HFM (HF Markets) vs IC Markets
A side-by-side comparison built from each broker's own published record — licenses checked against official registers, terms quoted from their own pages, with the source linked on every claim.
| Regulation | FCA · CySEC · FSCA · FSA · CMA | Financial Services Authority · Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission · Australian Securities and Investments Commission |
| License no. | FCA 801701 (HF Markets (UK) Ltd) CySEC 183/12 (HF Markets (Europe) Ltd, HE 277582) FSCA 46632 (HF Markets SA (PTY) Ltd) FSA SD015 (HF Markets (Seychelles) Ltd) CMA 155 (HFM Investments Ltd) | Financial Services Authority SD018 (Raw Trading Ltd, trading as IC / IC Markets Global; Seychelles company reg. 8419879-1) Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission 362/18 (IC Markets (EU) Ltd) Australian Securities and Investments Commission AFSL 335692 (International Capital Markets Pty Ltd, registration 123 289 109) |
| Founded | 2010 | 2007 |
| Minimum deposit | $0 | $0 |
| EUR/USD spread from | 0.0 pips (Zero account, "From 0 on Forex"; Pro from 0.6, InfinityX from 0.3, Cent/Premium from 1.4 — hfm.com/int/en/trading-accounts) | 0.0 pips (Raw Spread account, commission $3.50/lot per side; broker states average EURUSD spread 0.1 pips). Standard account from 0.8 pips, no commission. |
| Leverage | Offshore — no financial regulator named: InfinityX unlimited; Cent, Zero, Pro and Premium 1:2000 (subject to adjustment per the terms) | FSA Seychelles: Up to 1:5000 on FX majors, tiered by exposure (1:5000 to 25 lots, then 1:3000 / 1:1000 / 1:500); gold 1:2000; indices 1:200; crypto 1:500; stocks 1:20. Reduced during higher-margin periods. CySEC: 1:30 |
| Gulf Payments | ||
| Platforms | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, HFM Platform (browser, TradingView charts), HFM WebTrader, HFM App (mobile) | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView |
| Broker-published claim | Withdrawals are processed 24/7. "Withdrawals submitted before 10:00am server time are processed on the same business day between 7:00am and 5:00pm server time. Withdrawals submitted after 10:00am server time, will be processed on the following business day between 7:00am and 5:00pm server time." [Source] | Withdrawal requests cut off time is 12:00 AEST/AEDT. If your withdrawal is submitted before this time it will be processed on the day of receipt; if submitted after, it is processed the following business day. Card withdrawals may take 3-5 business days to arrive (up to 10 in rare cases); international bank wires may take up to 14 days and can incur intermediary/beneficiary fees. IC does not charge additional fees for deposits and/or withdrawals. [Source] |
| Withdrawal methods | bank wire transfer, credit/debit card, Skrill, Neteller, Fasapay, crypto | Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard), Bank Wire Transfer, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, WebMoney, FasaPay, POLi, BPAY, RapidPay, Klarna, Thai Internet Banking, Vietnamese Internet Banking |
| Crypto deposits/withdrawals | No | Yes |
| Islamic Accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Measured by us | Testing in progress | Testing in progress |
| Accepts clients from | Kenya | Australia, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia |
| Open account | Open account |
We do not name a winner here. The two records sit side by side because the right answer depends on where you live, what you trade, and which entity would onboard you — all of which the table shows.
By Country
- HFM (HF Markets) Yes / IC Markets No: Kenya
- IC Markets Yes / HFM (HF Markets) No: Australia, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia
Is HFM (HF Markets) or IC Markets better?
Neither is better in the abstract. Compare the rows that apply to you: whether each broker accepts clients from your country, which entity and regulator you would be onboarded under, the minimum deposit, and how withdrawals work on the rail you would actually use.
Which is safer, HFM (HF Markets) or IC Markets?
Safety follows the entity that holds your money, not the brand. Both records list every regulator and license number each broker publishes — check which entity serves your country, then verify that license on the regulator's own register.