Pepperstone vs IC Markets
Pepperstone or IC Markets – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare Pepperstone and IC Markets in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
| Pepperstone | IC Markets |
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| Pepperstone is ranked #1 among CFD brokers. | IC Markets is ranked #5 among CFD brokers. |
| Founded in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a highly regarded broker specialising in forex and CFDs. Serving more than 400,000 clients globally, it provides access to over 1,300 financial instruments through popular platforms like MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView. Its fee structure is both low and transparent. With regulation by reputable bodies such as the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC, Pepperstone guarantees a safe trading environment for traders at every level. | IC Markets is an internationally acclaimed forex and CFD broker, admired for its competitive pricing, diverse trading instruments, and superior technology. Established in 2007 and based in Australia, the firm is under the regulation of ASIC, CySEC, and FSA. It has successfully drawn over 180,000 clients from more than 200 nations. |
| CFDs and FX are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75.1% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. | |
| Pros | |
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| Awards | |
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| FCA Regulated | |
| Yes | No |
| Instruments | |
| CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto (only Pro clients), Spread Betting | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, Futures, Crypto |
| Demo Account | |
| Yes | Yes |
| Minimum Deposit | |
| $0 | $200 |
| Payment Methods | |
| Minimum Trade | |
| 0.01 Lots | 0.01 Lots |
| Regulator | |
| FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, CMA, BaFin, SCB | ASIC, CySEC, FSA, CMA |
| Mobile Apps | |
| iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
| Trading App | |
Pepperstone excels for its excellent integration with the MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView apps, making it a standout option for traders familiar with these leading third-party trading solutions. These platforms deliver a stable and reliable mobile trading experience, enhanced by Pepperstone’s almost unrivalled execution speeds and wide range of asset classes. Recent improvements also helped it secure second place in DayTrading.com’s annual ‘Best Trading App’ award for 2025. |
IC Markets deliver mobile apps for their cTrader, MT4, MT5 and TradingView platforms. They have been developed on Android and iOS separately, taking full advantage of the functionality available on each. With raw pricing, and spreads from 0.0, the apps deliver an excellent trading tool for all levels of trader. Yet what really stands out is how they’ve managed to maintain the lightning-fast execution speed IC Markets is known for, right within the apps. It’s a seamless trading experience that feels both professional and highly responsive. |
| iOS App Rating | |
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| Android App Rating | |
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| Margin Trading | |
| Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 | |
| Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 | |
| Yes | Yes |
| cTrader | |
| Yes | Yes |
| AlgoTrader | |
| No | No |
| OmniTrader | |
| No | No |
| TradingView | |
| Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | |
| Yes | No |
| eSignal | |
| No | No |
| Trading Central | |
| No | Yes |
| STP Account | |
| Yes | No |
| ECN Account | |
| Yes | Yes |
| DMA Account | |
| Yes | Yes |
| MAM Account | |
| Yes | Yes |
| PAMM Account | |
| No | Yes |
| LAMM Account | |
| No | No |
| Demat Account | |
| No | No |
| AI / Machine Learning | |
| Yes | No |
| Robo Advisor | |
| No | No |
| Negative Balance Protection | |
| Yes | Yes |
| Market Maker | |
| No | No |
| P2P Trading | |
| No | No |
| Spot Trading | |
| Yes | Yes |
| Auto Trading | |
| Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader, Myfxbook AutoTrade |
| Copy Trading | |
| Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading Platform | |
| Pepperstone offers the replication of skilled traders' strategies via MetaTrader Signals, DupliTrade, and its new proprietary copy trading app, in collaboration with Pelican Trading. This service, available in select regions, grants access to numerous experienced traders and customized risk settings. However, it does not support cTrader Copy, which might discourage traders who prefer Spotware's platform. | Introduced in February 2023, the IC Social app provides an easy platform for learning, sharing, and replicating the trades of other traders with minimal effort. The app also includes risk management features and supports specialised trading groups. Alternatively, IC Markets offers access to Signal Start and popular third-party copy trading platforms like ZuluTrade and cTrader Copy. |
| Social Trading | |
| No | Yes |
| Trade Signals | |
| Yes (Via Chartist Software) | Signal Start |
| VPS Hosting | |
| Yes | Yes |
| Tournaments | |
| No | No |
| Demo Competitions | |
| No | No |
| Ethical Investing | |
| No | No |
| Custodial Account | |
| No | No |
| Guaranteed Stop Loss | |
| No | No |
| Inactivity Fee | |
| $0 | $0 |
| Islamic Account | |
| Yes | Yes |
| Account Currencies | |
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| Commodities | |
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| CFD | |
| In our recent assessment, Pepperstone remains a top-tier CFD broker, renowned for its speed and reliability. With execution times averaging 30ms and a remarkable 99.90% fill rate, traders benefit from a smooth experience free from requotes and dealing desk disruptions. Additionally, it offers extensive opportunities with access to more than 1,300 assets. | Trade over 2,250 CFDs anytime from Monday to Friday across key markets, including forex, commodities, indices, stocks, and bonds. IC Markets leverages deep liquidity and cutting-edge bridge technology to offer ideal trading conditions for scalpers, hedgers, and algorithmic traders. |
| Leverage | |
| 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | 1:30 (ASIC & CySEC), 1:500 (FSA), 1:1000 (Global) |
| FTSE Spread | |
| 1.0 | 1.0 |
| GBPUSD Spread< | |
| 0.4 | 0.23 |
| Oil Spread | |
| 2.5 | 0.03 |
| Stocks Spread | |
| 0.02 | 0.02 |
| Forex | |
| Pepperstone provides forex spreads on the EUR/USD averaging just 0.12 pips with their Razor account. This is highly competitive. Their extensive portfolio includes over 100 currency pairs, which exceeds what most rivals offer. Furthermore, Pepperstone stands out by offering three unique currency indices: USDX, EURX, and JPYX, which are rare on other platforms. They have been recognised with our 'Best Forex Broker' award twice. | IC Markets remains dedicated to offering tight 0.0-pip spreads on major currency pairs like EUR/USD, ensuring outstanding execution with an average speed of 35 milliseconds. Ideal for traders seeking high performance, those dealing in large volumes can also enjoy rebates of up to $2.50 per forex lot. |
| Assets | |
| 100+ | 75 |
| GBPUSD Spread | |
| 0.4 | 0.23 |
| EURUSD Spread | |
| 0.1 | 0.02 |
| EURGBP Spread | |
| 0.4 | 0.27 |
| Currency Indices | |
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| Cryptocurrency | |
| Pepperstone remains a highly reputable crypto broker. Despite an average range of digital currencies, traders can access popular options like Bitcoin and altcoins such as Ripple with leverage up to 1:10. Its crypto indices offer comprehensive insights into digital currency markets, a feature unmatched by many other platforms. | IC Markets provides a range of over 20 cryptocurrencies for trading through CFDs, featuring less common tokens like Avalanche, Kusama, and Uniswap. Traders can enjoy commission-free transactions and experienced individuals can utilise high leverage up to 1:200 via the MetaTrader platforms. |
| Spread | |
| BTC 30, ETH 0 | BTC 42.036 |
| Coins | |
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| Crypto Lending | |
| No | No |
| Crypto Mining | |
| No | No |
| Crypto Staking | |
| No | No |
| Auto Market Maker | |
| No | No |
| Pepperstone | IC Markets |
| CFDs and FX are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75.1% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. | |
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