IG and CMC Markets are the two titans of UK spread betting. Both are London Stock Exchange-listed, FCA-regulated, and have decades of track record. But they differ in meaningful ways that could affect your trading.
Head-to-Head
| Feature | IG | CMC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1974 | 1989 |
| Markets | 16,000+ | 12,000+ |
| Min deposit | £250 | £0 |
| FTSE spread | from 1 pt | from 1 pt |
| EUR/USD spread | from 0.6 pips | from 0.7 pips |
| API access | Yes (REST) | No |
| Algo trading | ProRealTime | MT4 EAs |
| TradingView | Yes | No |
| Our score | 95/100 | 91/100 |
The Verdict
Choose IG if: you want the widest market range, API access for algo trading, or TradingView integration. IG is the more complete package for advanced traders. See our broker selection guide for what else to evaluate.
Choose CMC if: you want the best proprietary platform, no minimum deposit, or don't need API access. CMC's Next Generation platform is genuinely excellent for manual trading.
Both are excellent choices. You genuinely can't go wrong with either — it comes down to whether you prioritise platform polish (CMC) or ecosystem breadth (IG). See our broker rankings for how they compare against the full field, or compare brokers side by side.
