IC Markets Review 2026: Is It Legit? Regulation, Spreads, Withdrawals, Pros and Cons

IC Markets checked against facts: licences (ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, SCB), minimum deposit, real spreads and commissions, funding and withdrawal methods, bonuses and drawbacks — plus an honest comparison with Vantage, VT Markets, BullWaves.

BrokerObserver Research9 years in investing education, live accounts at every broker we rank · Updated 2026-09-07

IC Markets in short

IC Markets was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia. Regulators: ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, SCB. One of the largest ECN brokers by volume; popular with algo traders for execution and low commissions.

All figures below come from the broker's public data as of this page's update date. Conditions differ by country and account type, so verify them on the IC Markets site before opening an account.

Accounts, spreads and commissions

Account types: Standard, Raw Spread (MT), Raw Spread (cTrader). Spreads and commissions: Standard from 0.8 pips; Raw from 0.0 + $3.5 per lot per side (MT) or $3 (cTrader). Leverage: up to 1:1000 offshore; 1:30 in the EU and Australia. Platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView.

Deposits and withdrawals

Cards, transfers, paypal, skrill, neteller, crypto; no broker fees, withdrawals within a day. As with every regulated broker, withdrawals go back by the method you funded with — an anti-money-laundering requirement, not a IC Markets quirk.

Bonuses

No bonuses. Where a bonus exists, read the volume conditions before activating: a bonus is credit, not cash, and it is removed on withdrawal.

Drawbacks worth knowing

$200 minimum is higher than most
No cent accounts or bonuses
Education weaker than competitors

Legit or scam: how we look at it

Searches for "IC Markets scam" are crowded with rating sites that publish the same template about every broker and end with a link to a "verified" partner. We do not do that. The facts are simple: IC Markets holds licences (ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, SCB), has operated since 2007 and publishes its terms. That does not guarantee it suits you, but it is not a scam in the sense those sites use the word.

Compared with brokers we test with real accounts

Below are the 3 brokers where we hold live accounts and measure conditions monthly. If you are choosing between them and IC Markets, see the head-to-heads: IC Markets vs Vantage, IC Markets vs VT Markets, IC Markets vs BullWaves. Also: IC Markets withdrawal guide, IC Markets bonus terms, IC Markets minimum deposit.

Frequently asked questions

Is IC Markets legit or a scam?

IC Markets has operated since 2007 and is regulated by ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, SCB. Brokers with that history and licensing pay out; complaints usually concern spreads, bonus terms and withdrawal timing rather than non-payment.

What is the IC Markets minimum deposit?

from $200. For sensible risk management we suggest at least $300–500 with any broker.

Does IC Markets offer bonuses?

No bonuses.