Pepperstone VS IC Markets 2026

Overview

What Does Pepperstone Offer Traders?

Pepperstone was established in 2010 and has developed into a global Forex and CFD broker with 9 licensed entities. Its current account specifications list 1,444 instruments, including 93 Forex pairs, and traders can choose between the Standard and Razor pricing models. Platform support includes MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView, and Pepperstone's proprietary platform. In our account and platform check, Pepperstone provided a strong mix of raw pricing, platform choice, and automated trading support.

What Makes IC Markets Different?

IC Markets was founded in 2007 and places greater emphasis on Raw Pricing and active Forex trading. IC Markets Global currently advertises more than 2,850 tradable instruments and more than 61 currency pairs. Its main live account choices include Standard, MetaTrader Raw Spread, and cTrader Raw Spread accounts, with MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, and WebTrader available. Maximum Forex leverage reaches 1:5000 under eligible global trading conditions.

Which Broker Has the Stronger Overall Setup?

Both brokers are well equipped for Forex and CFD trading, but IC Markets currently has the larger overall instrument catalog and higher maximum leverage. Pepperstone has the larger published Forex selection, with 93 currency pairs compared with more than 61 at IC Markets. Both provide raw spread and commission-free account structures, MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView. The better fit depends on whether the priority is Pepperstone's wider Forex catalog or IC Markets' larger total market range and higher leverage.

 

Trust and Safety

How Is Pepperstone Regulated?

Pepperstone currently reports 9 licensed entities globally. Its wider regulatory network includes the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Dubai Financial Services Authority, Capital Markets Authority of Kenya, Federal Financial Supervisory Authority in Germany, Securities Commission of The Bahamas, and other regulatory authorities. Pepperstone also uses segregated client money arrangements under applicable entities. During our regulatory check, the broker showed broad coverage across several major financial jurisdictions.

What Does IC Markets Offer for Regulation?

IC Markets operates through several regulated companies. Raw Trading Ltd, which operates IC Markets Global, is regulated by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority under Securities Dealer license SD018. International Capital Markets Pty Ltd is regulated by ASIC under Australian Financial Services License 335692, while IC Markets EU Ltd is regulated by CySEC under license 362/18. Client money arrangements and available protections depend on the entity used to open the account.

Which Broker Has the Stronger Regulatory Framework?

Both brokers have established regulatory structures rather than relying on one offshore company. Pepperstone has the broader published group network, with 9 licensed entities and regulatory coverage across several continents. IC Markets combines ASIC and CySEC oversight with its Seychelles-regulated global operation. Pepperstone therefore has the advantage in the number and geographic spread of regulated entities, while IC Markets still provides substantial regulatory coverage for an international Forex and CFD broker.

 

Fees and Trading Costs

How Does Pepperstone Price Forex Trades?

Pepperstone's Razor account offers raw Forex spreads from 0 pips with commission starting at $3.50 per standard lot per side on MT4 and MT5. That equals $7 for opening and closing one standard lot when the base commission applies. The Standard account does not charge a separate Forex commission and instead adds a 1 pip markup to the raw Forex spread. Pepperstone does not charge an account maintenance or inactivity fee.

What Does IC Markets Charge?

IC Markets uses a similar two-model structure. Its MetaTrader Raw Spread account starts from 0 pips, with EUR/USD currently averaging about 0.1 pips before commission. The regular Raw Spread commission is $3.50 per standard lot per side, or $7 round turn. The Standard MetaTrader account has $0 trading commission and spreads from 0.8 pips. The cTrader Raw Spread account also starts from 0 pips and uses a separate commission schedule based on the amount traded.

Who Has Lower Trading Costs?

The standard raw Forex pricing is closely matched. Both brokers offer spreads from 0 pips and a regular MetaTrader commission starting at $3.50 per lot per side. IC Markets has the lower published Standard account starting spread at 0.8 pips, while Pepperstone's Standard Forex pricing applies a 1 pip markup to the underlying raw spread. IC Markets also publishes an average EUR/USD Raw Spread of about 0.1 pips, giving traders a useful benchmark beyond the 0 pip minimum.

 

Deposit and Withdrawals

How Can Pepperstone Accounts Be Funded?

Pepperstone's wider payment network includes debit and credit cards, bank transfers, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and several regional methods. Some entities also support cryptocurrency funding. Pepperstone currently lists a $0 account minimum under some account specifications, while many card and electronic payment methods have a $10 transaction minimum. Bank transfers can have no minimum deposit requirement.

What Funding Options Does IC Markets Offer?

IC Markets Global advertises more than 15 funding options across 10 base currencies. Available methods include debit and credit cards, bank wire transfer, Skrill, Neteller, FasaPay, China UnionPay, BPAY, and broker-to-broker transfers, with additional methods depending on the trader's location. Its Standard and regular Raw Spread account tables currently show a $0 minimum deposit. IC Markets does not normally add its own fee to standard deposits or withdrawals.

Who Has More Flexible Deposits and Withdrawals?

Both brokers provide low entry requirements and a broad range of payment methods. Pepperstone has stronger support for mainstream digital payment services such as PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay across parts of its international network. IC Markets advertises more than 15 funding methods and provides $0 minimum deposit requirements on its main Standard and Raw Spread accounts. Traders should still check the payment method itself because transaction minimums, processing times, and third-party charges can differ from the account minimum.

 

Tradable Instruments

What Markets Does Pepperstone Offer?

Pepperstone's current account table lists 1,444 tradable instruments. This includes 93 Forex pairs, 26 indices, 40 commodities, 1,162 share CFDs, and 95 ETF CFDs, alongside other available CFD markets. The 93-pair Forex selection is one of Pepperstone's strongest features, covering major, minor, cross, and exotic currency pairs. In our instrument check, Pepperstone had substantially more Forex markets than the old 60-pair figures used in earlier comparisons.

What Can IC Markets Traders Access?

IC Markets Global currently advertises more than 2,850 tradable instruments. Its product range includes more than 61 Forex pairs together with stock CFDs, commodities, indices, bonds, cryptocurrencies, and futures CFDs. The broker also offers more than 50 cryptocurrency markets under its current global crypto range. IC Markets therefore provides a considerably larger overall CFD catalog than its older market lists suggested.

Who Has the Broader Market Range?

IC Markets has the larger overall offering, with more than 2,850 instruments compared with Pepperstone's current 1,444-instrument account table. Pepperstone has the advantage specifically in Forex, listing 93 currency pairs compared with more than 61 at IC Markets. Traders focused mainly on currencies have more pair choices at Pepperstone, while IC Markets provides the broader total selection when stocks, cryptocurrencies, bonds, futures, and other CFDs are included.

 

Trading Platforms

What Does Pepperstone Offer Traders?

Pepperstone supports five main trading environments: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView, and its proprietary Pepperstone platform. MT4 and MT5 support Expert Advisors, custom indicators, and strategy testing, while cTrader adds advanced order tools and cTrader Algo. TradingView provides another technical charting environment. During our platform check, Pepperstone stood out for allowing traders to move between several established third-party platforms without giving up access to its core Forex and CFD markets.

What Makes IC Markets Different?

IC Markets also supports MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView, and WebTrader. TradingView connectivity is provided through its cTrader integration, while cTrader supports depth of market and algorithmic trading through cTrader Algo. MT4 and MT5 remain the main choices for Expert Advisors and automated Forex systems. IC Markets also provides its own mobile app and social trading tools alongside the standard platform lineup.

Who Has the Better Trading Platform?

The core third-party platform offering is very close because both brokers provide MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView. Pepperstone adds its own proprietary web and mobile trading platform, while IC Markets places more emphasis on Raw Pricing connectivity and its WebTrader environment. Traders choosing purely on MetaTrader, cTrader, or TradingView will find both brokers competitive. Pepperstone has a slight advantage for platform variety because its proprietary platform provides another complete trading option.

 

Account Types

What Account Types Does Pepperstone Offer?

Pepperstone's two main CFD account types are Standard and Razor. Standard provides spread-based Forex pricing without a separate Forex commission, while Razor offers spreads from 0 pips with commission from $3.50 per standard lot per side. Both provide access to the broker's main CFD market range. Pepperstone also offers demo accounts, professional classification for qualifying traders, and Swap-Free accounts in supported countries. Maximum professional Forex leverage reaches 1:1000 under eligible global conditions.

How Does IC Markets Structure Its Accounts?

IC Markets provides a Standard MetaTrader account, MetaTrader Raw Spread account, and cTrader Raw Spread account. Standard starts from 0.8 pips with $0 commission, while the regular MetaTrader Raw Spread account starts from 0 pips with $3.50 commission per lot per side. Both currently show a $0 minimum deposit. Swap-Free functionality is available on eligible Standard and Raw Spread accounts. IC Markets Global also provides Forex leverage up to 1:5000 on its Standard and MetaTrader Raw Spread accounts.

Who Has the Better Account Setup?

Both brokers give Forex traders a straightforward choice between spread-only pricing and raw spreads with commission. Pepperstone's Razor and IC Markets' Raw Spread accounts are closely matched at the standard commission level. The major difference is leverage: IC Markets reaches 1:5000, compared with Pepperstone's maximum of 1:1000 for eligible professional clients. Pepperstone provides a strong Standard and Razor structure, while IC Markets adds separate MetaTrader and cTrader Raw Spread configurations.

 

Customer Support

What Support Does Pepperstone Provide?

Pepperstone provides customer support 24 hours a day on weekdays and 18 hours a day on weekends through its general international service. Contact methods include live chat, telephone, WhatsApp, and email. Its official support email is [email protected]. Pepperstone also provides trading guides, webinars, videos, market analysis, and platform support for traders who need help with both account and trading-related questions.

How Does IC Markets Support Traders?

IC Markets Global provides customer support 24/7. Traders can contact the broker through live chat, phone, or email, with [email protected] used for general support inquiries. Separate email addresses are also available for accounts and client relations. Educational and support resources include webinars, tutorial videos, Web TV, podcasts, Forex calculators, an economic calendar, a Forex glossary, and remote technical assistance through TeamViewer.

Who Has Better Customer Support?

IC Markets has the advantage in published availability because its global customer service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Pepperstone provides full weekday coverage and 18 hours of support on weekends, which still covers most trading needs. Both offer phone, email, and live chat, while Pepperstone also lists WhatsApp as a direct contact method. IC Markets is the stronger choice when uninterrupted weekend support is the priority.

 

Conclusion

Who Should Choose Pepperstone?

Pepperstone is well suited to Forex traders who want a large currency selection and several trading platforms. Its current account specifications list 93 Forex pairs and 1,444 instruments, while Razor spreads start from 0 pips with commission from $3.50 per standard lot per side. MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, and Pepperstone's proprietary platform provide strong support for manual, technical, and automated strategies. Eligible professional traders can access leverage up to 1:1000.

Who Should Choose IC Markets?

IC Markets is stronger for traders who prioritize a larger total CFD catalog, Raw Pricing, and high leverage. IC Markets Global offers more than 2,850 instruments, more than 61 Forex pairs, spreads from 0 pips, and an average EUR/USD Raw Spread of about 0.1 pips before commission. Standard and Raw Spread accounts currently have a $0 minimum deposit, while maximum Forex leverage reaches 1:5000.

Which Broker Is Better Overall?

In the Pepperstone vs IC Markets comparison, Pepperstone has the advantage for Forex pair selection, with 93 pairs, five main trading platforms, and a strong Razor account for active traders. IC Markets offers the larger overall market catalog, higher maximum leverage, 24/7 customer support, and similarly competitive raw Forex pricing. Both are strong choices for MetaTrader and cTrader users. The final decision depends on whether the priority is Pepperstone's broader Forex range or IC Markets' 2,850+ instruments and leverage up to 1:5000. Maximum leverage, payment methods, account features, and available products can vary by regulatory entity and country.