Charles Stanley Direct vs IC Markets - BrokerCue
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Broker Comparison

Charles Stanley Direct vs IC Markets

Compare Charles Stanley Direct and IC Markets side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

UK long-term investors and fund holders

Charles Stanley Direct is a UK investment platform launched in 2013, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISA…

VS
IC Markets

IC Markets

Active forex and CFD traders

IC Markets is a Forex and CFD broker offering MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, with raw spreads from 0.0 pi…

Head-to-head comparison

Charles Stanley Direct vs IC Markets
Feature Charles Stanley Direct IC Markets
Minimum deposit - Raw Spread, cTrader and Standard accounts: $0; Raw Pro: $5,000; Raw Pro+: $100,000
Stock trading fee £10 per online trade; telephone dealing 1% (min £25, max £100) ASX market data fee fixed at $22 AUD per month; ASX Share CFDs minimum commission fee of $7 AUD per trade
Regulators FCA FSA, CySEC
Best for UK long-term investors and fund holders Active forex and CFD traders
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
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Forex
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CFDs
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Crypto
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Bonds
Futures
-
Funds
-
Isa
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Sipp
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Investment Plans
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Ready Made Portfolios
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Business Account
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Demo Account
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Pros & cons

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

Pros

  • FCA regulated with FSCS protection
  • Wide range of accounts: ISA, SIPP, Junior ISA, GIA, business account
  • Access to 12,500+ UK and international investments
  • No inactivity fee
  • No deposit or withdrawal fees
  • £50 trading credit every six months offsets dealing costs
  • In-house research and market commentary
  • Flexible ISA feature uncommon among competitors

Cons

  • No demo account
  • £10 per trade for shares, ETFs and investment trusts is among the highest of UK platforms
  • Annual platform fee minimum of £60 disadvantages smaller portfolios
  • Annual fee cap raised to £600 in 2024, increasing costs for mid-size portfolios
  • FX conversion charge of 1% on trades under £10,000
  • Bonds and gilts available by telephone only
  • No fractional shares
  • Basic mobile app lacks advanced charting and research tools
IC Markets

IC Markets

Pros

  • Raw spreads start from 0.0 pips
  • Raw Spread, cTrader and Standard accounts have $0 minimum deposit
  • Standard account shows $0 commission
  • IC charges no additional deposit or withdrawal fees
  • Average execution speed is under 40ms
  • 24-hour trading on over 100 leading US stocks
  • Free demo account is available

Cons

  • Raw Pro+ requires a $100,000 minimum deposit
  • Raw Pro requires a $5,000 minimum deposit
  • MetaTrader Raw Spread charges $3.50 per lot per side
  • ASX market data costs $22 AUD per month
  • ASX Share CFDs have a $7 AUD minimum commission per trade
  • International bank wire withdrawals may take up to 14 days
  • Withdrawal processing fee may apply if deposits were not used for trading
Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct is a UK investment platform launched in 2013, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISA, SIPP and Junior ISA accounts with in-house research.

Visit Charles Stanley Direct Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

IC Markets

IC Markets

IC Markets is a Forex and CFD broker offering MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, with raw spreads from 0.0 pips and forex, stocks, bonds, futures and crypto CFDs.

Visit IC Markets Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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