Pepperstone vs IC Markets

Trying to choose between Pepperstone and IC Markets for your trading account? This broker comparison between Pepperstone and IC Markets examines regulation and safety, spreads and overall fees, platforms and tools, available markets, execution quality, and funding options, presenting the essential details side by side.

Who is Pepperstone?

Pepperstone is an international forex and CFD broker founded in 2010 in Melbourne, Australia. The company is widely known for its ultra-fast execution and providing raw spreads through its Razor account. With this broker, traders can access a variety of global markets under strong regulation. The official website of Pepperstone is www.pepperstone.com.

The minimum deposit required to start trading with Pepperstone is $0.

75% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Who is IC Markets?

IC Markets is a global forex and CFD broker founded in 2007 and headquartered in Sydney, Australia. The broker is known for its raw spread pricing model, deep liquidity, and lightning-fast execution speeds. Today, it serves clients across numerous countries with a variety of trading platforms. The official website of IC Markets is www.icmarkets.com.

The minimum deposit required to start trading with IC Markets is $200.

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Pepperstone vs IC Markets Side-by-Side Comparison

Year Established:
2010
2007
Regulations:
ASIC (Australia), FCA (United Kingdom), CySEC (Cyprus), BaFin (Germany), DFSA (Dubai, UAE), CMA (Kenya) and SCB (Bahamas)
ASIC (Australia), CySEC (Cyprus), FSA (Seychelles), CMA (Kenya) and SCB (Bahamas)
Local Offices in:
Melbourne, London, Düsseldorf, Dubai, Limassol, Nassau and Nairobi
Limassol, Sydney, Mahe, Nairobi and Nassau
Trading Platforms:
MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView and Pepperstone App
MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView
Minimum Deposit:
$0
$200
Account Base Currency:
USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, CHF, NZD, SGD, HKD, AUD and JPY
USD, AUD, EUR, GBP, SGD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD and CAD
Broker Type:
A-Book / ECN / No-dealing-desk
A-Book
Copy Trading:
Yes (CopyTrading by Pepperstone, DupliTrade, cTrader Copy, Signal Start)
Yes (cTrader Copy, ZuluTrade and Signal Start)
Payment Methods:
Credit & debit cards (Visa/Mastercard), bank transfers, e-wallets (PayPal, Neteller, Skrill), Apple Pay, Google Pay, UnionPay and crypto
Credit and debit cards, bank wire transfers and e-wallets (Skrill, Neteller, PayPal)

Pepperstone, founded in 2010, is regulated by the ASIC (Australia), FCA (United Kingdom), CySEC (Cyprus), BaFin (Germany), DFSA (Dubai, UAE), CMA (Kenya) and SCB (Bahamas) and maintains local offices in Melbourne, London, Düsseldorf, Dubai, Limassol, Nassau and Nairobi. The broker supports trading through a variety of trading platforms, which include MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView and Pepperstone App.

To open an account, Pepperstone sets a minimum deposit of $0, and supports account base currencies in USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, CHF, NZD, SGD, HKD, AUD and JPY. The broker operates using an A-Book / ECN / No-dealing-desk model. It enables copy trading through CopyTrading by Pepperstone, DupliTrade, cTrader Copy, Signal Start, and clients can fund or withdraw money using credit & debit cards (Visa/Mastercard), bank transfers, e-wallets (PayPal, Neteller, Skrill), Apple Pay, Google Pay, UnionPay and crypto.

In comparison, IC Markets, established in 2007, is licensed by the ASIC (Australia), CySEC (Cyprus), FSA (Seychelles), CMA (Kenya) and SCB (Bahamas) and keeps local offices in Limassol, Sydney, Mahe, Nairobi and Nassau. The trading platforms available to use at IC Markets include MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView.

Further, IC Markets requires a minimum deposit of $200 and account currencies are available in USD, AUD, EUR, GBP, SGD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD and CAD. The brokerage follows an A-Book execution model and offers copy trading via cTrader Copy, ZuluTrade and Signal Start. For deposits and withdrawals, the broker supports a variety of payment methods such as credit and debit cards, bank wire transfers and e-wallets (Skrill, Neteller, PayPal).

Pepperstone vs IC Markets Market Instruments

Total number of market instruments:
1,400+
2,250+
Tradable CFD Assets:
Forex, indices, shares, commodities, etfs and cryptocurrencies
Forex, stocks, indices, commodities, etfs, bonds, futures and cryptocurrencies
Forex Pairs:
90+
61
Stocks:
1,100+
2,100+
Indices:
20+
25
Commodities:
40+
28+
Cryptocurrencies:
20+
13

75% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Pepperstone offers traders a total of 1,400+ CFD instruments across global markets, with CFDs on forex, indices, shares, commodities, etfs and cryptocurrencies.  The product lineup includes 90+ forex pairs, 1,100+ stocks, 20+ indices, 40+ commodities, and 20+ crypto pairs.

IC Markets, by comparison, offers 2,250+ instruments and covers CFDs on forex, stocks, indices, commodities, etfs, bonds, futures and cryptocurrencies. Its collection of market products features 61 forex pairs, 2,100+ stocks, 25 indices, 28+ commodities, and 13 crypto pairs.

Pepperstone vs IC Markets Account Types

Standard Account:
Yes
Yes
Raw Spread Account:
Yes
Yes
Zero Spread Account:
No
No
Demo Account:
Yes
Yes
Islamic (swap-free) account:
Yes
Yes
Other Account Types:
No
Starter, Raw Pro and Raw Pro +

Pepperstone vs IC Markets Spreads Comparison

This comparison reviews the minimum and average spreads available at Pepperstone and IC Markets on the brokers' standard accounts. Spreads are dynamic and can change with account type, liquidity, and market volatility. It is best to verify the latest figures on each broker’s website before trading.

Minimum spreads: IC Markets generally posts tighter pricing on major forex pairs, with EUR/USD from 0.8 pips versus Pepperstone at 1.0 pips, GBP/USD at 0.8 pips versus 1.0 pips, USD/CAD at 0.8 pips versus 1.1 pips, and CAD/JPY at 1.0 pips versus 1.2 pips.

On commodities, IC Markets quotes WTI from $0.01 compared with Pepperstone at $0.02, and XAU/USD from $0.1 versus $0.05. For crypto, Bitcoin starts from $1.85 at IC Markets against $14 at Pepperstone.

Average spreads: IC Markets shows EUR/USD averaging 0.82 pips compared with Pepperstone at 1.1 pips, and GBP/USD averaging 1.03 pips versus 1.3 pips. For XAU/USD, Pepperstone provides an average spread of $0.15, while IC Markets does not provide data about the average spread for this asset.

Pepperstone vs IC Markets Minimum Spreads Comparison

EUR/USD:
1.0 pips
0.8 pips
GBP/USD:
1.0 pips
0.8 pips
USD/CAD:
1.1 pips
0.8 pips
CAD/JPY:
1.2 pips
1.0 pips
XAU/USD (Gold):
$0.05
$0.1
WTI Crude Oil:
$0.02
$0.01
Bitcoin:
$14
$1.85

Pepperstone vs IC Markets Average Spreads Comparison

EUR/USD:
1.1 pips
0.82 pips
GBP/USD:
1.3 pips
1.03 pips
XAU/USD (Gold):
$0.15
N/A

Costs on Raw/Zero Spread Account

Pepperstone and IC Markets both provide raw/zero spread account options focused on keeping trading costs tight. For Pepperstone, the minimum spread is 0.0 pips with a commission per side per lot of $3.5 (fees are slightly lower on the cTrader platform). For IC Markets, the minimum spread is 0.0 pips with a commission per side per lot of $3.5.

With these account types, ultra-low spreads are paired with per-side commissions. Spreads can widen or tighten based on market conditions. For the most accurate pricing and any updates to fees, check each broker’s website.

Minimum Spread:
0.0 pips
0.0 pips
Commission per side per lot:
$3.5
$3.5

Other Features

Customer Support:
Multilingual support available 24/5 via email and phone on weekdays, and for 18 hours daily on weekends
Multilingual support via live chat, email and phone
Scalping:
Yes
Yes
Hedging:
Yes
Yes
Education:
Webinars, market analysis, trading guides
Webinars, market analysis, trading podcast

75% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Pepperstone vs IC Markets: Wrapping Up the Comparison

Pepperstone and IC Markets are established, well-regulated brokers, launched in 2010 and 2007, respectively. Pepperstone is overseen by the ASIC (Australia), FCA (United Kingdom), CySEC (Cyprus), BaFin (Germany), DFSA (Dubai, UAE), CMA (Kenya) and SCB (Bahamas), while IC Markets is regulated by the ASIC (Australia), CySEC (Cyprus), FSA (Seychelles), CMA (Kenya) and SCB (Bahamas).

Both brokers offer a broad platform lineup. Pepperstone supports MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView and Pepperstone App while IC Markets provides MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView. Pepperstone features a lower minimum deposit requirement from $0, compared with IC Markets at $200. Again, both brokers provide Standard and Raw Spread accounts, along with demo access and an Islamic (swap-free) option. Pepperstone does not offer additional account types beyond these, while IC Markets also provides Starter, Raw Pro and Raw Pro +. Copy trading is available with both brokers.

In terms of pricing on EUR/USD, Pepperstone’s minimum spreads start at 1.0 pips with an average around 1.1 pips. In comparison, IC Markets posts minimums from 0.8 pips and averages near 0.82 pips. Market coverage differs too across the brokers. Pepperstone provides 1,400+ instruments, whereas IC Markets offers 2,250+ products.

In short, Pepperstone suits traders seeking a zero-minimum deposit and competitive pricing, while IC Markets appeals to those prioritizing a larger instrument list and extra account choices.

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