Plain-English forex education. No hype, no signals.فارسی
BrokerCutForex Academy

Head to head

IG vs WM Markets

IG is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom; BaFin in the European Union; FINMA in Switzerland; ASIC in Australia; FMA (New Zealand) in New Zealand; MAS in Singapore; JFSA in Japan; CFTC / NFA in the United States; DFSA in Dubai (DIFC), UAE and FSCA in South Africa. WM Markets has no licence we could confirm on a regulator's register. The licence that applies to you depends on where you live, so check which company you would contract with before comparing anything else.

Minimum deposits start at $250 at IG and $50 at WM Markets. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: IG on 20 October 2026, WM Markets on 20 October 2026.

IG profileWM Markets profile
Broker 1
Broker 2
Broker 3

Monthly cost uses the account chosen in each slot: cost per lot × your lots. Swap and other fees are extra. The lowest monthly cost is highlighted only as a fact about cost, not as a recommendation.

Broker
IGStrictly regulatedRead the profile
WM MarketsRead the profile
Comparing
IGUnited Kingdom
WM Markets

Overview

Founded
1974
Not yet checked
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Fomboni, Mwali (Comoros)
Official websites
  • ig.com
  • www.ig.com
  • wmmarkets.com
  • en.wmmarkets.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
IG Markets Ltd
No licence listed
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
No licence listed
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
No licence listed
Licence number
195355
Check the register
No licence listed
Clients this company serves
UK residents (CFDs and share dealing); also international accounts for South African clients
No licence listed
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • BaFin (European Union)
  • FINMA (Switzerland)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • FMA (New Zealand) (New Zealand)
  • MAS (Singapore)
  • JFSA (Japan)
  • CFTC / NFA (United States)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
  • FSCA (South Africa)
None listed
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); EdW 90% of a claim up to €20,000 (IG Europe); esisuisse up to CHF 100,000 (Switzerland); none in Australia, Singapore, South Africa or the UAE
None

Costs

Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Spread from
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical EUR/USD spread
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Commission per lot (round turn)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Swap-free account
Not yet checked
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia)
Up to 1:2000 (dynamic, set per instrument)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30
  • Other currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
Not yet checked
Margin call level
Not yet checked
100%
Stop-out level
50% (UK and EU retail close-out rule)
20%

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Base currencies
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Execution
No accounts listed
No accounts listed

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • IG web platform
  • Mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • ProRealTime
  • L2 Dealer
  • TradingView
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • WM Markets mobile app
  • MT4 WebTrader
Markets
17,000+ markets, including 80+ forex pairs, indices, shares, commodities and options
CFDs on forex, metals, indices, energies, commodities, treasuries, shares, ETFs and cryptocurrencies
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Yes
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Not yet checked
News trading allowed
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
  • Debit card
  • Credit card
  • Bank transfer
  • PayPal
Not yet checked
Withdrawal fee
Free by card and bank transfer (UK)
Not published; the agreement allows transfer-related and termination fees
Inactivity fee
None on the UK trading account
Accounts with no trading for six months are disabled and may pay maintenance charges (amount not published)

Support

Customer support
24 hours a day from 8am Saturday to 10pm Friday (UK time), by phone, web chat and WhatsApp
24/5 multilingual support by live chat

Our notes

Strengths
  • UK, EU and Swiss companies authorised by strict regulators, with client money segregated and a compensation scheme in each
  • Negative balance protection for UK and EU retail clients
  • No inactivity, account or card-deposit fees on the UK trading account
  • Very wide market range, including spread betting for UK clients
  • Negative balance protection is written into the client agreement
  • The agreement says client money is kept apart from the company's own funds
  • Says it holds a client funds insurance policy of up to $1,000,000
Watch out for
  • Says IG International Limited (for clients outside IG's local offices) is licensed by the Bermuda Monetary Authority; we could not confirm it on the BMA register on 2026-10-20 because the BMA website was unavailable.
  • The Australian IG trading account does not have negative balance protection; only the limited risk account caps losses
  • IG publishes minimum spreads, not typical spreads, so the real cost depends on market conditions
  • Minimum deposit varies by region: £250 in the UK, €300 in the EU, CHF 2,500 in Switzerland
  • Says WM Markets Ltd holds MISA licence BFX2024009; we could not confirm it on MISA's register on 2026-10-20 (the register blocked automated access).
  • The agreement gives the company a lien over client assets and lets it pledge or reinvest assets held for clients
  • Leverage up to 1:2000, and payment methods and withdrawal fees are not listed on the public website
  • Inactive accounts are disabled after six months and may be charged maintenance fees that are not published

Risk warnings

The buttons to a broker’s website above the table are partner links: we may earn a commission if you open an account through them. That never changes the facts shown here. Trading leveraged products such as forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money rapidly, and most retail accounts lose money. Each broker’s own warning:

  • IG: Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
  • WM Markets: Contracts for Difference (CFD) are complex financial instruments carrying a substantial level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors, as may result in the loss of all invested capital rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, your investment objectives, level of experience, risk appetite, and, if necessary, seek advice from an independent financial advisor.

Open this comparison in the full tool to share a link with your own accounts and companies chosen.

Other head-to-head pages

Cost per lot is the typical EUR/USD spread in busy hours × $10, plus any round-turn commission, for one standard lot. “Not yet checked” means we have not confirmed that fact yet. This page compares facts; it does not rank the brokers or recommend either. Confirm costs and licences on each broker’s site and the regulator’s public register before opening an account: see how we review brokers and check a broker yourself.

Nothing on this page is financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.

BrokerCut on Telegram

Get the latest forex news and market analysis.

Join the channel