Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AvaTrade vs IFC Markets, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
AvaTrade and IFC Markets, both founded in 2006, offer online trading platforms but differ significantly in regulatory standing. AvaTrade holds a notable advantage with four Tier-1 licenses, which ForexBrokers.com considers highly trusted, alongside three Tier-2 licenses. This contributes to AvaTrade's impressive Trust Score of 94 out of 99, indicating it's highly trusted in the industry. In contrast, IFC Markets does not possess any Tier-1 licenses and holds only one Tier-2 license, resulting in a Trust Score of 73. This places IFC Markets in the average risk category for traders.
Neither AvaTrade nor IFC Markets is publicly traded or operates as a bank, which is common among many online brokers. However, AvaTrade's superior regulatory approvals and higher Trust Score could offer greater assurance to traders seeking a secure trading partner. While both platforms enable access to a wide range of financial markets, AvaTrade's regulatory credentials and trust ratings might make it a preferred choice for those prioritizing safety and reliability.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
AvaTrade vs. IFC Markets on commissions and fees: AvaTrade’s typical spread is about 0.9 pips (as of June 2024), which is close to the industry average and only slightly higher than the entry-level pricing at CMC Markets and Tickmill. If you qualify as a professional client, AvaTrade’s Professional account tightens spreads to around 0.6 pips—competitive and in line with brokers like FP Markets. IFC Markets’ average EUR/USD spread is 1.44 pips, higher than the 1.08 industry average, but active traders can do better with IFC’s ECN account, where the effective cost works out to about 1.1 pips after a 0.005% commission on each side. IFC also skips inactivity fees and offers discounts for frequent traders.
On ratings and rankings, AvaTrade earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. IFC Markets earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #32 out of 63. In short, AvaTrade tends to deliver tighter headline spreads—especially for professionals—while IFC Markets can become more appealing for high-volume traders who benefit from ECN pricing, discounts, and no inactivity fees.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.93 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
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AvaTrade vs. IFC Markets: For pure variety, AvaTrade lists 1,260 tradeable symbols compared with IFC Markets’ 630. Both brokers support forex trading (CFD or spot, depending on the offering), with AvaTrade covering 53 currency pairs and IFC Markets offering 49. If you want exchange-traded securities that are not CFDs, neither broker provides access to U.S. stocks; however, IFC Markets stands out by offering real shares on select international exchanges, while AvaTrade does not.
Both platforms offer copy trading and let you trade cryptocurrency via CFDs, but neither supports buying actual crypto. In our Range of Investments scoring, AvaTrade earns 4 stars and ranks #26 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets scores 3.5 stars and ranks #31. Traders focused on the widest selection of instruments may prefer AvaTrade, whereas those seeking access to real international shares may lean toward IFC Markets.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
AvaTrade and IFC Markets both cover the essentials for traders focused on platforms and tools. Each broker offers a free demo account for simulated trading, a proprietary in-house platform, a Windows desktop download, a web-based platform, and support for MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Copy trading is available at both, and you can place orders directly from charts.
According to ForexBrokers.com, AvaTrade earns 4.5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks #13 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #29. That points to a slight edge for AvaTrade in overall platform experience. The exact counts for built-in technical indicators and watchlist columns aren’t specified here. If you want the higher-rated toolkit, AvaTrade stands out; if you just need the core features—demo, web and desktop access, MT4/MT5, chart trading, and copy trading—both brokers deliver.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
AvaTrade and IFC Markets both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts and watchlist syncing, so symbols you track stay updated across mobile and web. For charting, AvaTrade offers 73 built‑in technical studies versus 30 with IFC Markets. Both apps let you draw trendlines, but only IFC Markets auto‑saves your drawings, which can be helpful if you switch devices or revisit charts later.
If you value a larger set of indicators and studies, AvaTrade has the edge. If you prefer charts that remember your annotations automatically, IFC Markets stands out. In independent assessments, AvaTrade’s mobile app is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #13 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #34. Either way, both apps cover the essentials for on‑the‑go trading with alerts, synced watchlists, and core chart tools.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
AvaTrade and IFC Markets take different paths with market research. IFC Markets provides daily market commentary, while AvaTrade does not. AvaTrade offers forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones; IFC Markets does not. Both brokers include a sentiment tool showing long/short ratios and an economic calendar. Neither broker features Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools. However, AvaTrade adds Trading Central (e.g., Technical Analytics), which IFC Markets lacks.
Pick IFC Markets if you want in-house commentary each day. Choose AvaTrade if you value third-party news feeds and Trading Central insights. According to ForexBrokers.com, AvaTrade is rated 4 stars for Research and ranks 28 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets is rated 3.5 stars and ranks 30 out of 63. Both cover the essentials, but AvaTrade leans on external analytics and news, whereas IFC Markets focuses on its own commentary.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
AvaTrade and IFC Markets both cater to beginners with plenty of video lessons. Each broker offers at least 10 beginner videos to help you learn the basics of trading forex and CFDs, plus 10 or more advanced videos for when you’re ready to go deeper. One key difference is live learning: AvaTrade runs client webinars at least once a month, while IFC Markets does not offer monthly educational webinars.
When it comes to third-party ratings, AvaTrade earns 4 stars for Education and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. IFC Markets holds a 3.5-star Education rating and ranks #25. If you want regular live classes and a higher-rated learning center, AvaTrade has the edge. If you mainly want on-demand video lessons, both brokers can meet that need.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that AvaTrade is better than IFC Markets. AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #15, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #33.
AvaTrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering an extensive selection of trading platforms for forex and CFD traders, as well as exceptional educational content that helped it nab Best in Class honors for Beginners in the ForexBrokers.com 2025 Annual Awards.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
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IFC Markets
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| Trust Score | 94 | 73 |
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In the AvaTrade vs IFC Markets comparison, both brokers do not offer buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies but do provide trading in cryptocurrency CFDs.
AvaTrade vs IFC Markets: neither broker offers ACH or SEPA transfers, both support bank wires for deposits and withdrawals, only AvaTrade provides PayPal and Skrill (IFC Markets does not), and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review |
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| Regulation | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.93 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Overall | AvaTrade | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review |
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