IC Markets vs Litefinance

Quick Answer

Best for	Winner	Why
Starting small	IC Markets	No minimum at its global company against $50
Raw-account commission	LiteFinance	About $5 per lot round turn against $7
Top-tier licences in the group	IC Markets	ASIC and CySEC; LiteFinance is offshore only
No inactivity fee	IC Markets	LiteFinance: $10 per 30 days once an account has been dormant for 3 months

A “winner” here means the better published figure on that one line. It is not a recommendation: the right broker depends on where you live and how you trade.

Comparison Table

	IC Markets	LiteFinance
Operating since	ASIC licence since 2009	2005
Company for international clients	Raw Trading Ltd, licensed by the FSA in Seychelles (SD018)	LiteFinance Global LLC, registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (a registration, not a licence)
Regulators in the group	ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, SCB Bahamas, CMA Kenya	CySEC (EU company), FSC Mauritius; SVG registration
Minimum deposit	None at the global company; $200 at the Australian company	$50 (Classic and ECN); $10 on the Cent account in listed countries
Commission-free spreads	Standard from 0.8 pips	Classic from 1.8 points
Raw-spread account	Raw Spread from 0.0 pips (EUR/USD average 0.1) plus $3.50 per side	ECN from 0.0 points plus $5 per lot on forex majors
Maximum leverage	1:5000 on forex at the global company (tiered by position size); 1:30 in Australia and the EU	1:1000
Platforms	MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView	MT4, MT5, cTrader
Copy trading	IC Social, cTrader Copy, ZuluTrade and Signal Start	Social Trading, built in, usually from $50
Inactivity fee	Not listed	$10 per 30 days once an account has been dormant for 3 months
Withdrawal fee	None from IC Markets	Depends on the method; withdrawals go back to the deposit wallet
Swap-free	Swap-free accounts with a flat holding fee	Swap-free accounts with no extra fee
Bonus	100% first-deposit bonus up to $1,000, then 50% (global company)	30% deposit bonus; Trade Smart 50% challenge

Figures come from each broker’s official site, checked on 11 October 2026. Spreads move through the day, and conditions vary by country and by the company that holds your account.

Regulation and Safety

IC Markets’ group holds ASIC and CySEC licences plus offshore licences in Seychelles, the Bahamas and Kenya. International clients are served by its Seychelles company, where IC says client money is insured up to US$1,000,000. CySEC fined its EU company €250,000 in 2024, which the company has taken to judicial review.

LiteFinance’s group includes a CySEC-licensed company in Cyprus and an FSC-licensed company in Mauritius. Most international clients, though, open accounts with LiteFinance Global LLC, which is registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. That is a company registration, not a forex licence, and there is no investor compensation fund.

On paper IC Markets has the stronger regulatory footprint, but that only helps if your account sits with one of its strictly regulated companies. Check which company your country places you with before you deposit.

Trading Costs

On commission-free accounts, IC Markets lists: Standard from 0.8 pips. LiteFinance lists: Classic from 1.8 points. “From” figures are minimums, so expect wider live spreads, especially around news.

Both offer a raw-spread account. IC Markets: Raw Spread from 0.0 pips (EUR/USD average 0.1) plus $3.50 per side. LiteFinance: ECN from 0.0 points plus $5 per lot on forex majors. For frequent traders, a raw account usually costs less per trade than a spread-only one.

IC Markets lists no inactivity fee. LiteFinance’s inactivity fee: $10 per 30 days once an account has been dormant for 3 months. Withdrawal fees: IC Markets: none from IC Markets; LiteFinance: depends on the method; withdrawals go back to the deposit wallet.

Platforms and Copy Trading

IC Markets offers MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView. LiteFinance offers MT4, MT5 and cTrader.

IC Markets’s copy trading: IC Social, cTrader Copy, ZuluTrade and Signal Start. LiteFinance’s copy trading: Social Trading, built in, usually from $50. Copying another trader doesn’t remove risk: you can lose money as fast as trading yourself.

Leverage

IC Markets’s maximum leverage: 1:5000 on forex at the global company (tiered by position size); 1:30 in Australia and the EU. LiteFinance’s: 1:1000.

A higher maximum is not an advantage in itself. Leverage multiplies losses as fast as gains, so beginners should use far less than either broker allows.

Which One Should You Choose?

Go with IC Markets if:

• You trade often and want raw spreads
• You want cTrader or TradingView
• You want a group with ASIC and CySEC licences

Go with LiteFinance if:

• You want copy trading built into the broker
• You use cTrader as well as MetaTrader
• You value a brand that has traded since 2005

Whichever you choose, test a small withdrawal early, verify your account before you need your money, and risk only what you can afford to lose.

FAQ

Which has the lower minimum deposit, IC Markets or LiteFinance? IC Markets. IC Markets: none at the global company; $200 at the Australian company. LiteFinance: $50 (Classic and ECN); $10 on the Cent account in listed countries.

How are IC Markets and LiteFinance regulated? IC Markets’s international clients deal with Raw Trading Ltd, licensed by the FSA in Seychelles (SD018). LiteFinance’s deal with LiteFinance Global LLC, registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (a registration, not a licence). Group regulators: IC Markets: ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, SCB Bahamas, CMA Kenya; LiteFinance: CySEC (EU company), FSC Mauritius; SVG registration.

Which is cheaper to trade with? It depends on the account. Commission-free: IC Markets: Standard from 0.8 pips; LiteFinance: Classic from 1.8 points. Raw accounts: IC Markets: Raw Spread from 0.0 pips (EUR/USD average 0.1) plus $3.50 per side; LiteFinance: ECN from 0.0 points plus $5 per lot on forex majors.

Does either charge an inactivity fee? IC Markets: not listed. LiteFinance: $10 per 30 days once an account has been dormant for 3 months.

Do both offer copy trading? IC Markets: IC Social, cTrader Copy, ZuluTrade and Signal Start. LiteFinance: Social Trading, built in, usually from $50.

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