IC Markets is among my top picks when it comes to forex brokers, allowing you to create a trading account to engage in Forex, Stocks, Cryptos, Commodities, Indices, Bonds, Precious Metals, and Energies. Their platform boasts an extensive array of over 1,780 trading instruments, making it user-friendly for a smooth online trading journey. With quick and straightforward funding options, opening an account is instant. The entry deposit is only $200, but you can also start with a free demo account to hone your trading skills until you feel confident enough to transition to a live account. You’ll be able to start trading within minutes, benefiting from industry-leading conditions like tight spreads, low commissions, and rapid execution speeds. IC Markets has evolved to become one of the largest Forex and CFD providers globally by catering to traders’ essential needs.
Over the years, IC Markets has established itself as a leading ECN forex broker, primarily by providing forex traders with what they desire: low spreads, abundant liquidity to minimize slippage, competitive commissions compared to other brokers, and round-the-clock customer support. Additionally, they offer a diverse collection of trading tools to assist traders in their daily activities and an abundance of educational resources to enhance trading knowledge and skills.
The trading servers for IC Markets’ MT4 and cTrader platforms are situated in the NY4 and LD5 IBX Equinix Data Centres in New York and London, ensuring clients receive the fastest execution speeds possible. These Equinix data centres are renowned for their secure and dependable infrastructure, housing over 60 exchanges and trading platforms, more than 400 buy and sell-side firms, and over 150 financial service providers.
IC Markets utilizes Raw Pricing, enabling you to trade at an institutional level with pricing nearly identical to that of the world’s leading execution venues. Executable Streaming Prices (ESP) are transmitted from IC Markets’ price providers directly to the broker, allowing clients to trade without interference from dealing desks, price manipulation, or requotes. With a diverse mix of up to 25 pricing providers at any moment, IC Markets is the preferred forex CFD provider for high-volume traders, scalpers, and robotic traders who seek the best spreads and execution speeds.
Trading restrictions are virtually nonexistent at IC Markets. They offer some of the best conditions globally for scalping and high-frequency trading, allowing traders to place orders within the spread, thanks to no minimum order distance and a freeze level of 0. This flexibility means that stop-loss orders can be positioned very close to market prices. Additionally, traders can hedge positions freely as IC Markets does not enforce a FIFO (first in first out) rule, allowing for margin benefits on hedged trades.
IC Markets collaborates with top-tier trading technology companies to provide forex traders with the ultimate trading environment and innovative tools. Among these tools are Depth of Market (DOM), built-in spread monitoring, ladder trading, and automated trade closures with customizable order templates. Even if you’re unfamiliar with these tools, IC Markets stands out as an exceptional standalone forex broker. Their longevity and numerous industry awards are a testament to their reliability.
IC Markets offers a carefully curated selection of products, giving access to some of the most popular and liquid markets globally for top trading opportunities around the clock. You can trade CFDs on Forex, Stocks, Cryptos, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, and more. Engage in trading with 60 currency pairs, 16 Commodities (including metals), and 16 major indices (like the FTSE 100, S&P/ASX 200, and Dow Jones Index) 24/7, with spreads starting as low as 0.5 points.
In the financial realm, a contract for difference (CFD) is an agreement between a buyer and seller, where the buyer compensates the seller for the difference between the current value of an asset and its value at the contract’s inception. This allows you to trade instruments with IC Markets and realize profits or losses based on price changes from when you open and close positions, excluding brokerage fees. One significant advantage of trading CFDs is that you do not need to own the underlying asset physically; instead, you are speculating on price fluctuations.
The Forex market offers traders the chance to trade 24/5 in the most liquid financial market globally. Traders can benefit from some of the tightest spreads, superior execution, and deep liquidity across 61 currency pairs.
Gain exposure to the world’s largest equity markets through IC Markets’ Indices CFDs. With spreads starting from just 0.4 points on 23 indices, traders can enjoy commission-free trading across major markets while maintaining a broad view of equity markets.
In commodities trading, you can trade energy, agriculture, and metals products against the USD or as Futures CFDs. IC Markets combines tight pricing with flexible lot sizes starting at 10c per point, providing a robust trading product.
With access to over 1,600 large-cap Stocks CFDs across ASX, NYSE, and NASDAQ exchanges, IC Markets has selected a range of globally recognized companies for optimal trading opportunities.
Bond trading lets you speculate on interest rates and global risk sentiments, enabling you to hedge equity exposure and diversify your strategy. Choose from various Bonds issued by governments worldwide, including Japan, Europe, the U.K., and the U.S.
You can also trade a range of the largest and most popular Cryptocurrencies, taking long or short positions against other retail traders throughout the week, where price movements are predominantly influenced by emotional factors, news, and market sentiment. Enjoy trading with leverage up to 1:5 and mitigate Cryptocurrency Exchange risks by using a regulated CFD provider.
Futures CFDs are among the most sought-after types of CFDs, with IC Markets offering a variety from around the globe, including ICE Dollar Index and CBOE VIX Index. These online Futures-based CFDs are exclusively available on IC Markets’ MetaTrader 4 Platform.
IC Markets provides an excellent array of trading platforms. You can access the popular MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms for free, as well as the advanced cTrader platform designed for professional traders. These platforms are compatible with desktop and laptop computers, accessible through web browsers, and available on mobile devices. They have optimized iPhone and Android trading applications, ensuring forex traders have the best possible mobile trading experience.
The MetaTrader 4 platform offered by IC Markets is a highly acclaimed trading platform globally, known for its user-friendly interface, rich features, and automated trading capabilities. It has transformed from a mere trading platform into a thriving community where traders’ needs are met by technological innovations.
IC Markets can provide the best possible market pricing and trading conditions through the MT4 platform by offering clients Raw Pricing. Both Standard and Raw Spread accounts are available on the MetaTrader 4 platform.
The IC Markets MetaTrader servers are hosted in the Equinix NY4 data centre in New York, a financial ecosystem featuring over 600 buy and sell-side firms, exchanges, trading venues, market data, and service providers. The MetaTrader server connects directly to the broker and their pricing providers, ensuring ultra-low latency and rapid trade execution.
With an average latency of less than 1 millisecond to major VPS providers located within the NY4 data centre or through dedicated lines to nearby data centres, this low latency is perfect for automated and high-frequency trading and scalping.
Besides being user-friendly and easy to learn, MetaTrader 4 is the preferred platform for most forex robots. If you’re interested in automated forex trading with IC Markets, opening an MT4 account is the way to go. Features of the IC Markets MT4 platform include:
- Leading market spreads and low commissions
- Leverage up to 1:500
- Minimum lot size of 0.01
- Flexible funding and withdrawal options
- No trading restrictions
- Lightning-fast order execution
MetaTrader 5 is the all-in-one platform for trading forex, stocks, indices, bonds, cryptocurrencies, and commodities. With IC Markets Raw Pricing, it becomes the most powerful platform for active traders. The updated platform enhances the features of its predecessor, which has long set the industry standard for traders worldwide.
MetaTrader 5’s advanced charting capabilities, coupled with sophisticated order management tools, enable you to monitor and control your positions quickly and efficiently. This platform is packed with new features designed to enhance your trading experience and is available on both Raw Pricing and Standard account types with IC Markets.
The Depth of Market feature in MetaTrader 5 provides a full range of available prices directly from the broker’s price providers, ensuring transparency of liquidity for each currency in real-time. High liquidity, asynchronous spot prices, and low latency guarantee the tightest spreads.
The features of the IC Markets MT5 platform include:
- Raw pricing
- Spreads from 0.0 pips
- Up to 1:500 leverage
- Low latency trading
- Deep interbank liquidity
- Multi-asset platform
You can access your MT4 or MT5 trading account from any web browser worldwide via IC Markets MetaTrader WebTrader. There’s no need to install or run software to trade online using the web browser.
MetaTrader WebTrader combines fast order execution capabilities with the convenience of a web-based application. It allows users to trade within the IC Markets environment without a dealing desk from anywhere globally.
MetaTrader WebTrader features include:
- Trade from any location
- Take advantage of Raw spreads
- No order or trade restrictions
- Trade micro lots (0.01) with no maximum limit
- Level II pricing – full market depth
- One-click trade execution
- Multiple order types
- Real-time trade reporting
- Advanced charting and technical analysis
- Trade without dealing desk intervention
- Save money with low trading costs
- Enjoy the fastest ultra-low latency execution possible
- Choose leverage up to 1:500 that suits your strategy and trading style
- Have greater control over your risk with micro lots
- Move money in and out of your trading account effortlessly
- Support for all major browsers
- Use the same account on MetaTrader and MetaTrader WebTrader
Stay connected to the market at all times with the MetaTrader app on your Android or iOS device. These applications give traders easy access to their accounts wherever they are. The mobile MetaTrader app allows one-click trading, customization of layouts, and advanced charts and analysis. Experience unmatched flexibility without sacrificing execution speed or quality.
Features of the IC Markets MetaTrader app include:
- Real-time forex and CFD quotes
- Full set of trade orders, including pending orders
- Trade directly from the chart
- Support for all types of execution modes
- Complete trading history visibility
- Real-time interactive charts with zoom and scroll capabilities
- Over 30 popular technical indicators
- Multiple timeframes for price action analysis
- Three chart types: Bars, Japanese Candlesticks, Line
- Customizable settings for technical indicators
- User-friendly interface
- Trade levels and volumes directly on the chart
- Offline mode (symbol prices and charts)
- Free and easily downloadable from the App Stores
The cTrader platform is designed specifically for high-speed execution in global markets. Its unique design, elegant user interface, and advanced features make it a favorite among discretionary Forex traders.
The IC Markets cTrader platform provides access to deep liquidity across 64 currency pairs and 16 major equity indices. Active traders around the globe appreciate the superior functionality of cTrader, which streams prices from multiple global banks, offering the ultimate trading solution.
The cTrader server is located in the LD5 IBX Equinix Data Centre in London, a financial ecosystem housing over 600 buy and sell-side firms, exchanges, trading venues, market data, and service providers. This server connects seamlessly to the broker and their pricing providers, ensuring low latency and fast execution of trades.
IC Markets’ cTrader server boasts under 1ms latency to major VPS providers either co-located in the LD5 IBX data centre or through dedicated lines to nearby data centres, ideal for automated and high-frequency trading.
cTrader’s depth of market shows the complete range of executable prices directly from the broker’s price aggregator. Orders are executed against the full order book using Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP), providing complete transparency of liquidity for each currency pair, ensuring tight spreads due to high liquidity, asynchronous spot prices, and low latency.
The Smart Stop Out logic in cTrader offers maximum protection for traders’ accounts, replacing the Fair Stop Out logic and benefiting users with its advanced algorithm. If the Margin Level drops below the Smart Stop Out Level, positions will be partially closed until the Margin Level rises above the Smart Stop Out threshold. This logic only closes what is necessary from the largest position to safely restore the Margin Level and protect the position, entry point, and trading account for as long as possible.
Features of the IC Markets cTrader platform include:
- Real-time forex and CFD quotes
- Market-leading spreads and low commissions
- Servers in the LD5 IBX Equinix Data Center
- Micro lot trading – Minimum lot size of 0.01 with no upper limit
- Flexible funding and withdrawal options
- Level II pricing with full market depth
- No restrictions on limit orders
- Multiple order types
- Detachable charts
- Expanded symbol display
- Real-time reports
- One-click trading
- Trade against the market without dealing desk intervention
- Save money with low trading costs
- Enjoy rapid ultra-low latency executions
- Choose leverage to accommodate your strategy and trading style
- Maintain greater control over your risk with micro lots
- Easily move money in and out of your trading account
Access your cTrader account from anywhere in the world using the ultra-responsive cTrader web interface. Execute your trades flawlessly on cTrader web without needing downloads or installations.
The cTrader Web platform offers fast order execution capabilities, combined with the convenience of a web-based application. It’s a user-friendly platform that allows you to trade with IC Markets from anywhere.
The features of the IC Markets cTrader Web platform include:
- Trade from any location
- Take advantage of Raw spreads
- No order or trade restrictions
- Trade micro lots (0.01) without limits
- Level II pricing – full market depth
- One-click trade execution
- Multiple order types
- Real-time trade reporting
- Advanced charting and technical analysis
- Leverage of up to 1:500
- Trade against the market without dealing desk intervention
- Save money with low trading costs
- Experience fast ultra-low latency executions
- Maintain control over your risk with micro lots
- Easily move money in and out of your trading account
- Support for all major browsers
- Use the same account on cTrader and cTrader Web
The cTrader App allows you to access your cTrader account on the go from anywhere. This mobile version of cTrader can be used on any device, ensuring you’re always just a touch away from the world’s most liquid market.
The IC Markets cTrader app for iPhone offers the best in FX trading as a native application. Access tight spreads and fast execution speeds directly from your mobile device, enjoying the same core functionality as the cTrader Web, with quicker launch times and a user-friendly interface.
The cTrader mobile app provides all essential tools for effective technical analysis, including trend indicators, oscillators, volatility measures, and line drawings, all accessible directly from the chart.
Features of the IC Markets cTrader app include:
- Fast execution for forex and commodities
- Single-tap order execution
- Full balance, margin, and P&L information
- View all symbols and rates, including favorites
- Availability of charts
- Complete accounts list – switch accounts with a tap
- View trading history
- Modify pending orders
- Special split-screen interface for tablets
With cTrader Algo, you can develop and deploy your C# automated trading systems on the (cTrader) cAlgo platform, utilizing its user-friendly GUI and API. cAlgo allows you to create algorithmic trading systems and custom technical indicators for analysis using the source code editor with C#.
IC Markets also provides a variety of trading tools that enhance the overall trading experience for clients. This includes managed accounts, virtual private servers, and advanced trading tools. While the offered trading platforms have ample tools for most retail traders, if you require anything specific, the broker can provide tailored solutions to meet your needs.
The IC Markets Multi Account Manager (MAM) software has been a trusted solution for money managers since 2012. This allows managers to oversee clients’ funds with flexible allocation methods and real-time performance and commission reporting.
The MAM software directly communicates all allocation settings with the IC Markets MetaTrader 4 server. Thus, a money manager only needs to focus on trading through the Master Account while the MAM software handles all other processes seamlessly.
This software is perfect for traders or managers using Expert Advisors (EAs) and enhances the functionality of the MT4 platform, enabling management of multiple accounts from a single interface. Block orders can be executed with one click from the Master Account using preset allocation methods, allowing thousands of accounts to be traded with minimal latency.
Features of IC Markets MAM include:
- MAM manager to adjust trading parameters in real-time
- Unlimited trading accounts and deposit amounts
- Full, Mini & Micro Lot accounts for optimal allocation
- Allocations to accounts from as little as 0.01 lots (1000 units)
- Acceptance of all standard order types: Market, Stop, Limit
- Support for unique order types: Trailing Stop, Close by, and Close all
- Manage multiple master accounts with varying strategies
- EA trading from the client side for managed accounts
- Output screen report for each Sub Account
- Live order management monitoring for P&L within MAM
- STP on master account for bulk order execution with instant allocations to sub accounts
- Real-time monitoring of commissions and performance
- Management of monthly, quarterly, and annual client reports through MetaTrader Manager
- Ability to add or remove funds without disrupting trading activities
- Professional reporting analytics for you and your clients
- Solutions for EA and manual managers
A Virtual Private Server (VPS) allows traders to run automated trading strategies 24/7 with optimal connectivity to IC Markets trading servers. Having a VPS ensures that you can operate your EAs in a smooth environment without requiring additional hardware, backup internet, or power supply.
IC Markets recommends VPS providers co-located inside Equinix data centres with direct connections to the brokers trading servers in Equinix NY4. If your trading volume surpasses 15 lots (round turn) monthly, IC Markets will sponsor a VPS subscription, offering a free forex VPS from a selection of providers.
To enhance the trading experience, IC Markets has introduced 20 exclusive trading tools that were previously unavailable on MetaTrader 4. These tools provide traders with institutional quality features beyond what the standard trading platform offers, assisting in trade decisions along with advanced features like alarms, messaging broadcasting, and market data.
The following advanced trader tools are exclusively available for IC Markets Live account holders:
- Alarm Manager: A personal trading assistant that can notify traders or their social media followers.
- Correlation Matrix: Provides market information across different time scales to help traders make informed decisions.
- Correlation Trader: Lets traders compare correlations between two symbols and trade on emerging differences.
- Trade Terminal: A feature-rich tool for trade execution and analysis, including ordering templates.
- Market Manager: Offers comprehensive control over symbol watch-lists and order activity from a compact window.
- Mini Terminal: Displays the same deal ticket as the Trade Terminal but within a specific trading chart context.
- Sentiment Trader: Shows sentiment based on actual open positions to gauge the number of traders who are long or short.
- Session Map: Provides a quick market overview through key global markets and their time zones.
- Excel RTD: Enables entry of multiple account numbers, displaying a dashboard of equity and balance.
- Stealth Orders: Helps traders conceal their pending orders from other market participants.
- Tick Chart Trader: Displays various tick charts, including traditional line charts and tick bars.
- Forex Trading Calculators: Helps calculate current pip values in your account currency across IC Markets products.
- Forex News and Calendar: Displays upcoming global economic news events and their significance in the IC Markets forex calendar, serving as a valuable tool for fundamental analysis.
IC Markets excels in educating traders, offering a wealth of free learning resources covering a vast array of topics to assist both beginners and experienced traders in enhancing their market knowledge.
Trading Guides cover various topics such as trading platforms, strategies, and more.
IC Markets also provides educational videos to help new forex traders familiarize themselves with MetaTrader 4 and the broker’s services, covering installation, market watch, trade management, and more.
Web TV presents actionable trade ideas and market commentary in short video formats, recorded daily from the New York Stock Exchange floor. The WebTV is partnered with Trading Central, offering unmatched coverage of global equities, currencies, and commodities.
Expand your knowledge through IC Markets’ frequent webinars, hosted by industry experts, allowing you to learn and apply new skills in real-time, all free of charge across various topics from beginners to advanced levels.
The IC Markets podcast series delves into trading strategies and interesting global market topics. The discussions aim to educate and inform but should not be construed as investment advice or recommendations.
In conclusion, IC Markets is, in my opinion, one of the finest forex brokers available for traders at any level. Setting up either a demo or real account is quick and easy, with 24/7 support readily available. They offer a diverse range of trading accounts to accommodate all traders, flexible and intuitive platforms, trading tools, educational resources, a vast array of instruments, multiple deposit and withdrawal methods, strict regulations, and so much more. Personally, I have been very satisfied with their service over the years.
Through IC Markets’ Raw Pricing, you can access institutional-grade prices similar to those at leading execution venues. Traders benefit from no dealing desk, price requotes, or market manipulation on top-tier platforms. With a varied mix of up to 25 pricing providers, IC Markets is the top choice for high-volume traders, scalpers, and automated traders who seek the best trading conditions, including low spreads and fast execution speeds.
IC Markets offers some of the tightest spreads of any forex CFD provider worldwide. Spreads on the MetaTrader 4 platform begin at 0.0 pips, with the average for EUR/USD being just 0.1 pips, making it one of the tightest average EUR/USD spreads available.
Additionally, there are no restrictions on trading strategies you can employ at IC Markets, as they allow scalping, hedging, news trading, and automated trading with expert advisors or forex robots. They provide flexible leverage options of up to 1:500 and accept deposits in 10 major currencies.
MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and cTrader are among the best trading platforms currently available. IC Markets has transformed forex trading by granting traders direct access to Raw Pricing through any of these three popular platforms.
They have added features to MetaTrader 4, such as a one-click trade module, market depth, spread monitor, trade risk calculator, and advanced order types previously unavailable, all contributing to a superior trading experience.
Trust and Transparency are the foundational values of IC Markets. As Australia’s leading online trading company, they apply Raw Spreads on their primary account type, ensuring no requotes or price manipulation.
IC Markets is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), adhering to strict capital requirements. All client funds are securely held in segregated trust accounts with Top-Tier Australian banks, never used for operational expenses. They are also regulated across multiple jurisdictions, providing protection to clients globally.
For further information, visit https://findnomore.net.