IQ Option vs CMC Markets

IQ Option or CMC Markets – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare IQ Option and CMC Markets in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

IQ Option vs CMC Markets Comparison Table 2024
IQ Option CMC Markets
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4
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4.7
IQ Option is ranked #91 among CFD brokers. CMC Markets is ranked #3 among CFD brokers.
IQ Option has closed or no longer accepts UK clients.
IQ Option is a trusted broker with multi-asset trading on its user-friendly proprietary platform. The broker provides trading on forex, stocks, cryptos, indices, commodities and ETFs with competitive fees and a good suite of extra features and educational content. You can also open an account with just $10.
Established in 1989, CMC Markets is a respected broker listed on the London Stock Exchange and authorized by several tier-one regulators, including the FCA, ASIC and CIRO. More than 1 million traders from around the world have signed up with the multi-award winning brokerage.
RISK WARNING: YOUR CAPITAL MIGHT BE AT RISK Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Pros
  • User-friendly platform for beginners
  • Excellent range of payment methods
  • Reliable 24/7 multilingual support
  • Access to IQ Option community
  • High payouts on binary options
  • iOS & Android compatible app
  • The web platform delivers a fantastic user experience with advanced charting tools for trading and customizable features, catering to both beginners and experienced traders. MT4 (but not MT5) is also supported.
  • CMC offers excellent pricing, including tight spreads and low trading fees for all but stock CFDs. The Alpha and Price+ schemes also offer perks for active traders with up to 40% discounts on spreads.
  • CMC Markets is heavily regulated by reputable financial authorities and maintains its stellar reputation, helping to ensure a secure and trustworthy trading environment.
  • The brokerage continues to stand out with its wide range of value-add resources, including pattern recognition scanners, webinars, tutorials, news feeds, and research from respected sources like Morningstar.
  • CMC Markets offers a rich investment offering with over 12,000 CFDs and more recently options trading, providing opportunities to trade market volatility and hedge existing positions.
Cons
  • €10 inactivity fee after 90 days
  • No MetaTrader 4 integration
  • Despite improvements, the web platform still requires enhancements to make it as intuitive to trade on as software from rivals like IG.
  • While CMC offers an above-average suite of assets, there is no support for trading real stocks and UK clients can’t trade cryptocurrencies.
  • Trading stock CFDs incurs a relatively high commission, especially compared to the cheapest brokers like IC Markets.
  • An inactivity fee of $10 per month is applied after 12 months of inactivity, which may deter casual investors.
  • The CMC Markets app offers the complete trading package but the design and user experience trails category leaders like eToro.
Awards
  • Most Trusted Broker 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 - BinaryOptions.net
  • Best Binary Broker 2021 - DayTrading.com
  • Best Trading App 2023 - DayTrading.com
  • No.1 Platform Technology 2022
  • No.1 New Tool 2022
  • No.1 Most Currency Pairs 2022
  • Best Trade Execution 2021
  • Best Forex Broker For Beginners 2021
  • Most Transparent Forex Broker Europe 2020
  • Best Trading Platform 2020
  • Best Trading App 2019
  • Best Customer Service 2018
FCA Regulated
No Yes
Instruments
CFD, Forex, Crypto, Stocks, Digital Options CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$10 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.001 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA
Mobile Apps
iOS, Android and Windows iOS & Android
Trading App

IQ Option provide a superbly easy to use mobile app. Offering forex trading, plus some bespoke trading instruments of their own, IQ deliver a slick, secure platform for shorter term trades. Recent upgrades have also synchronised the look and feel of both the web trader and mobile platform, making switching between the two, seamless.

The award-winning app from CMC Markets has transformed mobile trading. The app’s modern and customizable interface offers a unique user experience, distinct from competitors. Moreover, with its comprehensive charting capabilities featuring 25 technical indicators and 15 drawing tools, as well as its fast and stable trading environment, it’s an exceptional choice for traders.

iOS App Rating
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4.3
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4.1
Android App Rating
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4.2
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3.7
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
0.2% 1%
MetaTrader 4
No Yes
MetaTrader 5
No No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No No
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No No
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
Yes Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No Yes
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
No Yes
Tournaments
Yes No
Demo Competitions
No Yes
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No Yes
Inactivity Fee
$10
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • ZAR
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • SGD
  • PLN
Commodities
  • Oil
  • Gold
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Silver
  • Copper
  • Coffee
  • Wheat
  • Precious Metals
  • Natural Gas
  • Soybeans
  • Orange Juice
  • Nickel
  • Palladium
  • Steel
  • Cannabis
  • Platinum
  • Livestock
  • Sugar
  • Gasoline
  • Cattle
  • Lean Hogs
CFD
IQ Option deals primarily in CFDs, which are available on stocks, forex, cryptocurrencies and several other markets. The leverage available is in line with EU restrictions, to a maximum of 1:30 on major forex pairs but with less available on more volatile assets. Trades are commission-free with floating spreads and clients can use the award-winning platform. CMC lets you trade CFDs on 12,000+ assets across currencies, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs and treasuries. Spreads are relatively tight, there are no hidden fees and the industry-leading MetaTrader 4 platform is also supported for leveraged trading. Year after year, CMC shines as one of the best CFD brokers in the market.
Leverage
1:500 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
1 pt
GBPUSD Spread<
1 0.9
Oil Spread
2.3 3.5
Stocks Spread
2 0.02
Forex
IQ Option offers CFD trading on 24 forex assets, including major pairs and some minors. EU traders can access a maximum of 1:30 leverage in line with local regulations. The broker offers commission-free trades but spreads are on the high side so the brand does not excel in this area. CMC presents an extensive array of 300+ forex pairs characterized by tight spreads and rapid executions, surpassing the offerings of many competitors in terms of currency diversity. Forex indices also present a fairly unique and holistic way to speculate on the value of key currencies like the USD, EUR and GBP.
Assets
60+ 300+
GBPUSD Spread
5 pips 0.9
EURUSD Spread
14 pips 0.7
EURGBP Spread
15 pips 1.1
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • CHF
Cryptocurrency
IQ Option is a leading crypto broker. They offer multipliers and a huge range of digital currency markets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Cardano. Leverage of up to 1:2 is available with a variable spread and no commission. Newer traders will also rate the intuitive trading software. CMC Markets offers trading on popular digital tokens like Bitcoin but really stands out for its crypto indices that provide broader exposure to the cryptocurrency market. There is also minimal slippage and an excellent 99.9% fill rate, making CMC a great option for active crypto traders.
Spread
BTC 7%, ETH 12% (Var) From 1.3
Coins
  • BTC
  • TRX
  • XRP
  • BCH
  • ETH
  • EOS
  • OMG
  • ETC
  • QTUM
  • ZEC
  • LTC
  • DASH
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • EOS
  • TRON
  • NEO
  • ADA
  • XLM
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
IQ Option CMC Markets
RISK WARNING: YOUR CAPITAL MIGHT BE AT RISK Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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