IG vs CMC Markets: Which Spread Betting Platform Is Better? (2026)

Which is cheaper to trade with?

Neither, universally, and that is what makes this pairing interesting. Both publish their spreads openly, so rather than take either marketing page at face value I lined up the headline numbers from both official sites in August 2026.

Before the commentary, one number that is not in the table because it is not like-for-like: both firms publish execution statistics, with CMC quoting a median execution time of 0.009 seconds and IG a median of 85 milliseconds. They measure different legs of the journey from click to fill, so I would not crown a winner on those figures alone, but the useful takeaway is that neither platform will be the slow link in your trading.

Read the table honestly and forex traders should look hard at CMC. A 0.5 pip EUR/USD floor beats IG's 0.6, CMC lists more currency pairs than anyone else I have reviewed, and its FX Active tier offers raw spreads plus commission for high-volume FX traders, something IG's spread betting account simply does not have. IG's reply comes everywhere else: a wider overall market count, the tightest published US 500 spread I know of at 0.4 points, and a flat 1 point FTSE 100 that matches CMC's UK index pricing rather than beating it. On overnight costs, IG publishes a single transparent formula, an admin fee of 3.4% on spread bets or 3% on CFDs plus or minus the SONIA benchmark, which stood near 3.73% in August 2026; CMC publishes holding rates per instrument, so check the specific market you trade.

Which platform is better to trade on?

IG wins this round for me, but by a narrower margin than its size suggests, because Next Generation is the best proprietary platform any UK competitor has built. Here is how the two stacks compare when you actually sit in front of them.

CMC Next Generation: the strongest challenger platform

CMC's web platform ships with pattern recognition tools, client sentiment data and charting that needs no third-party bolt-ons to feel professional. CMC also publishes a median execution time of 0.009 seconds, runs MT4 on a separate account for those who want it, and has added TradingView connectivity for CFD accounts, which is something IG does not currently offer at all. Frequent traders can join CMC Alpha for spread discounts of 5% to 40% and up to 2% interest on unused equity. That is a serious package, and anyone who tells you CMC is a clear second on platform has not used it recently.

IG: ProRealTime and the deeper toolkit

IG's own web platform is fast and clean, with a published median execution of 85 milliseconds, but its trump card is ProRealTime, the professional charting package IG bundles free for anyone placing four or more trades a month (otherwise 30 pounds monthly). For systematic chartists, backtesters and anyone running screeners, ProRealTime is a level above what either firm's native charts offer. IG then surrounds the platform with product depth CMC does not attempt: OTC daily, weekly and monthly options, listed share dealing, and spot crypto on 150+ coins per IG's August 2026 listing, all inside one login alongside spread betting and CFDs. Both mobile apps are strong and I would score that leg a draw; this round is decided by what surrounds the apps, not the apps themselves.

Does regulation separate them?

No, and I mean that as a compliment to both. These are the two heritage names of UK leveraged trading: IG founded in 1974 and effectively the inventor of spread betting, CMC founded in 1989, both London-listed public companies, with IG promoted into the FTSE 100 in March 2026. IG operates under IG Markets Ltd (FCA reference 195355) with spread bets through IG Index Ltd (FCA reference 114059); CMC is likewise FCA authorised, and eligible clients of both firms sit behind FSCS protection of up to 85,000 pounds.

Being listed matters more than it sounds. Both firms publish audited accounts, answer to shareholders and have decades of FCA supervision behind them, which removes the counterparty anxiety that hangs over some offshore names in this industry. Spread betting profits also share the same tax treatment at both: currently free of UK capital gains tax and stamp duty for most retail traders, though tax rules depend on individual circumstances and can change. Nothing in this column should push you either way, which is precisely why the comparison comes down to cost and platform rather than trust.

So which one should you open?

IG on points, with a genuine carve-out for forex specialists, and a practical note before the reasoning: because both firms offer free demo accounts, the cheapest way to settle a platform argument is half an hour on each, and I would genuinely encourage that over taking my word for it.

Here is my reasoning in full. If your trading is 90% currency pairs, CMC's 0.5 pip EUR/USD floor, 300+ pairs and FX Active raw-spread tier make it the sharper tool, and I would not argue with that choice. For everyone else, IG's combination of 17,000+ markets, the 0.4 point US 500 spread, free ProRealTime for active users and the option to hold real shares and trade options under the same roof makes it the account you will not outgrow. I am publishing a diary of my first month day trading on IG later this month, which will show these costs in live use rather than off the rate card.

For the full picture of the winner, read my complete IG review. If you are still shortlisting, see how Capital.com measured up against IG and my comparison of IG and XTB, where the decision splits along a very different line.

FAQs

References

1. IG: spread betting costs and markets
2. CMC Markets: forex spreads and platforms
3. CMC Markets: index spreads and execution
4. The Investors Centre: my complete IG review