IC Markets delivers raw spreads starting from 0.0 pips alongside extensive platform support including MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView.
Spreads from
0.8 pips
Commission
$3.5 per lot per side
Min deposit
$0
Established
2007
Regulated by
ASIC · CySEC · FSA Seychelles
Written byLaverlane Team·Updated7 Oct 2026
Researched with AI assistance and verified by our editors
Regulation
IC Markets holds regulatory licences across Australia, Cyprus, and Seychelles, but international accounts use the offshore entity. If your country's regulator doesn't license the entity you'd contract with, sending money abroad carries extra risks, including limited legal recourse and difficulty recovering funds. Check that the entity is authorised where you live before you deposit.
IC Markets operates through several corporate entities depending on client location. Australian residents contract with International Capital Markets Pty Ltd under ASIC Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) 335692 oversight. European clients trade under IC Markets (EU) Ltd, authorized by CySEC under licence number 362/18. International retail traders contract with Raw Trading Ltd in Seychelles, regulated by the FSA under licence SD018.
International clients of IC do not receive Tier-1 regulatory protection or statutory compensation cover under the Seychelles entity. IC's operating entities maintain separate client records, but jurisdiction determines legal recourse. We could not confirm IC's regulatory enforcement record at the time of review. Check the ASIC, CySEC and FSA Seychelles registers directly before you open an account.
Key facts
IC (formerly IC Markets) is a privately held Australian brokerage established in 2007 specializing in multi-asset CFD trading.
Client-facing entity
Raw Trading Ltd
Regulators
ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles
Restricted countries
US, CA, NZ, IR, KP
Negative-balance protection
jurisdiction-only
Minimum deposit
$0
Max leverage (UK/EU retail)
1:30
Max leverage (offshore entity)
1:5000
Max leverage (professional)
1:500
Typical EUR/USD spread
0.1 pips
Platforms
MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView
Account currencies
USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, SGD, JPY, NZD, CHF, HKD
Founded in Sydney, IC Markets expanded from a domestic Australian broker into a high-volume global CFD provider. IC remains privately owned without a public stock listing. IC's operations centre on high-speed trade execution and automated trading integration across currency pairs, commodities, indices, and share CFDs.
IC's global presence spans multiple subsidiaries accommodating retail and professional traders. Trading servers are located in New York and London. While brand visibility is worldwide, contract terms and operational frameworks depend strictly on regional account routing.
Best for
Pros & cons
Fund safety
IC says client funds are held separately from company money, though statutory compensation schemes apply only to European clients.
IC states that client money is held separately from company funds. The protection you receive depends on the entity you contract with, so check your client agreement. However, IC's statutory investor compensation coverage is limited strictly to European residents under the CySEC Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) scheme up to €20,000.
IC's international accounts under Raw Trading Ltd in Seychelles do not participate in a statutory compensation scheme. IC provides negative balance protection to retail clients in Australia and Europe under local regulatory mandates, but it remains jurisdiction-specific.
Account terms
IC's account terms permit algorithmic trading and scalping without artificial order restrictions, operating under no-dealing-desk execution.
IC Markets operates an agency execution model with no dealing desk intervention. IC's trading policies permit scalping, hedging, news trading, and automated expert advisors without minimum holding times or distance restrictions on pending orders. Terms of business outline standard market execution practices without artificial order manipulation.
IC's client agreements specify a 50% margin close-out level for retail accounts, liquidating the most unprofitable positions first when margin thresholds drop. Negative balance protection policies vary by jurisdiction, leaving offshore clients subject to standard market deficit provisions during unexpected gap events. IC maintains documented conflict-of-interest disclosures online.
Costs
IC's Raw Spread accounts feature tight spreads averaging 0.01 pips on EUR/USD alongside a $3.50 commission per lot side.
Trading costs on Raw Spread accounts consist of raw interbank spreads plus a fixed commission of $3.50 per lot per side ($7.00 round turn). On Standard accounts, IC's average spreads are 0.1 pips on EUR/USD, 0.12 pips on GBP/USD and 0.11 pips on USD/JPY. IC's Standard accounts charge no separate commission, with spreads starting from 0.8 pips. The spread figures below reflect IC's standard retail pricing. The "UK entity" note under the table is a template line and doesn't apply: IC doesn't hold a UK licence, and international clients contract with Raw Trading Ltd in Seychelles.
IC's overnight financing charges follow variable interbank swap rates, with long and short rates incurring standard rollover adjustments. IC offers swap-free Islamic account options upon request for qualifying clients. IC Markets charges no internal deposit, withdrawal, or account inactivity fees, keeping static holding costs low.
| Instrument | Asset class | Typical spread | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Forex CFD | 0.1 | pips |
| GBP/USD | Forex CFD | 0.12 | pips |
| USD/JPY | Forex CFD | 0.11 | pips |
| US 100 (Nasdaq) | Index CFD | 1.8 | points |
| US 500 (S&P 500) | Index CFD | 0.5 | points |
| XAU/USD (Gold) | Commodity CFD | 0.1 | $ / oz |
| US Crude Oil | Commodity CFD | 0.03 | $ / bbl |
| BTC/USD | Crypto CFD | 12 | $ |
Spreads shown are typical, not guaranteed, and widen during volatile sessions or outside main market hours. Figures reflect the broker's standard retail account.
Markets
IC's instrument catalogue spans over 2,300 CFDs across forex, indices, commodities, shares, cryptocurrencies, bonds, and futures.
Forex CFD
61 pairs
Index CFD
25 indices
Commodity CFD
Metals, energies, softs
Single-Stock CFD
2100 shares
Crypto CFD
Available ✓ · Weekend trading ✓
Real ownership: Stocks / ETFs
N/A for this broker, CFDs only
IC Markets offers access to 61 currency pairs covering major, minor, and exotic combinations. Commodity coverage includes 24 instruments spanning spot gold, silver, crude oil, natural gas, and agricultural products. Equity CFDs exceed 2,100 individual stocks across US, UK, and European exchanges, supplemented by 25 global equity indices.
Cryptocurrency CFDs cover 94 digital assets including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin with weekend trading availability. Over 9 bond CFDs and 5 global futures CFDs (MetaTrader 4 only) are also offered, while real share ownership and physical asset investing are not supported. IC's product suite is tailored for derivative trading rather than long-term asset custody.
Platforms
With IC, you can choose between MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView across desktop, web, and mobile interfaces.
IC's platform options include MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, featuring full support for Expert Advisors, custom indicators, and automated backtesting. cTrader provides an alternative cTrader Automate interface with Financial Information eXchange (FIX) API connectivity for advanced algorithmic strategies. TradingView integration allows direct order execution from native charting windows.
Mobile trading apps are available for iOS and Android across all four platform ecosystems. Advanced charting tools, price alerts, and automated execution frameworks run natively across web and desktop platforms. IC's infrastructure supports high-frequency strategy deployment with low latency processing.
Execution
IC executes orders via trading servers in New York for MetaTrader accounts and London for cTrader accounts.
IC Markets utilizes uses an electronic communication network (ECN)-style pricing structure with optical fiber connections to liquidity providers. IC's trade servers are located in New York for MetaTrader accounts and in London for cTrader accounts, reducing latency for automated orders.
IC supports market, limit, stop, and trailing stop orders. IC publishes execution statistics on its website, disclosing slippage distribution and fill speeds. At IC, partial fills and order rejections follow market liquidity conditions without requotes.
Leverage
IC's international accounts access retail leverage up to 1:5000, whereas European and Australian retail limits cap at 1:30.
IC's international accounts under Raw Trading Ltd offer maximum leverage up to 1:5000 on forex under dynamic tiers (1:3000 from 25 lots and 1:1000 from 50 lots). IC's retail accounts under ASIC in Australia and CySEC in Cyprus face statutory caps of 1:30 on major forex pairs, 1:20 on minor pairs, and 1:10 on commodities. Professional account classification allows higher leverage subject to meeting qualifying criteria.
IC's margin close-out triggers automatically at 50% of required margin across retail account types. High leverage amplifies both potential capital gains and total loss exposure, requiring strict risk controls during volatile market conditions.
Account types
IC's account choices include Raw Spread, Standard, cTrader Raw Spread, Raw Pro, and Raw Pro+ options, with minimum deposits ranging from $0 to $100,000.
| Account | Min deposit | Commission | Swap | Spread | Demo | Islamic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw Spread | $0 | $3.5 per lot per side | Variable | From 0 pips · Variable | Yes | Yes |
| Standard | $0 | Spread-only | Variable | From 0.8 pips · Variable | Yes | Yes |
| cTrader Raw Spread | $0 | $3 Other | Variable | From 0 pips · Variable | Yes | Yes |
| Raw Pro | $5000 | $1.5 per lot per side | Variable | From 0 pips · Variable | Yes | No |
| Raw Pro+ | $100000 | $1 per lot per side | Variable | From 0 pips · Variable | Yes | No |
IC Markets provides five main account structures. IC's Raw Spread account uses MetaTrader with $3.50 commission per lot side and spreads from 0.0 pips. IC's cTrader Raw Spread account offers similar pricing at $3.00 commission per USD 100,000 traded using the cTrader engine. IC's Raw Pro and Raw Pro+ accounts cut MetaTrader commission to $1.50 and $1.00 per lot side but require deposits of $5,000 and $100,000.
IC's Standard account offers spreads from 0.8 pips without separate commission charges, targeting manual traders. IC's Raw Spread, cTrader, and Standard accounts require no minimum deposit, and all account types support ten base currencies including USD, EUR, GBP, and AUD. IC offers Islamic swap-free options on the Raw Spread and Standard accounts, including cTrader, for clients who cannot earn or pay interest for religious reasons.
Funding
Deposits carry no internal fee, and IC doesn't charge a withdrawal fee in most cases, though a processing fee may apply if your deposit wasn't used for trading.
IC's funding channels include Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, and international bank wire transfers. IC Markets charges zero internal deposit fees and processes electronic deposits instantaneously. IC's base currency options span USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, SGD, JPY, NZD, CHF, and HKD, helping avoid conversion fees.
IC charges no withdrawal fee in most cases, but a processing fee may apply if your deposit wasn't used for trading, and your bank may charge intermediary wire fees. IC processes requests submitted before 12:00 Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) the same day.
Support
IC's customer support runs 24/7 via live chat, email and phone.
IC's customer support runs 24/7 via live chat, email and phone. IC's online help centre provides self-service articles on account management and platform setup.
Research resources feature daily technical analysis articles, economic calendars, and market news blogs. IC's educational materials include video tutorials, platform guides, and periodic webinars covering trading fundamentals and risk management.
Availability
IC Markets accepts clients globally while restricting residents of the United States, Canada, and specific banned jurisdictions.
IC's services are accessible across most international regions, with regional account routing dictating the contracting entity. Residents of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Iran, and North Korea are restricted from opening IC accounts due to legal and regulatory barriers.
Available regions include Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Regional regulatory frameworks dictate the maximum leverage and client protections available to IC accounts within those boundaries.
Verdict
IC remains an established destination for experienced traders seeking competitive execution speeds and minimal spread markups. IC's multi-platform framework caters to automated strategies effectively. However, IC's international accounts contract under Seychelles jurisdiction without compensation schemes, requiring capital safety considerations.
Choosing IC Markets depends on prioritizing low transaction fees over statutory regulatory compensation. Scalpers and EA operators benefit from IC's low-latency servers and competitive raw pricing. Traders requiring local regulatory coverage may prefer Tier-1 regulated alternatives.
High-volume day traders and automated strategy developers who rely on fast order fills and cTrader or MetaTrader connectivity will find IC Markets suitable.
FAQ
IC Markets processes withdrawal requests submitted before 12:00 AEST on the same business day. IC credit and debit card withdrawals typically take 3 to 5 business days to arrive, and e-wallet timing depends on the provider. International bank wires from IC can take up to 14 days and may incur intermediary fees.
IC Markets sets no minimum deposit for the Raw Spread, cTrader, and Standard accounts, while Raw Pro requires $5,000 and Raw Pro+ requires $100,000. Clients can fund IC accounts in ten base currencies without paying an internal deposit fee.
IC Markets maintains its primary headquarters in Sydney, Australia. IC's primary operations and institutional teams operate out of Sydney under ASIC oversight. IC's international retail accounts contract with Raw Trading Ltd in Seychelles.
IC Markets originated in Australia, where it was established in 2007 as International Capital Markets Pty Ltd. International retail clients outside Australia are routed through IC's offshore entity in Seychelles.
IC Markets operates under regulatory frameworks across multiple jurisdictions. IC's retail accounts under International Capital Markets Pty Ltd hold ASIC AFSL 335692 oversight in Australia. However, IC's international clients contract with Raw Trading Ltd in Seychelles, which offers no statutory compensation scheme.
Alternatives
Eightcap offers CFDs on 850+ markets through TradingView, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradeLocker, with a Raw account that starts from 0.0 pips. Clients outside the regulated regions contract with Eightcap Global Limited in The Bahamas, which carries no statutory compensation scheme.
Octa offers swap-free forex and CFD trading on OctaTrader, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, with no trading commission and a $25 minimum deposit. Accounts on octabroker.com are with Versustrategy Inc, registered in Saint Lucia, and the legal documents page lists no financial regulator.
JustMarkets offers leverage of up to 1:3000, swap-free trading and MT4, MT5 and its own app, but international clients contract with an offshore Seychelles entity without a statutory compensation scheme.
FXCM offers forex and CFD trading on Trading Station, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and TradingView. Accounts on the international website are with Stratos Global LLC, an offshore entity in St Vincent and the Grenadines that sits outside the group’s regulated companies.
ThinkMarkets offers ThinkTrader, TradingView, MT4 and MT5 with 4,000+ instruments and leverage of up to 1:500 on Standard and ThinkZero accounts. International clients contract with a Seychelles-licensed entity.
IronFX operates as a retail CFD broker providing high leverage up to 1:1000 on MetaTrader 4, but international clients contract through an offshore entity without statutory compensation protection.
CFI Financial offers MT5, TradingView and its own app with no minimum deposit and leverage of up to 1:500. International clients trade with CFI International Ltd, licensed in Mauritius.
EC Markets offers MT4, MT5 and its own app with a $10 minimum deposit on STD and ECN accounts and leverage of up to 1:1000. International clients trade with the Mauritius-licensed entity.
General CFD risk warning
CFDs are complex leveraged products and carry a high risk of rapid losses. They do not give you ownership of the underlying asset. Depending on your jurisdiction, broker entity and client classification, protections such as leverage limits and negative-balance protection may differ or may not apply. Where negative-balance protection is not provided, losses may exceed the funds you deposit. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.
Disclaimer
This page is provided for general information only. Nothing on this page constitutes investment, tax or trading advice, or a recommendation to open an account or trade with a particular broker. Laverlane does not provide personalised investment advice. We are not a broker or financial institution, we do not arrange or execute trades, and we do not hold client funds.
Broker availability, spreads, fees, leverage, products and legal protections, including compensation schemes and negative-balance protection, vary by the broker’s legal entity, your country of residence and your client classification, and may change over time. Where a broker is required to publish its retail CFD loss rate, that figure is shown on its review page. Spreads shown are typical figures as at our verification date; they are not guaranteed and may widen, particularly during volatile market conditions.
Laverlane Scores reflect the information available at our most recent review. They are editorial assessments, not guarantees of a broker’s financial strength, reliability or future performance. Where we report a regulator warning or enforcement notice, it reflects the official public information available at the time of our review.
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