IG Group vs CMC Markets — head-to-head

What this pair helps you decide

This pair compares only fields supported by FXCN evidence. Check the contracting entity and regional conditions before interpreting score differences.

Separate UK and EU complaint and compensation conditions.
Compare verified jurisdiction coverage without treating licence count as quality.
Compare the entity that contracts with you, not the brand alone.

Markets requiring a separate entity check: UK / EU / AU / international Data as of: 2026-08-30

No continuously verified live spreads, commissions, slippage, withdrawal speed, minimum deposit or platform availability are claimed; a blank does not mean the brokers are equal.

WINNER

Brokers A

IG Group

United Kingdom · 1974

90.0

Green · Reasonable

Offshore exposure
All onshore

Brokers B

CMC Markets

United Kingdom · 1989

82.0

Yellow · Caution

Offshore exposure
All onshore

Five-dimension scores

Dimension	Weight	IG Group	CMC Markets	Δ
Regulation	0.3	100.0	100.0	+0.0
Risk control	0.2	100.0	100.0	+0.0
Transparency	0.2	100.0	85.0	+15.0
Reputation	0.2	50.0	50.0	+0.0
Disclosure	0.1	100.0	50.0	+50.0

What you actually get at each of these two

You contract with one of the licensed entities below, not with the brand. Protection differs enormously between jurisdictions — this section matters an order of magnitude more than spreads.

IG Group

Licenses compared	Retail leverage cap	Investor compensation	Negative balance protection
ASIC T1 Australia · ASIC Entity: IG Markets Limited	1:30	No statutory investor compensation scheme	Mandatory
FCA T1 United Kingdom · FCA Entity: IG Markets Limited	1:30	FSCS, up to £85,000 per person	Mandatory
MAS T1 Singapore · MAS Entity: IG Asia Pte Ltd	1:20	No statutory investor compensation scheme	Not recorded
NFA T1 United States · NFA / CFTC Entity: IG US LLC	1:50	No investor compensation scheme; SIPC does not cover retail forex	Not recorded

CMC Markets

Licenses compared	Retail leverage cap	Investor compensation	Negative balance protection
ASIC T1 Australia · ASIC Entity: CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty Ltd	1:30	No statutory investor compensation scheme	Mandatory
FCA T1 United Kingdom · FCA Entity: CMC Markets UK plc	1:30	FSCS, up to £85,000 per person	Mandatory
MAS T1 Singapore · MAS Entity: CMC Markets Singapore Pte. Ltd.	1:20	No statutory investor compensation scheme	Not recorded

Leverage caps, compensation limits and negative balance protection are the jurisdiction’s general rules for retail clients, not a promise by any individual broker; professional clients are treated differently. The licensed entity that onboards you governs in practice.
Source: ASIC Checked 2026-08 Source: FCA Checked 2026-08 Source: MAS Checked 2026-08 Source: NFA Checked 2026-08

Verdict

Under our open-source scoring, IG Group (90.0) ranks above CMC Markets (82.0), a gap of 8.0 points. But scores are only a decision aid — what actually drives your risk is which jurisdiction the entity that onboards you sits in. Check the protection table above.