We compared two heavyweights of the UK trading industry, CMC Markets & IG to find out which broker is better based on spreads, platform experience, education and much more.
Which is the Better Trading Platform: IG or CMC?
If you are an intermediate to advanced level trader, you’ve probably heard of these two brokers. IG founded in the 1970’s and CMC founded in the late-80’s but how have they kept pace with younger nwer competitots, and more importantly, which broker is better? We’ll compare the fees, platform experience, range of instruments to trade, and the educationa material on offer from both brokers to ultimately crown the best broker.
If you’re more of a video-person, then you can also watch a full breakdown on our YouTube channel or check out our video breakdown of IG vs CMC:
1. Key Features Comparison
| IG VS City Index | 
First | 
Second | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulation | FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), NFA (US), and more | FCA (UK) | |
| Trading Platforms | Proprietary Platforms, MT4, MT5, TradingView | Proprietary Web Trader, MT4, TradingView | |
| Minimum Deposit | £50 | £0 | |
| Spreads | Starting from 0.6 pips on forex | Starting from 0.5 pips on forex | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | Yes | |
| Range of Assets | 16,000+ (largest we review!) | 12,000+ (impressive but not IG-level) | |
| Education Resources | Extensive—IG Academy, webinars, tutorials | Comprehensive but slightly less than IG | |
| Customer Support | 24/5 via live chat, phone, and email | 24/5 via phone, chat, and email | |
| Funding Options | Credit/Debit Card, PayPal, Bank Transfer | Credit/Debit Card, PayPal, Bank Transfer | |
| Inactivity Fee | £12/month after 2 years of no activity | £12/month after 1 year of no activity | |
| Join IG | Join CMC |
TLDR: IG excels with a larger range of tradable instruments, more platform variety, and an easier set-up for beginner traders. CMC remains a giant in the space, but trails behind IG’s range of instruments.
2. Fees and Spreads
IG Fees
IG’s forex spreads start from 0.6 pips on major pairs like EUR/USD with an average of 0.85 (see screenshot above), making it a competitive choice for active traders. For share CFDs, IG charges a £10 per side commission, so it’s worth factoring in if equities are your thing. There’s no deposit or withdrawal fee, and they have recently (as of 2026) abolished their inactivity fee which is a huge relief!
CMC Fees
CMC is highly competitive for forex traders, with lower EUR/USD spread costs of 0.5 pips (see screenshot). However, they do charge an inactivity fee after 12 months – they call it a ‘dormant account’ fee and it’s £10 (or equivalent in local currency); so this is something to watch out for.
Verdict
CMC is better than IG for spreads and fees for forex traders. Despite harging an inactivity fee of £10 after 12 months of inactivity, they have lower fees (0.5 pip spread va IG’s 0.6 pips), and their overnight fees of 0.0027% is lower than IG’s 1.5% for forex.
3. Trading Platforms
IG Trading Platforms
IG has a range of proprietary platforms like ProRealTime, TradingView integration, L2 Dealer, and their own proprietary webtrader. They also support MT4 and MT5 integration. Their platform is simple, intuitive and easy for beginner traders.
CMC Trading Platforms
CMC offers TradingView, MT4, and their own platform . Their proprietary platform, despite being award-winning, is difficult for beginners and hard to just pickup and start trading. For example, in the screenshot below, i tried to open one of the index options and i ‘reached the maximum number of chart windows – without explanation or understanding what this means. Generally, not a great experience.
Verdict
IG’s is clearly the better platform for beginner and intermediate traders. Whilst CMC’s platform has advantages like thematic trading, it is difficult to use and understand for beginners and even experienced traders.
4. Range of Tradable Instruments
IG Asset Range
IG offers a huge amount of tradable assets, 16,000+, including forex, shares, commodities, cryptocurrencies, ETFs etc. It tr
CMC Asset Range
With access to 13,500+ instruments, City Index isn’t far behind. It covers forex, indices, commodities, and shares, but it can’t quite match IG’s massive selection.
Verdict
If variety is what you’re after, IG is the clear winner with its unmatched market coverage.
5. Regulation and Security
IG Regulation
IG is one of the most trusted names in the industry, regulated by top-tier authorities, including the FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), and the NFA (US). Client funds are securely held in segregated accounts, and UK clients are protected under the FSCS up to £85,000.
CMC Regulation
CMC is also regulated by the FCA (UK) and also offers client fund segregation. While their coverage is slightly less global than IG, it’s still secure for UK traders.
Verdict
Both brokers are solid in terms of security, but IG wins for its broader global regulation.
6. Customer Support
IG Support
IG offers 24/5 support via live chat, phone, and email. During testing, their team responded quickly and effectively, even for more complex queries.
CMC Support
CMC also provides 24/5 support, with helpful agents available via phone, chat, and email. Their support quality was comparable to IG’s during our tests.
Verdict:
It’s a tie. Both brokers offer reliable, responsive support.
7. Educational Resources
IG Education
IG goes above and beyond with its IG Academy, offering comprehensive courses, webinars, tutorials, and live market analysis. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned trader, you’ll find valuable content here.
CMC Education
CMC has articles, some video content and beginner, intermediate and advanced content – but generally this is much less impressive than the effort IG has invested in their educational offering. Perhaps it’s intentional… why spend on educational materials when you are aimed at more sophisticated, advanced-level traders?
Verdict:
IG offers deeper and more diverse educational offerings.
FAQ’s
1. Is IG better than CMC for Forex trading?
Yes, IG is better generally for forex trading with a wider range of instruments to trade than CMC. However, the overnight fee for holding forex pairs is higher than CMC, 1.5% vs 0.0027%, respectively. So IG is better for day traders and scalpers, CMC is better for swing traders and investors.
2. Is IG better than CMC for beginner traders?
Yes, IG offers an easy way to start with an intuitive webtrader, it also connects to TradingView. CMC has a webtrader platform, but this is more difficult for beginner traders. It has complexities and nuances that make it difficult.
3. Is IG better than CMC for day trading?
CMC has lower spreads per trade, so CMC would be better for day trading based purely on fees. IG would be better for day trading based purely on instrument variety. So neither is better than the other. It depends what you are looking for in a trading platform.
4. Is IG better than CMC for UK traders?
IG is better than CMC overall. It has global regulation, including the FCA in the UK, and offers the widest range of tradable instruments of any broker. We recommend IG for UK traders.
5. Is IG better than CMC for stock trading?
Yes, IG offers 16,000+ instruments to trade, including stocks, indices, forex pairs and ETFs. This is a larger range of stocks an tradable assets than CMC which offers 12,000+ instruments as of May 2026.
6. Is IG better than CMC for trading platforms?
If you are an advanced trader ot thematic trader than CMC is the better option. However, for platform variety, IG offers MT5 which CMC doesn’t offer, and IG also has a variety of proprietary platforms for different experience levels. So overall IG is better for trading platforms than CMC.
7. Is IG better than City Index for educational resources?
Yes, IG is much better than CMC for trader education. IG offers webinars, video content and their IG Academy is exceptional for traders of all experience levels. CMC has articles and videos but they lack depth compared to the IG academy.
8. Is IG safer than CMC?
Both are FCA-regulated, trustworthy brokers, so no, neither is ‘safer’ than the other.
9. Is IG better than CMC for high-volume trading?
No, CMC is better than IG for high-volume trading. CMC offers lower spreads 0.5 pips for forex, vs IG’s 0.6 pips for forex on average. CMC also offers lower overnight fees / holding costs.
10. Is CMC better than IG for spread betting?
IG offers a wider range of instruments to spread bet with 16,000+ vs CMC’s 12,000+. IG also offers an more intuitive platform for beginners and plugs into TradingView easily.
Final Verdict
| Criteria | Winner |
|---|---|
| Fees and Spreads | CMC |
| Platforms | IG |
| Asset Range | IG |
| Regulation and Security | Tie |
| Customer Support | Tie |
| Educational Resources | IG |
£250 Minimum Deposit
Best for Stocks
IG offers 17,000+ trading instruments and combines robust regulation with cutting-edge platforms like ProRealTime, TradingView, and L2 Dealer.
69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Who Should You Choose?
IG is best for beginner to intermediate traders who want it all – educational material, great customer service, compatible broker with MT4, MT5 and Tradingview, as well as a fully-regulated broker with 16,000+ instruments to trade.
CMC on the other hand, is great for price-sensitive traders who need low spreads, are comfortable with more complex trading platforms and want a wide range of assets. CMC also excels for those traders who trade thematically.
- IG vs CMC Markets - May 19, 2026
- Can I Make a Living from Trading in the UK? - December 26, 2024
- Beginners Trading Guide for UK Traders - December 15, 2024
