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Head to head
Capital.com or IC Markets? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.
Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.
The best-executed retail CFD platform in Europe, provided you accept that CFDs are the whole product.
One of the cheapest routes to raw institutional FX pricing - as long as you check which entity you are signing with.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.
Overall Capital.com takes it, 4.3 against 4.2 out of 5. On commissions there is little between them — €5.00 against €5.00 for a reference EUR 5,000 order. Capital.com scores 77 against 70 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. IC Markets covers more ground with 9 of 14 asset classes against 8. On platform and app Capital.com is ahead, 4.4 against 4.1 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
Capital.comCapital.comCapital.comCapital.comCapital.comUp to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 30 Aug 2026
| Criterion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.3 — Better | 4.2 |
| Group index | 77 of 100 | 70 of 100 |
| Best for | Active CFD tradersForex day tradingMobile-first tradersBeginners learning leverageCrypto CFD exposure | Algorithmic and EA tradersScalping and high-frequency FXcTrader usersHigh-volume tradersCopy trading |
| Regulation | FCAASICCySECCySEC | ASICCySECFSCAFSASCBCMA |
| Top-tier licences | 2 — Better | 1 |
| Investor protection | £85,000 — Better | €20,000 |
| Listed group | No | No |
| Banking licence | No | No |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | Yes | Yes |
| Audited financials | Yes | Yes |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | None | 1 |
| Founded | 2016 | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Limassol, CY | Sydney, AU |
| Fees | 4.4 | 4.7 — Better |
| Safety & regulation | 4.3 — Better | 3.9 |
| Trading platform | 4.3 | 4.5 — Better |
| Product range | 3.6 | 3.7 — Better |
| Mobile app | 4.6 — Better | 3.6 |
| Research | 4.2 — Better | 3.6 |
| Customer support | 4.2 | 4.5 — Better |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 4.5 — Better | 4.4 |
| Account opening | 4.6 — Better | 4.3 |
| Education | 4.6 — Better | 3.3 |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €5.00 | €5.00 |
| Minimum deposit | US$20 — Better | €200 |
| Stocks (per order) | in the spread | 0.1 % |
| US stocks | in the spread | US$0.02/share |
| ETFs | in the spread | Not offered |
| Options | Not offered | Not offered |
| Futures | Not offered | in the spread |
| Crypto | in the spread | in the spread |
| Bonds (order) | n/a | in the spread |
| Funds (order) | n/a | n/a |
| EUR/USD spread | 0.7 pips — Better | 0.8 pips |
| Index CFD spread | 1 points | n/a |
| FX conversion | 0.7 % | n/a |
| Inactivity fee | None — Better | €10 · after 6 months |
| Custody fee | n/a | None |
| Withdrawal fee | free | free |
| Deposit fee | free | free |
| Overnight financing | 4.05 % | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 8 | 9 — Better |
| Exchanges | n/a | n/a |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| Options | No | No |
| Futures | No | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | No | Yes |
| Funds | No | No |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | No | No |
| Spread betting | Yes | No |
| Social trading | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Capital.com Web PlatformCapital.com Mobile AppMetaTrader 4MetaTrader 5TradingView | MetaTrader 4MetaTrader 5cTraderTradingViewIC Markets appFIX API |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional shares | Yes | No |
| Maximum leverage | 1:30 · Pro 1:300 | 1:30 · Pro 1:500 |
| Account opening | Under 10 minutes — fully digital, usually verified the same day | Digital application, usually approved within one business day |
| Account types | Standard (Retail)ProfessionalCapital.com Invest | Raw Spread (MT4/MT5)cTrader RawStandardRaw ProRaw Pro+Swap-free |
| Payment methods | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPalApple PayGoogle PaySkrillNeteller | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPalSkrillNetellerApple PayGoogle PayCrypto |
| Account currencies | USDEURGBPPLNAUD | EURUSDGBP |
| Deposit time | Instant for cards and e-wallets, 1–3 business days for bank wire | Instant to 12 hours on cards and e-wallets, 1-3 business days by bank transfer |
| Withdrawal time | 1–3 business days | Same day to 1 business day on e-wallets and crypto, 2-5 business days by bank wire |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | EnglishGermanSpanishItalianFrenchPolishArabicDutchRomanianCzech | EnglishGermanSpanishFrenchItalianPortugueseChineseVietnameseThaiArabic |
| Channels | EmailLive chatPhone | PhoneEmailLive chat |
| Availability | 24/7 | 24/7 |
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
Capital.com
The best-executed retail CFD platform in Europe, provided you accept that CFDs are the whole product.
Pros
Cons
Best for
IC Markets
One of the cheapest routes to raw institutional FX pricing - as long as you check which entity you are signing with.
Pros
Cons
Best for
Open an account with either
A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
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