IC Markets review

What it costs to trade

Spread from

0.0 pips (Raw Spread)

Minimum deposit

$200

A quoted spread from 0.0 pips (Raw Spread) 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.

Platforms

Trading software

MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView

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.

Leverage, markets and funding

Maximum leverage

1:30 retail under ASIC/CySEC; higher under international entities

Markets

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

Funding

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

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.

IC Markets covers forex, commodities, shares, indices, bonds, cryptocurrencies, futures. A wider range matters less than depth in the instruments you actually trade.

Funding options: credit/debit card, paypal, neteller, skrill, unionpay, bank wire, bpay, broker-to-broker, poli, rapidpay, klarna, cryptocurrency, local internet banking. Check withdrawal routes as well as deposit ones - they are often not the same, and the difference only becomes apparent when you try to take money out.

Regulation and safety

Regulated by

ASIC (AFSL 335692); CySEC (362/18); Seychelles FSA (SD018); Bahamas SCB (SIA-F214); Kenya CMA (Licence 123)

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.