Execution quality matters more than spreads for my scalping strategy. I’ve seen comparisons here using slippage data but how reliable are those? What metrics or tools do you use to objectively benchmark IC against brokers like Pepperstone or FP Markets?
Trade same pair same time. Compare fill speed.
Run parallel demo accounts. Place 0.1 lot EUR/USD orders during overlapping sessions. Measure time from click to fill confirmation. IC averaged 120ms last month vs Pepperstone’s 98ms. But IC’s slippage was 0.4 pips vs Pepperstone’s 0.7. Prioritize what costs you more.
The community tools let you filter by trade size. Small lots get faster fills usually. Check the execution histogram for your preferred instruments.
Paid for a month of specialized tools tracking 10 brokers. IC ranked top 3 for sub-200ms executions but had higher negative slippage. For my 50-lot trades, FP Markets was more consistent. Use the community’s slippage heatmaps – they align with my findings.