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IC Markets vs XTB: Comparison and Analysis

Written by Filippo Ucchino Fact-Checked by Luca Puddu Publication Date Last Updated
Our verdict · CFD trading

IC Markets is better than XTB for CFD trading in India, because it has a lower EUR/USD cost (7.55 USD per lot against 10.60 USD), allows high-frequency trading strategies and VPS, and settles withdrawals faster (1 day against 3 days). XTB, on the other hand, has faster execution (6 ms against 40 ms) and lists more tradable symbols (5,200 against 180). IC Markets holds licences from CySEC, ASIC, the SCB and the FSA (Seychelles), and XTB from CySEC, the KNF, the DFSA, the FCA and the FSC (Belize). Neither asks for a minimum deposit, and both provide a demo account, run TradingView and allow scalping, hedging and expert advisors.

Our verdict · Real stock investing

IC Markets and XTB cannot be compared for real stock investing in India, because IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks to buy. If you want to invest in real stocks and you do not know which to choose between the two, XTB is the better option, because it lets you own bonds, ETFs and shares outright and charges no fees on US stocks.

Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD 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.

Best overall

IC Markets

CFDCFD This broker offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD to rate it on that. Available in your country IC Markets accepts clients from the country this site is for.
87CFDOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above. not offeredStocksOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above.
Open Account

72.52% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Best overall

XTB

CFDCFD This broker offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD to rate it on that. StocksStocks This broker lets you buy real assets that you own outright. Switch the comparison to Stocks to rate it on that. Available in your country XTB accepts clients from the country this site is for.
75CFDOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above. 75StocksOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above.
Open Account

80% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Best for

What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders IC Markets and XTB are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in India.
1 / 12

IC Markets is better than XTB for high-volume traders, algo traders and crypto traders, while XTB is better for long-term investors. Professional traders, scalpers and swing traders can choose either IC Markets or XTB.

Best for
Overall score IC Markets 87 Best not offered XTB 75 -12 75
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 IC Markets and the ones that supervise XTB.
2 / 12

IC Markets and XTB are both regulated by top-tier authorities, IC Markets by CySEC and ASIC (Australia) and XTB by CySEC, KNF and the FCA (United Kingdom).

Regulation
Section score IC Markets 100 not offered XTB 100 100
Tier-1 regulators
ESMA (European Union) i CySEC (Cyprus), KNF (Poland)
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 IC Markets and XTB have in place to protect your money in India.
3 / 12

IC Markets and XTB both offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication.

Safety
Section score IC Markets 65 -8 not offered XTB 73 Best 73
Company info
Is it publicly traded i
Is it a bank i
Year founded i 2007 2002
Parent company i International Capital Markets Pty Ltd XTB S.A.
CEO i Andrew Budzinski Omar Arnaout
Money safety
Segregated client funds i
Two-factor authentication i
Investor compensation scheme i
Additional money insurance i
Partner bank i N/A
Brand power
Number of customers worldwide i 1,600,000
Annual revenue i USD 260,000,000
Monthly website search traffic i 2.2M monthly visits

Costs

What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with IC Markets and with XTB in India, both on each trade and on holding the account.
4 / 12

IC Markets is better than XTB for CFD costs, given that IC Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 7.55 USD per lot (against XTB's 10.6 USD), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.49 points (against XTB's 0.59 points), and has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.09 points (against XTB's 0.89 points). Neither IC Markets nor XTB charges account maintenance fees or account opening fees.

XTB and IC Markets cannot be compared for real stock costs, because XTB is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while IC Markets is a CFD broker.

Costs
Section score IC Markets 79 Best not offered XTB 41 -38 71
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 USD 7 Free
EUR/USD average standard spread i
0.8 pips
1.06 pips
EUR/USD average raw spread i
0.01 pips
EUR/USD average fixed spread i
EUR/USD total cost per lot i USD 7.55 USD 10.6
S&P 500 fees (CFD) i 0.492 points 0.59 points
Gold fees (CFD) i 0.09 points 0.89 points
Bitcoin fees (CFD) i USD 12.01 USD 205.25
US stocks fees (CFD) i USD 0.02 Free
Fees on stocks
Stock fee type i Commission, Percentage
US stocks fees (real) i Free
ETF fees (real) i
Management costs i
Connection costs i
Fees on futures
Futures fees per contract i Free
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 IC Markets and with XTB in India, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.
5 / 12

IC Markets and XTB are close on CFD markets. Both IC Markets and XTB offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks. XTB goes a step further, as it gives access to 5,200 tradable symbols (against IC Markets' 180), and lets you own bonds, ETFs and stocks outright.

Only XTB can be assessed for real stock markets, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Available markets
Section score IC Markets 75 not offered XTB 75 45
Total tradable symbols i 180 5,200
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, Forex, Indices, Stocks
Futures i
Options i
Assets you can own i Bonds, ETF, Stocks

Platform

What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that IC Markets and XTB make available to their clients in India.
6 / 12

IC Markets is better than XTB for platforms, because IC Markets offers cTrader, MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4, which XTB does not. Both IC Markets and XTB offer TradingView and Mirror Trader.

IC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so XTB and IC Markets cannot be compared for platforms.

Platform
Section score IC Markets 89 Best not offered XTB 86 -3 86
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 IC Markets and XTB in India, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.
7 / 12

IC Markets is better than XTB for mobile trading, since IC Markets offers the cTrader app, the MetaTrader 5 app and the MetaTrader 4 app, which XTB does not. Both IC Markets and XTB offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.

IC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so XTB and IC Markets cannot be compared for mobile trading.

Mobile
Section score IC Markets 93 Best not offered XTB 67 -26 67
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 IC Markets and XTB allow on their platforms in India.
8 / 12

IC Markets is better than XTB for CFD trading features, given that IC Markets offers tier-1 liquidity providers and VPS hosting, which XTB does not, and allows for automated trading. Both IC Markets and XTB offer trailing stops and API access.

XTB and IC Markets cannot be compared for real stock trading features, because XTB is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while IC Markets is a CFD broker.

Trading features
Section score IC Markets 83 Best not offered XTB 75 -8 74
Trade execution
Broker type i NDD NDD
Average execution time i 40 ms 6 ms
Slippage occurrence i 28.05%
Requotes occurrence i
Tier-1 liquidity providers i
PFOF i
Leverage
Major FX pairs leverage i 5000:1 30:1
Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i 5000:1 20:1
Major indices leverage i 200:1 20:1
Minor indices leverage i 200:1 10:1
Gold leverage i 2000:1 20:1
Commodities leverage i 1000:1 10:1
Equities leverage i 20:1 5:1
Cryptocurrency leverage i 500:1 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 USD 0 USD 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 IC Markets and at XTB in India, and of who each one is meant for.
9 / 12

IC Markets is better than XTB for CFD account types, since IC Markets offers a corporate account, a managed account and an ECN account, which XTB does not. Both IC Markets and XTB offer a demo account and a professional traders account.

Only XTB can be assessed for real stock account types, since IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Account types
Section score IC Markets 92 Best not offered XTB 50 -42 49
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 IC Markets and with XTB in India.
10 / 12

IC Markets is better than XTB for account opening, as IC Markets offers 10 account base currencies (against XTB's 2), supports e-wallets, which XTB does not, and pays out withdrawals faster, within 1 day (against XTB's 3 days). Neither IC Markets nor XTB requires a minimum deposit.

There is no like-for-like comparison for account opening, as IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Account opening
Section score IC Markets 95 Best not offered XTB 65 -30 65
Minimum deposit i USD 0 USD 0
Minimum withdrawal i USD 0 USD 0
Wire transfers i
Credit cards i
Debit cards i
eWallets i PayPal, Neteller, Skrill
Local payment methods i
Account base currencies i AUD, CAD, CHF, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, NZD, SGD, USD EUR, USD
Deposit waiting time i Instant Instant
Withdrawal waiting time i up to 1 business days up to 3 business days
Bonus program i

Customer care

What we compare A comparison of the customer support of IC Markets and XTB in India, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.
11 / 12

IC Markets is better than XTB for customer care, given that IC Markets offers customer support in 17 languages (against XTB's 10), has a website in 17 languages (against XTB's 14), and offers a dedicated account manager, which XTB does not. Both IC Markets and XTB offer phone support and live chat.

XTB and IC Markets cannot be set side by side for customer care, as IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike XTB.

Customer care
Section score IC Markets 87 Best not offered XTB 62 -25 62
Number of languages supported i 17 14
Website languages i Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, German, English, French, Croatian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese Arabic, Czech, German, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovenian, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese
Website available in English i
Customer support languages i Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, German, English, French, Croatian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese Arabic, Greek, English, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, 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 IC Markets and XTB provide to their clients in India.
12 / 12

IC Markets is better than XTB for learning, because IC Markets offers professional reports, which XTB does not. IC Markets and XTB both offer education for advanced traders and webinars.

There is no like-for-like comparison for learning, as IC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Learning
Section score IC Markets 100 Best not offered XTB 88 -12 88
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
IC Markets
Open Account 72.52% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
XTB
Open Account 80% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Our verdict

IC Markets vs XTB: which one should you choose?

IC Markets

CFD Choose IC Markets, regulated by CySEC and ASIC, if you want a CFD and forex broker with low trading costs, high-frequency trading strategies and fast withdrawals.

Open Account 72.52% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
XTB

CFD Choose XTB, regulated by the FCA and the KNF, if you want an online CFD broker with fast execution and a wide choice of markets.

Stocks Choose XTB if you want a stockbroker with a wide choice of markets and micro accounts.

Open Account 80% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

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