Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB vs IFC Markets, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Comparing XTB and IFC Markets offers insights into their trustworthiness and regulatory landscapes. XTB, established in 2002, stands out with a high trust score of 96 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com. As a publicly traded company, XTB boasts two Tier-1 licenses, which are considered highly trusted, and two Tier-2 licenses, adding layers of credibility to its operations. Furthermore, while not a bank, its public trading status underscores transparency and strong investor confidence.
In contrast, IFC Markets, founded in 2006, holds a trust score of 73, marking it as an average risk broker. Unlike XTB, IFC Markets is not publicly traded and does not hold any Tier-1 licenses, positioning it differently in terms of regulatory strength. Despite holding only one Tier-2 license, IFC Markets continues to serve its clients while navigating its own regulatory pathway. The differences in licensing and public transparency between XTB and IFC Markets highlight distinct choices based on user trust preferences.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When comparing XTB and IFC Markets for their commissions and fees, each has its own strengths tailored to different trading needs. XTB offers two distinct account types: the spread-only Standard account and the commission-based Professional account. However, the Professional account is now largely unavailable, except for legacy clients in certain regions. The Standard account showcases average spreads with EUR/USD at 1 pip. XTB implements an attractive active trader program, the Lower Spread Group, which offers spread rebates from 5% to 30% based on monthly trading volume, benefiting high-volume traders and helping XTB compete against peers like FXCM and FOREX.com. XTB receives an impressive 4.5-star rating and ranks 11th out of 63 brokers for commissions and fees.
On the other hand, IFC Markets presents slightly higher average spreads at 1.44 pips for EUR/USD, which is above the industry average. However, competitive rates are achievable for more active traders through its ECN account, where effective spreads can be as low as 1.1 pips accounting for a 0.005% commission on both trade sides. IFC Markets also offers advantages such as no inactivity fees and active trader discounts, adding financial incentives for frequent traders. Scoring a respectable 4-star rating, IFC Markets holds the 39th position in the commissions and fees category among 63 brokers.
Overall, XTB and IFC Markets cater to distinct segments within the trading community. XTB appeals to traders seeking competitive spreads and rebates with its active trading incentives, especially in Europe. In contrast, IFC Markets positions itself as a viable choice for active traders willing to harness the ECN account benefits. While XTB leads in both ratings and rankings for commissions and fees, IFC Markets provides a solid alternative with its fee structure and incentives.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.00 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.00 | 1.1 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
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When comparing XTB and IFC Markets, there are notable differences in the range of investments they offer. XTB shines with an impressive catalog, providing access to 7,184 tradeable symbols, including 71 forex pairs, making it a comprehensive choice for traders keen on variety. Additionally, XTB allows clients to invest in exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, such as buying stock in American giants like Apple. This broad access enhances the flexibility for clients looking to diversify their portfolios across different markets. On the other hand, IFC Markets offers 630 tradeable symbols, with 49 forex pairs available for trading. While it also provides access to international exchange-traded securities, it does not support buying U.S. stocks directly, offering instead a focus on areas like copy trading to attract clients.
Both XTB and IFC Markets allow forex trading as both CFDs and spot contracts, ensuring a wide range of currency trading options. They also provide cryptocurrency derivatives, although neither offers the ability to buy actual cryptocurrencies. XTB, highly regarded for its extensive investment offerings, garners a 5-star rating and ranks 14th out of 63 brokers in the Range of Investments category by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, IFC Markets, with a 3.5-star rating in the same category, ranks 43rd. Despite the differences in investment range, both platforms cater to specific trader needs, making them unique choices based on individual trading preferences.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7184 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When comparing XTB and IFC Markets, both brokers excel in providing advanced trading platforms and tools. XTB boasts a high user rating of 4.5 stars and ranks 9th out of 63 brokers for its trading platforms and tools. It offers a proprietary platform, a web-based trading option, and a Windows-based desktop download, ensuring flexibility across different devices. While XTB lacks support for MetaTrader 4 and 5, it stands out with an impressive array of 32 drawing tools for charting and allows users to trade directly from stock charts. Its platform also supports a robust watchlist with eight customizable columns. Despite not offering copy trading or third-party integrations like ZuluTrade, XTB’s focus on in-house development and comprehensive features makes it a strong choice for traders seeking variety and convenience in trading tools.
In contrast, IFC Markets, while slightly lower in the rankings, still provides reliable trading platforms with a rating of 4 stars and occupies the 36th position out of 63 brokers. Like XTB, IFC Markets offers a proprietary platform along with MetaTrader 4 and 5, catering to traders who prefer these popular trading interfaces. It also supports both a web-based platform and a Windows-based desktop platform, offering versatility for different trading preferences. Despite having fewer drawing tools—15 compared to XTB's 32—and seven columns for watchlists, IFC Markets makes up for this shortfall by enabling copy trading, which could be appealing for traders interested in mirroring strategies. Both brokers offer simulated trading accounts, allowing users to practice their strategies risk-free before diving into live markets.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 32 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 8 | 7 |
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When comparing the mobile trading apps of XTB and IFC Markets, both brokers provide robust offerings with apps available on iPhone and Android platforms. They equally support stock and forex price alerts and allow the drawing of trendlines on charts. Each app accommodates various time frames such as daily, weekly, and intraday, while also saving chart drawings automatically. Users can create watchlists with real-time quotes on both apps.
However, there are some differences between the two. XTB offers 39 technical studies for charting in its mobile app, more than IFC Markets' 30. One key advantage of IFC Markets is the provision of watchlist symbol syncing, ensuring changes made either on the mobile app or online account stay updated across platforms—a feature XTB lacks. Overall, XTB's mobile app is well-regarded with a 4.5-star rating and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers for mobile trading apps, whereas IFC Markets scores a lower 4-star rating and is ranked at #52.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both XTB and IFC Markets provide daily market commentary to ensure traders have regular updates and insights into the financial landscape. While both brokers also offer sentiment-based trading tools to give traders insight into market sentiment, there is a key distinction in their news sources: XTB provides forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters, whereas IFC Markets does not. This could be a crucial factor for traders who rely heavily on reliable and comprehensive news to inform their strategies.
When it comes to additional tools and features, neither XTB nor IFC Markets provide technical analysis or research tools from companies like Autochartist or Trading Central. Similarly, neither broker offers market research from TipRanks or research tools from Acuity Trading. However, both brokers do feature an economic calendar to track global news events. Despite these similarities, XTB stands out with a higher research rating of 5 stars compared to IFC Markets' 3.5 stars and ranks significantly better in the ForexBrokers.com research category, positioned at #7 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets is at #40.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
XTB shines when it comes to educational resources, particularly for those just starting out in the trading world. Beginners at XTB have access to a wide variety of educational materials, including articles, videos, and archived webinars, specifically focused on forex and CFDs. What sets XTB apart is its commitment to continual learning; they offer monthly educational webinars online, a feature that IFC Markets lacks. Furthermore, XTB provides a searchable archive of these recorded webinars, further enhancing their educational offerings. Both XTB and IFC Markets cater to novice traders with a range of beginner-focused videos, yet XTB positions itself ahead with its comprehensive approach and additional resources like client webinars.
IFC Markets, while offering a good selection of beginner educational videos and articles, doesn't quite match XTB's interactive education style, particularly due to the absence of live monthly webinars and archived access. However, IFC Markets does have an edge with an investor dictionary filled with over 50 investing terms, a resource that XTB doesn't provide. Despite this, XTB ranks significantly higher in education among brokers, holding an 11th place ranking and a 5-star rating. In comparison, IFC Markets is ranked 30th with a 3.5-star rating, highlighting the broader and more accessible educational experience XTB offers to its clientele.
| Feature |
XTB
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that XTB is better than IFC Markets. XTB finished with an overall rank of #7, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45.
As a trusted multi-asset broker, XTB offers outstanding customer service, a wide variety of forex and CFDs, and an excellent overall trading experience. Its xStation 5 trading platform is well-designed and packed with innovative features, and XTB’s offers comprehensive educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XTB
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IFC Markets
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 73 |
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XTB and IFC Markets both do not provide the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they each offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers, XTB provides more diverse deposit and withdrawal options than IFC Markets, as XTB supports PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires, while IFC Markets supports Visa/Mastercard and bank wires only, with neither broker offering ACH or SEPA transfers.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | XTB | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review |
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| Regulation | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7184 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.00 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.00 | 1.1 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 8 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 32 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XTB | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | XTB Review |
| Overall | XTB | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review |
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