Head-to-Head Overview
| Feature | Pepperstone | IC Markets |
|---------|------------|------------|
| Trust Score | 96/100 | 93/100 |
| Regulators | FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, SCB | ASIC, CySEC, FSA |
| EUR/USD Spread | From 0.0 pips | From 0.0 pips |
| Commission | $3.50/lot | $3.50/lot |
| Min Deposit | None | $200 |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView | MT4, MT5, cTrader |
| Instruments | 1,200+ | 2,250+ |
| Execution Speed | ~28ms | ~40ms |
Regulation — Pepperstone Wins
This is the clearest difference. Pepperstone holds 5 regulatory licences including the FCA (UK). This means UK traders get £85,000 FSCS protection.
IC Markets has 3 licences. ASIC regulation is strong, but CySEC (Cyprus) and FSA (Seychelles) offer significantly less protection than FCA.
If you're trading meaningful capital, FCA regulation matters.
Execution — Very Close, Pepperstone Slightly Faster
In our 60-day test, we measured execution speed across 500+ trades on each broker using identical VPS setups.
Both are excellent. Neither caused meaningful slippage on orders under 10 lots.
Platform Variety — Pepperstone Wins
Pepperstone's TradingView integration is a genuine advantage. Being able to execute trades directly from TradingView charts — with Pepperstone's ECN conditions — is something IC Markets doesn't yet offer retail clients.
Instrument Range — IC Markets Wins
With 2,250+ instruments vs Pepperstone's 1,200, IC Markets offers significantly more variety — particularly for commodity and crypto CFD traders.
Our Verdict
**Choose Pepperstone if:** You're in the UK (FCA/FSCS), want TradingView, or prioritise regulatory depth.
**Choose IC Markets if:** You want maximum instrument range, are a high-volume EA trader, or $200 minimum deposit isn't a barrier.
Both are genuine tier-1 ECN brokers. You won't go wrong with either.
Past performance is not indicative of future results. CFDs are complex instruments. Always verify current spreads directly with the broker.