Overview
IC Markets is the original of the IC Markets group: founded in Sydney in 2007, the broker practically popularised the raw-spread ECN model in retail forex and has ranked among the largest FX brokers in the world by trading volume for years. The blueprint is the same one that made the brand big: raw spreads from 0.0 pips, deep liquidity, fast execution — and an environment that doesn't merely tolerate Expert Advisors and scalping strategies but actively caters to them. For algo and EA traders, IC Markets belongs on the shortlist. Globally the brand now appears as "IC" (ic.com): on 11 July 2026 icmarkets.com moved to ic.com, and per the site footer "IC" and "IC Markets Global" are trading names of Raw Trading Ltd (FSA Seychelles). According to IC, accounts, platforms and conditions are unchanged. EU clients are still served by IC Markets (EU) Ltd (icmarkets.eu, CySEC), Australian clients via icmarkets.com.au.
IC Markets vs. IC Trading — One Group, Two Brands
Important context: IC Markets (now ic.com, formerly icmarkets.com) and IC Trading (ictrading.com) belong to the same group and sit on the same trading infrastructure — the raw-spread model, platforms, execution quality, and conditions are largely identical. The difference lies in the market-facing brand and in which entity handles your onboarding:
- IC Markets is the original brand carrying the group's regulatory core: ASIC for Australia, CySEC for EU clients (with European investor compensation, but the ESMA 1:30 leverage cap), and FSA Seychelles for international clients with dynamic leverage up to 1:5000 (MetaTrader; cTrader up to 1:1000).
- IC Trading is a separate, internationally oriented brand run through Capital Point Trading Ltd under an FSC Mauritius licence — without ASIC or CySEC coverage, leverage up to 1:500.
In short: EU or Australian clients who prioritise regulated protection are best served by IC Markets — and internationally, IC Markets' FSA entity also offers the higher leverage. IC Trading is the alternative with a Mauritius licence. For EA suitability, the choice of brand makes practically no difference.
Regulation & Safety
IC Markets covers the key client groups with three licences: ASIC (Australia) as the long-standing primary regulator, CySEC (Cyprus/EU) for European clients including EU-standard investor compensation, and the FSA of the Seychelles for the international entity. Client funds are held segregated at major banks. For German and EU traders, onboarding runs through the CySEC entity — with ESMA constraints (maximum 1:30 for retail clients). Anyone seeking higher leverage (dynamic, up to 1:5000) ends up with the Seychelles entity and its weaker protection framework. All in all, one of the most solid regulatory set-ups among ECN brokers — only houses with additional FCA/BaFin coverage such as Pepperstone rank ahead here.
Costs
On the Raw Spread account, spreads start at 0.0 pips, with a commission of 3.50 USD per lot per side via MetaTrader (≈ 7 USD round turn) or 3.00 USD via cTrader. That puts effective all-in costs on EUR/USD at roughly 0.6–0.7 pips — very competitive, though not the absolute cheapest option on the market. The Standard account drops the commission and widens the spread instead (typically below 1 pip on EUR/USD) — for most EAs, the Raw account remains the better choice.
Execution
The flagship discipline: IC Markets hosts its trading servers in the Equinix NY4 (New York) and LD5 (London) data centres — the hubs of global FX liquidity — and aggregates pricing from a large number of liquidity sources. The result is low latency, tight market depth, minimal slippage, and virtually no requotes. That is exactly the profile latency-sensitive scalpers and near-HFT EAs require; in practice, execution is among the most reliable in the industry.
EA & Algo Suitability
No compromises here: EAs, scalping, and hedging are permitted without restriction, and there are no restrictive minimum distances for stop and limit orders. Four platforms are available — MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView — and active traders receive a free low-latency VPS (from 15 lots FX/metals per month; miss the threshold two months in a row and it is cancelled) with direct connectivity to the trading servers, the building block for uninterrupted 24/7 operation. The huge EA community around IC Markets is a practical bonus: most commercial EAs and setfiles are calibrated for exactly this environment.
Conditions, Deposits & Support
There is no minimum deposit globally, while the Australian entity lists 200 USD as its starting deposit; leverage reaches up to 1:5000 (dynamic) depending on the entity (EU: 1:30). New in the global line-up are the Raw Pro (1.50 USD/side from a 5,000 USD deposit) and Raw Pro+ accounts. Deposits and withdrawals cover cards, bank transfers, PayPal, and popular e-wallets, and are processed promptly and usually free of charge; support is available 24/7. The product range (FX, indices, commodities, share CFDs, crypto) is broad. As with the sister brand, the main deduction is the thin proprietary education and research offering relative to specialist providers.
Verdict
For algo and EA traders, IC Markets is a top recommendation: the raw-spread original with best-in-class execution, a free VPS, four platforms, and zero strategy restrictions — and, compared with its sister brand, the stronger regulatory core (ASIC/CySEC). The only real consideration remains leverage: EU clients live with 1:30, internationally it goes up to 1:5000 (dynamic). All things considered, one of the best brokers in its class for automated trading.