IronFX vs CMC Markets

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

IronFX vs CMC Markets Comparison Table 2024
IronFX CMC Markets
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3.8
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4.7
IronFX is ranked #41 among CFD brokers. CMC Markets is ranked #3 among CFD brokers.
IronFX is a multi-regulated forex and CFD broker founded in 2010. This award-winning firm offers 500+ markets to over 1.5 million clients across 180 countries. Traders can access various account types with competitive pricing on the MT4 platform, as well as 24/5 customer support in 30 languages. 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.
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
  • Alongside MT4, the broker continues to offer several additional services, including copy trading, a VPS solution, and PAMM/MAM accounts
  • Fixed and floating spread accounts are available, making IronFX a good choice for both beginners and experienced traders
  • Traders get access to the popular Trading Central research tool, which offers automated AI analytics and 24/7 support
  • IronFX is an established firm and is regulated by several reputable bodies, including the CySEC, FCA and FSCA
  • The broker frequently offers trading competitions with cash prizes, as well as welcome bonuses for new clients
  • The IronFX Academy delivers some excellent educational tools for beginners through to advanced traders
  • 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
  • It’s a shame that the broker doesn’t offer any additional software such as MT5 or TradingView to give experienced traders more choice
  • Commissions start from $13.50 per lot in the zero-spread accounts, nearly double the industry average
  • Compared to the leading brokers, IronFX offers a relatively small selection of share CFDs
  • 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
  • Best Online Trading Platform (2019)
  • Best Broker of the Year (2019)
  • Most Trustworthy Forex Broker Global (2019)
  • Best Online Trading & Financial Services Company (2020)
  • Best Online Forex Trading Platform (2021)
  • International Online Currency Trading Platform of the Year (2021)
  • Most Outstanding Online Trading Partners Program (2022)
  • 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
Yes Yes
Instruments
Forex, Indices, Shares, Futures, Commodities, Metals (all CFDs) CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$100 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
CySEC, FCA, FSCA, BMA / Bermuda FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA
Mobile Apps
Android, iOS, WebTrader iOS & Android
Trading App

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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4.1
Android App Rating
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3.7
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
1%
MetaTrader 4
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5
No No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No No
Autochartist
Yes No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
Yes No
STP Account
Yes No
ECN Account
Yes No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
Yes No
PAMM Account
Yes No
LAMM Account
Yes 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
Yes Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
Yes No
Copy Trading Platform
The TradeCopier service allows aspiring investors to copy the strategies of top traders in real-time. The tool is a great way for beginners to learn from more experienced investors, whilst strategy providers can earn performance fees.
Social Trading
Yes Yes
Trade Signals
Yes Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes Yes
Tournaments
Yes No
Demo Competitions
No Yes
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No Yes
Inactivity Fee
3% $10
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • PLN
  • CZK
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • SGD
  • PLN
Commodities
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee
  • Copper
  • Corn
  • Cotton
  • Soybeans
  • Sugar
  • Oil
  • Wheat
  • Natural Gas
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Platinum
  • Palladium
  • 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
IronFX’s asset list of 300+ instruments covers forex, stocks, commodities and index CFDs. Maximum leverage from 1:30 to 1:1000 is available depending on account location. Traders can access superb technical analysis features, including 30 pre-integrated indicators and 9 charting time frames. 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
1:30 (FCA), 1:30 (CySEC), 1:500 (FSCA), 1:1000 (BM) 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
140 1 pt
GBPUSD Spread<
0.8 0.9
Oil Spread
3 3.5
Stocks Spread
Variable 0.02
Forex
IronFX continues to offer a strong selection of 80 currency pairs. You can trade through the market-leading MT4 platform with a range of forex market research tools. That said, commission charges in the zero-spread accounts are high, starting from $13.50 per lot. 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
80+ 300+
GBPUSD Spread
0.8 0.9
EURUSD Spread
0.7 0.7
EURGBP Spread
0.9 1.1
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • CHF
IronFX CMC Markets
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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