eToro vs IFC Markets 2024

eToro is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. eToro is authorised by three Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). eToro is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Exchange Commission (ASIC), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and regulated in the European Union via the MiFID passporting system.

IFC Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. IFC Markets is authorised by zero Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). IFC Markets is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: BVI Financial Services Commission (FSC).

eToro is a winner for its easy-to-use copy-trading platform, where traders can copy the trades of experienced investors – or receive exclusive perks for sharing their own trading strategies.

IFC Markets is a well-established broker that has been in operation for 17 years. Forex traders at ICF Markets gain access to multiple trading platforms, a growing range of tradeable markets, and a balanced offering of research and educational content. However, IFC Markets’ Trust Score suffers due to the broker’s limited range of regulatory licenses.

To open a trading account with eToro, you'll need to make an initial minimum deposit of $10-$10,000.

IFC Markets requires a minimum deposit of $1 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. eToro offers Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw), Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw) for banking, whereas IFC Markets provides Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) and Bank Wire (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 eToro 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 eToro holds 3 global Tier-1 licenses, while IFC Markets holds 0. Both eToro and IFC Markets 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 eToro (90) earned a higher Trust Score than IFC Markets (67).

To compare the trading platforms of both eToro and IFC Markets, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, eToro offers a better experience. With research, eToro offers superior market research. Finally, we found eToro to provide better mobile trading apps.

Here’s what trading platforms are available at eToro:

• Proprietary Platform - Yes
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - No
• DupliTrade - No
• MT4 - No
• MT5 - No
• ZuluTrade - No
• TradingView - No

Here’s what trading platforms are available at IFC Markets:

• Proprietary Platform - Yes
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - No
• DupliTrade - No
• MT4 - Yes
• MT5 - Yes
• ZuluTrade - No
• TradingView - No

The MetaTrader trading platform suite is wildly popular among forex and CFD traders across the globe. IFC Markets offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while eToro does not. Forex traders also appreciate the ability to engage in social copy trading. eToro and IFC Markets both offer copy trading.

eToro provides traders 52 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to IFC Markets's 49 available pairs. If you are interested in trading CFDs, eToro offers traders access to 3479 CFDs, while IFC Markets offers access to 630 CFDs; so eToro offers 2849 more CFDs than IFC Markets.

We found in our testing that eToro offers a more diverse selection of investment options than IFC Markets, allowing you to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), U.S. Stocks (CFD), Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD), Cryptocurrency (Physical), Cryptocurrency (Derivative) and Social Trading / Copy Trading. Neither have Spread Betting.