Exness vs IC Markets at a glance in Australia
| | Exness | IC Markets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| EUR/USD spread | 0.0 pips (Raw Spread) | 0.0 pips (Raw) |
| GBP/USD spread | 0.1 pips | 0.1 pips |
| XAU/USD spread | 0.16 pips | 0.10 pips |
| Commission | From $3.50 per side per lot (Raw Spread/Zero) | $3.50 per side per lot (Raw) |
| Minimum deposit | $10 | $200 |
| Max leverage | 1:30 (FCA/CySEC retail) / up to 1:2000 offshore | 1:30 (CySEC retail) / up to 1:500 offshore |
| Regulation | FCA, CySEC, FSCA, FSA (Seychelles) | ASIC, CySEC, FSA (Seychelles) |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal, Exness App | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView |
| Withdrawals | Instant to 24 hours (automated processing) | 1-2 business days |
| Founded | 2008 | 2007 |
Overall verdict
Exness (founded 2008) and IC Markets (founded 2007) both offer raw-style pricing, but differ on commission (From $3.50 per side per lot (Raw Spread/Zero) vs $3.50 per side per lot (Raw)), leverage (1:30 (FCA/CySEC retail) / up to 1:2000 offshore vs 1:30 (CySEC retail) / up to 1:500 offshore) and payout speed (Instant to 24 hours (automated processing) vs 1-2 business days).
Total cost of a 1 lot EUR/USD round turn
The only cost comparison that matters is spread plus commission, measured together:
- Exness — 0.0 pips (Raw Spread) plus From $3.50 per side per lot (Raw Spread/Zero)
- IC Markets — 0.0 pips (Raw) plus $3.50 per side per lot (Raw)
- Vantage — 0.0 pips (Raw ECN) plus $3 per side per lot (Raw ECN) (the lowest commission of the raw ECN group)
Across 200 lots a month, a $0.50 per-side commission difference alone is $200 — $2,400 a year kept in or taken out of your account before a single pip of market movement.
Safety and regulation in Australia
Exness: FCA, CySEC, FSCA, FSA (Seychelles). FCA-regulated UK entity exists, but most retail clients are onboarded offshore without FSCS cover or negative balance protection beyond the EU/UK entities.
IC Markets: ASIC, CySEC, FSA (Seychelles). No FCA-regulated UK entity, so UK clients are onboarded offshore without FSCS cover.
Whichever you pick in Australia, confirm the entity you are onboarded to, that client funds are segregated, and that negative balance protection applies to your account type.
Platforms and execution
Exness supports MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal, Exness App. IC Markets supports MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView. MT4 remains best for expert advisors, MT5 adds depth of market, and cTrader gives the clearest view of raw pricing and order book depth.
Verdict: Exness vs IC Markets in Australia
Between the two, pick on the metric that dominates your strategy — commission for scalpers, withdrawal speed for active traders, regulation for long-term capital. But on pure cost, neither beats Vantage: 0.0 pips (Raw ECN) raw spreads, $3 per side per lot (Raw ECN), up to 1:500 leverage, MT4/MT5/cTrader and same-day withdrawals from a $50 minimum deposit. Open a Vantage account.