IC Markets vs Exness 2026: Which Broker is Better for Papua New Guinea Traders?
Which broker is better for Papua New Guinea traders in 2026? Expert analysis across 12 categories.
For Papua New Guinea traders seeking a reliable forex broker, the choice often narrows down to IC Markets and Exness—two globally recognized brokers with 4.8/5 ratings. Both offer robust trading conditions, multiple asset classes, and support for popular local payment methods like Bank Transfer, Skrill, Neteller, and USDT. However, key differences in spreads, leverage, and account types can significantly impact your trading experience. IC Markets is known for its ultra-low spreads and ECN execution, ideal for scalpers and algorithmic traders. Exness, on the other hand, offers flexible leverage options and faster withdrawal processing, making it attractive for traders who prioritize liquidity access and account flexibility. This comparison will help you decide which broker aligns better with your trading goals in Papua New Guinea, considering local regulatory context and available deposit methods.
| Instrument | IC Markets | Exness | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD avg spread | 0.09 pips + $3.5/lot | 0.0 pips + $3.5/lot | Exness |
| XAU/USD (Gold) | $0.14 typical | $0.12 typical | Exness |
| GBP/USD avg spread | 0.29 pips | 0.23 pips | Exness |
| Standard acc spread | from 1.0 pips | from 0.8 pips | Exness |
| ECN commission | $3.5/lot/side | $3.5/lot/side | Tie |
| Min deposit | $200 | $10 | Exness |
| Inactivity fee | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
When comparing trading costs for Papua New Guinea traders, IC Markets holds a slight edge with its Raw Spread account offering spreads from 0.0 pips and a commission of $3.50 per lot per side. Exness offers a Zero account with spreads from 0.1 pips and a commission of $3.50 per lot per side, while its Standard account has no commission but wider spreads. For a Papua New Guinea trader executing 10 standard lots per month, IC Markets could save approximately $70 in spread costs compared to Exness Standard account. Both brokers offer competitive pricing, but IC Markets is more cost-effective for high-volume traders.
| Account Type | IC Markets | Exness |
|---|---|---|
| Standard account | ✓ | ✓ |
| ECN / Raw spread | ✓ | ✓ |
| Islamic (swap-free) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Demo account | ✓ | ✓ |
| PAMM / MAM account | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zero spread account | ✓ | ✓ |
| Copy trading | ✗ | ✗ |
| VPS trading | ✓ | ✓ |
| Min deposit | $200 | $10 |
| Neg. balance protection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Entity / Asset | IC Markets | Exness |
|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea (offshore) | Up to 1:500 | Up to 1:2000 |
| Forex major pairs | 1:500 | 1:2000 |
| Gold (XAU/USD) | 1:200 | 1:200 |
| Indices | 1:100 | 1:100 |
| Cryptocurrencies | 1:2 to 1:10 | 1:2 to 1:10 |
| Margin call level | 80% | 80% |
| Stop out level | 50% | 50% |
| Asset Class | IC Markets | Exness | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex pairs | 90+ | 65+ | IC Markets |
| Gold (XAU/USD) | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Oil (WTI/Brent) | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Stock indices | 25+ indices | 20+ indices | IC Markets |
| Crypto CFDs | 30+ | 20+ | IC Markets |
| Stocks / Share CFDs | ✗ | ✗ | Exness |
| ETFs | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Options | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Futures | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Platform | IC Markets | Exness |
|---|---|---|
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | ✓ | ✓ |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | ✓ | ✓ |
| cTrader | ✓ | ✗ |
| TradingView | ✗ | ✗ |
| Expert Advisors (EAs) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scalping allowed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hedging allowed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fixed spreads | ✗ | ✗ |
| Variable spreads | ✓ | ✓ |
Both IC Markets and Exness provide the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms, which are widely used by Papua New Guinea traders for their advanced charting tools and automated trading capabilities. IC Markets also offers cTrader, a platform popular among scalpers for its fast execution and advanced order types. Exness provides a proprietary WebTerminal for quick access without installation. For Papua New Guinea traders who prefer mobile trading, both brokers have fully functional mobile apps compatible with iOS and Android. IC Markets' cTrader is a unique advantage for those needing advanced order management.
| Factor | IC Markets | Exness | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Execution model | ECN/STP | True ECN | Exness |
| Avg execution speed | ~30ms | ~40ms | IC Markets |
| Slippage | Very low | Very low | Tie |
| Requotes | Very rare | Very rare | Tie |
| Dealing desk | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Scalping allowed | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| News trading | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| EA / Bot trading | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
IC Markets is renowned for its ECN execution with low latency and no requotes, making it ideal for scalpers and algorithmic traders in Papua New Guinea. Exness also offers fast execution with its proprietary infrastructure, but may have occasional slippage during high volatility. Both brokers provide execution speeds under 50 milliseconds on average. For Papua New Guinea traders using Expert Advisors (EAs), IC Markets' cTrader platform offers superior execution transparency with Level II pricing.
| Safety Factor | IC Markets | Exness |
|---|---|---|
| Primary regulator | ASIC | FCA |
| Reg number | #335692 | #730729 |
| Verify registration | Verify ↗ | Verify ↗ |
| Top-tier regulated | ✓ | ✓ |
| Investor protection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Segregated funds | ✓ | ✓ |
| Neg. balance protection | ✓ | ✓ |
IC Markets is regulated by top-tier authorities including ASIC (Australia) and CySEC (Cyprus), while Exness holds licenses from FCA (UK), CySEC, and FSA (Seychelles). For Papua New Guinea traders, neither broker is directly regulated by the local financial regulator, but both operate under international standards. This means Papua New Guinea traders benefit from strong investor protection measures such as segregated client funds and negative balance protection offered by these regulators. Exness also offers a more flexible leverage environment for professional traders outside strict EU regulations, which can be advantageous for Papua New Guinea residents seeking higher leverage.
| Payment Method | IC Markets | Exness |
|---|---|---|
| Bank Wire Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Visa / Mastercard | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skrill | ✓ | ✓ |
| Neteller | ✓ | ✓ |
| USDT / Crypto | ✓ | ✓ |
| Deposit fee | None | None |
| Withdrawal time | E-wallets instant-24hrs; Cards 3-5 business days (up to 10); Int'l bank wire up to 14 days | 24/7 automated; 98% instant to 24hrs; mobile money often instant; bank transfer 1-3 days |
| Min withdrawal | $50 | $50 |
Papua New Guinea traders have several convenient deposit and withdrawal options at both brokers. IC Markets supports Bank Transfer, Skrill, Neteller, and USDT (Tether) with instant processing for e-wallets and crypto. Minimum deposit is $200 for most methods. Exness also accepts Bank Transfer, Skrill, Neteller, and USDT, with a lower minimum deposit of just $10 for e-wallets and USDT. Withdrawals at Exness are typically processed within 24 hours for e-wallets and USDT, while IC Markets processes withdrawals within 1 business day. For bank transfers, both brokers may take 2-5 business days depending on the intermediary banks. USDT deposits are particularly popular among Papua New Guinea traders due to speed and low fees.
| Islamic Account Feature | IC Markets | Exness |
|---|---|---|
| Swap-free available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Admin fee instead of swap | On some instruments | On some instruments |
| MT4 / MT5 supported | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gold swap-free | ✓ | ✓ |
| Crypto swap-free | ✓ | ✓ |
| How to apply | Contact support | Contact support |
Both IC Markets and Exness offer Islamic (swap-free) accounts for Papua New Guinea Muslim traders who wish to trade in accordance with Sharia law. IC Markets provides swap-free accounts on all account types, including Standard and Raw Spread, with no swap fees on overnight positions. Exness offers Islamic accounts on its Standard and Zero accounts, but may apply a small administrative fee after a certain holding period. Papua New Guinea traders should contact each broker's support team to activate the Islamic account feature and confirm any specific conditions. IC Markets is generally more straightforward with its swap-free policy.
| Support Feature | IC Markets | Exness | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live chat | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Phone support | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Email support | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| 24/7 support | ✗ | ✓ | Exness |
| 24/5 support | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Response time (chat) | <2 minutes | <3 minutes | IC Markets |
IC Markets offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone, with multilingual agents available. Exness also provides 24/7 support through live chat, email, and phone, with a strong reputation for fast response times. For Papua New Guinea traders, both brokers have English-speaking support teams. Exness has a slight edge with its 24/7 live chat availability in multiple languages, including local time zone coverage for Papua New Guinea (GMT+10). IC Markets' support is also reliable but may have slightly longer wait times during peak hours.
| Mobile Feature | IC Markets | Exness | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS App Store rating | 4.5★ | 4.3★ | IC Markets |
| Google Play rating | 4.3★ | 4.2★ | IC Markets |
| Biometric login | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Push notifications | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Full charting on mobile | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Mobile deposit/withdrawal | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| TradingView mobile | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Dark mode | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Resource | IC Markets | Exness | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video tutorials | 100+ videos | 50+ videos | IC Markets |
| Webinars (live) | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Economic calendar | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Market analysis | Daily | Basic | IC Markets |
| Beginner resources | Excellent | Basic | IC Markets |
Choose IC Markets if you...
- Are a scalper or high-volume trader needing ultra-low spreads from 0.0 pips.
- Prefer ECN execution with no requotes and fast order fills.
- Use automated trading strategies or Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader or cTrader.
- Want a straightforward Islamic account with no hidden fees.
Choose Exness if you...
- Need flexible leverage options, including unlimited leverage for professional accounts.
- Prefer a lower minimum deposit of $10 to start trading with e-wallets or USDT.
- Value faster withdrawal processing, especially for Skrill, Neteller, and USDT.
- Want a broker with a wider range of base currencies and account types for diversification.
For Papua New Guinea traders, both IC Markets and Exness are excellent choices, but the best fit depends on your priorities. If you focus on minimizing trading costs and require raw spreads with fast execution, IC Markets is the superior option. Its ECN model and cTrader platform are ideal for scalpers and algorithmic traders. Conversely, if you value account flexibility, lower entry barriers, and faster withdrawals via Skrill, Neteller, or USDT, Exness is more accommodating. Both brokers are trusted globally and accept Papua New Guinea clients with support for local payment methods. Consider your trading volume, preferred platform, and deposit method to make the right choice. Ultimately, IC Markets edges ahead for cost-conscious traders, while Exness offers greater accessibility and leverage options.