IC Markets Review

IC Markets is an Australian-founded ECN broker established in 2007 that has grown into one of the highest-volume forex brokers globally. Regulated by ASIC (335692), CySEC (362/18), and FSA Seychelles (SD018), IC Markets serves traders across more than 200 countries with raw spreads averaging 0.01 pips on EUR/USD. The broker holds a 4.8/5 Trustpilot rating from over 52,000 reviews — one of the highest review counts and scores in the industry.

Regulation and Safety

IC Markets operates under three primary regulatory licences with additional entities providing global coverage.

Australian and European clients benefit from tier-one regulatory protection with segregated client funds and negative balance protection. International clients can trade through the Seychelles entity with leverage up to 1:1000 — the highest leverage available from any major broker. Additional entities in the Bahamas (SCB), Kenya (CMA), and Cayman Islands (CIMA) have been established to expand global reach.

IC Markets is privately held and has maintained a clean regulatory record since 2007. The 4.8/5 Trustpilot rating from 52,000+ reviews — with 91% giving five stars — reflects consistently positive client experiences over nearly two decades.

Account Types and Pricing

IC Markets offers some of the tightest raw spreads available from any retail broker, with three core account types.

Raw Spread Account

The Raw Spread account delivers average EUR/USD spreads of 0.01 pips — effectively zero spread the majority of the time. Commission is $3.50 per side per lot on MT4/MT5 and $3.00 per side on cTrader, making the total cost per round-turn trade $7.00 or $6.00 respectively. These are among the lowest all-in trading costs available from any regulated broker.

Standard Account

Spreads from 0.10 pips average on EUR/USD with no commission. All costs are built into the spread. The Standard account spread is still remarkably tight — many competitors' raw accounts cannot match IC Markets' standard pricing.

Raw Trader Plus

A new account type introduced in 2025 with enhanced features. Full details are being rolled out progressively.

All accounts require a $200 minimum deposit. Islamic (swap-free) accounts are available. Leverage up to 1:1000 is available through the Seychelles entity — the highest leverage offered by any major regulated broker. ASIC and CySEC entities cap retail leverage at 1:30.

Trading Platforms

IC Markets offers four platforms including TradingView, added in 2025.

MetaTrader 4

Full EA support, custom indicators, one-click trading, and compatibility with thousands of community-built strategies. IC Markets operates over 30 MT4 servers to ensure stable execution during peak trading hours.

MetaTrader 5

Multi-asset trading with 21 timeframes, built-in economic calendar, depth of market, and netting/hedging modes. Full EA support via MQL5.

cTrader

Level II pricing, advanced order types, cAlgo for automated strategy development, cTrader Copy for social trading, and detachable charts. The $3.00 per side commission on cTrader makes it the most cost-effective platform option on Raw Spread accounts.

TradingView

Native TradingView integration launched in 2025. Trade execution directly from TradingView charts with Pine Script support, community indicators, and multi-monitor layouts. This addition puts IC Markets on par with Pepperstone for TradingView users.

Free VPS hosting is available for traders meeting volume thresholds. Mobile apps are available for all platforms on iOS and Android.

Instruments

IC Markets offers over 2,250 tradeable instruments:

The 61 forex pairs is slightly below competitors like Pepperstone (90+) but covers all major and minor pairs. The 2,100+ share CFDs provide strong equity coverage. IC Markets became an Official FX Partner of the TGR Haas F1 Team, raising its brand visibility in the motorsport world.

Deposits and Withdrawals

IC Markets charges zero commission on all deposits and withdrawals — no fees from the broker's side on any method. The $200 minimum deposit applies to all account types. Processing times are consistent with industry norms.

Execution Quality

IC Markets is one of the highest-volume forex brokers globally, processing significant daily trading volume. The ECN model aggregates liquidity from over 25 providers including major banks and non-bank market makers. Server infrastructure is co-located in Equinix data centres in New York (NY4) and London (LD5).

The combination of near-zero raw spreads and deep liquidity makes IC Markets particularly attractive for scalpers, algorithmic traders, and high-frequency strategies that are sensitive to execution costs.

Who Is IC Markets Best For?

IC Markets is the natural choice for traders who want the absolute tightest spreads available from a regulated broker:

• Scalpers who need near-zero spreads and fast execution
• Algorithmic traders running EAs on MT4/MT5 or cAlgo strategies on cTrader
• High-volume traders who benefit from low all-in costs ($6.00-$7.00 per round turn)
• TradingView users (since the 2025 integration)

The broker is less suited to traders who want real share ownership (CFDs only), guaranteed stop losses, or the broadest possible instrument range. For real shares, consider IG. For 10,000+ instruments including DMA equities, FP Markets offers more breadth.

Final Thoughts

IC Markets has built its reputation on one thing: the tightest possible spreads. Average EUR/USD of 0.01 pips on Raw accounts is as close to zero as retail traders can get. The 4.8/5 Trustpilot rating from 52,000+ reviews — 91% five-star — provides overwhelming social proof that the execution quality matches the marketing. Four platforms, 2,250+ instruments, leverage up to 1:1000, and zero deposit/withdrawal fees complete a strong offering. IC Markets does not try to be everything — it focuses on raw pricing and execution quality, and it delivers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is IC Markets regulated?

Yes. IC Markets is regulated by ASIC (335692), CySEC (362/18), and FSA Seychelles (SD018). Additional entities operate under SCB, CMA, and CIMA licences.

What are IC Markets' spreads?

Raw Spread account averages 0.01 pips on EUR/USD with a $3.50 per side commission on MT4/MT5 ($3.00 on cTrader). Standard account averages 0.10 pips with no commission.

What is the minimum deposit at IC Markets?

The minimum deposit is $200 across all account types.

What leverage does IC Markets offer?

Up to 1:1000 through the Seychelles entity — the highest available from any major regulated broker. ASIC and CySEC entities cap retail leverage at 1:30.

Does IC Markets offer TradingView?

Yes. IC Markets launched native TradingView integration in 2025, joining Pepperstone as one of the few major brokers offering direct TradingView trade execution.

Which countries are restricted from IC Markets?

IC Markets restricts traders from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Iran, and North Korea. Most other countries are accepted through one of IC Markets' regulated entities.