FBS
Regulated in your country FBS 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 FBS and IC Markets are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in Australia.IC Markets is better than FBS for swing traders. Professional traders, scalpers and news traders can choose either IC Markets or FBS.
| Overall score | FBS 75 -9 | IC Markets 84 Best |
|---|---|---|
| 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 FBS and the ones that supervise IC Markets.FBS and IC Markets are both regulated in Australia, by ASIC.
| Section score | FBS 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 FBS and IC Markets have in place to protect your money in Australia.FBS and IC Markets both offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication.
| Section score | FBS 65 | IC Markets 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 2009 | 2007 |
| Parent company i | FBS Markets Inc | International Capital Markets Pty Ltd |
| CEO i | Christos Kakourides | Andrew Budzinski |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | N/A | Eurobank |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 27,000,000 | |
| 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 FBS and with IC Markets in Australia, both on each trade and on holding the account.FBS and IC Markets are equally good for costs, as FBS charges lower forex commissions, at US$6 per lot (against IC Markets' US$7), and does not charge inactivity fees. On the other hand, IC Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at US$8 per lot (against FBS's US$9.5), and has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.49 points (against FBS's 1.5 points). Neither FBS nor IC Markets charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
| Section score | FBS 67 | IC Markets 64 -3 |
|---|---|---|
| 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$6 | 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$9.5 | US$8 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 1.5 points | 0.492 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.23 points | 0.08 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | US$100 | US$12.01 |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | US$14 | US$0.02 |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Percentage, 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 | ||
| 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 FBS and with IC Markets in Australia, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.There is little between FBS and IC Markets on available markets. Both FBS and IC Markets offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks. IC Markets goes a step further, as it offers CFDs on ETFs, and gives access to 2,250 tradable symbols (against FBS's 139).
| Section score | FBS 75 | IC Markets 75 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 139 | 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, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | ||
| Options i | ||
| Assets you can own i |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that FBS and IC Markets make available to their clients in Australia.IC Markets is better than FBS for platforms, because IC Markets offers cTrader, MetaTrader 4 and copy trading, which FBS does not. Both FBS and IC Markets offer MetaTrader 5 and one-click trading.
| Section score | FBS 57 -32 | IC Markets 89 Best |
|---|---|---|
| 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 FBS and IC Markets in Australia, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.IC Markets is better than FBS for mobile trading, because IC Markets offers the cTrader app, the MetaTrader 4 app and a mobile watchlist, which FBS does not. Both FBS and IC Markets offer a proprietary mobile app and the MetaTrader 5 app.
| Section score | FBS 80 -6 | IC Markets 86 Best |
|---|---|---|
| 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 FBS and IC Markets allow on their platforms in Australia.IC Markets is better than FBS for trading features, as IC Markets executes orders faster, within 40 ms (against FBS's 400 ms), and offers trailing stops and tier-1 liquidity providers, which FBS does not. FBS and IC Markets both offer negative balance protection and VPS hosting.
| Section score | FBS 69 -18 | IC Markets 87 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | Hybrid |
| Average execution time i | 400 ms | 40 ms |
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| Requotes occurrence i | 0% | 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$0 | 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 FBS and at IC Markets in Australia, and of who each one is meant for.IC Markets is better than FBS for account types, as IC Markets offers a corporate account, an ECN account and an unlimited demo account, which FBS does not. Both FBS and IC Markets offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
| Section score | FBS 54 -20 | IC Markets 74 Best |
|---|---|---|
| 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 FBS and with IC Markets in Australia.IC Markets is better than FBS for account opening, given that IC Markets offers 10 account base currencies (against FBS's 3), supports e-wallets, which FBS does not, and offers local payment methods, which FBS does not. However, the minimum deposit is lower at FBS, at US$35 (against IC Markets' US$200).
| Section score | FBS 62 -23 | IC Markets 85 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$35 | 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 2 business days | up to 5 business days |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 2 business days | up to 5 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of FBS and IC Markets in Australia, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.IC Markets is better than FBS for customer care, as IC Markets offers customer support in 17 languages (against FBS's 1), and has a website in 17 languages (against FBS's 15). Both FBS and IC Markets offer a dedicated account manager and phone support.
| Section score | FBS 80 -12 | IC Markets 92 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 15 | 17 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, German, English, French, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, 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 FBS and IC Markets provide to their clients in Australia.IC Markets is better than FBS for learning, because IC Markets offers professional reports and traders' sentiment, which FBS does not. Both FBS and IC Markets offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
| Section score | FBS 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 | ||
FBS vs IC Markets: which one should you choose?
FBS
CFD/FX Choose FBS if you want a CFD/forex broker with cent accounts and fast withdrawals.
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 an online CFD broker for high-frequency trading, with cTrader and TradingView.
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 FBS or IC Markets, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
