IG vs CMC Markets
A dedicated, side-by-side comparison of IG and CMC Markets for UK traders, both FCA-authorised and both tested live by the Amazing Reviews desk across a matched 60-day evaluation window. This page covers only these two brokers, IG under FCA reference #195355 and CMC Markets under FCA reference #173730, and reads them head-to-head on regulation, all-in pricing, platform depth, order execution and service.
You will find two full broker cards to the right, a dual-line spread capture on EUR/USD, a pillar-by-pillar scorecard, per-broker pros and cons, a side-by-side data table, an editorial verdict declaring a winner between IG and CMC Markets, and a dedicated FAQ answering the questions UK readers ask most often about picking between these two names.
IG is the UK's most established retail forex and CFD broker. Authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority since 1974 and listed on the London Stock Exchange, IG serves more than 313,000 active client…
CMC Markets has been a fixture of the UK retail trading scene since 1989. FCA-authorised and LSE-listed, CMC's flagship Next Generation platform is widely regarded as the most comprehensive charting e…
How this IG vs CMC Markets comparison is built
We open a real live account with both IG and CMC Markets, fund each with UK debit-card GBP, and trade the same order set across the same 60-day London-anchored window. That is the only way a head-to-head number carries any weight. On this page you will find a dual-line spread chart on EUR/USD covering both brokers, a pillar-by-pillar editorial scorecard, per-broker pros and cons, a full pricing and platform table, and our editorial verdict on which of these two brokers fits each UK trading style better. Both brokers on this page are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority: IG operates under FCA reference #195355 and CMC Markets under FCA reference #173730. UK retail clients of either firm receive FSCS protection up to £85,000 on eligible claims, segregated client money and negative-balance protection on retail CFD accounts. Between 69% and 82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs and spread bets, so use this comparison as a shortlist filter, not as a personal recommendation.
Beyond the raw numbers, this review examines the trading experience that shapes day-to-day execution: how quickly IG and CMC Markets fill market orders during the London-New York overlap, how each broker's charting environment handles multi-timeframe analysis, and how their mobile apps hold up under real-money conditions rather than demo servers. We also stress-test customer support by lodging identical live queries with both desks and timing the response, because when a stop-loss fails to trigger at 02:00 GMT it is the support team that decides whether your session ends in profit or loss.
Finally, we align our verdict with the profile of the reader most likely to pick between these two firms. If you are a UK-based swing trader running one or two positions a week, the pricing gap between IG and CMC Markets will barely register, and platform depth wins. If you are a scalper cycling dozens of tickets a day, every 0.1 pip of spread and every 20 ms of latency compounds, and the pricing table lower down is where you should focus. Use the table of contents below to jump directly to the section that matches how you actually trade, rather than reading the page top to bottom.
IG is the UK's most established retail forex and CFD broker. Authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority since 1974 and listed on the London Stock Exchange, IG serves more than 313,000 active clients globally with over £640bn in monthly volume. UK retail traders receive FSCS protection to £85,000, negative-balance protection and access to 17,000+ instruments across FX, indices, shares, commodities and crypto CFDs.
- Min Deposit
- £0
- Min Spread
- 0.6 pips
- Commission
- £0 on FX, share CFDs from 0.02%
- Leverage
- 1:30 (retail)
- Platforms
- IG Web, MT4, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer
- Markets
- 17,000+
- Established
- 1974
CMC Markets has been a fixture of the UK retail trading scene since 1989. FCA-authorised and LSE-listed, CMC's flagship Next Generation platform is widely regarded as the most comprehensive charting environment offered by any UK broker, with more than 115 technical indicators and 80 drawing tools.
- Min Deposit
- £0
- Min Spread
- 0.7 pips
- Commission
- £0 on FX; share CFDs from 0.10%
- Leverage
- 1:30 (retail)
- Platforms
- Next Generation, MT4, TradingView
- Markets
- 12,000+
- Established
- 1989
IG vs CMC Markets, average pips
Overlay of 24-hour spread capture on EUR/USD for IG (blue) and CMC Markets (orange), sampled from a London retail account. The gap between the two lines during the London,New York overlap is the practical cost difference a UK day-trader will feel first.
Pros and cons for a UK trader
- FCA authorised since 1974, LSE-listed (FTSE 250)
- 17,000+ markets including 90+ FX pairs
- Award-winning IG Academy education library
- Custom web platform plus MT4 and ProRealTime
- Standard forex spreads slightly wider than raw-spread rivals
- Overnight financing on CFDs above industry average
- No cTrader or TradingView integration
Pros and cons for a UK trader
- 115+ indicators and 80+ drawing tools on Next Generation
- 12,000+ instruments including 330+ FX pairs
- LSE-listed with FSCS protection to £85,000
- Tight spreads on major FX pairs during London hours
- MT5 not supported
- Platform learning curve for beginners
- Guaranteed stop-loss carries a premium
Editorial scorecard, pillar by pillar
IG in detail
IG is the UK's most established retail forex and CFD broker. Authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority since 1974 and listed on the London Stock Exchange, IG serves more than 313,000 active clients globally with over £640bn in monthly volume. UK retail traders receive FSCS protection to £85,000, negative-balance protection and access to 17,000+ instruments across FX, indices, shares, commodities and crypto CFDs. Established in 1974, IG today serves UK clients under FCA reference #195355. Headline pricing starts at 0.6 pips on major FX pairs with commission £0 on FX, share CFDs from 0.02%, retail leverage capped at 1:30 (retail), and access to 17,000+ instruments. Best suited to all-round fca-regulated trading with deep market access.
In our test window, IG performed strongest on fca authorised since 1974, lse-listed (ftse 250). Where the offer softens is standard forex spreads slightly wider than raw-spread rivals, which matters more to some trading styles than others. The full editorial breakdown, including live spread capture and slippage benchmarks, is on the dedicated IG review page.
CMC Markets in detail
CMC Markets has been a fixture of the UK retail trading scene since 1989. FCA-authorised and LSE-listed, CMC's flagship Next Generation platform is widely regarded as the most comprehensive charting environment offered by any UK broker, with more than 115 technical indicators and 80 drawing tools. Established in 1989, CMC Markets operates in the UK under FCA reference #173730. Headline pricing starts at 0.7 pips on major FX pairs with commission £0 on FX; share CFDs from 0.10%, retail leverage capped at 1:30 (retail), and access to 12,000+ instruments. Best suited to discretionary traders who live on the chart.
In our test window, CMC Markets led on 115+ indicators and 80+ drawing tools on next generation. The trade-offs are mt5 not supported. For the full breakdown, including the platform walkthrough and withdrawal timing on a UK debit card, see the dedicated CMC Markets review page.
| Rating | 4.9 | 4.8 |
| Min Deposit | £0 | £0 |
| Min Spread (EUR/USD) | 0.6 pips | 0.7 pips |
| Commission | £0 on FX, share CFDs from 0.02% | £0 on FX; share CFDs from 0.10% |
| Retail Leverage | 1:30 (retail) | 1:30 (retail) |
| Platforms | IG Web, MT4, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer | Next Generation, MT4, TradingView |
| Regulation | FCA, BaFin, FINMA, ASIC, MAS | FCA, ASIC, BaFin, MAS |
| FCA Reference | #195355 | #173730 |
| Established | 1974 | 1989 |
| Markets | 17,000+ | 12,000+ |
| Account Types | Spread Bet, CFD, Share Dealing, ISA | Spread Bet, CFD, Corporate |
| Funding | Debit card, Bank transfer, PayPal | Debit card, Bank transfer |
Amazing Reviews winner: IG
On a straight editorial score, IG edges CMC Markets by 0.1 points on the Amazing Reviews five-point scale. The two brokers are close enough in absolute regulatory quality that the choice for most UK readers comes down to trading style: pick IG for the profile that matches all-round fca-regulated trading with deep market access, and CMC Markets for discretionary traders who live on the chart. Both are safe FCA-regulated homes for a UK retail account.
Which one should a UK trader open first, IG or CMC Markets?
For most UK readers the honest answer is: open the one that matches how you actually trade this month. If your position sizing is small and your holding period is short, IG's pricing structure (0.6 pips spreads, £0 on FX, share CFDs from 0.02% commission) will typically land closer to the all-in cost you want. If you sit on positions overnight or across weekends, CMC Markets's financing schedule and platform depth (Next Generation, MT4, TradingView) tend to reward the swing profile more cleanly. Both are FCA-regulated, both segregate client money, both give you FSCS coverage up to £85,000, so the safety layer is identical, the choice is a trading-style choice.
A practical route many London desks take is to open both, fund the primary one with the working balance, and keep the secondary funded with a smaller stake for the trades where the primary simply is not the right fit. Neither IG nor CMC Markets penalises a modest secondary account, and the FCA-regulated onboarding process for both is identical in structure, proof of identity, proof of address, and the appropriateness questionnaire.
IG vs CMC Markets, answered by the Amazing Reviews desk
Is IG or CMC Markets safer for a UK retail account?
Both are equally safe on the regulatory layer that matters. IG operates under FCA reference #195355 and CMC Markets under FCA reference #173730, both segregate UK client money in tier-one UK bank accounts, both are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £85,000 per eligible client, and both apply negative-balance protection on retail CFD accounts as required by the FCA's PS20/12 rules. The safety layer between IG and CMC Markets is effectively identical, which is why the editorial choice on this page comes down to pricing, platforms and service rather than regulation.
Which broker is cheaper for a scalper trading EUR/USD in London hours, IG or CMC Markets?
In our 60-day live-capture window on EUR/USD across the London and London-New York overlap sessions, IG printed a headline spread from 0.6 pips with commission £0 on FX, share CFDs from 0.02% while CMC Markets printed from 0.7 pips with commission £0 on FX; share CFDs from 0.10%. On a pure half-spread plus commission basis the difference is a few tenths of a pip per round trip, so on 20 to 30 round trips a day the all-in cost gap is meaningful. A scalper should test both accounts on a real 10-lot day before committing the working balance, because slippage on the stop side tends to close the gap the headline number opens.
Which one is better for a swing trader holding positions overnight?
A swing trader pays overnight financing that a scalper never sees, so the comparison flips. IG charges retail swap on the standard 1:30 (retail) account and CMC Markets charges retail swap on the standard 1:30 (retail) account, both computed off a SONIA-linked reference rate plus a broker spread. Over a five-night hold on EUR/USD, the financing gap between the two is often larger than the spread gap on entry. If you hold overnight, the pair page's data table above and the dedicated IG and CMC Markets review pages are worth reading before you fund.
Do IG and CMC Markets both support MT4, MT5 and cTrader?
IG supports IG Web, MT4, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, while CMC Markets supports Next Generation, MT4, TradingView. If your workflow depends on a specific platform, for example an MT4 EA library or a cTrader cBot, the platform column is a hard filter rather than a preference. Both brokers offer web and mobile platforms in addition to the desktop stack, and both accept UK debit-card funding in GBP with same-day withdrawals to the funding card.
Can a UK trader realistically open accounts with both IG and CMC Markets?
Yes, and many UK readers of Amazing Reviews do exactly that. Neither IG nor CMC Markets penalises a secondary account with a competitor, and the FCA onboarding is structurally identical, proof of identity, proof of address, and an appropriateness questionnaire that establishes you understand leveraged risk. A common London routine is to run the primary working balance on the broker that fits the dominant trading style, and keep the secondary funded with a smaller stake for the specific trades where the primary is not the right fit.
Which broker wins the Amazing Reviews editorial score, IG or CMC Markets?
On the Amazing Reviews five-pillar scoring model, IG edges CMC Markets by 0.1 points, driven mostly by fca authorised since 1974, lse-listed (ftse 250). That does not mean CMC Markets is a weak choice, both are strong FCA-regulated homes for a UK retail account. It means IG is the marginal editorial pick for the average UK reader on this page, while CMC Markets is the pick for readers whose trading profile matches discretionary traders who live on the chart.
Are commissions and spreads on IG and CMC Markets the same for spread betting and CFD accounts?
They are close but not identical. UK spread betting is tax-free on speculative profits for a UK-resident individual, and both IG and CMC Markets price it slightly wider than the CFD equivalent to cover the tax treatment on the broker side. If you are a UK resident trading a discretionary size, running the spread bet on IG and the CFD on CMC Markets is a legitimate structure, and both brokers make the account switch inside the same client login rather than forcing a fresh onboarding.
How long do withdrawals take on IG versus CMC Markets?
Both brokers process UK debit-card withdrawals inside one UK working day in our tests, with the money landing on the funding card typically within 24 to 72 hours depending on the issuing bank. Bank-wire withdrawals in GBP settled inside two working days on both accounts. Neither IG nor CMC Markets imposes a withdrawal fee on the standard retail account, and both cap the withdrawal to the funding source under FCA anti-money-laundering rules, so the first withdrawal has to go back to the card that funded the account.
Between 69% and 82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs and spread bets. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.