IFX Brokers vs. XM

10 Best Volatility 75 Index Forex Brokers in South Africa

Overall Comparison

FEATURE

IFX Brokers

XM

General comparison

4/5

4/5

Regulation

5/5

3/5

Spreads and fees

4/5

3/5

Trading Platforms

4/5

4/5

Trading Apps

4/5

4/5

Analytical Tools

4/5

4/5

Educational Resources

5/5

5/5

Trust Score

93

80

Best in class

x

Regulation Comparison

FEATURE

IFX Brokers

XM

Trust score

93

93

Year Founded

2018

2009

Publically Traded

No

No

Licensed in South Africa

Yes

No

Assets Comparison

FEATURE

IFX Brokers

XM

Forex

Yes

Yes

CFDs

Yes

Yes

Number of Forex pairs

60

57

US Stock Trading

No

Yes

International Stock Trading

No

Yes

Cryptocurrency CFDs

Yes

Yes

Fees Comparison

FEATURE

IFX Brokers

XM

Average Spread for EUR/USD

0.2 pips

1.6 pips

Commissions Charged

Yes

Yes

ECN Execution

Yes

No

Market Maker Execution

No

Yes

Deposit Options Comparison

FEATURE

IFX Brokers

XM

Deposit fees

No

No

Bank wire

Yes

Yes

MasterCard

Yes

Yes

PayPal

No

No

Skrill

Yes

Yes

Minimum Deposit

$100

$5

Trading Platforms Comparison

FEATURE

IFX Brokers

XM

Desktop Platform

Yes

Yes

Mobile App

Yes

Yes

Social Trading

Yes

Yes

MetaTrader 4

Yes

Yes

MetaTrader 5

Yes

Yes

cTrader

No

No

DupliTrade

No

No

ZuluTrade

No

No

Proprietary Platform

No

No

Analytical Tools Comparison

FEATURE

IFX Brokers

XM

Economic Calendar

Yes

Yes

Social Sentiment

Yes

Yes

Trading Central

No

Yes

AutoChartist

No

Yes

Forex News Sources

Yes

Yes

Daily Market Commentary

Yes

Yes

Educational Resources Comparison

FEATURE

IFX Brokers

XM

Offers education

Yes

Yes

Webinars

Yes

Yes

Beginner training videos

Yes

Yes

Advanced training videos

Yes

Yes

Glossary

No

No

Majors Offered

FEATURE

IFX Brokers

XM

GBP/USD

Yes

Yes

USD/JPY

Yes

Yes

EUR/USD

Yes

Yes

USD/CHF

Yes

Yes

USD/CAD

Yes

Yes

NZD/USD

Yes

Yes

AUD/USD

Yes

Yes

IFX Brokers vs XM

We spent many hours thoroughly examining the best-in-class Forex brokers for 2022. Here, we take a closer look at IFX Brokers vs XM.

 

Which offers better pricing – IFX Brokers or XM?

IFX Brokers offers a tighter spread of 0.2 pips on the EUR/USD while XM offers a wider spread of 1.6 pips for the same currency pair.

Both brokers charge commission, although IFX Brokers only charges commissions on its VIP Account, while XM charges a commission for every position opened on the Zero Account.

 

Which broker offers more security when trading Forex and CFDs?

IFX Brokers is a South African broker which is licensed and regulated by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa, which is the leading financial regulator in the country and ensures that brokers operate with a high degree of transparency and legality.

While XM is well-regulated in several international jurisdictions, the broker does not currently hold an FSCA license to operate in South Africa.

 

Which broker offers the superior trading platform?

Both IFX Brokers and XM provide access to the full MetaQuotes suite of trading platforms, consisting of MT4 and MT5. As such, traders can enjoy access to one of the best-in-class forms of trading software which is suited to both beginner and advanced traders.

 

Do these traders both offer MetaTrader?

Yes, both IFX Brokers and XM provide access to MT4 and MT5, comprising the full suite of trading platforms from MetaQuotes.

 

How many Forex pairs can I expect from these brokers?

IFX Brokers offers 60 Forex currency pairs, while XM slightly fewer currency pairs at 57, although both brokers offer the same range of majors to traders.

 

Is it safe to trade with IFX Brokers?

Because the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), the most powerful regulatory agency in South Africa, has granted IFX Brokers a full license to operate as a foreign exchange broker in South Africa, it is perfectly safe for South African traders to open accounts with IFX Brokers.

 

Is it safe to trade with XM?

XM is subject to the oversight of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom as well as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), but not the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa.

XM’s South African customers will trade through a business that is regulated by the Belize International Financial Services Commission (IFSC), which is usually regarded as a weak regulator.

Traders are not eligible for compensation from XM in the event that the company goes out of business.

Although it is not required by the IFSC, XM protects traders by keeping its client funds and company funds in separate accounts at top-tier banks. Additionally, XM offers traders automatic negative balance protection, which ensures that traders cannot incur losses that are greater than the amount that they initially deposited.

 

Who is IFX Brokers?

The IFX Brokers company was founded in South Africa and offers online trading services. The core ideals that guide the corporation are dedication, openness, and trust.

Through its state-of-the-art MetaTrader 4 trading platform, the company provides private and institutional investors with a convenient one-stop-shop for trading and investing in a wide range of financial instruments online.

Foreign exchange, indexes, commodities, energy metals, and futures are all examples of such goods. Trading under the name “IFX Brokers,” IFX Brokers Holdings (Pty) Ltd is a South African firm authorized to do business in the country by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority. In 1999, IFX Brokers opened its doors to the public.

Futures, commodities, indices, energy, and metals are just some of the many financial assets that may be traded thanks to the IFX brokers.

When opening an IFX account, you’ll have the option of using any of the four following base currencies:

There are four different currencies in play here: the South African Rand (ZAR), the British Pound (GBP), the US Dollar (USD), and the Euro (EUR).

The key point to keep in mind here is that the sort of account you open will determine the base currency you will use.

In contrast to the raw spread account, which employs only the ZAR and the USD as base currencies, the standard account also uses the British Pound (GBP), the Euro, and the United States Dollar.

A total of 85 different indicators are included in IFX’s complete MT4 upgrade package, making it one of the most comprehensive options out there.

Despite the fact that IFX’s trading platform does not support automated trading, this shows the exchange’s commitment to this market segment. Though IFX’s MT4 trading platform does not include the MAM/PAMM module, it does include a copy-trading feature.

The software is available as a desktop application for use on PCs and Macs, as well as a mobile app for use on smartphones and tablets running Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS.

Not only does IFX Brokers provide access to True ECN, but they also have competitive spreads on the market. To price into the broker’s ECN, approximately 50 banks and dark pool liquidity sources are available at all times. It aids in keeping spreads tight and liquidity strong throughout the trading day.

A wealth of educational materials are offered from the IFX Brokers as part of their IFX Academy program.

To help its users learn more about the trading world, IFX maintains an academy where they may access materials geared toward different skill levels.

All course materials and assignments will be sent electronically, and you’ll be able to work through them at your own leisure.

IFX’s customer service staff is available around the clock, five days a week. An additional component of the IFX website is a section labeled “Contact Us,” where visitors can enter information such as their phone numbers and physical mailing addresses. Social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter also facilitate interaction with them.

 

Who is XM?

There are lower costs than average, top-notch resources for learning, and an easy-to-use trading platform at XM.

Trading with XM is an excellent alternative for most South African traders because of their vast customer base and solid reputation. It also provides traders with a wide variety of helpful resources, such as bonuses and incentives.

The fact that XM is not controlled by the South African FSCA is the biggest problem. Instead, traders from South Africa will deal with XM’s Belizean subsidiary, which is subject to lax regulation.

The XM App, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5 are the three mobile trading platforms available, making XM the most flexible broker in this regard. There is full support for both iOS and Android.

The MT4 and MT5 trading apps offered by XM have the same features as their desktop and web-based counterparts. Traders have access to the same instruments and charts as those using MT5 at XM (however share CFD trading is MT5-exclusive).

All order kinds in the trading system are also accessible. All that’s changed between the mobile versions of MT4 and MT5 is the quantity of indicators available.

When compared to competing brokers, XM’s in-house curation of research data and its technical analysis tools come out on top. In addition to being compatible with MT4 and MT5, it also features a number of its own trading tools.

Markets Overview, News, XM Research, Trade Ideas, Technical Summaries, Economic Calendar, XM TV, and Podcasts are all part of XM’s market analysis division.