IC Markets vs XM
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 | Financial Services Authority · Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission · Australian Securities and Investments Commission | CySEC · FSC · DFSA |
| License no. | 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) | CySEC 120/10 FSC not printed on public register (XM Global Limited listed as Active, categories: Trading in Securities as Principal; Arranging transactions in Securities, registration period 2026) DFSA F003484 |
| Founded | 2007 | 2009 |
| Minimum deposit | $0 | $5 |
| EUR/USD spread from | 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. | "spreads as low as zero" (Zero Account); EURUSD-specific from-figure not published on public pages |
| Leverage | 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 | CySEC (Cyprus): Up to 30:1, depending on instrument FSC Belize: Flexible leverage up to 1000:1 |
| Gulf Payments | ||
| Platforms | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, XM App |
| Broker-published claim | 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 requests are processed instantly by our Artificial Intelligence Back Office System, based on algorithmic parameters. You'll receive your money immediately, or on the same day your request is executed. Withdrawals via bank wire, credit or debit card usually take 2-5 business days to reach your account. [Source] |
| Withdrawal methods | Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard), Bank Wire Transfer, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, WebMoney, FasaPay, POLi, BPAY, RapidPay, Klarna, Thai Internet Banking, Vietnamese Internet Banking | Credit/debit cards, Electronic payment methods (e-wallets), Bank wire transfer, Local bank transfer |
| Crypto deposits/withdrawals | Yes | No |
| Islamic Accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Measured by us | Testing in progress | Testing in progress |
| Accepts clients from | Australia, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia | Germany, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Turkey, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia |
| 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
- IC Markets + XM: Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia
- IC Markets Yes / XM No: Australia
- XM Yes / IC Markets No: United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Malaysia, Turkey, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia
Is IC Markets or XM 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, IC Markets or XM?
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.