IC Markets vs FBS Compared Compared 2025: Pros, Cons, and More!

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IC Markets and FBS are online Forex and CFD brokers that offer trading services to traders and investors worldwide. Both brokers are regulated by top-tier regulatory authorities. IC Markets is regulated by two Tier-1, one Tier-2, and two Tier-4 jurisdictions, including ASIC, CySEC, SCB, FSA-S, and FSCA. On the other hand, FBS is regulated in two Tier-1 jurisdictions and one Tier-4 jurisdictions, including ASIC, FSC, and CySEC. These two brokers offer almost similar services. However, each broker has its strengths and weaknesses.

In this article, we will compare and contrast IC Markets with FBS regarding trading platforms, regulations, tradable assets, fees, customer support, and overall trading experience score. We will also explore if IC Markets is better than FBS and vice versa. This comparison lets you understand which broker is better for your trading style and preferences

IC Markets vs FBS: In a Nutshell

IC Markets

Founded in 2007 by Andrew Budzinksi, IC Markets is an Australian-based forex and CFD broker offering trading services to institutional and retail traders worldwide. The broker offers 2250+ trading instruments including  Forex, commodities, indices, bonds, stocks, futures, and cryptocurrencies. Over the years, the broker has improved in quality and services. It offers true ECN trading with low spreads, high leverage, and fast executions to a global clientele. IC Markets is a multi-asset trading platform of choice for high-volume traders, scalpers, and robots. To learn more, you can read our review on IC Markets where we have covered its features, pros, cons, ratings, and more.

ICMarkets Overview

ICMarkets Overview
  • Founded In: 2007 
  • Founder: Andrew Budzinksi
  • Headquarters: Australia
  • Minimum Deposit: $200
  • Maximum Leverage: Upto 1000:1 for FSA Jurisdiction, 30:1 for ASIC, CySEC clients.  
  • Regulations: ASIC, CySEC,  and FSA
  • Trading platform: MT4, MT5 and cTrader
  • Trading Instruments: 2150+ Trading Instruments including Forex, Crypto, Stock, Commodity Indices, Bonds, Futures.
  • Account Types: Standard, Standard, Raw (Metatrader, Ctrader) 
  • Fees: Spread starting from 0.8 Pips(Standard Accounts) or $3 to 3.5 Commission (Raw Accounts)
  • Payment Options: bank/wire transfer, Paypal, credit card, Skrill, Neteller, UnionPay, Bpay, FasaPay and Poli.
  • US Traders: Not Accepted 

FBS

Established in 2009, FBS is one of the leading forex and CFD brokers, offering online trading services worldwide. It is a global brand with headquarters in Belize and regional offices in Cyprus and the Marshall Islands. FBS provides opportunities for trading forex, stocks, metals, energies, and indices. It has about 17 million clients and over 60 prestigious awards for excellent services. FBS.eu offers low spreads and split-second executions without requotes. FBS is one of the highest leverage forex brokers, with leverage up to 1:3000 for its global clients. The broker’s spreads start from 0.7 pips. To know more, you can read our review on FBS.

FBS Overview

FBS Overview
  • Founded In: 2009
  • Founder:  Satthakarn Chuenkomol
  • Headquarters: Belize City, Belize
  • Minimum Deposit: $5
  • Maximum Leverage: 1:3000
  • Regulations: ASIC, FSC, CySEC  
  • Trading platform: MT4, MT5, Webtrader
  • Account Types: Standard, Cent, Pro
  • Payment Options: VISA, MasterCard, Local Exchangers, Neteller, PerfectMoney, Skrill, SticPay
  • US Traders: Not Accepted

IC Markets vs FBS : Features

IC Markets:

  • Regulations: ASIC, CySEC, and FSA
  • Trading Instruments: 2150+ including  Forex, commodities, indices, bonds, stocks, futures, cryptocurrencies
  •  Minimum Deposit: $200 or Equivalent
  • Maximum leverage: up to 1000:1 in FSA jurisdiction, in some countries, it offers 500:1 leverage, for ASIC, and CySEC entity the brokers offers up to 1:30 leverage.   
  • Account types: Standard Account and Raw Account (Metater, Ctrader) 
  • Fees:  Spread starting from 0.8  pips for Standard Account or 3.00 to 3.50 per lot for Raw Account on a single Trip. 
  • PAMM/ MAM:  Not Available 
  • Scalping: Allowed 
  • News Trading: Allowed
  • EA/ Robot Trading: Allowed

FBS

  • Trading Instruments: Forex, Stock, Indices, Crypto, Metals, Energies, Forex Exotic.
  • Maximum leverage: 1:3000
  • Minimum Deposit: $5
  • Account Types: Three ( Standard, Cent, Pro) 
  • Trading Fees: Spread starting from 1 pip for Standard Account and Cent Account
  • PAMM/ MAM: Not available 
  • Scalping: Allowed 
  • News Trading: Allowed
  • EA/ Robot Trading: Allowed

IC Markets vs FBS: Pros and Cons

IC Markets

Pros
  • Fully Regulated broker, ( One tire-1 , jurisdiction, one tire-2 jurisdiction) 
  • Super fast trade execution speed 
  • Straightforward registration process 
  • Low spread, starting from 0 pips. 
  • Easy and Fast Account Opening 
  • Free deposit and withdrawal 
  • Offers standard and raw spread account
  • Trading EA is Allowed 
  • Ability to trade from a mobile device 
  • A demo Account is available
Cons
  • Higher minimum deposit 
  • No investor protection for non-EU Clients 
  • Limited Product Selection 
  • No weekend Trading 
  • US Traders are not accepted

FBS

Pros
  • Regulated by the CySEC, ASIC, FSCA South Africa, and FSC Belize.
  • The Maximum Leverage is as high as 1:3000
  • The Minimum deposit is $5 
  • Trading is on the MT4, MT5, and FBS trader platforms.
  • There is an account type to suit newbies, experienced, and pro traders.
  • Low spreads, high leverage, and fast order executions
  • Easy and fast account opening
  • Forex Guidebook, Forex Intensive, trading ideas, webinars, and other training resources are provided.
Cons
  • Tradable assets are not much, especially when compared to other top brokers.
  • Daily Market news and analysis on FBS.eu are not regularly updated.
  • No premium trading tools to assist traders.
  • No investor protection for non-EU Clients 
  • Managed Accounts & Social Trading is unavailable 
  • Few Account Base Currencies

IC Markets vs FBS: Side-by-Side Comparison

IC Markets
FBS
Product
Product
IC Markets
FBS
Founded In
Founded In
2010
2009
Founded By
Founded By
Andrew Budzinksi
Satthakarn Chuenkomol
Headquarters
Headquarters
Sydney, Australia
Belize city, Belize
Regulations
Regulations
ASIC, CySEC, FSA, and SCB,
FSC, Cysec, ASIC
Min Deposit
Min Deposit
$200
5$ ($5 for global Clients, $10 for EU Clients)
Max Leverage
Max Leverage
1:500
1:3000
Tradable Assets
Tradable Assets
Over 2100 forex, CFDs in stocks, indices, commodities, cryptos, and Bonds.
Forex, stocks, indices, metals, and energies.
Fees
Fees
Spreads from 0.6 pips, Commissions $7/round lot
Spread from 0.7 pips
Platforms and Tools
Platforms and Tools
MT4, MT5, and cTrader
MT4, MT5, Webtrader, Meta Tader Multiterminal, VPS, Economic Calendar
US Traders
US Traders
Not Allowed
Not Allowed

IC Markets Vs FBS: Our Scores and Ratings

We rated both brokers, IC Markets and FBS, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 0.1 increments. To achieve a comprehensive rating, we broadly grouped all services offered by brokers into 6 macro categories and assigned percentage weights to them. Each macro category is subdivided into several data points which contributes to the total score of 1.0-10.0 assigned to each macro category. Since all categories are not equally important, our weight percentage plays a significant role in assessing the broker accurately. For example, Regulation and Security contributes a total weight of 40% to the whole ratings because this is the most important rating category. To learn more, read our methodology.

IC Markets :

9.3
IC Markets Scores
Regulation and Security (40%)9.5
Fees and Commissions (20%)9.5
Trading (15%)8.5
Trading tools (10%)9
Customer Support (10%)9.6
Trading Education (5%)9.4

FBS :

8.8
Total Score
Regulation and Security (40%)9.6
Fees and Commissions (20%)9.4
Trading (15%)8
Trading tools (10%)5
Customer Support (10%)9.5
Trading Education (5%)9.5

Final Verdict :

IC Markets and FBS are regulated forex and CFD brokers in the industry. They offer similar trading services including forex and CFD trading. They both allow scalping, hedging, EA trading and Copy trading. Neither of these brokers accept US Clients. The minimum order size for both of them is 0.01. 

However, there are a few areas where you may find some differences. For example, the minimum deposit for IC Markets is $200, whereas the minimum deposit for FBS is $5. Additionally, the maximum leverage for the IC Market is generally 500:1 (in some countries IC Markets offers 1000:1 leverage). On the other hand, the maximum leverage for FBS is 3000:1. IC Market offers passive investment programs or copy trading programs like MAM, and Zulutrade. In contrast, FBS does not have any passive investment programs. Our score for IC Markets is 9.3, and for FBS, it is 8.8 So, if you are looking for the most trusted forex brokers with tight spread and  MAM account services, you may choose IC Markets. However, If you prefer a forex broker with a lower minimum deposit, higher leverage, and offering a similar trading service to IC Markets, you may choose FBS.

Written by

Jason Paine is a forex trader, researcher, and tech enthusiast. He is passionate about financial markets and cutting-edge technology. With a dynamic 16-year trading career, he's on a mission to guide fellow traders. Having navigated diverse forex brokers, Jason shares his insights at Brokersway to bridge the gap between traders and the right brokerage.

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