IFC Markets and Oanda are leading Forex brokers, but which one should you trust with your portfolio?
I have conducted an in-depth review of IFC Markets vs. Oanda to determine which is the better overall choice and which traders will benefit most from either broker.
- Features and Platforms
- Available Markets
- Typical Spreads and Fees
- Security and Trust
- Plus500 vs Forex.com - Verdict
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Headquarters | N/A | British Virgin Islands |
Regulators | BVI, FSA, FSCA | ASIC, BVIFSC, CFTC, CIRO, FCA, FSA, MAS, MFSA |
Tier 1 Regulator(s)? | ||
Owned by Public Company? | ||
Year Established | 2006 | 1996 |
Execution Type(s) | ECN/STP | ECN/STP, Matched Principal Broker |
Minimum Deposit | $15 | $0 |
Negative Balance Protection | ||
Trading Platform(s) | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Proprietary platform, NetTradeX | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Proprietary platform, Trading View |
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD | $4.00 | 0.9 pips |
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD | $10.00 | 1.3 pips |
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil | $0.04 | $0.03 |
Average Trading Cost Gold | $25.00 | $0.30 |
Retail Loss Rate | Undisclosed | 78.3% |
Minimum Raw Spreads | Not applicable | 0.0 pips |
Minimum Standard Spreads | 0.4 pips | 0.6 pips |
Minimum Commission for Forex | Commission-free | $5.00 per round lot |
Islamic Account | ||
Signals | ||
US Persons Accepted? | ||
Managed Accounts | ||
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Main advantages of IFC Markets:
- MT4/MT5 trading platforms and a proprietary trading platform with the patented Portfolio Quoting Method for synthetic assets creation
- Fast order execution with average execution times under 20 milliseconds
- Competitive leverage with negative balance protection
- Quality beginner education and competent research
- A high-paying partnership program that pays up to $15 per lot in commissions
Main advantages of Oanda:
- An excellent 28-plugin MT5 upgrade, creating one of the most competitive MT5 environments
- Direct connection to the TradingView community, where 100M+ social traders engage and share ideas
- Beginner education and live webinars covering numerous topics
- Actionable trading signals via an MT5 plugin
Features and Platforms
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MT4 | ||
MT5 | ||
MT4/MT5 Add-Ons | ||
cTrader | ||
Proprietary Platform | ||
Automated Trading | ||
Social/Copy Trading | ||
DOM? | N/A | |
Guaranteed Stop Loss | ||
Scalping | ||
Hedging | ||
One-Click Trading | N/A | |
OCO Orders | ||
Interest on Margin | ||
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Available Markets
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Currency Pairs | ||
Cryptocurrencies | ||
Commodities | ||
Crude Oil | ||
Gold | ||
Metals | ||
Equity Indices | ||
Stocks (non-CFDs) | ||
Bonds | ||
ETFs | ||
Options | ||
Futures | ||
Synthetics | ||
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
IFC Markets and Oanda each maintain a well-balanced selection of liquid assets, ensuring quality diversification opportunities, where IFC Markets provides more overall choices.
Why IFC Markets is a better choice for most traders:
- Greater diversification for multi-asset portfolios through broader market availability
- Portfolio Quoting Method, allowing traders to create synthetic assets
Typical Spreads and Fees
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Average Trading Cost EUR/USD | $4.00 | 0.9 pips |
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD | $10.00 | 1.3 pips |
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil | $0.04 | $0.03 |
Average Trading Cost Gold | $25.00 | $0.30 |
Average Trading Cost Bitcoin | $200.00 | $62 |
Minimum Raw Spreads | Not applicable | 0.0 pips |
Minimum Standard Spreads | 0.4 pips | 0.6 pips |
Minimum Commission for Forex | Commission-free | $5.00 per round lot |
Deposit Fee | ||
Withdrawal Fee | ||
Inactivity Fee | N/A | $10 monhtly after 12 months |
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
IFC Markets and Oanda offer traders competitive, commission-free, and commission-based trading accounts. Which broker is cheaper?
While IFC Markets and Oanda offer raw spread trading, the former has notably lower commissions and higher volume-based rebates. Commission-free spreads are also lower, making IFC Markets the better choice.
Account Types
Account Types | IFC Markets | Oanda |
Commission-free Accounts | Yes | Yes |
Commission-based Accounts | Yes | Yes |
Demo Accounts | Yes | Yes |
Islamic Accounts | Yes | Yes |
Social / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
Managed Accounts | Yes | No |
The core account structures at IFC Markets and Oanda are similar, including demo accounts that remain available as long as traders use them.
Are there any other noteworthy differences in the account structures between IFC Markets vs. Oanda?
Here is what stands out the most:
- IFC Markets requires a $1,000 deposit for standard accounts
- IFC Markets offers managed accounts via MAM/PAMM
- IFC Markets has higher volume-based rebates
Minimum Deposit
Deposit Snapshot | IFC Markets | Oanda |
Minimum Deposit | $15 | $1 |
Deposit Fees | Third-Party | Third-Party |
E-wallets | Yes | Yes |
Cryptocurrencies | Yes | No |
Localized Methods | Yes | Yes |
Total Deposit Methods | 9 | 6 |
Supported Deposit Currencies | USD, EUR, JPY, mBTC | USD, EUR, GBP (17 total) |
How easy is it to deposit at IFC Markets vs. Oanda?
IFC Markets offers more payment processors, but Oanda accepts more deposit currencies, reducing currency conversion costs. Oanda has no minimum deposit, while IFC Markets’ $15 minimum applies only to nano accounts, and standard accounts require a $1,000 deposit. The overall process is similar and easy to complete.
Minimum Withdrawal
Withdrawal Snapshot | IFC Markets | Oanda |
Minimum Withdrawal | $1 to $50 (payment processor dependent) | No minimum withdrawal amount |
Internal Withdrawal Fees | $20 for bank wires (third-party processing fees may apply) | $20 (third-party processing fees may apply) |
Internal Processing Times | Instant to five business days | One to five business days |
Which withdrawal process is better: IFC Markets or Oanda?
Oanda charges a $20 internal withdrawal fee on the first monthly withdrawal for most international traders. IFC Markets charges only an internal withdrawal fee for bank wires and has faster processing times, but third-party processing costs may apply at both brokers.
Security and Trust
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Country of the Regulator | British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Labuan | Australia, Canada, Japan, Malta, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States, British Virgin Islands |
Name of the Regulator | BVI, FSA, FSCA | ASIC, BVIFSC, CFTC, CIRO, FCA, FSA, MAS, MFSA |
Regulatory License Number | MB/20/0049, SIBA/L/14/1073,2021/682339/07 | Undisclosed, 0325821, 542574, C95813, 412981, 2137, CMS100122-4, SIBA/L/20/1130 |
Regulatory Tier | 4,2,2 | 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 4 |
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Which broker is more secure and trustworthy?
Both brokers segregate client deposits from corporate funds, and all traders receive negative-balance protection, ensuring they cannot lose more than their deposit. While Oanda complies with more regulators and has more operating history, IFC Markets also offers professional indemnity insurance from Lloyd’s of London. Overall, IFC Markets and Oanda rank equally in trust and security.
IFC Markets versus OANDA - Verdict
IFC Markets
Pros | Cons |
Excellent regulatory track record and a secure trading environment | High trading fees for MT4 traders |
Outstanding asset selection and patented PQM asset generation technology | |
Competitive, commission-free trading cost structure | |
Valuable research and educational section for beginners |
Oanda
Pros | Cons |
Excellent 28-tool MT5 upgrade package | Limited asset selection |
Trustworthy broker with more than 30 years of experience | |
Quality market commentary on the Oanda blog | |
Actionable trading signals via an MT5 plugin |
Which Forex broker is better?
IFC Markets and Oanda are both high-quality Forex brokers, and I recommend that traders test them in the IFC Markets demo account and the Oanda demo account.
My Verdict:
Oanda is a good choice for beginners and casual traders seeking competent trading platform upgrades. Still, I rank IFC Markets as the overall superior choice due to lower costs and a wider asset selection, including synthetic assets. IFC Markets has lower commission-free and commission-based costs, as well as higher volume-based rebates. Oanda is a great choice for beginners due to its competent education and research, including actionable trading recommendations. IFC Markets levies a $5.00 commission per 1.0 standard round lot with generous rebates, while equity commissions are 0.10% for most equities. Oanda is a good choice for beginners and casual traders. Overall, I rate IFC Markets higher as it has notably lower trading fees.FAQs
Does IFC Markets or Oanda have lower costs?
Is Oanda good for beginners?
How much commission does IFC Markets take?
Which is better, IFC Markets or Oanda?

