Exness Raw Spread vs IC Markets Raw Spread: Cost per Lot on EUR/USD and XAU/USD

Short answer: on published commission, the two raw accounts are level at the top of Exness's range. Exness Raw Spread charges up to $3.50 each side per lot (up to $7.00 round turn), and IC Markets Raw Spread on MetaTrader charges $3.50 per side ($7.00 round turn). Both list spreads from 0.0 pips, so the cost per lot you actually pay depends on the live spread at your entry and exit, which neither broker fixes in advance.

Sources: Exness Professional accounts page and IC Markets (IC) account overview. Terms change and differ by country, so confirm both on the official sites before you trade.

The commission side, head to head

Sources: Exness Professional accounts page, Exness Help Center: Trading account types, IC Markets (IC) account overview.

The word "up to" matters. Exness states a ceiling of $3.50 per side, not a flat rate, so $7.00 is the most you should budget for on that account. Check the exact commission for your instrument in the platform's contract specification. IC Markets also lists a Raw Spread cTrader account at $3.00 per USD 100k traded; that is a different charging basis from per-lot, so check IC Markets' fee page for how it applies to your trades rather than assuming a per-lot equivalent.

The formula

• Spread cost = spread in pips x pip value x lots
• Cost per lot = spread cost + commission
• EUR/USD: $10 per pip per standard lot (100,000 units).
• XAU/USD: 100 oz per lot, so a $0.10 price move = $10 per lot. Some brokers count $0.01 as a pip, so work in price terms to avoid confusion. See the XAUUSD Pip Calculator and the Pip Calculator.

Worked example: EUR/USD

Example only. Neither broker quotes the spread below; it is one hypothetical input applied to both so only commission differs.

Assume a hypothetical 0.1 pip spread for 1 lot:

• Spread cost: 0.1 x $10 x 1 = $1.00
• Commission: $3.50 x 2 = $7.00
• Cost per lot: $1.00 + $7.00 = $8.00 (Exness at its "up to" ceiling, and IC Markets)

At a 0.0 pip spread the cost is $0 + $7.00 = $7.00. At 0.3 pips it is 0.3 x $10 = $3.00 + $7.00 = $10.00, and at 0.5 pips it is $5.00 + $7.00 = $12.00.

Scaled to a 3 lot trade at the 0.1 pip assumption: spread 0.1 x $10 x 3 = $3.00, commission 3 x $7.00 = $21.00, total $24.00.

Worked example: XAU/USD

Example only, using a hypothetical gold price of 2,400.00 for illustration; the price does not change the cost maths below.

Gold spreads are quoted in price terms. With 100 oz per lot, each $0.01 of spread costs $1.00 per lot. Assume a hypothetical $0.10 spread for 1 lot:

• Spread cost: $0.10 x 100 oz x 1 lot = $10.00
• Commission: $7.00 (the verified per-lot figure; confirm the rate applied to gold in the contract specification)
• Cost per lot: $10.00 + $7.00 = $17.00

At a $0.05 spread: $5.00 + $7.00 = $12.00. At $0.20: $20.00 + $7.00 = $27.00. For 2 lots at $0.10: spread $20.00 + commission $14.00 = $34.00.

On gold the spread usually dominates the commission, so comparing the live gold spread matters more than the $7.00 line. To size a gold trade, use the Blocktechpro Gold Lot Size Calculator.

What this comparison cannot tell you

• Real spreads. The verified facts give "from 0.0 pips" for both, which is a floor, not an average. Compare live spreads on a demo account at the hours you trade, including news and rollover.
• Exness Zero account. Exness also offers a Zero account (spreads from 0.0 pips on the top 30 instruments, which may rise above 0 in high volatility, commission from $0.05 each side per lot). The "from" rate is a minimum and not necessarily the rate on major pairs, so it is not modeled here. See Exness account types compared.
• Swaps. Swaps vary by instrument, direction and broker and are shown in the platform's contract specification. Check them if you hold overnight.
• Execution. Slippage and requotes are not in a cost-per-lot formula but affect real results.

Availability and regulation

Exness entities on the global site do not serve residents of jurisdictions including the USA, Canada, Europe, the UK, Russia and Belarus (Exness Standard accounts page). IC Markets Global does not serve residents of countries such as the United States, Canada, Iran and North Korea (IC Markets (IC) account overview). Regulation depends on the entity that opens your account, so check which one you are assigned before depositing.

How to decide

1. Pick the instrument you trade most and your typical lot size.
2. Open demo accounts for both raw types and record the spread at your usual trading times.
3. Plug the spreads into the formula above, adding $7.00 per lot round turn as the budgeting ceiling for each.
4. Check deposit minimums, platforms and the entity that applies to your country.

Disclosure

Blocktechpro is an affiliate of Exness: when a reader opens an account through our Exness link, Exness pays Blocktechpro a commission and Blocktechpro keeps it. Blocktechpro does not pay rebates or cashback to traders. The partner code ccm34k1you only links the account to Blocktechpro and gives no rebate. Our affiliate relationship does not change the numbers above, and IC Markets is compared on its published terms.