United States
United Kingdom
Germany
Netherlands
Australia
United Arab Emirates
Canada
Italy
Spain
Austria
Croatia
Serbia
Portugal
CyprusIG vs CMC Markets
What each one charges, who licenses it, and how they rank against each other country by country.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
The short version
We rank both for forex in 7 countries, and IG comes out ahead in every one of them.
We score each country separately, based on the company that would actually hold your account there, so check your own country in the table below.
On the one fee we could check for both, CMC Markets is cheaper.
Both hold top-tier (tier-1) licences: IG from FCA, BaFin and ASIC, CMC Markets from FCA, BaFin, ASIC and CIRO.
- CMC Markets is cheaper for EUR/USD: 0.5 pips all-in, compared with 0.6 pips all-in at IG.Edge: CMC Markets
- We list IG in 9 of the 14 countries we cover and CMC Markets in 8. They overlap in 7.Edge: IG
- Only CMC Markets supports MetaTrader 5.
- IG gets more search attention than CMC Markets (Market Signal 71 vs 59). That tells you how well known it is, not how good it is.
Where you can use each one
Where each one ranks on our list in every country we cover, its Coinish Score there, and the company that would hold your account. If a broker isn't allowed to take clients from a country, it isn't on that country's list.
Forex brokers
| Country | IG | CMC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | #1 of 1677/100Locally licensed IG Australia Pty Ltd · ASIC | #4 of 1670/100Locally licensed CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty Ltd · ASIC |
| Austria | #1 of 2877/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #3 of 2870/100EU passport CMC Markets Germany GmbH · BaFin |
| Germany | #1 of 2977/100Locally licensed IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #3 of 2970/100Locally licensed CMC Markets Germany GmbH · BaFin |
| Italy | #1 of 3177/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #3 of 3170/100EU passport CMC Markets Germany GmbH · BaFin |
| Spain | #1 of 2977/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #3 of 2970/100EU passport CMC Markets Germany GmbH · BaFin |
| United Arab Emirates | #1 of 1175/100Locally licensed IG (DIFC branch) · DFSA | #3 of 1169/100Locally licensed CMC Markets Middle East Limited · DFSA |
| United Kingdom | #2 of 1777/100Locally licensed IG Markets Ltd · FCA | #6 of 1771/100Locally licensed CMC Markets UK plc · FCA |
| Canada | Not listed | #2 of 670/100Locally licensed CMC Markets Canada Inc. · CIRO |
| Netherlands | #1 of 2877/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | Not listed |
| Portugal | #1 of 2977/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | Not listed |
CFD brokers
| Country | IG | CMC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | #1 of 1877/100Locally licensed IG Australia Pty Ltd · ASIC | #5 of 1870/100Locally licensed CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty Ltd · ASIC |
| Austria | #1 of 3077/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #4 of 3070/100EU passport CMC Markets Germany GmbH · BaFin |
| Germany | #1 of 3177/100Locally licensed IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #4 of 3170/100Locally licensed CMC Markets Germany GmbH · BaFin |
| Italy | #1 of 3377/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #4 of 3370/100EU passport CMC Markets Germany GmbH · BaFin |
| Spain | #1 of 3177/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | #4 of 3170/100EU passport CMC Markets Germany GmbH · BaFin |
| United Arab Emirates | #1 of 1275/100Locally licensed IG (DIFC branch) · DFSA | #4 of 1269/100Locally licensed CMC Markets Middle East Limited · DFSA |
| United Kingdom | #2 of 1877/100Locally licensed IG Markets Ltd · FCA | #7 of 1871/100Locally licensed CMC Markets UK plc · FCA |
| Canada | Not listed | #2 of 570/100Locally licensed CMC Markets Canada Inc. · CIRO |
| Netherlands | #1 of 3077/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | Not listed |
| Portugal | #1 of 3177/100EU passport IG Europe GmbH · BaFin | Not listed |
Stock brokers & investing apps
| Country | IG | CMC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | #2 of 876/100Locally licensed IG Australia Pty Ltd · ASIC | Not listed |
| United Kingdom | #2 of 776/100Locally licensed IG Markets Ltd · FCA | Not listed |
Fees and features side by side
| IG | CMC Markets | |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Forex, CFDs, Stocks & ETFs, Options | Forex, CFDs, Stocks & ETFs |
| Owner | IG Group Holdings Plc | CMC Markets plc |
| EUR/USD all-in cost | 0.6 pips, CFD / spread bet (minimum spread 0.6, no commission) | 0.5 pips, FX Active (min spread 0.0 pips + $2.50 per $100,000 per side) |
| US stock commission | $0 per order | Not verified yet |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.8% | Not verified yet |
| Inactivity fee | CHF 18 per month after 24 consecutive months with no trading (Swiss accounts; amount differs by region) | £10 per month on dormant accounts (amount depends on account currency) |
| Withdrawal fee | None | Not verified yet |
| Minimum deposit | $0 (IG Markets Ltd) | $0 (CMC Markets Bermuda Limited) |
| Instruments | 17,000+ | 12,000+ |
| Fractional shares | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| Platforms | IG web platform, IG trading app, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, TradingView, MT4 | CMC Markets Next Generation, MT4, MT5, TradingView |
| Deposit methods | Debit card, Credit card, Apple Pay, Bank transfer | Bank transfer, Credit/debit card |
| Withdrawal time (stated) | card 2–5 bank working days; bank transfer 1–3 working days | card: around 3–5 business days |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Support | live chat · 24/7 except Fri 22:00–Sat 08:00 (UK) | email, phone · Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm |
Every figure comes from the broker's own pages or its regulator. You'll find the sources in each review (IG, CMC Markets).
Licences
IG vs CMC Markets: common questions
Which is better, IG or CMC Markets?
We rank both for forex in 7 countries, and IG comes out ahead in every one of them. For reference, IG's best ranking is #1 of 33 CFD brokers in Italy, and CMC Markets' best ranking is #2 of 6 forex brokers in Canada.
Is IG cheaper than CMC Markets?
CMC Markets is cheaper for EUR/USD: 0.5 pips all-in, compared with 0.6 pips all-in at IG.
Is IG or CMC Markets better regulated?
Both hold top-tier (tier-1) licences: IG from FCA, BaFin and ASIC, CMC Markets from FCA, BaFin, ASIC and CIRO. Which company you actually sign up with depends on where you live; the country table on this page names it for each one.
Can I use both IG and CMC Markets where I live?
We list IG in 9 of the 14 countries we cover and CMC Markets in 8. They overlap in 7. For forex, you'll find both on our lists in Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom.