirm the full schedule before opening or funding an account.

Trading platforms and apps

IC Markets supports MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader and TradingView. Availability can differ by account and legal entity.

MetaTrader 4 remains the most widely supported platform for expert advisors. If you rely on an existing EA, this is usually the deciding factor.

MetaTrader 5 handles more asset classes and order types than MT4, but expert advisors are not compatible between the two - an MT4 EA will not run on it.

cTrader shows depth of market and level II pricing, and is usually paired with raw-spread accounts rather than fixed-spread ones.

TradingView integration lets you trade from charts you may already use, removing the need to run a second platform for analysis.

MetaTrader 4MetaTrader 5cTraderTradingView

Proprietary platform

IC Markets Global mobile app / IC app

Web platform

Yes

Mobile app

Both

Charting

30+ built-in on MT4; 38+ on MT5; extensive additional via cTrader/TradingView

Third-party tools

Trading Central, Autochartist, IC Insights, TipRanks

Server locations

Equinix NY4, New York; Equinix LD5, London

Automated and copy trading

The broker reports support for expert advisers and automated strategies and API access. Automated strategies can fail, amplify losses or behave differently under changing market conditions.

The platform range is broad. Its main advantage is support for MetaTrader 4; the principal limitation is that availability can differ by entity.

Markets available through IC Markets

The broker reports access to 2,250+ instruments across forex, commodities, indices, shares, bonds, futures and cryptocurrency CFDs. Product availability depends on the account entity and platform.

Leverage is capped at 1:30 retail under ASIC/CySEC; higher under international entities, which is the retail limit under tier-one regulation. It is a protection rather than a restriction: it caps how quickly a position can move against your balance.

The product range is strongest for forex, commodities and indices. Traders seeking metals may need another broker.

ForexCommoditiesIndicesSharesBondsFuturesCryptocurrency CFDs

Markets, as published

Forex, Commodities, Shares, Indices, Bonds, Cryptocurrencies, Futures

Total instruments

2,250+

Currency pairs

61

Cryptocurrency CFDs

Yes

CFDs do not provide ownership of the underlying asset. Product terms, leverage and trading hours vary by market.

Deposits and withdrawals

Available funding methods include Credit/debit card, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, UnionPay, bank wire, Bpay, broker-to-broker, POLi, Rapidpay, Klarna, cryptocurrency, local internet banking. Processing times, limits, fees and availability vary by country, currency and account entity.

Withdrawals are stated at Same-day processing before cutoff; cards typically 3-5 business days; international wire up to 14 days, against Instant for cards, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, UnionPay and several local methods; bank wire 2-5 business days for deposits. A gap between the two is normal and not in itself a warning sign - identity checks are a legal obligation, not obstruction. What is worth noticing is a withdrawal that keeps meeting new conditions after those checks are done.

Withdrawal routes: credit/debit card, bank wire, paypal, neteller, skrill, plus applicable original/local payment methods. Money is usually returned by the route it arrived on, so the deposit method you pick is in effect the withdrawal method you are picking too.

The minimum withdrawal is No minimum - relevant if you intend to fund the account lightly, since it sets the smallest amount you can take out at a time.

Identity, payment ownership and source-of-funds checks may be required before a withdrawal is processed.

Deposit methods

Credit/debit card, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, UnionPay, bank wire, Bpay, broker-to-broker, POLi, Rapidpay, Klarna, cryptocurrency, local internet banking

Withdrawal methods

Credit/debit card, bank wire, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, plus applicable original/local payment methods

Deposit time

Instant for cards, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, UnionPay and several local methods; bank wire 2-5 business days

Withdrawal time

Same-day processing before cutoff; cards typically 3-5 business days; international wire up to 14 days

Deposit fee

Not confirmed

Withdrawal fee

None; third-party/bank charges may apply

Minimum withdrawal

No minimum

Local payment methods

Bpay; POLi; Thai Internet Banking; Vietnamese Internet Banking; UnionPay; Rapidpay; Klarna

View withdrawal complaints about IC Markets

Use a payment method held in your own name. The broker may reject third-party payments or require withdrawals to follow the original funding route.

Customer support

IC Markets provides support through Live chat, email, phone during 24/7. Supported languages include English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese and others.

Support runs 24/7. Round-the-clock cover matters more than it sounds: a position held over a weekend or through an unexpected halt is exactly when you need somebody to answer.

Reachable by live chat, email, phone. A published telephone number is the one channel that is hard to fake and hard to ignore, so whether there is one says more than the number of channels does.

Languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese and others. Being able to raise a complaint in your own language is worth more than it appears, because complaints are where precision matters most.

Education: extensive: webinars, educational articles, video/web tv, trading guides, tutorials. Treat broker-published material as an introduction rather than as advice - it is produced by a firm whose revenue rises when you trade more.

Support channels

Live chat, email, phone

Support hours

24/7

Languages

English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese and others

Telephone

+248 467 19 76

Email

support@icmarkets.com

Live chat response

Typically under 2 minutes

Research and market analysis

Extensive: Trading Central, Autochartist, IC Insights/TipRanks, market analysis and daily forecasts

Education

Extensive: webinars, educational articles, video/Web TV, trading guides, tutorials

Is IC Markets a good broker?

Your decision should reflect your country, experience, preferred platform, trading costs and tolerance for financial and counterparty risk.

IC Markets is best considered by

• Traders who want a tier-one licence behind the account
• Traders who want raw spreads with a commission
• Traders who want automated strategies
• Traders who want MetaTrader

Consider another broker if

• You require copy trading
• You require negative balance protection

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