How do FXTM and IronFX stack up against each other?

The Radar Chart below highlights how the brokers stack up against each other across various metrics. The highest score a broker can receive in each area is 5.

At FxScouts, we help traders find the broker that suits their trading needs. In many cases, the best way to achieve this is to compare brokers side-by-side.

To compare FXTM and IronFX, we used the same factors we use when reviewing brokers: The trust and regulation of the broker, the trading platform, the costs and trading conditions, and the level of education and market analysis available at the broker.

Does FXTM or IronFX have a better trust and regulation rating?

Trust and regulation are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a Forex broker. Trust in the Forex trading business is almost entirely founded upon regulation. We spend many hours evaluating the safety of each broker by delving into their fine print and confirming each one of their regulatory licences on the online registers. The more top-tier authorities a broker is regulated by, the higher its trust rating.

In our comparison, we found that IronFX holds three Tier 1 and no Tier 2 licences, and FXTM holds one Tier 1 and no Tier 2 licences.

 

Is IronFX financially regulated?

Yes IronFX was founded in 2010 and is regulated by ASIC, CySEC, FCA and FSCA.

 

Is FXTM financially regulated?

Yes FXTM was founded in 2011 and is regulated by CMA, FCA, FSC and FSCA.

 

Based on these findings, IronFX earned a higher trust rating than FXTM.

Does FXTM or IronFX have lower costs?

Another important aspect we consider when comparing brokers is the cost of trading. When evaluating trading costs, we always consider the minimum deposit required to open an account and the ongoing trading costs, including the spreads and commissions. When calculating trading costs, we measure the cost to trade one lot of EUR/USD using the broker’s account with the lowest minimum deposit. The cost includes both the spread and any commission charged. 

Not all brokers publish their trading costs, so we often open accounts and trade on their platforms to verify the spreads and commissions. Based on our reviews, we found that FXTM has overall lower trading costs than IronFX. 

 

Does FXTM or IronFX offer a better choice of trading platforms?

Traders want Forex brokers to offer them a choice of trading platforms, so we give brokers who offer multiple platforms higher ratings. Trading platforms we consider include MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, cTrader and proprietary mobile and web-based platforms. 

In this case, FXTM offers support for and IronFX offers support for . 

Do the brokers offer copy trading?

Copy trading is a great option for beginner traders who can’t trade full-time or lack experience with Forex trading. In this case both FXTM and IronFX offer copy trading.

 

Which broker offers a better choice of trading instruments?

A variety of CFD instruments – and a large range of CFDs for each instrument category allow traders more opportunities for profitable trading. The best brokers will have thousands of CFDs to trade, covering all these instrument categories. We found that IronFX offers a greater range and depth of instruments to trade than FXTM. IronFX offers 83 Forex pairs to trade and FXTM offers 62 Forex pairs to trade.

And what about Cryptocurrencies?

In this case, 0 offers 0 cryptocurrencies while 0 offers 0 cryptocurrencies. So if you want to trade cryptocurrencies, we advise trading with 0.

Which broker offers better deposit and withdrawal processes?

Although brokers may have reasonable trading fees, many traders are caught out by the high non-trading fees charged by some brokers, including deposits and withdrawals. Traders want to be able to deposit and withdraw funds quickly and cheaply. Most brokers have multiple funding methods with zero fees for making deposits, but some brokers make it more expensive and take longer to process withdrawals. 

We rate brokers more highly that process withdrawals within 24 hours by multiple withdrawal methods and without charging processing fees. We found that both FXTM and IronFX charges a withdrawal fee. Overall, FXTM has better deposit and withdrawal processes than IronFX. 

Which broker offers better educational support?

We often find that brokers offer very little in the way of educational materials, forcing traders to use other third-party sites or self-educate elsewhere. Beginner traders need well-structured, well-presented materials in multiple formats to get a good start at trading. More experienced traders also benefit from webinars led by experts in the field and advanced trading strategy sections with new trading ideas. 

FXTM and IronFX both have very good educational support. Both FXTM and IronFX offer educational support for more experienced traders.

 

Which broker offers better market analysis materials?

To successfully predict the price movements of an instrument, traders will need access to frequent market research and analysis. We find that research and market analysis are always better when they are produced in-house and updated frequently. Third-party resources don’t show the same expertise in trading ideas, so we place a strong emphasis on frequent in-house updates. Some brokers also often offer interactive webinars where traders can learn from experts in the field. 

We found that 0 offers better research analysis than 0 and that both FXTM and IronFX offer frequent webinars.

 

Our overall Verdict on FXTM

FXTM will be a good choice for many beginner South African traders. It offers a low-deposit Micro Account, an excellent copy trading platform, and provides a variety of learning materials in both video and written formats. Its daily market analysis will also help beginners understand the real-world implications of news events on the Forex market and where trading opportunities lie.

Our main concern is that FXTM’s South African clients are not protected by the FSCA, and are instead onboarded through FXTM’s Mauritius-based entity. We were also disappointed to find that FXTM’s trading costs are higher than other brokers and that it charges fees for all withdrawals. The range of instruments is also quite limited compared to other brokers in South Africa. 

Overall, FXTM has many positive features, especially for beginners, but more experienced traders may find FXTM’s limitations difficult to overlook.

Our overall Verdict on IronFX

With oversight from some of the top international regulators, including the FSCA of South Africa, and a wide range of flexible account choices, IronFX appeals to South African traders looking for a well-regulated MT4 broker with a low-deposit Cent Account and a large number of Forex pairs.

Trading is offered on multiple assets, including commodities, indices, metals, futures, shares, and over 80 Forex pairs, a larger range than is typically seen at other brokers. Traders can choose between seven live flexible accounts, including a low-deposit Cent Account that appeals to beginners who prefer to make smaller trades measured in micro-lots. 

Some drawbacks for traders considering IronFX are that platform support is limited to MT4, and there are few educational and market analysis materials available, forcing traders to self-educate with other third-party platforms.

Which broker has the highest overall rating?

FXTM has an overall rating of 4.37 and IronFX has an overall rating of 3.64. For more detail please read our reviews of FXTM and IronFX.