IC Markets vs Admirals for Papua New Guinea Traders (2026)

For Papua New Guinea traders, trading costs are a critical factor, especially when trading USD pairs like USD/PGK. IC Markets offers Raw Spread accounts with spreads from 0.0 pips and a commission of $3.50 per lot per side, resulting in total costs as low as $7 per round turn. In contrast, Admirals’ Zero account has spreads from 0.5 pips with a $3 commission per side, totaling around $8 per round turn. For high-volume traders in PNG, IC Markets saves $1 per lot, which adds up significantly over hundreds of trades. On Standard accounts, IC Markets has spreads from 0.6 pips with no commission, while Admirals’ Trade account starts at 0.8 pips. IC Markets consistently offers lower costs, making it ideal for scalpers and day traders in Papua New Guinea.

Both brokers provide MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which are the most popular platforms among Papua New Guinea retail traders. IC Markets also offers cTrader, a platform known for its advanced charting and order management, ideal for active traders. Admirals provides its proprietary WebTrader and a mobile app, but lacks cTrader. For PNG traders, IC Markets’ cTrader is a significant advantage for those requiring granular execution control. Both brokers support VPS hosting for automated trading, but IC Markets’ VPS is free for clients trading over 10 lots per month. Platform reliability and speed are crucial for Papua New Guinea traders due to internet variability, and both brokers offer stable connections, though IC Markets’ servers in New York and London provide slightly lower latency for USD pairs.

IC Markets offers ultra-fast execution with an average speed of 40 milliseconds on its Raw Spread accounts, using Equinix NY4 and LD4 data centers. Admirals provides execution speeds around 100 milliseconds on its Zero accounts. For Papua New Guinea traders, especially scalpers and algorithmic traders, IC Markets’ lower latency results in fewer slippages and better fill rates. Both brokers use No Dealing Desk (NDD) execution, but IC Markets’ infrastructure is superior for high-frequency trading.

IC Markets is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), while Admirals is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK and CySEC. Neither broker is directly regulated by Papua New Guinea's local financial regulator, but both operate legally under international licenses. For PNG traders, this means client funds are kept in segregated accounts and covered by negative balance protection. Admirals’ FCA regulation offers a higher level of investor protection, including access to the Financial Ombudsman Service. IC Markets’ ASIC regulation ensures strict compliance but lacks the compensation scheme of the FCA. Both brokers are considered safe for Papua New Guinea traders, but Admirals provides a slight edge in regulatory safety net.

Papua New Guinea traders can fund their accounts at both IC Markets and Admirals using Bank Transfer, Skrill, Neteller, and USDT. IC Markets processes Skrill and Neteller deposits instantly with no fees, while USDT deposits are confirmed within minutes. Bank Transfer deposits take 1-3 business days and may incur intermediary bank charges. Admirals also supports these methods but charges a 1% fee on Skrill and Neteller deposits for amounts under $500. Withdrawals at IC Markets are free via Skrill and Neteller, while bank wire withdrawals cost $20. Admirals offers free withdrawals for Skrill and Neteller but charges $25 for bank transfers. USDT withdrawals are free at both brokers. Minimum deposit is $200 for IC Markets and $100 for Admirals, making Admirals more accessible for starting traders. Both brokers process withdrawals within 24 hours for e-wallets and USDT.

Both IC Markets and Admirals offer Islamic (swap-free) accounts for Muslim traders in Papua New Guinea. IC Markets provides swap-free accounts on Standard and Raw Spread accounts, waiving all overnight interest charges. Admirals also offers Islamic accounts on request, with no swap fees on forex pairs. Both brokers require a declaration of Muslim faith to qualify. IC Markets’ Islamic accounts are available immediately upon request, while Admirals may take 1-2 business days to activate. For Papua New Guinea Muslim traders, IC Markets offers a more seamless process. However, both brokers limit swap-free status to 30 days on some instruments, after which a management fee may apply. It’s important to review terms before opening an Islamic account.

IC Markets provides 24/7 multilingual customer support via live chat, email, and phone, with agents available in English and several other languages. Admirals offers 24/5 support with live chat and phone, but response times can be slower during weekends. For Papua New Guinea traders, IC Markets’ round-the-clock support is beneficial due to time zone differences. Both brokers have extensive FAQ sections and knowledge bases, but IC Markets’ live chat is typically faster, with average response under 30 seconds.