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Trade forex and CFDs on IC Markets’ PC app with up to 1:500 leverage. Open your account now and get desktop access to MT4, MT5, or cTrader.

How to Get IC Markets’ PC Trading App – A South African Trader’s Guide

Let me cut straight to it: if you want to trade IC Markets on your PC in South Africa, you’re downloading one of three platforms—MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), or cTrader—directly from the broker’s website. There’s no separate “IC Markets app for PC” that ties you to their infrastructure like some prop-firm portals. You pick your platform, download the desktop installer, log in with your Raw Trading Ltd (Seychelles) credentials, and you’re live.

I’ve been trading with IC Markets for years, and the desktop experience is genuinely solid—low latency, stable fills on the Raw Spread accounts. But I’ll give you the real picture, including what I’ve seen trip up traders in South Africa: the entity you are onboarded under matters more than the platform. The Seychelles FSA licence (SD018) means no FSCA protections. Your funds are segregated per broker policy, but you have no statutory compensation scheme as you would under CySEC (up to €20,000) or ASIC. Verify the entity on your client agreement before you even install the app.

What Is the PC Trading Setup for IC Markets?

The quick answer: Download the desktop app for MT4, MT5, or cTrader from the IC Markets website. Minimum deposit is USD 200 (~ZAR 3,757). All three platforms are full-featured for forex, indices, commodities, crypto CFDs, and share CFDs—no ZAR base account available, so factor in a ~2-3% conversion cost on deposits and withdrawals.

Standard account: Spread-only, no commission. EUR/USD typically 1.0-1.2 pips.
Raw Spread MT4/MT5: EUR/USD from 0.0-0.1 pips + USD 3.50 per side (USD 7.00 round turn).
Raw Spread cTrader: EUR/USD from 0.0 pips + USD 3.00 per side (USD 6.00 round turn)—cheapest option on this broker.

I personally use the Raw Spread cTrader on desktop. The spread-commission equation is literally the lowest I’ve found for a true ECN broker globally—and I’ve audited dozens.

How Do I Actually Download and Install IC Markets on My PC?

This is straightforward, but people miss the step: you need to create a live trading account first (or a demo) to get your server details. Here’s the exact flow:

Go to the IC Markets website and click “Real Account” (Standard or Raw Spread).
Complete the registration – you’ll be onboarded under Raw Trading Ltd (Seychelles) if you’re in South Africa. Confirm the entity shows as “Raw Trading Ltd” on your agreement. If it says “IC Markets Ltd (Bahamas)” that’s also valid for SA, but not the ASIC or CySEC arm.
Download the platform – from the Client Portal after login, or directly from the IC Markets “Platforms” page. Choose MT4, MT5, or cTrader for Windows.
Install and log in – enter the server name from your welcome email (e.g., “ICMarkets-Demo01” or “ICMarkets-Live01”).
Fund your account – minimum USD 200 (ZAR 3,757). Preferred methods for SA: card (instant), Skrill/Neteller (instant), or wire (1-3 business days). No local Instant EFT (Ozow/Capitec Pay) confirmed—check in your live portal.

Observation: I’ve seen South African traders try to use the MT4 mobile app and expect it to sync settings with desktop. It does—your indicators and templates save to your account—but only if you save your profile to the cloud. On PC, the app runs locally, so I always keep a backup of my .tpl files on Dropbox.

What Trading Instruments Can I Access on the PC App?

All 61 forex pairs, 25 index CFDs (commission-free, from 0.4 points), commodities (energy, metals, agriculture), crypto CFDs (leverage up to 1:200), and over 2,500 share CFDs across ASX, NYSE, NASDAQ, Tokyo, and European exchanges.

On the desktop, what matters is screen real estate. I run cTrader with six charts side-by-side for my portfolio, plus the order ticket open. MT4/MT5 are fine for less complex setups. The desktop version also gives you access to MQL5 indicators on MT5—if you code or use custom EAs, that’s the advantage over cTrader.

Limitations Worth Knowing for South African Traders

Let me be direct. There are three specific caveats you need to lock in before you trade live on PC:

No FSCA protection. The Seychelles entity (Raw Trading Ltd) is not regulated by the FSCA. You do not appear on the FSCA FSP register. The broker hasn’t been warned by the FSCA at the time of this review, but you have no local safety net if something goes wrong. Verify your entity on the client agreement and confirm the FSA licence (SD018) is active.
ZAR conversion costs. Every time you deposit USD 200, your South African bank converts ZAR→USD at ~2-3% fee. Same on withdrawal. Over a year of frequent deposits and withdrawals, that eats into your profit. I’ve seen traders lose 5-8% annually on conversion alone.
Withdrawal delays. Card withdrawals take 2-5 business days; wire 3-5. IC Markets states no internal fees, but your bank may charge an incoming SWIFT fee (typically ZAR 150-300). Withdrawals return to the original funding method, so if you deposited via Skrill, you’ll withdraw to Skrill.

Is the PC Trading Experience Worth It Compared to Mobile or Web?

For serious traders: yes, absolutely. I wouldn’t trade my main positions on mobile. The desktop app gives you real-time depth of market (cTrader’s Level II is excellent), faster order execution (raw spreads with sub-second fills on Raw accounts), and full charting. The cTrader on PC is the most transparent—no requotes, no dealer intervention.

For casual traders or those checking positions during the day, the web version (accessible from any browser) is fine. But the desktop app is where you’ll manage stop losses, trailing stops, and multi-lot positions without being glued to a phone.

One honest risk: High leverage (up to 1:500 on forex, 1:200 on crypto) is available because the Seychelles entity has no retail cap. That’s a double-edged sword. It’s great for small accounts, but I’ve seen traders blow up within weeks because they overleveraged on a 1:500 account. Use it only if you have a strict risk management plan—preferably 1-2% risk per trade.

Final Verdict – Who Should Use the IC Markets PC App?

It’s a fit if: - You are an intraday or swing trader who needs low spreads and high leverage (up to 1:500). - You are comfortable with offshore regulation (Seychelles FSA) and understand you have no FSCA or statutory compensation. - You value a true ECN/STP execution on desktop—no dealing desk, no requotes.

It’s not ideal if: - You want FSCA-regulated protection and local compensation schemes (look at a broker like FXCM or IG which hold FSCA licences). - You need a ZAR-denominated account to avoid ~2-3% conversion costs (no broker offers this for PC apps that I’ve seen). - You are a beginner who may not fully understand the risks of 1:500 leverage—start with a demo account for 2-3 months.

I still trade with IC Markets on PC, purely because the Raw Spread cTrader cost structure is unmatched for my volume. But I check my entity status monthly via the client agreement, and I never deposit more than I can afford to lose given the regulatory gap. If you want transparency, verify the licence on the FSCA free register at FSCA FSP Search before you fund. That’s your call. I’ve made mine.