IC Markets vs IUX

Getting paid. IC Markets pays out normally and reliably. Traders keep reporting delays at IUX. Weigh that above everything else here.

Who is watching. IC Markets holds strict Australian and European licences. IUX has none, and the claim on some sites that it is ASIC-regulated is disputed.

Cost. IUX charges about 0.2 pips on EUR/USD against IC Markets’ 1.10. That is a genuine, large advantage and it deserves credit.

Ignore IUX’s 1:3000 leverage against IC Markets’ 1:500. That is six times more dangerous, not six times better.

Quick Answer

Comparison Table

Check these on each broker’s own site before you trust them. IUX lists its smallest deposit as $3, $10, $30 and $50 across different sites, which is itself worth noticing.

The Withdrawal Problem

This deserves its own section, because it undercuts everything IUX is good at.

IUX is genuinely cheap. Its spread on EUR/USD is about a fifth of IC Markets’. Its TradingView charting is good. Its entry price is a real service to people who have very little.

But traders keep reporting that getting money out of IUX is slow. This is not one angry review. It is a recurring pattern across sources.

Think about what a broker account is for. You put money in, you trade, and eventually you take money out. If the last step is unreliable, the first two do not matter. Saving 0.9 pips per trade is worthless if a withdrawal takes weeks or needs chasing.

IC Markets pays out normally, every time, and has done since 2007 across 54,000 reviews averaging 4.8 out of 5. That is not exciting. Reliability rarely is. It is the thing you notice only when it is missing.

If you take one thing from this page, take that.

[Your own test: request a small withdrawal from each and record exactly how long it takes. Given IUX’s reputation here, that single test would make this page more useful than any rival article.]

Trading Costs

Give IUX its due, because on price it wins clearly.

IUX charges about 0.2 pips on EUR/USD with no commission. IC Markets charges about 1.10 on its commission-free account. That is roughly five times cheaper on the account a beginner starts with.

On raw accounts they are closer. IUX charges about $3 a lot. IC Markets charges $3.50 a side, so $7 to open and close. IUX still comes out ahead.

Two honest caveats. IUX’s 0.2 pips is measured in calm conditions, and reports on how it behaves during news are mixed. IC Markets is known for holding its pricing steady when the market moves, which is when your costs really bite. Your true cost is what you pay during volatility, not on a quiet afternoon.

Even allowing for that, IUX is cheaper. If price were all that mattered, this page would end here.

Which Broker Is Safer?

IC Markets, and it is not close.

IC Markets is watched by ASIC in Australia and CySEC in Cyprus. Both are strict. They check the books, set the rules, and can force a broker to answer for itself or stop trading. IC Markets has run since 2007, keeps client money in a separate account, and holds a 4.8 rating from more than 54,000 Trustpilot reviews. That is a lot of people to keep happy for a long time.

IUX launched in 2016 and rebranded in 2024. It leans on the FSCA in South Africa plus offshore registration in St Vincent and the Grenadines. No strict authority watches it.

You will find websites listing IUX as ASIC-regulated. That claim is disputed and should not be taken at face value. Check which entity covers your own country on IUX’s own site before funding anything.

One honest wrinkle. IC Markets only puts you under ASIC if you are in Australia, and under CySEC if you are in Europe. Everyone else goes to an offshore arm in the Seychelles or the Bahamas. So if you are elsewhere, the strict licence you read about may not cover your account. Find out which company holds your money before you deposit.

Even so, IC Markets holds strict licences and answers to them somewhere. IUX holds none anywhere.

Leverage

IUX offers 1:3000 to anyone. IC Markets caps at 1:500, and at 1:30 under its Australian or European arm.

IUX’s number is six times bigger and six times more dangerous.

Leverage grows your losses exactly as fast as your wins. At 1:3000, a tiny move against you empties your account in seconds. IC Markets caps lower because strict regulators make it, and for a beginner that cap is a seatbelt.

The pattern repeats across this industry: the broker without a strict regulator offers the biggest number. Those facts are connected, and not in IUX’s favour.

Free Credit

IUX hands out $30 to $50 no-deposit bonuses plus deposit matches. IC Markets offers nothing.

Before that sways you, understand the rules. Bonus money carries trading volume conditions before you can withdraw anything tied to it, and those conditions usually require far more trading than a beginner expects. Free credit is a way to get you through the door, not free profit.

And notice the wider pattern. The brokers that can shower you with free credit are usually the ones nobody strict is watching. IC Markets cannot offer bonuses in most regions because its regulators restrict them. That is a clue about who is minding it.

Final Verdict

Take IC Markets if you can find $200. A strict Australian regulator watches it, it pays you out reliably, it gives you cTrader and thousands more markets, and tens of thousands of customers rate it highly after nearly twenty years. You will pay five times more per trade. For a first account, that is a fair price for a broker that pays you back without a fight.

Take IUX if $200 is genuinely out of reach and $10 is not. It is far cheaper, and for someone with very little that low entry is a real service. But go in knowing about the payout complaints, the weekday-only support, the MT5-only setup and the fact that nobody strict is watching. Keep the balance small and test a withdrawal early.

The $200 is not a fee. It stays in your account and you trade with it. So the real question is whether you can wait a few weeks and save it. If you can, wait.

FAQ

Which is cheaper, IC Markets or IUX?

IUX, by roughly five times. About 0.2 pips on EUR/USD against IC Markets’ 1.10. On raw accounts IUX still edges it.

Which is safer?

IC Markets, clearly. A strict Australian regulator watches it and it has a clean record since 2007. IUX has no strict licence anywhere.

Is IUX regulated by ASIC?

That claim appears on some sites and it is disputed. Check which entity covers your own country on IUX’s own site before funding.

Why do people complain about IUX withdrawals?

Traders report delays getting money out. It is a recurring pattern rather than one bad review, and it is the strongest mark against the broker.

Is 1:3000 leverage better than 1:500?

No. It grows losses as fast as wins. IUX can offer it partly because no strict regulator stops it.

Which is better for a complete beginner?

IC Markets, if you can afford the $200. Reliable payouts and strict oversight are worth more than the spread you save.

Current Offers & Promotions

Promotion

IC Markets 100% Deposit Bonus 2026

IC Markets is offering new and existing traders a 100% deposit bonus on their first deposit, plus a 50% bonus…

View Offer

Promotion

IUX LotBack Program 2026

IUX Markets' LotBack Program allows eligible traders to earn IRP points from qualifying trading activity. Rewards start at 0.5 IRP…

View Offer