Two Roads to Profit. A Comparison of ICT/SMC and Advanced VSAHello traders and investors!
When we start engaging in trading and investing, we get acquainted with various methods of forecasting price movements. Gradually, if we have enough persistence, strength, and patience, we choose our own path to profitable trades. Among the most popular approaches, we can highlight the use of various oscillators and channels, Dow Theory, Elliott Waves, Fibonacci levels, supply and demand, Volume Spread Analysis (VSA), market auction theory, and the Inner Circle Trader/Smart Money Concept (ICT/SMC). Many traders combine elements from different approaches into their trading system.
I personally prefer a concept I call Advanced VSA. It’s a comprehensive set of tools that combines ideas from VSA, Dow Theory, and Supply and Demand analysis. The name "Advanced VSA" perfectly captures the essence of the method, as it is fundamentally based on analyzing volume and price spread.
Recently, the ICT/SMC concept has been gaining more and more popularity. Today, I want to explore the similarities and differences between ICT/SMC and Advanced VSA. If there are any inaccuracies in my explanation of ICT/SMC basics, feel free to correct me in the comments. Perhaps after reading this article, you’ll be able to decide which approach resonates more with you and which one you believe will help you in your trading. I hope this will be helpful. Let’s dive in!
Basic Differences
Before diving into the technical details, let's first clarify the key differences between these concepts.
Who Controls Price Movements
The ICT/SMC concept assumes that price movements are controlled by large players, such as market makers, who direct prices in the desired direction. This is similar to a model where one "center of power" determines the market's direction.
In contrast, Advanced VSA is based on the idea that two forces influence price — the Buyer and the Seller. All analysis revolves around the interaction between these two sides, creating a more balanced model where both forces are equally important.
Traded Volume
The ICT/SMC concept does not use traded volume as a part of its analysis.
In Advanced VSA, volume is an important factor. It is considered an integral part of the data that helps to understand market processes and the actions of participants.
Now let’s move on to a detailed comparison of the elements of these concepts.
What They Have in Common
Both concepts teach traders to identify price ranges on the chart where a large player (Market Maker in ICT/SMC) or a Buyer (in Advanced VSA) shows interest in buying, and ranges where the Market Maker or Seller is interested in selling. When the price returns to these ranges, traders can execute buys or sells. We can call these price ranges contextual areas for buying and selling.
Neither concept relies on technical indicators. Instead, they focus on the following key terms for identifying the trade direction and the trade entry point:
Trend
Trend break/half-trend
Trend confirmation
Accumulation/Distribution/Sideways movement/Flat
Contextual areas for buying and selling
The first four terms help determine the direction of the trade, while the fifth helps identify the entry point and the likely target of the trade.
Both methods suggest using higher timeframes to find contextual areas and lower timeframes to find entry points within those areas.
What Are the Differences
The differences between the concepts lie in the interpretation of key terms. For the first four terms (trend, trend break, trend confirmation, accumulation/distribution/Sideways movement), the distinctions are minor and relate mostly to specific interpretations. However, the main differences arise in the rules for identifying contextual areas of interest (buyer, seller, or market maker). Let's look at these differences in more detail.
Difference 1: Use of Volume
In ICT/SMC, contextual areas of interest are determined solely based on price action and candlestick patterns, without taking traded volume into account.
In contrast, Advanced VSA sees volume as an integral part of the analysis. contextual areas of interest are identified by both traded volume and price behavior (candlestick patterns). If there was interest from a buyer, seller in a specific price range, leading to a price change, it's logical to assume that the volume traded in that range should be higher than in previous periods over a similar timeframe.
To illustrate the importance of using all available data for analysis, consider an analogy with choosing the best time for a seaside vacation. If the decision is based only on water and air temperature, while ignoring factors like wind or rainfall, the choice may be misguided. For example, choosing April for its comfortable temperature might result in encountering constant rain and high waves.
Thus, in Advanced VSA, volume plays a crucial role, whereas it is absent in ICT/SMC.
Difference 2: Types of Contextual Areas of Interest
In ICT/SMC, the following types of contextual areas of interest are used: order block, breaker, mitigation block, and rejection block. All of these areas are formed by a specific arrangement of candles on the chart.
In contrast, Advanced VSA operates with a different set of contextual areas of interest: effort, zone, and range (sideways movement). Effort refers to a single candle or bar that indicates significant market activity. Zone is formed by a sequence of candles or bars, taking into account their traded volumes. Range (sideways movement) is defined by a series of consecutive candles/bars where price fluctuates within a limited range, interacting alternately with the upper and lower boundaries of the range. It's only possible to identify which party (buyer, seller, or market maker) controls the range after the price breaks out and confirms the move.
If the volumes align with Advanced VSA's criteria, order blocks and mitigation blocks in ICT/SMC can be considered as zones in Advanced VSA. So, not all order blocks and mitigation blocks will be considered zones in Advanced VSA. The breaker will be discussed separately, and there is no equivalent to the rejection block in Advanced VSA.
Difference 3. Price Attraction Points
In ICT/SMC, concepts such as fair value gap, liquidity void, and liquidity are used to describe price attraction points.
In Advanced VSA, the terms fair value gap and liquidity void are not utilized. Most of the time, these ICT/SMC elements correspond to price interest points in Advanced VSA, such as effort. The term liquidity has the same meaning.
Difference 4. Importance of Levels
In Advanced VSA, levels play an important role in identifying trade opportunities. To understand the significance of levels, let’s first recall the concepts of trend and range (sideways movement). In both ICT/SMC and Advanced VSA, a trend is broken down into components, often referred to as impulses or expansion moves. A range, on the other hand, is characterized by its boundaries and the vectors of price movement between those boundaries.
In Advanced VSA, important trading signals include the defense of a broken level or a price retracement to a level followed by its defense.
In Advanced VSA, the defense of a broken level or the cancellation of a breakout (where the price returns back behind the broken level) followed by a defense of that level is considered a signal for identifying trades. This method helps traders spot potential entry points where either buyers or sellers to protect a key price level, giving more confidence in the direction of the market. The most important levels include the base of the last impulse, the boundaries of a range, and the test level of a zone.
In ICT/SMC, there are no direct equivalents of these elements when it comes to searching for trades. However, breakers and sometimes mitigation blocks serve similar purposes to the levels in Advanced VSA, but the approaches differ. In ICT/SMC, trades are typically executed within the breaker or mitigation block, whereas in Advanced VSA, trades are found when a level is defended: buy trades above the level (supported by buyers), and sell trades below the level (supported by sellers).
Additionally, Advanced VSA allows for trading within ranges, moving from one boundary to the other, as long as the boundaries are defended.
Summary
Despite the shared terms and similar approaches, there are significant differences between the two concepts:
Number of forces influencing price movement: In ICT/SMC, it is believed that price is controlled by a single force, the Market Maker (MM). In contrast, Advanced VSA considers the interaction of two forces—buyers and sellers—as driving price movements.
Use of volume in analysis: ICT/SMC does not take traded volume into account during analysis, while in Advanced VSA, volume is a crucial element for identifying market forces and areas of interest.
Use of levels for trade entries: In ICT/SMC, levels do not play an important role, whereas in Advanced VSA, levels one of the possible places for identifying potential trade setups.
Good luck with your trading and investing!
