AvaTrade
Regulated in your country AvaTrade is allowed by ASIC to onboard clients residing in Australia.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
IC Markets
Regulated in your country IC Markets is allowed by ASIC to onboard clients residing in Australia.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders AvaTrade and IC Markets are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in Australia.AvaTrade is better than IC Markets for high-volume traders, futures traders and options traders. Both are a good fit for professional traders, scalpers and swing traders.
| Overall score | AvaTrade 82 -2 | IC Markets 84 |
|---|---|---|
| Day trading i | ||
| Long-term investing i | ||
| Professional traders i | ||
| High-volume traders i | ||
| Scalpers i | ||
| Swing traders i | ||
| News traders i | ||
| Algo traders i | ||
| Stock traders i | ||
| Crypto traders i | ||
| Futures traders i | ||
| Options traders i |
Regulation
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise AvaTrade and the ones that supervise IC Markets.AvaTrade and IC Markets are both regulated in Australia, by ASIC.
| Section score | AvaTrade 100 | IC Markets 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | ||
| FCA (United Kingdom) i | ||
| ASIC (Australia) i | ||
| CFTC (United States) i | ||
| NFA (United States) i | ||
| SEC (United States) i | ||
| CIRO (Canada) i | ||
| MAS (Singapore) i | ||
| SFC (Hong Kong) i | ||
| JFSA (Japan) i | ||
| FINMA (Switzerland) i | ||
| Tier-2 regulators | ||
| FMA (New Zealand) i | ||
| CBR (Russia) i | ||
| FSCA (South Africa) i | ||
| DFSA (Dubai) i | ||
| CSRC (China) i | ||
| ISA (Israel) i | ||
| LFSA (Malaysia) i | ||
| JSC (Jordan) i | ||
| CMA (Kenya) i | ||
| Tier-3 regulators | ||
| FSA (Seychelles) i | ||
| MMA (Maldives) i | ||
| SCB (Bahamas) i | ||
| FSC (Mauritius) i | ||
| VFSC (Vanuatu) i | ||
| FSC (Belize) i | ||
| CIMA (Cayman Islands) i | ||
| SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i | ||
| FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i | ||
| BMA (Bermuda) i | ||
| BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i | ||
| EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i | ||
Safety
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that AvaTrade and IC Markets have in place to protect your money in Australia.AvaTrade and IC Markets both offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication.
| Section score | AvaTrade 65 | IC Markets 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 2006 | 2007 |
| Parent company i | Ava Group | International Capital Markets Pty Ltd |
| CEO i | Dáire Ferguson | Andrew Budzinski |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | National Westminster Bank, J.P. Morgan SE | Eurobank |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 9,000,000 | |
| Annual revenue i | ||
| Monthly website search traffic i | 2.2M monthly visits | |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with AvaTrade and with IC Markets in Australia, both on each trade and on holding the account.AvaTrade and IC Markets are equally good for costs, since AvaTrade does not charge forex commissions (against IC Markets' US$7 per lot), and does not charge US stock CFD fees (against IC Markets' US$0.02). On the other hand, IC Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at US$8 per lot (against AvaTrade's US$9), and has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.49 points (against AvaTrade's 0.5 points). Neither AvaTrade nor IC Markets charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
| Section score | AvaTrade 66 | IC Markets 64 -2 |
|---|---|---|
| Broker fees | ||
| Deposit fees i | ||
| Withdrawal fees i | ||
| Overnight fees i | ||
| Inactivity fees i | ||
| Currency conversion fees i | ||
| Discounts on volume i | ||
| Real time market data fee i | ||
| Dividend withholding i | ||
| Account opening fees i | ||
| Account maintenance fee i | ||
| Portfolio management fee i | ||
| Fees on CFDs | ||
| Forex commission per lot i | Free | US$7 |
| EUR/USD average standard spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average raw spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average fixed spread i | ||
| EUR/USD total cost per lot i | US$9 | US$8 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.5 points | 0.492 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.34 points | 0.08 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | US$12.01 | |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | Free | US$0.02 |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Spread | Commission, Percentage |
| US stocks fees (real) i | ||
| ETF fees (real) i | ||
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | ||
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | Free | |
| Event fees i | ||
| Fees on savings plans | ||
| IRA opening fee i | ||
| IRA maintenance fee i | ||
| 401k opening fee i | ||
| 401k maintenance fee i | ||
Available markets
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with AvaTrade and with IC Markets in Australia, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.AvaTrade is better than IC Markets for available markets, given that AvaTrade offers futures on commodities, crypto, forex and indices, which IC Markets does not, and offers options on forex, which IC Markets does not. Both AvaTrade and IC Markets offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, ETFs, forex, indices and stocks.
| Section score | AvaTrade 100 Best | IC Markets 75 -25 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 1,250 | 2,250 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices | |
| Options i | Forex | |
| Assets you can own i |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that AvaTrade and IC Markets make available to their clients in Australia.AvaTrade and IC Markets are equally good for platforms, since AvaTrade offers a proprietary platform and social trading while IC Markets offers cTrader and TradingView. Both AvaTrade and IC Markets offer MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4.
| Section score | AvaTrade 92 | IC Markets 89 -3 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary platform i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 i | ||
| cTrader i | ||
| Social trading platform i | ||
| Copy trading platform i | ||
| ZuluTrade i | ||
| TradingView i | ||
| Duplitrade i | ||
| Mirror Trader i | ||
| NinjaTrader i | ||
| AutoChartist i | ||
| Real time pricing i | ||
| 5 digit pricing i | ||
| One-click trading i |
Mobile
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of AvaTrade and IC Markets in Australia, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.AvaTrade is better than IC Markets for mobile trading, as AvaTrade offers a social trading app, a copy trading app and mobile trading signals, which IC Markets does not. Both AvaTrade and IC Markets offer a proprietary mobile app and the MetaTrader 5 app.
| Section score | AvaTrade 100 Best | IC Markets 86 -14 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary app i | ||
| Social trading app i | ||
| Copy trading app i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 app i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 app i | ||
| cTrader app i | ||
| Mobile trading signals i | ||
| Mobile alerts i | ||
| Mobile charting tools i | ||
| Mobile drawing tools i | ||
| Mobile watchlist i | ||
| Smartwatch app i |
Trading features
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that AvaTrade and IC Markets allow on their platforms in Australia.IC Markets is better than AvaTrade for trading features, because IC Markets offers tier-1 liquidity providers and API access, which AvaTrade does not, and allows for high-frequency trading. AvaTrade and IC Markets both offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
| Section score | AvaTrade 77 -10 | IC Markets 87 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | Hybrid |
| Average execution time i | 40 ms | |
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| Requotes occurrence i | 0% | |
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1 | 30:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 5:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 2:1 | 2:1 |
| Risk management | ||
| Stop losses i | ||
| Take profits i | ||
| Limit orders i | ||
| Trailing stop i | ||
| Margin call i | ||
| OCO orders i | ||
| Guaranteed stop loss i | ||
| Negative balance protection i | ||
| Minimum trade size (FX) i | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots |
| Minimum trade size (stocks) i | US$1 | US$0 |
| Fractional stocks i | ||
| Trading compliance | ||
| Scalping strategies allowed i | ||
| Hedging strategies allowed i | ||
| Automated trading strategy allowed i | ||
| EAs use allowed i | ||
| HFT strategy allowed i | ||
| VPS use allowed i | ||
| API use allowed i | ||
| Price scraping allowed i | ||
| FIFO rule applies i | ||
Account types
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at AvaTrade and at IC Markets in Australia, and of who each one is meant for.AvaTrade and IC Markets are equally good for account types, as AvaTrade offers a copy trading account and a fixed spread account while IC Markets offers an ECN account and a raw spread account. AvaTrade and IC Markets both offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
| Section score | AvaTrade 72 -2 | IC Markets 74 |
|---|---|---|
| Demo account i | ||
| Unlimited demo account i | ||
| Standard account i | ||
| Micro account i | ||
| Cent account i | ||
| Nano account i | ||
| Raw spread account i | ||
| ECN account i | ||
| Swap-free account i | ||
| Islamic account i | ||
| Professional traders account i | ||
| Fixed spread account i | ||
| Spread betting account i | ||
| Copy trading account i | ||
| Corporate account i | ||
| Managed account i | ||
| Stock investing account i | ||
| Margin investing account i | ||
| Savings account i | ||
| Retirement account i |
Account opening
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with AvaTrade and with IC Markets in Australia.IC Markets is better than AvaTrade for account opening, as IC Markets offers 10 account base currencies (against AvaTrade's 3), supports e-wallets, which AvaTrade does not, and credits deposits faster, within 5 days (against AvaTrade's 7 days). However, the minimum deposit is lower at AvaTrade, at US$70 (against IC Markets' US$200).
| Section score | AvaTrade 62 -23 | IC Markets 85 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$70 | US$200 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | US$0 | US$0 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | PayPal, Neteller, Skrill | |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | AUD, EUR, USD | AUD, USD, EUR, CAD, GBP, SGD, NZD, JPY, HKD, CHF |
| Deposit waiting time i | up to 7 business days | up to 5 business days |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 10 business days | up to 5 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of AvaTrade and IC Markets in Australia, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.IC Markets is better than AvaTrade for customer care, because IC Markets offers a dedicated account manager and priority support, which AvaTrade does not. Both AvaTrade and IC Markets offer phone support and live chat.
| Section score | AvaTrade 67 -25 | IC Markets 92 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 22 | 17 |
| Website languages i | Afrikaans, Arabic, German, English, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Mongolian, Malay, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Chinese | Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, German, English, French, Croatian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | Afrikaans, Arabic, German, English, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Mongolian, Malay, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Chinese | Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, German, English, French, Croatian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Customer support in English i | ||
| Call back request i | ||
| Email support i | ||
| Phone support i | ||
| Live chat i | ||
| Priority customer support i | ||
| Dedicated account manager i | ||
| Cash sweep i | ||
| Stock lending i | ||
| Distributes proceeds i | ||
| Tax withholding agent i | ||
| Tax assistance i |
Learning
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that AvaTrade and IC Markets provide to their clients in Australia.IC Markets is better than AvaTrade for learning, as IC Markets offers professional reports and traders' sentiment, which AvaTrade does not. AvaTrade and IC Markets both offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
| Section score | AvaTrade 83 -17 | IC Markets 100 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Education | ||
| Education center i | ||
| Education for beginners i | ||
| Education for advanced traders i | ||
| Webinars i | ||
| Tutorials i | ||
| Glossary i | ||
| Research | ||
| Economic calendar i | ||
| Traders' sentiment i | ||
| Daily market commentary i | ||
| Daily trading ideas i | ||
| News via social media i | ||
| Professional reports i | ||
| Watchlist i | ||
AvaTrade vs IC Markets: which one should you choose?
AvaTrade
CFD/FX Choose AvaTrade if you want an online CFD broker with a proprietary trading platform and copy trading accounts.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
IC Markets
CFD/FX Choose IC Markets if you want a forex brokerage service for high-frequency trading strategies with TradingView and a wide choice of markets.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include AvaTrade or IC Markets, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
