Admirals vs IC Markets

If you are reading this article, you’re likely having trouble deciding whether Admirals or IC Markets is the better Forex trading platform for you. While both platforms generally provide positive user experiences, there are some essential differences.

In this Admirals vs IC Markets review, we outline the highlights of each trading platform to help you make a more informed decision. We evaluate:

• Features and Platforms
• Available Markets
• Typical Spreads and Fees
• Security and Trust
• Admirals vs IC Markets - Verdict

Headquarters	Australia	United Kingdom
Regulators	ASIC, CySEC, FSA	ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCS
Tier 1 Regulator(s)?
Owned by Public Company?
Year Established	2010	2001
Execution Type(s)	ECN/STP	Market Maker
Minimum Deposit	$200	$100
Trading Platform(s)	MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader	Other, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5+
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD	0.0 pips ($0.00)	0.1 pips ($1.00)
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD	0.0 pips ($0.00)	0.1 pips ($1.00)
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil	$0.03	$0.03
Average Trading Cost Gold	$0.05	$0.25
Islamic Account
Signals
US Persons Accepted?
Managed Accounts
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Features and Platforms

MT4
MT5
cTrader
Proprietary Platform
Automated Trading
DOM?
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Scalping
Hedging
One-Click Trading
OCO Orders
Interest on Margin
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Admirals, founded in 2001 in Estonia (presently in a rebranding phase to Admirals), and IC Markets, operational out of Australia since 2007, are among the most established online brokers. Admirals offers clients MT4/MT5 trading platforms, upgraded via the MetaTrader Supreme Edition, while the IC markets counters with an industry-leading 20 plug-in upgrade. IC Markets also offers the cTrader trading platform and supports social trading via ZuluTrade and Myfxbook AutoTrade. Both brokers offer VPS hosting, competitive market research, and new traders get quality education at Admirals and IC Markets alike.

Available Markets

Currency Pairs		N/A
Cryptocurrencies		N/A
Commodities
Crude Oil
Gold
Metals
Equity Indices
Stocks (non-CFDs)
Bonds		N/A
ETFs
Futures
Synthetics
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Traders have one of the best asset selections at Admirals, which caters to traders and investors. Forex traders have 50 currency pairs but 32 cryptocurrencies and 28 commodities. Equity traders get an excellent 3,344 equity CFDs, 377 ETFs CFDs, and 43 index CFDs plus two bond CFDs. Investors get 4,506 shares and 185 ETFs. IC Markets grants Forex traders a superior selection with 60 currency pairs but only ten cryptocurrency pairs and over 20 commodities. Only 200 equity CFDs pale compared to Admirals, which also offers 23 index CFDs and six bonds, but Admirals maintains a tangible edge.

Typical Spreads and Fees

Average Trading Cost EUR/USD	0.0 pips ($0.00)	0.1 pips ($1.00)
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD	0.0 pips ($0.00)	0.1 pips ($1.00)
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil	$0.03	$0.03
Average Trading Cost Gold	$0.05	$0.25
Average Trading Cost Bitcoin	$12.47	$125.60
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Both brokers offer traders a commission-free account and a commission-based alternative. Admirals offers a minimum mark-up of 0.5 pips or $5 per 1.0 standard lot versus 1.0 pips or $10 at IC Markets in the commission-free trading account. While the commission-based option features raw spreads of 0.0 pips at both, the commission at Admirals is $6.00 versus $7.00 at IC Markets. Swap rates on leveraged overnight positions apply, and Admirals and IC Markets forward corporate actions to clients. Inactive accounts incur a monthly fee of $10 after 24 months, while IC Markets has no inactivity fee.

Security and Trust

Country of the Regulator	Australia, The Bahamas, Cyprus, Seychelles	Australia, Cyprus, Jordan, Kenya, United Kingdom, South Africa
Name of the Regulator	ASIC, CySEC, FSA	ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCS
Regulatory License Number	335692, SD018, SIA-F214, 362/18	595450, 201/13, 410681, 51311, 178, 57026
Regulatory Tier	1, 4, 4, 1	1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2
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The regulatory framework at Admirals consists of the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), and the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). IC Markets operates under oversight provided by the ASIC, the CySEC, and the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA). Both brokers maintain an excellent track record and segregate client funds from corporate ones. Negative balance protection and an investor compensation fund exist if mandated by regulators. IC Markets notes its external auditors and provides more information, but both remain well-trusted brokers. Traders can rest assured that they remain fully protected.

IC Markets vs Admirals – Verdict

Admirals continues to evolve and caters to clients for two decades. The current rebranding phase from Admirals to Admirals aims to create a one-stop solution for clients to invest, spend, and manage funds. Investors can start unleveraged share dealing from just $1, and traders have access to leveraged trading from $100. The upgraded MT4/MT5 trading platforms offer clients a competitive edge, and the overall asset selection of 8,000+ instruments present excellent trading opportunities. IC Markets grants a significantly smaller choice of assets with 300+, but its MT4/MT5 upgrade package remains among the best in the industry. It established itself as a leading broker for automated traders while also supporting social trading. Admirals expands its edge in the cost structure, which is notable cheaper for traders. Both brokers generate quality research and education for clients, but overall, Admirals maintains a product and services portfolio visibly superior to IC Markets.

You might also be interested in reviewing the below broker comparisons:

• Admirals vs ActivTrades
• Admirals vs IG Markets
• Admirals vs RoboMarkets
• IC Markets vs Tickmill
• IC Markets vs Axi
• IC Markets vs Blackbull Markets

Read full IC Markets Review

Read full Admirals Review