Beware! IST Markets is an offshore broker! Your investment may be at risk.
RECOMMENDED FOREX BROKERS
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Open trading accounts with at least two brokers.
IST Markets is an offshore broker that offers unimpressive trading conditions and falsely claims to be authorised and regulated. In this review, we will look at what this broker is all about and what better alternatives you have.
IST Markets Regulation and safety of funds
| Guaranteed Funds | Segregated Accounts | Negative balance protection | |
| IST Markets | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| UK regulated brokers | £85 000 | Yes | Yes |
| EU regulated brokers | €20 000 | Yes | Yes |
| AU regulated brokers | No | Yes | Yes |
| US regulted brokers | Yes | Yes | No |
The most important information about a financial services provider is its regulatory status. Licensed brokers provide detailed information about which company runs them, where it is based, which jurisdictions it is authorised in and which regulatory bodies oversee its activities.
IST Markets insists that it is a regulated broker, but this is misleading to say the least.
The company that owns and operates this website is IST Markets LTD, which is listed as being based in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Such a company can indeed be found among those registered in the SVG. But this does not provide any guarantees of customer protection.
SVG is an offshore zone with no broker regulations in place. As soon as you open the website of the local Financial Services Authority you see a warning that the institution does not licence forex and other types of brokers and does not supervise the activities of International Business Companies engaged in such activities.
If you have decided to invest in financial instruments, and especially if you are a novice trader, you should use the services of a licensed broker based in a jurisdiction with strong regulations.
Depending on your location, it is advisable to choose a company that is regulated by an institution such as Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the US, Australian Securities and Exchanges Commission (ASIC), UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or some EU regulator like Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
IST Markets Trading software
| Analytical tools | Auto trading | Custom indicators | Mobile apps | |
| IST Markets MT5 | 50+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
| MT4 | 30+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
| MT5 | 50+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
| cTrader | 40+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
IST Markets offers its traders the industry-standard trading platform MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Here’s what it looks like:
You could always use the services of a regulated broker, the vast majority of which offer clients MT5 or the still very popular MT4. This will enable you to use the advanced features of these platforms without fear of being scammed. These platforms are preferred by the majority of brokers around the world because of their powerful automated trading capabilities, including Expert Advisor bots and customised scripts for backtesting trading strategies.
IST Markets Trading instruments
| Currency | Stocks | Indices | Crypto | Commodities | |
| IST Markets | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| XM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FBS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FXTM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
IST Markets offers trading in forex, indices, stocks, metals and other commodities.
IST Markets Spreads and cost of trading
| IST Markets | XM | FBS | FXTM | |
| Spread EURUSD | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1 | 1.1 |
| Spread GBPUSD | 2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Spread USDJPY | 2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
Clients of this broker have a choice between three account types, with the client paying either the spread only or the raw spread plus a commission of 6 USD per lot.
Although IST Markets advertises very low spreads, we see levels of over 2 pips in the trading platform, which is very uncompetitive and unprofitable for the trader.
IST Markets Maximum leverage
| Forex | Stocks | Crypto | Gold | Indices | |
| IST Marketsr | 500:1 | 200:1 | 200:1 | 200:1 | 200:1 |
| UK regulated brokers | 30:1 | 5:1 | ❌ | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| EU regulated brokers | 30:1 | 5:1 | 2:1 | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| AU regulated brokers | 30:1 | 5:1 | 2:1 | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| US regulated brokers | 50:1 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
IST Markets offers a high leverage of up to 1:500. Regulated brokers do not offer such levels to retail traders as trading with high leverage carries risks of sudden and excessive losses.
IST Markets also advertises many types of bonuses, which is also prohibited by most financial regulators. On the website we found the terms and conditions described for only one of the bonuses offered.
If you are willing to take the risk of trading with high leverage and benefit from bonuses and promotions, the best option is to invest through an offshore division of an established brand.
IST Markets Deposit and withdrawal methods
| Deposit time | Withdrawal time | Price | |
| Credit card | Instant | 24 hours | Not specified |
| Crypto | 24 hours | 24 hours | Fee depends on crypto |
The website claims that a wide variety of payment methods are available. But in the deposit menu itself, we only see options for cryptocurrencies and credit cards through obscure payment processors.
IST Markets Minimum deposit
| IST Markets | XM | FBS | FXTM | |
| Minimum deposit | $100 | $5 | $10 | $5 |
You can open a starter account with IST Markets for 100 USD. For a significantly lesser amount, you could start trading through one of the industry’s leading brands.
IST Markets Withdrawal requirements
| Trading volume | Fee/Tax on withdrawal | Minimum withdrawal | |
| IST Markets | 5 lots | Not specified | Not specified |
| UK regulated brokers | No | No | No |
| EU regulated brokers | No | No | No |
| AU regulated brokers | No | No | No |
| US regulated brokers | No | No | No |
If the account has used a bonus, it can withdraw profits after trading a commutative volume of 5 lots.
