| Feature | Deriv | IC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 | 2007 |
| Regulation | Regulated by MFSA, VFSC, BVI FSC | Regulated by ASIC, CySEC, FSA |
| Headquarters | Malta | Sydney, Australia |
| Trading Platforms | DTrader, MT5, Deriv X, SmartTrader, Binary Bot | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader |
| Assets Offered | Forex, CFDs, Binary Options, Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Indices | Forex, CFDs, Commodities, Indices, Cryptocurrencies, Bonds |
| Account Types | Standard, Financial STP, Synthetic, Financial | Standard, Raw Spread, Islamic |
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $200 |
| Leverage | Up to 1:1000 | Up to 1:500 |
| Spreads | Floating spreads from 0.5 pips | Raw spreads from 0.0 pips, Standard spreads from 1.0 pips |
| Commission | No commission on most accounts | $3 per lot per side on Raw Spread accounts |
| Trading Fees | Low to moderate, no inactivity fee | Low to moderate, no inactivity fee |
| Deposit Methods | Bank transfer, Credit/Debit cards, E-wallets, Cryptocurrencies | Bank transfer, Credit/Debit cards, E-wallets, Cryptocurrencies |
| Withdrawal Methods | Bank transfer, Credit/Debit cards, E-wallets, Cryptocurrencies | Bank transfer, Credit/Debit cards, E-wallets, Cryptocurrencies |
| Processing Time for Withdrawals | 1–3 business days | 1–3 business days |
| Base Currencies Supported | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, and others | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, and others |
| Educational Resources | Limited tutorials, blog, webinars | Extensive tutorials, webinars, articles, and video content |
| Research Tools | Basic analysis tools, economic calendar, limited news | Advanced analysis tools, economic calendar, market analysis, Autochartist |
| Copy Trading | Available via MT5 and Binary Bot | Available via Myfxbook and ZuluTrade |
| Automated Trading | Binary Bot, MT5 Expert Advisors | MetaTrader and cTrader algorithms, API trading |
| Customer Support | 24/7 live chat, email | 24/7 live chat, email, phone support |
| Mobile Trading | Available on iOS and Android | Available on iOS and Android |
| Islamic Accounts | Available | Available |
| Demo Account | Yes, unlimited and free | Yes, unlimited and free |
| Negative Balance Protection | Yes | Yes |
| Security of Funds | Segregated accounts, SSL encryption | Segregated accounts, SSL encryption |
| Promotions & Bonuses | No deposit bonuses, limited promotions | No bonuses, focuses on low-cost trading |
| Best For | Beginners, Binary options traders, Low-cost trading | Advanced traders, Scalpers, High-volume traders |
| Social Trading | Limited, via MT5 | Yes, via Myfxbook and ZuluTrade |
| Order Execution Type | Market execution, Instant execution | ECN execution, Market execution |
| Slippage Control | Moderate, depends on market conditions | Minimal, advanced ECN execution reduces slippage |
| Stop Loss and Take Profit | Available on all accounts | Available on all accounts |
| Order Types | Market, Limit, Stop, Stop Limit | Market, Limit, Stop, Stop Limit |
| Scalping | Allowed | Allowed |
| Hedging | Allowed | Allowed |
| Micro Lot Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Lot Size Range | 0.01 to 100 | 0.01 to 100 |
| Account Base Currency Options | Over 20 options including USD, EUR, GBP, AUD | Over 10 options including USD, EUR, GBP, AUD |
| Swap-Free Accounts | Available for Islamic traders | Available for Islamic traders |
| Maximum Trade Size | 30 lots per position | 50 lots per position |
| Margin Call Level | 100% | 100% |
| Stop Out Level | 50% | 50% |
| Trading Instruments Count | Over 150 instruments | Over 250 instruments |
| Cryptocurrency Trading Pairs | Available, includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin | Available, includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and others |
| Commodities Offered | Gold, Silver, Oil, Natural Gas | Gold, Silver, Oil, Natural Gas, and others |
| Index Trading | Global indices including NASDAQ, S&P 500, FTSE 100 | Global indices including NASDAQ, S&P 500, FTSE 100, DAX 30 |
| Bond Trading | Not Available | Available |
| CFD Trading | Available on Forex, Commodities, Indices, Cryptocurrencies | Available on Forex, Commodities, Indices, Bonds, Cryptocurrencies |
| API Trading | Available | Available |
| Charting Tools | Integrated with TradingView, MT5 | Advanced charting via MT4, MT5, cTrader |
| Technical Indicators | 30+ indicators available | 50+ indicators available |
| Social Media Presence | Moderate, active on YouTube and Facebook | Strong, active on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram |
| Affiliate Program | Available, competitive commissions | Available, competitive commissions |
| Trading Contests | Occasionally offered | Not offered |
| Partnership Options | IB program, White Label, Affiliate Program | IB program, White Label, Affiliate Program |
| Spreads on Major Forex Pairs (EUR/USD) | From 0.5 pips | From 0.0 pips (Raw account) |
| Volatility Index Trading | Exclusive Synthetic Indices | Not available |
| Corporate Accounts | Not available | Available |
| Execution Speed | Moderate, typically 0.5–1 second | Fast, typically under 0.1 second |
| Server Location | Multiple locations including Europe and Asia | NY4 Equinix Data Center, London, and others |
| Account Management | Self-service via website, No personal account managers | Personal account managers available |
| Risk Management Tools | Basic, includes Stop Loss, Take Profit, Margin Call | Advanced, includes Stop Loss, Take Profit, Trailing Stops, Margin Call |
| Transaction Fees | No deposit fees, minimal withdrawal fees | No deposit fees, minimal withdrawal fees |
| Trading Hours | 24/5 for Forex and CFDs, 24/7 for Cryptocurrencies | 24/5 for Forex and CFDs, 24/7 for Cryptocurrencies |
| Mobile App Features | Customizable charts, Alerts, One-click trading | Advanced charts, Alerts, One-click trading, Depth of Market |
| Reputation in Industry | Good, growing rapidly among retail traders | Excellent, known for low spreads and fast execution |
| MetaTrader 5 Compatibility | Fully supported, with exclusive Synthetic indices | Fully supported, with all trading instruments |
| MetaTrader 4 Compatibility | Not supported | Fully supported |
| VPS Hosting | Available, free for high-volume traders | Available, free for high-volume traders |
| Custom Indicators | Supported on MT5 platform | Supported on MT4, MT5, and cTrader platforms |
| Depth of Market (DOM) | Limited availability | Available on cTrader and MT5 |
| Spread Betting | Not available | Available (for UK clients only) |
| One-Click Trading | Available | Available |
| Trailing Stops | Available on MT5 | Available on MT4, MT5, and cTrader |
| Guaranteed Stop Loss | Not available | Not available |
| Backtesting Capabilities | Available on MT5 with historical data | Available on MT4, MT5, and cTrader |
| Tick Charts | Available | Available |
| Risk Management Features | Basic, includes Stop Loss and Take Profit | Advanced, includes multiple stop types and margin protection |
| Swap Rates | Competitive, varies by asset | Competitive, varies by asset |
| Execution Transparency | High, displays order execution policy | High, displays order execution policy |
| Requote Policy | No requotes | No requotes |
| Market Making | No, operates as a straight-through processing (STP) broker | No, operates as an ECN broker |
| Instant Withdrawals | Available for e-wallets and crypto | Available for some e-wallets |
| Trading Bots | Binary Bot for binary options, MT5 Expert Advisors | MT4 and MT5 Expert Advisors, cAlgo for cTrader |
| Algorithmic Trading | Supported on MT5 | Supported on MT4, MT5, and cTrader |
| Market Analysis | Basic daily analysis | Advanced daily analysis, third-party integrations |
| Economic Calendar | Available | Available |
| Historical Data Access | Available for MT5 | Available for MT4, MT5, and cTrader |
| Social Trading Platforms | Limited, primarily on MT5 | Extensive, includes Myfxbook, ZuluTrade |
| Cashback Rebates | Available via affiliate programs | Available for high-volume traders |
| Interest on Deposits | Not available | Not available |
| Community Support | Active forums and community resources | Active forums, webinars, and community resources |
| Integration with Third-Party Tools | Limited, mostly MT5-compatible | Extensive, supports MT4, MT5, cTrader add-ons |
| Managed Accounts (PAMM/MAM) | Not available | Available |
| Affiliate Commission Structure | Competitive, multi-tier | Competitive, multi-tier |
| Copy Fee for Social Trading | No fees for MT5-based copying | Varies based on provider (ZuluTrade, Myfxbook) |
| Tick Volume Data | Available | Available |
| Slippage Statistics Disclosure | Limited transparency | High transparency |
| Web-Based Trading Platform | DTrader, web-based MT5 | Web-based MT4, MT5, and cTrader |
| Spread Type Flexibility | Offers both fixed and variable spreads | Offers only variable spreads |
| Advanced Order Types | Limited to MT5 functionalities | Available on cTrader and MT5 |
| Support for Cryptocurrency Wallets | Yes, multiple wallets supported | Yes, multiple wallets supported |
| Regulatory Reporting | Complies with MiFID II for European clients | Complies with MiFID II and other regulatory requirements |
| Capital Adequacy Ratio | Not disclosed publicly | High, meets ASIC and CySEC requirements |
| Segregation of Funds | Yes, segregated client accounts | Yes, segregated client accounts |
| Fraud Protection | SSL encryption, 2FA | SSL encryption, 2FA |
| Time in Force Orders | Available (GTC, IOC, FOK) | Available (GTC, IOC, FOK) |
| News Feed Integration | Basic, includes market news | Advanced, includes Reuters and Dow Jones |
| Latency Reduction Features | Limited | Low-latency infrastructure with Equinix data centers |
| Trade Journal Feature | Not available directly | Available via cTrader |
| Average Execution Speed | 0.5–1 second | Less than 0.1 second |
| Regulation Compliance Reporting | Basic | Detailed compliance reporting |
| IPO Trading | Not available | Available for select markets |
| Seasonal Trading Opportunities | Limited | Available, includes seasonal patterns analysis |
| Innovation & Technology Integration | Moderate | High, with frequent updates and new tools |
| Global Expansion Strategy | Focused on emerging markets | Focused on established markets in Europe, Asia, and Australia |
Deriv is ideal for beginners with low-cost trading and unique synthetic indices, while IC Markets caters to advanced traders with its ECN execution and extensive tools. Both offer diverse assets, fast execution, and reliable security.