IC Markets vs FBS

vs
IC Markets vs FBS Comparison Table 2024
IC Markets FBS
4.8
4.3
United States Flag Traders from US not accepted
United States Flag Traders from US not accepted

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.

Founded in 2009, FBS is an award-winning CFD broker operating in over 150 countries with a client base exceeding 27 million traders. Traders are supported at every stage of their journey with 24/7 assistance, market analytics, trading calculators, and competitive pricing with zero commissions.

Customer Reviews
4
5
Comment by Reviewer
"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." "FBS is an excellent choice for day traders at every level and budget, with just a $5 minimum deposit and intensive academy for aspiring traders alongside access to MT4, MT5 and highly leveraged trading opportunities up to 1:3000 for experienced traders."
Pros
  • 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 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.
  • FBS strikes the balance between robust features and ease of use, with a sign-up process taking <10 minutes, an intuitive app, advanced research through Market Analytics & more recently VIP Analytics, plus immersive education through the FBS Academy and Trader’s Blog.
  • 24/7 customer support that performed excellently during testing is available, alongside a $5 minimum deposit, high leverage options, and a huge variety of 200+ funding options, making it ideal for traders with small accounts.
  • FBS offers lightning-fast execution speeds from just 10 milliseconds, placing it among the industry leaders for highly active traders like scalpers who demand rapid order processing.
  • The trading firm has picked up over 90 awards and amassed more than 27 million clients, making it one of the largest and most established brokers globally.
Cons
  • 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.
  • Despite enhancing the selection of currency pairs, now providing over 70, FBS still trails industry leaders like BlackBull Markets in its market offering with a particularly narrow selection of commodities and indices.
  • There are only two base currencies available - EUR and USD - which isn't practical for minimizing currency conversion fees for many global traders, and is especially striking given the broker’s user base spans over 150 nations.
  • Investor protection is only available for clients within the EU, meaning global traders may not be protected if their account goes negative, significantly increasing the risk to your funds.
  • Although the FBS app offers a terrific mobile trading experience for aspiring traders and MT4/MT5 cater to advanced traders, the absence of cTrader and TradingView, which are increasingly offered by alternatives like Pepperstone, will deter day traders familiar with these platforms.
Awards
  • 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
  • Best Trading Application Asia 2024
  • Best Forex Broker in Africa 2023
  • Best Forex Broker South Africa 2023
  • Best Trading Account for Beginners 2023
  • Best Financial Broker of 2022-2023
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, Futures, Crypto CFDs, Forex, Indices, Shares, Commodities
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$200 $5
Trading Platforms
  • MT4
  • MT5
  • cTrader
  • TradingView
  • TradingCentral
  • DupliTrade
  • FBS App
  • MT4
  • MT5
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
ASIC, CySEC, FSA, CMA ASIC, CySEC, FSC
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
STP Account
No Yes
ECN Account
Yes Yes
DMA Account
Yes No
MAM Account
Yes No
PAMM Account
Yes No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No 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

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.

FBS offers an intuitive proprietary app that is designed to be user-friendly for traders of all levels. Available on both Android and iOS, it’s not only easy to navigate but also ensures swift trade execution with speeds from 0.01 seconds. This, combined with a user-friendly interface, provides excellent control over short-term trading strategies.

More experienced traders will also appreciate support for the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) apps, featuring advanced charting packages and Expert Advisors (EAs).

Android App Rating
4.2
4.9
iOS App Rating
3.1
4.6
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader, Myfxbook AutoTrade Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
Yes No
Copy Trading Platform
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
Yes No
Trade Signals
Signal Start MT4 & MT5
VPS Hosting
Yes Yes
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No Yes
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
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
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. FBS is a CFD broker, allowing you to speculate on the price movements of these assets without actually owning them. CFDs are available in various asset classes, including forex, commodities, indices, and stocks, but there are no opportunities for trading ETFs, bonds, or options. However, what truly empowers traders is the competitive spreads and generous leverage up to 1:3000 (capped at 1:30 for EU traders), all without inactivity or withdrawal fees.
Leverage
1:30 (ASIC & CySEC), 1:500 (FSA), 1:1000 (Global) 1:30 (EU & Restricted Countries), 1:3000 (Global)
FTSE Spread
1.0 0.0
GBPUSD Spread
0.23 0.6
Oil Spread
0.03 0.0
Stocks Spread
0.02 Variable
Forex Trading
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. FBS offers an improved selection of 72 majors, minors and exotics. Spreads are fairly competitive, averaging 0.7 pips for EUR/. There’s also an excellent range of forex market resources and tools on offer, including calculators and an intensive forex course.
Forex App

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.

The FBS Trader app allows clients to manage their finances and speculate on over 70 forex pairs, among other assets. Instant deposits are available, as well as one-click trading make for a seamless mobile trading experience. Users can also conduct technical analysis via interactive charting with multiple indicators and timeframes. The app is free to download from the respective app stores.

GBPUSD Spread
0.23 0.6
EURUSD Spread
0.02 0.5
EURGBP Spread
0.27 2.1
Assets
75 70+
Cryptocurrency
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. Crypto trading not offered
Spread
BTC 42.036 Floating
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • DOT
  • DSH
  • EMC
  • EOS
  • ETH
  • LNK
  • LTC
  • NMC
  • PPC
  • XLM
  • XRP
  • ADA
  • BNB
  • DOG
  • UNI
  • XTZ
  • ADA
  • ALG
  • AVA
  • BAT
  • BCH
  • BNB
  • BTC
  • DOG
  • DOT
  • DSH
  • EOS
  • ETC
  • ETH
  • FIL
  • IOT
  • LNK
  • LTC
  • MKR
  • MTC
  • NEO
  • OMG
  • SHB
  • SOL
  • TRX
  • UNI
  • VEC
  • XLM
  • XMR
  • XRPZEC
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No