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.
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.
Pepperstone vs IC Markets Side-by-Side Comparison
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
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
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
Pepperstone vs IC Markets Average Spreads Comparison
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.
Other Features
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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