Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers: leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers: real shares and ETFs you own outright.
eToro
Regulated in your country eToro 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 eToro and IC Markets are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in Australia.eToro is better than IC Markets for long-term investors and high-volume traders, while IC Markets is better for professional traders and scalpers. Swing traders, news traders and algo traders can choose either eToro or IC Markets.
| Overall score | eToro 81 -3 83 | IC Markets 84 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 eToro and the ones that supervise IC Markets.eToro and IC Markets are both regulated in Australia, by ASIC.
| Section score | eToro 100 100 | IC Markets 100 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 eToro and IC Markets have in place to protect your money in Australia.Both eToro and IC Markets offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication. eToro also offers additional money insurance.
| Section score | eToro 81 Best 81 | IC Markets 65 -16 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 2007 | 2007 |
| Parent company i | eToro Group Ltd | International Capital Markets Pty Ltd |
| CEO i | Yoni Assia | Andrew Budzinski |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | Australian Settlements Limited | Eurobank |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 4,280,000 | |
| Annual revenue i | US$1,340,000,000 | |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 13.2M monthly visits | 2.2M monthly visits |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with eToro and with IC Markets in Australia, both on each trade and on holding the account.IC Markets is better than eToro for CFD/FX costs, because IC Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at US$8 per lot (against eToro's US$11.2), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.49 points (against eToro's 1.08 points), and has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.08 points (against eToro's 0.88 points). Neither eToro nor IC Markets charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
eToro and IC Markets cannot be set side by side for real stock costs, as IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike eToro.
| Section score | eToro 55 -9 76 | IC Markets 64 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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$11.2 | US$8 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 1.08 points | 0.492 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.88 points | 0.08 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | US$1,585.8 | US$12.01 |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | US$0.02 | |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission | Commission, Percentage |
| US stocks fees (real) i | US$4 | |
| ETF fees (real) i | Free | |
| 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 | ||
| 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 eToro and with IC Markets in Australia, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.eToro is better than IC Markets for CFD/FX markets, since eToro gives access to 7,000 tradable symbols (against IC Markets' 2,250), and lets you own crypto, ETFs and stocks outright, which IC Markets does not. Both eToro and IC Markets offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, ETFs, forex, indices and stocks.
Only eToro can be assessed for real stock markets, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | eToro 85 Best 55 | IC Markets 75 -10 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 7,000 | 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 | ||
| Options i | ||
| Assets you can own i | Crypto, ETF, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that eToro and IC Markets make available to their clients in Australia.IC Markets is better than eToro for platforms, since IC Markets offers cTrader, MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4, which eToro does not. eToro and IC Markets both offer copy trading and one-click trading.
Only eToro can be assessed for platforms, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | eToro 84 -5 84 | IC Markets 89 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 eToro and IC Markets in Australia, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.eToro and IC Markets are equally good for mobile trading, as eToro offers a social trading app and a copy trading app. On the other hand, IC Markets offers the cTrader app and the MetaTrader 5 app. eToro and IC Markets both offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.
IC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so eToro and IC Markets cannot be compared for mobile trading.
| Section score | eToro 87 87 | IC Markets 86 -1 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 eToro and IC Markets allow on their platforms in Australia.IC Markets is better than eToro for CFD/FX trading features, because IC Markets offers tier-1 liquidity providers and VPS hosting, which eToro does not, and allows for scalping. eToro and IC Markets both offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
Only eToro can be assessed for real stock trading features, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | eToro 68 -19 85 | IC Markets 87 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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$10 | 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 eToro and at IC Markets in Australia, and of who each one is meant for.IC Markets is better than eToro for CFD/FX account types, since IC Markets offers a professional traders account, an ECN account and an Islamic account, which eToro does not. Both eToro and IC Markets offer a demo account and a corporate account.
There is no like-for-like comparison for real stock account types, as IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | eToro 45 -29 76 | IC Markets 74 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 eToro and with IC Markets in Australia.IC Markets is better than eToro for account opening, as IC Markets offers 10 account base currencies (against eToro's 2), has no minimum withdrawal (against eToro's US$30), and pays out withdrawals faster, within 5 days (against eToro's 7 days). However, the minimum deposit is lower at eToro, at US$50 (against IC Markets' US$200).
Only eToro can be assessed for account opening, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | eToro 69 -16 69 | IC Markets 85 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$50 | US$200 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | US$30 | US$0 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | PayPal, Neteller, Skrill | PayPal, Neteller, Skrill |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | USD, AUD | AUD, USD, EUR, CAD, GBP, SGD, NZD, JPY, HKD, CHF |
| Deposit waiting time i | Instant | up to 5 business days |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 7 business days | up to 5 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of eToro and IC Markets in Australia, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.IC Markets is better than eToro for customer care, because IC Markets offers customer support in 17 languages (against eToro's 1), and has a website in 17 languages (against eToro's 7). eToro and IC Markets both offer a dedicated account manager and phone support.
eToro and IC Markets cannot be compared for customer care, because eToro is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while IC Markets is a CFD broker.
| Section score | eToro 78 -14 78 | IC Markets 92 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 7 | 17 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, 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 | English | 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 eToro and IC Markets provide to their clients in Australia.IC Markets is better than eToro for learning, as IC Markets offers a glossary, which eToro does not. eToro and IC Markets both offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
eToro and IC Markets cannot be set side by side for learning, as IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike eToro.
| Section score | eToro 96 -4 96 | IC Markets 100 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
eToro vs IC Markets: which one should you choose?
eToro
CFD/FX Choose eToro if you want an online CFD broker with copy and social trading.
Stocks Choose eToro if you want a broker for securities investing with copy and social trading.
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 CFD and forex broker for scalping, with low spreads and a choice of trading platforms.
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 eToro or IC Markets, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
