IC Markets are one of my favourite forex brokers that allow you to open a trading account to trade and invest in Forex, Stocks, Cryptos, Commodities, Indices, Bonds, Precious Metals and Energies. They have an impressive selection of more than 1,780 trading instruments that you can buy and sell on easy to use platforms that come fully equipped for an enjoyable online trading experience. The broker has a range of quick and easy funding options with an instant account opening process. The minimum deposit requirement is just $200 or you can open a free demo account to practice trading online until you feel ready to switch over to a live account. You can be trading in a few minutes with industry leading trading conditions including tight spreads, low commission fees and superior execution speeds. IC Markets has grown to become one of the largest Forex and CFD providers in the world by giving traders what they really want and need.
IC Markets has grown over many years to become one of the largest ECN forex brokers in the world. They have achieved this by giving us forex traders what we really want – which is low spreads, plenty of liquidity for minimal slippage to ensure we get our trades filled at the prices we want, low commissions compared to many other forex brokers and 24/7 excellent customer support. In addition to this, we get a great selection of trading tools to help us with our daily trading activities and plenty of educational materials so that we can improve our trading knowledge and skills.
IC Markets MT4 and cTrader trade servers are located in the NY4 and LD5 IBX Equinix Data Centres in New York and London, providing clients with the fastest possible execution speeds. Equinix data centres are known globally for their secure and reliable infrastructure.
The Equinix NY4 and LD5 IBX Data Centres in New York and London are home to 60+ exchanges and trading platforms, 400+ buy and sell side firms, 150+ financial service providers, 675+ network bandwidth options.
Equinix data centres are known to be the most reliable data centres on earth. In these facilities financial market participants can interact between each other with very low latency to ensure the ultra-fast transfer of data, leading to the fastest execution speeds for the end user.
IC Markets Raw Pricing allows you to trade on institutional grade level, using pricing almost equal to the world’s leading execution venues. Executable Streaming Prices (ESP) are sent from IC Markets’ pricing provider to the broker, so that clients can trade with no dealing desk, price manipulation or requotes. Due to the diverse mix comprising of up to 25 different pricing providers at any one time, IC Markets is the forex CFD provider of choice for high volume traders, scalpers and robots who demand the tightest spreads and best execution speeds.
IC Markets have no restrictions on trading. They have some of the best trading conditions for scalping and high frequency trading globally, allowing traders to place orders between the spread as there is no minimum order distance and a freeze level of 0. This means orders including stop loss orders can be placed as close to the market price as you like.
Traders can also hedge positions as there is no first in first out (FIFO) rule with IC Markets. Traders do not pay margin on hedged trades and enjoy the benefits of margin netting.
IC Markets have partnered with some of the world’s best trading technology companies which allows them to bring forex traders the ultimate trading environment and unique cutting-edge forex trading tools. Some of these tools include: Depth of Market (DOM), inbuilt spread monitoring, ladder trading, automated close of trades with custom order templates, and more. Don’t worry if you do not know what any of these forex trading tools are or if you don’t need them, as a standalone forex broker, IC Markets is a great option in my humble opinion. There is a reason they have been around for so many years and won numerous brokerage awards.
Instruments
IC Markets’ carefully selected range of products gives you access to the most popular and liquid markets across the world for the best trading opportunities 24/7. You can trade CFDs on Forex, Stocks, Cryptos, Indices, Commodities, Bonds and more. Trade 60 currency, 16 Commodities including metals, plus 16 major indices including the FTSE 100, S&P/ASX 200 and Dow Jones Index 24 hours a day with a spread as low as 0.5 points.
CFD Trading
In finance, a contract for difference (CFD) is a contract between two parties, typically described as “buyer” and “seller”, stipulating that the buyer will pay to the seller the difference between the current value of an asset and its value at contract time. This means that you can buy and sell instruments with IC Markets and make a profit or loss depending on the difference in the price from when you open and close the position, minus any brokerage fees. One of the most beneficial things about trading CFDs, is that you do not need to physically own the underlying asset as you are only speculating on changes in the price.
Forex CFD
The Forex market provides traders the opportunity to trade 24 hours a day, 5 days a week in the world’s most liquid financial market. Traders can take advantage of some of the tightest spreads, superior execution, and deep liquidity across 61 currency pairs.
Indices CFD
Gain exposure to the world’s largest equity markets through IC Markets’ offering of global Indices CFDs. With spreads from 0.4 points on 23 Indices, traders can take a wider view of equities markets whilst enjoying commission free and 24/5 trading across major markets.
Commodities CFD
Trade energy, agriculture and metals products like a currency pair against the USD or as a Futures CFD. IC Markets have combined tight pricing and flexible lot sizes from 10c per point to give you one powerful product.
Stocks CFD
Access over 1600 large-cap Stocks CFDs across the ASX, NYSE and NASDAQ stock exchanges. IC Markets have selected a range of the world’s most popular companies to give you the best trading opportunities.
Bonds CFD
Bonds offer traders the opportunity to speculate on interest rates and global risk on/off sentiment, hedging equities exposure and to diversify their strategy. Choose from a range of Bonds issued by governments around the world including Japan, Europe, the U.K, and the U.S.
Crypto CFD
Go long or short across a range of the world’s largest and most popular Cryptocurrencies. Trade against other retail traders 7 days a week where price movements are driven primarily by fear and greed, news and prevailing sentiment. Enjoy trading with a leverage of up to 1:5 and eliminate Cryptocurrency Exchange risk by trading with a regulated CFD Provider.
Futures CFD
Futures are one of the most popular form of CFDs. IC Markets offer a range of Futures from around the world, including ICE Dollar Index and CBOE VIX Index. Online Futures based CFDs are offered exclusively on IC Markets’ MetaTrader 4 Platform.
Platforms
IC Markets give you an excellent choice of trading platforms. You can get free access to the popular MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms, along with the advanced cTrader platform for professional traders. The platforms are available to use on your desktop and laptop, directly in your web browser and whilst on the go on your mobile devices. They have iPhone and Android trading applications that have been optimised to provide forex traders with the best possible mobile forex trading experience. Here we will take a closer look at each platform the broker has to offer and the features they have.
MetaTrader 4
IC Markets offers its clients the opportunity to trade on the award-winning MetaTrader 4 (MT4) platform. It is undoubtedly the world’s most popular trading platform for forex traders due to its ease of use, feature rich environment and automated trading ability.
It has grown from a trading platform to a global community where trader’s demands are met by technology provider’s innovations. IC Markets has partnerships with many of these technology providers and is proud to offer you the next generation MetaTrader 4 platform, designed to take your trading to the next level.
IC Markets is able to offer market best possible pricing and some of the best trading conditions through the MT4 platform by providing clients with Raw Pricing. Both IC Markets Standard and Raw Spread accounts are available on the MetaTrader 4 trading platform.
The IC Markets MetaTrader servers are located in the Equinix NY4 data centre in New York. The NY4 data centre referred to as a financial ecosystem is home to over 600 buy and sell side firms, exchanges, trading venues, market data and service providers. The MetaTrader server is cross connected to the broker and their pricing providers to ensure ultra-low latency and the fast execution of your trades.
The IC Markets MetaTrader server has latency on average of less than 1 millisecond to major VPS providers either collocated in the NY4 data centre or through dedicated lines to nearby data centres. This low latency is ideal for automated and High Frequency Trading and scalping.
Apart from being extremely easy to use with a small learning curve, MetaTrader 4 is also the chosen platform for the majority of forex robots. Thus, if you are planning to do automated forex trading with IC Markets, you would ideally want to open an MT4 account.
IC Markets MT4 platforms features include the following:
- Market leading 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
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) is the all-in-one platform for trading forex, stocks, indices, bonds, cryptocurrencies and commodities. IC Markets Raw Pricing makes it the most powerful platform for active traders. The new platform is an updated and improved version of its predecessor which has long been the industry standard for traders around the world.
MetaTrader 5’s advanced charting technology coupled with sophisticated order management tools help you to monitor and control your positions quickly and efficiently. It is a powerful platform packed with brand new features aimed at improving your trading experience. It is available on both of the IC Markets account types: Raw Pricing and Standard.
The MetaTrader 5 Depth of Market displays the full range of available prices directly from the brokers price providers. This feature provides full transparency of available liquidity for each currency at any given time. High liquidity, asynchronous spot prices and low latency guarantee the tightest possible spreads.
IC Markets MT5 platforms features include the following:
- Raw pricing
- Spreads from 0.0 pips
- Up to 1:500 leverage
- Low latency trading
- Deep interbank liquidity
- Multi-asset platform
MetaTrader WebTrader
You can access your MT4 or MT5 trading account from any web browser in the world using IC Markets MetaTrader WebTrader. You don’t need to install or run any software to launch the web browser and trade online.
MetaTrader WebTrader offers fast order execution capabilities of MetaTrader with ease and convenience of being a web-based application. MetaTrader WebTrader is a user-friendly web-based trading platform allowing you to enjoy trading in the IC Markets trading environment with no dealing desk from anywhere in the world.
MetaTrader WebTrader has the same tight spreads, Level II Pricing, and one-click trading as the MetaTrader desktop version along with features such as a personalized trader dashboard to allow monitoring of your positions at a glance.
IC Markets WebTrader platform features include the following:
- Trade from any location
- Take advantage of Raw spreads
- No order or trade restrictions
- Trade micro lots 0.01 with no maximum
- Level II pricing – full market depth
- One click trade execution
- Multiple order types
- Real time trade reporting
- Advanced charting and technical analysis
- Trade with no dealing desk intervention
- Save money every time you trade with low costs
- Enjoy the fastest ultra-low latency execution possible
- Chose a leverage up to 1:500 suit your strategy and trading style
- Have greater control over your risk with micro lots
- Move money in and out of your trading account with ease
- All major browsers supported
- Use the same account on MetaTrader and MetaTrader WebTrader
MetaTrader App
Stay connected to the market at all times with the MetaTrader app on your Android or iOS mobile phone or tablet. These applications give traders easy access to their accounts wherever they are.
The mobile MetaTrader application also offers one click trading, the ability to customise your layouts, and advanced charts and analysis. You can use the MetaTrader mobile applications to experience unlimited flexibility without compromising execution speed or quality.
IC Markets MetaTrader app features include the following:
- Real-time forex and CFD quotes
- Full set of trade orders, including pending orders
- Trade directly from the chart
- Support of all types of execution modes
- View your complete trading history
- Real-time interactive charts with zoom and scroll
- 30+ of the most popular technical indicators
- Multiple timeframes to analyse price action and patterns
- 3 chart types: Bars, Japanese Candlesticks, Line
- Adjustable settings of technical indicators
- User friendly interface
- Trade levels and volumes on the chart
- Offline mode (symbol prices and charts)
- Free and easily downloadable directly from the App Stores
cTrader
Trade global markets with a platform designed specifically for high speed of execution. cTrader’s unique design, elegant user interface and advanced features make it a favourite for discretionary Forex traders.
cTrader platform combines the speed of high performing trading platform with the deep liquidity of IC Markets, providing clients with the ultimate trading solution. It utilises proven technology that will enable you to take your trading to the next level.
The IC Markets cTrader platform gives you access to a deep liquidity in 64 currency pairs plus 16 major equity indices. Active traders worldwide appreciate trading with the superior functionality of cTrader and streaming prices from multiple global banks, gives you the ultimate in trading solutions.
The IC Markets cTrader server is located in the LD5 IBX Equinix Data Centre in London. The LD5 IBX data centre referred to as a financial ecosystem is home to over 600 buy and sell side firms, exchanges, trading venues, market data and service providers. This server is cross connected to the broker and their pricing providers to ensure low latency and the fast execution of your trades. Its backend allows simultaneous processing of your orders, enabling you to take advantage of every market condition.
The IC Markets cTrader server has under 1ms latency to major VPS providers either collocated in the LD5 IBX data centre or through dedicated lines to nearby data centres. This low latency is ideal for automated and High Frequency Trading and scalping.
cTrader’s depth of market shows the full range of executable prices coming directly from the brokers price aggregator. Orders are filled in the brokers bridge against the full order book using Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP). cTrader platform offers complete transparency of the liquidity of each currency pair by showing the available volumes for each price level at any given time. High liquidity, asynchronous spot prices and low latency guarantee the tightest possible spreads.
The Smart Stop Out logic in cTrader has been designed to provide maximum protection to traders’ accounts. This logic will replace cTrader’s Fair Stop Out logic because it provides significant benefits for users by using a much more advanced algorithm.
If Margin Level falls below Smart Stop Out Level then positions will start being closed partially until Margin Level reaches above Smart Stop Out. The logic of Smart Stop Out will only close what is absolutely necessary from the largest position in order to safely restore Margin Level and protect the position itself, the position entry point and the trading account for as long as possible.
IC Markets cTrader platform features include the following:
- 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 maximum
- Flexible funding and withdrawing 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 with no dealing desk intervention
- Save money every time you trade with low costs
- Enjoy one of the fastest ultra-low latency executions possible
- Chose a leverage to suit your strategy and trading style
- Have greater control over your risk with micro lots
- Move money in and out of your trading account with ease
cTrader Web
Access your cTrader account from anywhere in the world using cTrader’s ultra-responsive web interface. Flawlessly execute your trades on cTrader web without any downloads or installations.
cTrader Web offers the fast order execution capabilities of cTrader with the ease and convenience of being a web-based application. cTrader Web is a user-friendly web-based trading platform allowing you to enjoy trading with IC Markets from anywhere in the world.
cTrader Web has the same tight spreads, Level II Pricing, and one-click trading as the cTrader desktop version along with features such as a personalized trader dashboard to allow monitoring of your positions at a glance.
IC Markets cTrader Web platform features include the following:
- Trade from any location
- Take advantage of Raw spreads
- No order or trade restrictions
- Trade micro lots 0.01 with no maximum
- 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 with no dealing desk intervention
- Save money every time you trade with low costs
- Enjoy one of the fastest ultra-low latency executions possible
- Have greater control over your risk with micro lots
- Move money in and out of your trading account with ease
- All major browsers supported
- Use the same account on cTrader and cTrader Web
cTrader App
Access your cTrader account on the go from anywhere in the world using cTrader’s ultra-responsive mobile applications for iOS and Android devices. This portable version of cTrader can be accessed from any mobile device, so you’re never more than a touch away from the world’s most liquid market.
IC Markets cTrader for iPhone gives you the very best in FX trading as a native app. Gain access to tight spreads and fast execution speeds directly from your mobile device. You’ll get the same core functionality as cTrader Web for Mobiles, with faster launch times and the same easy-to-use interface.
cTrader for mobile gives you all the tools you’ll need for effective technical analysis, including common trend indicators, oscillators, volatility measures and line drawings, all accessible from directly within the chart.
IC Markets cTrader app features include the following:
- Fast execution for forex and commodities
- Single-tap order execution
- Full balance, margin, and P&L information
- View all symbols and rates, including from your favourites list
- Charts available
- Complete accounts list – switch account with a single tap
- View trading history
- View and modify pending orders
- Special split-screen interface for Tablets
cTrader Algo
Build and deploy your C# automated trading systems on the (cTrader) cAlgo platform with its user-friendly GUI and API. FIX API access also available.
cAlgo is an automated trading software used in conjunction with cTrader. cAlgo allows you to develop algorithmic trading systems and customized technical indicators for technical analysis using the source code editor and C# language. The custom indicators you build will appear in addition to the built-in indicators within cTrader.
Tools
IC Markets have a selection of trading tools which can help to improve the overall trading experience for clients. This includes managed accounts, virtual private servers and advanced trading tools. That being said, the provided trading platforms should have more than enough trading tools to meet the demands of most retail traders. However, if you do require something specific, the broker is able to offer customised solutions to cater to your needs.
MAM
The IC Markets Multi Account Manager software is a trusted solution that has been used by money managers at IC Markets since 2012. The IC Markets Multi Account Manager allows you to manage clients’ money with flexible allocation methods and real-time reporting of performance and commissions.
The MAM software communicates all allocation settings directly with the IC Markets MetaTrader 4 server. This means a money manager only has to worry about trading through the MetaTrader 4 Master Account, all other processes are handled seamlessly by the MAM software.
The software is ideal for traders or money managers utilising Expert Advisors (EAs) and enhances the functionality of the MetaTrader 4 platform by allowing multiple accounts to be managed from 1 simple interface. Block orders can be executed with 1 click from the Master Account with preset allocation methods. Thousands of accounts can be traded with 1 click and with virtually no additional latency.
The IC Markets MAM features include the following:
- MAM manager to adjust trading parameter in real time
- Unlimited trading accounts and deposit amount
- Trades – Full, Mini & Micro Lot accounts for best allocation advantage
- Allocations to accounts at as little as 0.01 lots (1000 units)
- All normal order types accepted: Market, Stop, Limit
- All unique order types accepted: Trailing Stop, Close by and Close all
- Manage multiple master accounts having different strategies
- Allows Expert Advisor (EA) trading of managed accounts from client side
- Each Sub Account has an output to screen report
- Market watch window within MAM
- Live order management monitoring within MAM including P&L
- STP on master account for bulk order execution, with instant allocation to sub accounts
- Monitor commissions and performance in real time
- Manage Monthly, Quarterly and Annual client reports through the MetaTrader Manager
- Ability to add and/or remove funds without affecting trading activity
- Professional reporting analytics displayed to you and your clients
- Solutions for EA managers and manual managers
Virtual Private Server
A Virtual Private Server (VPS) allows traders to run automated trading strategies 24 hours a day 7 days a week with the fastest possible connectivity to the IC Markets trading servers.
Having a VPS in place ensures that you can run your EAs in a trouble-free environment without the need for any additional computer hardware, backup internet, or power supply. IC Markets recommends VPS providers co-located inside Equinix data centres with direct cross connects to the brokers trading servers in Equinix NY4.
If your trading volume exceeds 15 lots (round turn) per month, IC Markets are happy to sponsor a VPS subscription for you with a free forex VPS from a choice of providers.
Advanced Trading Tools
As a part of improving the overall trading experience for users, IC Markets has introduced 20 exclusive trading tools previously not available on MetaTrader 4. With the help of these advanced trading tools, the world’s best trading platform is now even better, providing traders with a competitive edge.
The apps give traders institutional quality tools over and above those provided in the underlying trading platform. In addition to having some of the most feature rich trade execution and management tools, the list also includes apps that assist in making trade decisions along with handy tools like sophisticated alarms, messaging broadcasting facilities, market data & more aimed at enhancing the overall trading experience.
The following Advanced trader tools are exclusively available for IC Markets Live account holders:
Alarm Manager
A personal trading assistant which can notify the trader or even their followers on social media.
Correlation Matrix
Gives trader market info on different time scales and enables them to make better decisions.
Correlation Trader
Let’s traders compare correlation between two symbols, and trade emerging differences.
Trade Terminal
A feature-rich trade execution and analysis tool which offers precision trading, ordering template & more.
Market Manager
Provides full control over symbol watch-lists and all order activity from one small and convenient window.
Mini Terminal
It Displays the same deal ticket as the Trade Terminal in the context of a specific trading chart.
Sentiment Trader
Shows sentiment based on real open positions: the number of traders who are currently long or short.
Session Map
Gives the trader a quick market overview through the world’s key markets and their time zones.
Excel RTD
App lets you enter up to 5 account numbers, and then automatically displays a dashboard of equity and balance etc.
Stealth Orders
App lets traders hide their pending orders from other market participants with more functionalities.
Tick Chart Trader
Displays variety of tick charts, including traditional line charts, timed tick charts, and tick bars/candles.
Forex Trading Calculators
The IC Markets forex trading calculators enable you to easily calculate current pip values in your account currency across IC Markets range of products.
Forex News and Calendar
View all upcoming global economic news events and their importance in the IC Markets forex calendar. This can be a very useful tool when implemented as part of the fundamental analysis of a trading strategy.
Education
IC Markets is also a market leader when it comes to educating traders. They have plenty of free learning resources covering a vast range of topics to help beginner and even experienced traders to help improve their knowledge of the markets.
Trading Guides
There is a good selection of trading guides covering different topics such as trading platforms, trading strategies, the various markets and more.
Video Tutorials
IC Markets offers a number of educational videos to help forex traders who are new to using the MetaTrader 4 platforms and brokers services. The instructional videos will give you an overview as to how to install MetaTrader 4, use the market watch, navigator, trade terminal, place different order types, manage your account and much more.
Web TV
Actionable trade ideas and market commentary in a short video format. Recorded daily from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, the WebTV presented in association with Trading Central offer unmatched coverage on global equities, currencies and commodities.
Webinars
Expand your knowledge with the global IC Market webinars. These are hosted frequently and you can learn from industry experts and apply new skills in real-time. Webinars are free of charge and cover a range of topics, from beginners to advanced level.
Podcast
The IC Markets podcast series tackles the playbook of trading and covers some interesting topics across the global markets. The content that will be discussed is intended for information and educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or investment recommendation.
Conclusion
Overall, IC Markets is one of the best forex brokers that any level of forex trader can use in my opinion. Setting up a demo or real account at IC Markets is extremely quick and easy with 24/7 support on hand to assist you. They offer a diverse range of trading accounts to suit all traders, intuitive and versatile trading platforms, trading tools, educational resources, a huge range of trading instruments, multiple deposit and withdrawal methods, strict regulation and much more. I am personally very happy with them after many years of excellent service.
You can gain access to institutional grade prices on almost the same level of the world’s leading execution venues through our Raw Pricing. Traders can enjoy trading with no dealing desk, price requotes or any sort of manipulation on market leading platforms. The extensive mix of up to 25 different pricing providers makes IC Markets the top choice for high volume traders, scalpers and automated traders who demand some of the best trading conditions including the low spreads and fast execution speeds.
IC Markets boasts some of the tightest spreads of all forex CFD providers globally. Spreads start from 0.0 pips on the MetaTrader 4 platform with the average on EUR/USD being 0.1 pips 24/5. This is currently one of the tightest average EUR/USD spreads globally.
Furthermore, there are no limitations on the type of trading strategy that you can use with IC Markets as they allow scalping, hedging, news trading and automated trading with expert advisors, more commonly referred to as forex robots. They have flexible leverage options offering up to 1:500, and accept deposits in 10 major currencies.
MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and cTrader are 3 of the best trading platforms available today. IC Markets has revolutionised forex trading by giving traders direct access to Raw Pricing using any of these 3 popular trading platforms.
They have implemented extra additions to MetaTrader 4 such as a one click trade module, market depth, spread monitor, trade risk calculator, and advanced order types previously not available on MetaTrader 4 make for a better trading experience.
Trust and Transparency form the basis of IC Markets’ core values. IC Markets is Australia’s top online trading company that applies Raw Spreads on its main and most famous account type, so there is no requotes, no price manipulation.
IC Markets is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) meeting strict capital requirements. All client funds are held in segregated client trust accounts with Top -Tier Australian banks. IC Markets does not use these funds for any operational expenses or purposes. They are also regulated in multiple other jurisdictions to give protection to clients around the globe.
IC Markets
Pros
- Ideal for scalping and automated trading
- User-friendly trading platforms
- Great selection of trading products
- Free Forex VPS
- Fast deposits and withdrawals
- Excellent 24/7 support
Cons
- Minimum $200 deposit
- Cannot accept USA traders
Self-confessed Forex Geek spending my days researching and testing everything forex related. I have many years of experience in the forex industry having reviewed thousands of forex robots, brokers, strategies, courses and more. I share my knowledge with you for free to help you learn more about the crazy world of forex trading! Read more about me.
