Written by ForexBrokers.com
Is IC Markets better than BDSwiss? In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 62 of the best forex brokers, IC Markets is considered Trusted, with an overall Trust Score of 84 out of 99. BDSwiss is considered average risk, with an overall Trust Score of 76 out of 99. Learn more about Trust Score.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 76 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | BDSwiss Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
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| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) |
-desktop-platform-.jpg "IC Markets MetaTrader 5 (MT5) desktop platform.")
-desktop-platform-charts-.jpg "IC Markets MetaTrader 5 (MT5) desktop platform charts.")
-desktop-platform-watchlist-views-.jpg "IC Markets MetaTrader 5 (MT5) desktop platform watchlist views .")
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| Regulation | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 84 | 76 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2012 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
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| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 1081 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 53 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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). | 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 | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.62 | 1.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | 1.3 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $10-$5000 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | Yes | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
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| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
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| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
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| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | IC Markets Review | BDSwiss Review |
| Overall | IC Markets | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 76 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | BDSwiss Review |
We’ve made it easy to compare the best forex brokers, side-by-side. Our editorial team has collected thousands of data points, written hundreds of thousands of words of research, and tested over 60 brokers to help you find the best forex brokers in the industry. Our research is unbiased and independent; learn more about how we test. That same research and data powers our broker comparisons. Let's compare IC Markets vs BDSwiss.
IC Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. IC Markets is authorised by two Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and two Tier-4 regulators (High Risk). IC Markets is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) and regulated in the European Union via the MiFID passporting system.
BDSwiss is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. BDSwiss is authorized by one Tier-1 regulator (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulator (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). BDSwiss is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: regulated in the European Union via the MiFID passporting system.
IC Markets’ competitive pricing and scalable execution make it an excellent option for algorithmic traders. Though it supports an impressive range of third-party tools and plugins, IC Markets’ research and education offerings are not as impressive as those offered by industry leaders.
The BDSwiss brand caters to over 1.6 million registered forex and CFD traders, and offers the full MetaTrader platform suite alongside its own proprietary mobile app. BDSwiss demonstrates good order execution statistics and provides access to over 1,000 tradable symbols – though its spreads are higher than industry leaders.
To open a trading account with IC Markets, you'll need to make an initial minimum deposit of $200.
BDSwiss requires a minimum deposit of $10-$5000 before you can open an account and start trading.
It's important to make sure that your forex broker accepts the funding options and deposit methods that work best for you. IC Markets offers Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw), Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw) for banking, whereas BDSwiss provides Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw).
Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spread data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough, data-driven testing of each broker's commissions and fees, we found that IC Markets offers better pricing overall for traders.
Methodology: When testing each broker's commissions, fees, and pricing, we analyze multiple trade scenarios and award points based on the expansiveness (or inexpensiveness) of the broker's spreads. We then run multiple scenarios for different investor types, incorporating any miscellaneous fees, to determine an "all-in" cost per trade. Learn more about how we test.
At ForexBrokers.com, we track over 110 international regulatory agencies and sort them by tiers (Tier-1, Tier-2, Tier-3, Tier-4, and Tier-5) to help you choose well-regulated, highly trusted forex brokers. Learn more about our proprietary Trust Score rating system. Based on our research on the regulatory status of over 60 brokers, we've found that IC Markets holds 2 global Tier-1 licenses, while BDSwiss holds 1. Both IC Markets and BDSwiss hold 0 global Tier-2 licenses.
After evaluating each broker based on their number of held licenses, years in business, and a range of other data-driven variables, we've determined that IC Markets (84) earned a higher Trust Score than BDSwiss (76).
To compare the trading platforms of both IC Markets and BDSwiss, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, IC Markets offers a better experience. With research, IC Markets offers superior market research. Finally, we found BDSwiss to provide better mobile trading apps.
Here’s what trading platforms are available at IC Markets:
Here’s what trading platforms are available at BDSwiss:
The MetaTrader trading platform suite is wildly popular among forex and CFD traders across the globe. Both IC Markets and BDSwiss offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Forex traders also appreciate the ability to engage in social copy trading. IC Markets and BDSwiss both offer copy trading.
IC Markets provides traders 61 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to BDSwiss's 53 available pairs. If you are interested in trading CFDs, IC Markets offers traders access to 3583 CFDs, while BDSwiss offers access to 1081 CFDs; so IC Markets offers 2502 more CFDs than BDSwiss.
We found in our testing that IC Markets offers a more diverse selection of investment options than BDSwiss, allowing you to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), U.S. Stocks (CFD), Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD), Cryptocurrency (Derivative) and Social Trading / Copy Trading. Neither have Cryptocurrency (Physical) and Spread Betting.
Overall winner: IC Markets
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