IC Markets vs Vantage

Quick Answer

Best for	Winner	Why
Starting small	IC Markets	No minimum at its global company against $50
Raw-account commission	Vantage	About $6 per lot round turn against $7
cTrader	IC Markets	Vantage 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	Vantage
Operating since	ASIC licence since 2009	15+ years (Vantage’s own figure)
Company for international clients	Raw Trading Ltd, licensed by the FSA in Seychelles (SD018)	Vantage Global Limited, registered with the VFSC in Vanuatu (700271)
Regulators in the group	ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, SCB Bahamas, CMA Kenya	ASIC, FSCA, VFSC (plus a UAE CMA licence for introduction only)
Minimum deposit	None at the global company; $200 at the Australian company	$50 ($10,000 on Pro ECN)
Commission-free spreads	Standard from 0.8 pips	Standard STP from 1.0 pips
Raw-spread account	Raw Spread from 0.0 pips (EUR/USD average 0.1) plus $3.50 per side	Raw ECN 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	1:100 to 1:2000 at Vantage Global Limited, higher on its Premium Unlimited account
Platforms	MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView	MT4, MT5, TradingView, Vantage App
Copy trading	IC Social, cTrader Copy, ZuluTrade and Signal Start	Copy trading built into the Vantage App
Inactivity fee	Not listed	Not listed
Withdrawal fee	None from IC Markets	None, except 20 units on international bank wires
Swap-free	Swap-free accounts with a flat holding fee	Swap-free account
Bonus	100% first-deposit bonus up to $1,000, then 50% (global company)	50% first-deposit credit up to $500, then 10% on later deposits (credit, not withdrawable)

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.

Vantage’s group holds an ASIC licence in Australia (AFSL 428901), an FSCA licence in South Africa (51268) and a VFSC registration in Vanuatu (700271). Most international clients join Vantage Global Limited in Vanuatu. Vantage carries Lloyd’s excess-of-loss insurance of up to $1 million per eligible client if it becomes insolvent and is a member of the Financial Commission. Italy’s CONSOB has ordered Vantage websites blocked in Italy, and India’s RBI lists Vantage Markets on its alert list.

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. Vantage lists: Standard STP from 1.0 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. Vantage: Raw ECN 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. Vantage lists no inactivity fee. Withdrawal fees: IC Markets: none from IC Markets; Vantage: none, except 20 units on international bank wires.

Platforms and Copy Trading

IC Markets offers MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView. Vantage offers MT4, MT5, TradingView and Vantage App.

IC Markets’s copy trading: IC Social, cTrader Copy, ZuluTrade and Signal Start. Vantage’s copy trading: Copy trading built into the Vantage App. 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. Vantage’s: 1:100 to 1:2000 at Vantage Global Limited, higher on its Premium Unlimited account.

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 Vantage if:

• You want raw spreads with MT4, MT5 and TradingView
• You want copy trading in the same app
• You live outside the EU and India and accept offshore regulation

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 Vantage? IC Markets. IC Markets: none at the global company; $200 at the Australian company. Vantage: $50 ($10,000 on Pro ECN).

How are IC Markets and Vantage regulated? IC Markets’s international clients deal with Raw Trading Ltd, licensed by the FSA in Seychelles (SD018). Vantage’s deal with Vantage Global Limited, registered with the VFSC in Vanuatu (700271). Group regulators: IC Markets: ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, SCB Bahamas, CMA Kenya; Vantage: ASIC, FSCA, VFSC (plus a UAE CMA licence for introduction only).

Which is cheaper to trade with? It depends on the account. Commission-free: IC Markets: Standard from 0.8 pips; Vantage: Standard STP from 1.0 pips. Raw accounts: IC Markets: Raw Spread from 0.0 pips (EUR/USD average 0.1) plus $3.50 per side; Vantage: Raw ECN from 0.0 pips plus $3 per side.

Does either charge an inactivity fee? IC Markets: not listed. Vantage: not listed.

Do both offer copy trading? IC Markets: IC Social, cTrader Copy, ZuluTrade and Signal Start. Vantage: Copy trading built into the Vantage App.

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