Tickmill vs Exness vs IC Markets
for gold.
All three are our IB partners. We compare them the way we publish trades: with the numbers, the drawbacks and the countries they do not accept.
Tickmill
Our primary- $100 minimum = exactly our qualifying deposit.
- Raw account: gold from 0.0, avg ~$0.09–0.13, $3 per side on metals.
- FCA, CySEC, FSCA, DFSA, FSA Seychelles.
- Withdrawals in about one business day, no broker fees.
Exness
- Standard account from ~$10; instant withdrawals to e-wallets and crypto, 24/7.
- Raw Spread: gold avg ~$0.04 + $3.50/side. Zero: 0.0 for 95% of the day + commission.
- Widest acceptance across Africa, Asia and LATAM; swap-free gold in many regions.
- Standard account gold spread is wide — use Pro or Raw for signals.
IC Markets
- $200 minimum; deep ECN liquidity, gold Raw avg ~$0.05–0.10 + $3–3.50 per side.
- MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView — the widest platform choice.
- ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, SCB, CMA.
- Swaps run higher than peers; matters if you hold gold overnight.
Our qualifying deposit for VIP is $100 with any partner. Broker minimums shown are the brokers' own. Register through our buttons only.
| Tickmill | Exness | IC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded · HQ | 2014 · London | 2008 · Cyprus (global HQ) | 2007 · Sydney |
| Regulated entities | FCA (UK), CySEC (EU), FSCA (ZA), DFSA (UAE), FSA (Seychelles) | FSA (Seychelles), FSCA (ZA), CMA (KE); CySEC/FCA for professional clients only | ASIC (AU), CySEC (EU), FSA (Seychelles), SCB (Bahamas), CMA (KE) |
| Broker minimum deposit | $100 (all accounts) | ~$10 Standard (varies by country/method) · $200 Pro/Raw/Zero | $200 |
| Gold spread — commission-free | Classic ~ $0.22 avg | Standard ~ $0.16–0.35 · Pro ~ $0.11–0.15 | Standard ~ $0.15–0.21 |
| Gold spread — raw + commission | Raw ~ $0.09–0.13 + $3/side ($6 RT) | Raw ~ $0.04 + $3.50/side · Zero 0.0 (95% of day) + $3.50–5.50/side | Raw ~ $0.05–0.10 + $3/side MT · $3.50/side cTrader |
| Approx. all-in cost, 1 lot gold, raw | ~ $15–19 | ~ $11 (Raw) · ~ $7–11 (Zero) | ~ $11–16 |
| Max leverage on gold (offshore) | up to 1:500 (1:1000 on FX) | up to 1:2000; "unlimited" under conditions | up to 1:500 (1:1000 on FX) |
| Leverage under EU/UK/AU entity | 1:30 retail | n/a — retail not served | 1:30 retail (1:20 gold in AU) |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, TradingView, Tickmill Trader | MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal + app | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView |
| Execution | Market, ~0.20 s | Market (Instant on Pro — requotes possible) | ECN, market |
| Swap-free (Islamic) | Yes | Yes — extended swap-free on gold in many regions | Yes (flat financing fee applies) |
| Deposit methods | Cards, wire, UnionPay, FasaPay, STICPAY, local e-wallets | Cards, crypto, Skrill/Neteller/Perfect Money, M-Pesa & mobile money, local banking | Cards, wire, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, UnionPay, local banking (Thai, VN), Klarna |
| Withdrawal speed · fees | ~1 business day · $0 (min $25 wire/e-wallet, $225 card) | Instant for e-wallets/crypto, 24/7 · $0 (1–3 days bank) | Same day for e-wallets · $0 |
| Inactivity fee | None | None | None |
| What to watch | Raw commission rose $2→$3 per side in 2026 · Trustpilot public rating suspended in 2026 · appears on Malaysia SCM alert and Indonesia BAPPEBTI block lists · stop-loss slippage complaints around news | Standard account gold spread is wide — wrong account for tight signals · extreme leverage is a trap for small balances · offshore regulation for most clients | Highest swap rates of the three · $200 entry · thin education, but you have ours |
Typical values compiled from broker pages and independent reviews; spreads widen at news. Confirm on the broker's live spread page before funding.
Tickmill
Not accepted: United States, Canada, Singapore, India, Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar (Burma), Sudan, Syria, North Korea, Cuba.
Served by regulated entities (no IB attachment): United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus.
Some reviewers also list Turkey, Pakistan, Kenya and several Gulf states as restricted for the global entity; the signup page will tell you definitively.
Exness
Not accepted: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Russia, Israel, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Finland, Hungary, Croatia, Greece.
Widely accepted across Africa, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America — usually with local payment methods. Minimum deposit and methods depend on your country of residence.
IC Markets
Not accepted: United States, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Japan, Iran, North Korea, Syria.
Served by regulated entities (no IB attachment): Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus.
UK residents are routed via CySEC or Seychelles. Good fit for Asia (Thai and Vietnamese local banking), LATAM and Africa via the Seychelles or Kenya entities.
Country guides: Brazil · Egypt · India · Indonesia · Kenya · Nigeria · Pakistan · Philippines · South Africa · Vietnam