Capital.com vs IC Markets: Which Broker Is Better?

Capital.com operates through several regulated entities, including Capital Com (UK) Limited, authorised by the UK FCA under licence number 793714; Capital Com Australia Pty Ltd, regulated by ASIC under licence number 513393; and Capital Com SV Investments Limited, authorised by CySEC under licence number 319/17. The group also includes an entity regulated by the DFSA in Dubai under licence number F006943, together with regulated entities in other jurisdictions.

Capital.com applies client-protection measures that include segregated client funds, anti-money-laundering and compliance requirements, and negative-balance protection for eligible retail clients. Additional compensation schemes or protection measures may be available depending on the regulatory entity responsible for the account.

Leverage, products, investor rights and complaint procedures depend on the legal company through which the account is opened. Traders should therefore verify the entity name and licence number shown in the client agreement rather than relying on Capital.com’s combined list of global licences.

Capital.com protects client funds by keeping them separate from the company’s operating funds in segregated accounts under applicable regulatory requirements. Eligible retail clients may also receive negative balance protection, helping limit losses to the funds available in the trading account. Additional compensation schemes or safeguards may apply depending on the entity and jurisdiction.

Traders should review the legal entity, applicable protection rules and compensation limits before depositing, because the available safeguards are not necessarily identical across all Capital.com entities.

IC Markets operates through regulated entities that include International Capital Markets Pty Ltd, authorised by ASIC under licence number 335692, and IC Markets (EU) Ltd, regulated by CySEC under licence number 362/18. International services are also provided through Raw Trading Ltd, regulated by the Seychelles FSA under licence number SD018, and IC Markets Global Ltd, regulated in the Bahamas.

The level of protection at IC Markets depends on the entity serving the client. An ASIC or CySEC account does not necessarily provide the same conditions and rights as an account opened with an international entity, and leverage, complaint procedures, negative-balance protection and available products may differ even when the client uses the same Raw Spread account or platform.

Before choosing IC Markets for scalping or algorithmic trading, traders should verify the legal company name and licence number shown during registration. Low spreads, liquidity and execution are important, but they do not determine which entity is responsible for client funds or what legal protection applies if a dispute or account problem occurs.

Regulated IC Markets entities hold eligible client funds in segregated accounts, separate from the capital used for the company’s operations, under the requirements of the relevant regulator. The broker also states that negative balance protection may apply to certain clients and entities under the conditions of the applicable account agreement.

Client-fund protection is not identical across the IC Markets group and may differ between the ASIC-regulated Australian entity, the CySEC-regulated European entity and international entities in Seychelles or the Bahamas. Traders should identify the legal company that will hold their funds before choosing a Raw Spread account or making a deposit.