IC Markets vs Tickmill

Quick Answer

Best for	Winner	Why
Starting small	IC Markets	No minimum at its global company against $100
Raw-account commission	Tickmill	About $6 per lot round turn against $7
No inactivity fee	IC Markets	Tickmill: Not stated on its public pages, though its terms reserve the right to charge one
cTrader	IC Markets	Tickmill doesn’t offer it

A “winner” here means the better published figure on that one line. It is not a recommendation: the right broker depends on where you live and how you trade.

Comparison Table

	IC Markets	Tickmill
Operating since	ASIC licence since 2009	2014
Company for international clients	Raw Trading Ltd, licensed by the FSA in Seychelles (SD018)	Tickmill Ltd, licensed by the FSA in Seychelles (SD008)
Regulators in the group	ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, SCB Bahamas, CMA Kenya	FCA, CySEC, FSCA, FSA Seychelles (plus a DFSA representative office in Dubai)
Minimum deposit	None at the global company; $200 at the Australian company	$100
Commission-free spreads	Standard from 0.8 pips	Classic from 1.6 pips
Raw-spread account	Raw Spread from 0.0 pips (EUR/USD average 0.1) plus $3.50 per side	Raw from 0.0 pips plus $3 per side
Maximum leverage	1:5000 on forex at the global company (tiered by position size); 1:30 in Australia and the EU	1:1000 at Tickmill Ltd (Seychelles); 1:30 on major pairs for UK and EU retail clients
Platforms	MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView	MT4, MT5, TradingView, Tickmill Trader
Copy trading	IC Social, cTrader Copy, ZuluTrade and Signal Start	Tickmill Social Trading on MT4 and MT5 (free to copy; strategy providers can take up to 50% of your profits)
Inactivity fee	Not listed	Not stated on its public pages, though its terms reserve the right to charge one
Withdrawal fee	None from IC Markets	None from Tickmill (minimum withdrawal 25 in your account currency)
Swap-free	Swap-free accounts with a flat holding fee	Swap-free Islamic option on every account
Bonus	100% first-deposit bonus up to $1,000, then 50% (global company)	$30 Welcome Account (not in the EU)

Figures come from each broker’s official site, checked on 11 October 2026. Spreads move through the day, and conditions vary by country and by the company that holds your account.

Regulation and Safety

IC Markets’ group holds ASIC and CySEC licences plus offshore licences in Seychelles, the Bahamas and Kenya. International clients are served by its Seychelles company, where IC says client money is insured up to US$1,000,000. CySEC fined its EU company €250,000 in 2024, which the company has taken to judicial review.

Tickmill’s group holds licences from the FCA in the UK (717270), CySEC in Cyprus (278/15), the FSCA in South Africa (FSP 49464) and the FSA in Seychelles (SD008). Most international clients join Tickmill Ltd in Seychelles. Tickmill segregates client money, applies negative balance protection and insures funds through Lloyd’s for $20,000 to $1,000,000 per client if the firm becomes insolvent; UK clients also have FSCS cover and EU clients the Investor Compensation Fund.

Both groups hold top-tier licences, but those protect only the clients of the licensed companies. What matters is which company your country places you with, so check your client agreement before you deposit.

Trading Costs

On commission-free accounts, IC Markets lists: Standard from 0.8 pips. Tickmill lists: Classic from 1.6 pips. “From” figures are minimums, so expect wider live spreads, especially around news.

Both offer a raw-spread account. IC Markets: Raw Spread from 0.0 pips (EUR/USD average 0.1) plus $3.50 per side. Tickmill: Raw from 0.0 pips plus $3 per side. For frequent traders, a raw account usually costs less per trade than a spread-only one.

IC Markets lists no inactivity fee. Tickmill’s inactivity fee: not stated on its public pages, though its terms reserve the right to charge one. Withdrawal fees: IC Markets: none from IC Markets; Tickmill: none from Tickmill (minimum withdrawal 25 in your account currency).

Platforms and Copy Trading

IC Markets offers MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView. Tickmill offers MT4, MT5, TradingView and Tickmill Trader.

IC Markets’s copy trading: IC Social, cTrader Copy, ZuluTrade and Signal Start. Tickmill’s copy trading: Tickmill Social Trading on MT4 and MT5 (free to copy; strategy providers can take up to 50% of your profits). Copying another trader doesn’t remove risk: you can lose money as fast as trading yourself.

Leverage

IC Markets’s maximum leverage: 1:5000 on forex at the global company (tiered by position size); 1:30 in Australia and the EU. Tickmill’s: 1:1000 at Tickmill Ltd (Seychelles); 1:30 on major pairs for UK and EU retail clients.

A higher maximum is not an advantage in itself. Leverage multiplies losses as fast as gains, so beginners should use far less than either broker allows.

Which One Should You Choose?

Go with IC Markets if:

• You trade often and want raw spreads
• You want cTrader or TradingView
• You want a group with ASIC and CySEC licences

Go with Tickmill if:

• You want FCA or CySEC regulation in the group
• You trade often and want raw spreads at $3 per side
• You want a free TradingView plan as an active trader

Whichever you choose, test a small withdrawal early, verify your account before you need your money, and risk only what you can afford to lose.

FAQ

Which has the lower minimum deposit, IC Markets or Tickmill? IC Markets. IC Markets: none at the global company; $200 at the Australian company. Tickmill: $100.

How are IC Markets and Tickmill regulated? IC Markets’s international clients deal with Raw Trading Ltd, licensed by the FSA in Seychelles (SD018). Tickmill’s deal with Tickmill Ltd, licensed by the FSA in Seychelles (SD008). Group regulators: IC Markets: ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, SCB Bahamas, CMA Kenya; Tickmill: FCA, CySEC, FSCA, FSA Seychelles (plus a DFSA representative office in Dubai).

Which is cheaper to trade with? It depends on the account. Commission-free: IC Markets: Standard from 0.8 pips; Tickmill: Classic from 1.6 pips. Raw accounts: IC Markets: Raw Spread from 0.0 pips (EUR/USD average 0.1) plus $3.50 per side; Tickmill: Raw from 0.0 pips plus $3 per side.

Does either charge an inactivity fee? IC Markets: not listed. Tickmill: not stated on its public pages, though its terms reserve the right to charge one.

Do both offer copy trading? IC Markets: IC Social, cTrader Copy, ZuluTrade and Signal Start. Tickmill: Tickmill Social Trading on MT4 and MT5 (free to copy; strategy providers can take up to 50% of your profits).

Current Offers & Promotions