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FX broker comparison: IC Markets, Exness, XS

NEXUS Research Team · Checked 2026-10-05

Choose the account that fits the instruments you trade by comparing leverage, spreads and fund protection. Conditions come from each broker’s official pages and help center.

Which one to pick

Gold and silver with high leverage: XS (EQ accounts on MT5 only)
Crypto (BTCUSD): Exness (fixed 1:400)
Raw spreads and cTrader: IC Markets

Open an account with any one of the three, then open a ticket in #verify-account on Discord to unlock the bonus signal pairs.

XS: maximum leverage per instrument

Instrument	Max leverage	Applies to
Gold (XAUUSD)	1:2000	Equity up to $5,000
Silver (XAGUSD)	1:2000	Equity up to $1,000
FX majors	1:2000	Equity up to ¥450,000
Stock indices	1:500	Equity up to ¥150,000
BTC & ETH	1:200	Equity up to ¥150,000

Source: XS official “Equity-based dynamic leverage” page (checked 2026-10-04). EQ account types on MT5 only; leverage falls as equity grows. New positions opened around major news, before the Friday close and after the Monday open are capped at 1:200.

Gold tiers (equity, USD)

≤ 5,000	≤ 10,000	≤ 20,000	≤ 50,000	≤ 100,000	≤ 200,000	≤ 400,000	> 400,001
1:2000	1:1000	1:500	1:200	1:100	1:50	1:25	1:10

Silver tiers (equity, USD)

≤ 1,000	≤ 3,000	≤ 10,000	≤ 20,000	≤ 50,000	≤ 100,000	≤ 200,000	≤ 400,000	> 400,001
1:2000	1:1000	1:400	1:200	1:100	1:50	1:20	1:10	1:5

Visit XS

Exness

Account types	Standard (from 0.2 pips, no commission), Pro (from 0.1 pips, no commission), Zero (from 0 pips, from $0.05 per side per lot), Raw Spread (from 0 pips, up to $3.50 per side per lot)
Leverage	Up to “unlimited” when eligible, including gold
Crypto leverage	Fixed 1:400 on BTCUSD and others
Withdrawals	Exness states that over 98% of withdrawal requests are processed automatically, available around the clock (processing time varies by payment method)
Platforms	MT4, MT5 and Exness Terminal
Entity	Exness (SC) Ltd (FSA Seychelles, SD025)

Source: Exness account and instrument pages and help center; the automated-withdrawal figure is Exness’s own statement (2026-10-05).

Visit Exness

IC Markets

Account types	Raw Spread (from 0.0 pips; EUR/USD average 0.1 pips), Standard (spread only), cTrader Raw
Commission	Raw: $3.50 per side per lot
Leverage	Depends on the entity: up to 1:30 under ASIC and CySEC, up to 1:500 at the Seychelles entity
Minimum deposit	$200
Platforms	MT4, MT5 and cTrader
Entity	Raw Trading Ltd (FSA Seychelles, SD018)

Source: IC Markets website and comparison sites (2026-10-05).

Visit IC Markets

Fund protection and insurance

Broker	Insurance	Source
IC Markets	Client funds insurance underwritten by Lloyd’s of London, up to US$1,000,000 (the official wording is “for all claimants”). Covers balance and open CFD positions, and applies only if Raw Trading Ltd becomes insolvent. No opt-in or extra cost.	Confirmed officiallyIC Markets
XS	Civil liability insurance through Lloyd’s of London, up to US$5,000,000 for losses above US$10,000 caused by XS’s negligence, fraud or failure to perform, or in insolvency. Automatic with a live account, at no cost.	Confirmed officiallyXS (Japanese page)

Insurance is not a deposit guarantee. It has covered events, limits and excesses, so you may not recover your full balance. Offshore entities such as those in Seychelles usually have no national investor compensation scheme. Protection depends on the entity that holds your account, so confirm it on the official site before applying.

Cautions

High leverage magnifies losses as well as gains, and you can lose more than your deposit in some cases.
Accounts opened from Japan usually sit with the Seychelles entity, which is not registered with Japan’s FSA.
Terms vary by entity, region and account type, and they change. Confirm the latest on the official site.

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