Score card

ThinkMarkets review

Every factor behind ThinkMarkets's ranking, with the points each one contributed.

Last checked

ThinkMarkets ranks mid-table, and the ranking is doing what it should: a good broker held below the top by specific, nameable weaknesses rather than by a general impression. Regulated by ASIC; FCA; CySEC (215/13); FSCA; Seychelles FSA (SD060); DFSA; CIMA; Mauritius FSC; New Zealand FMA, offering ThinkTrader, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView.

Our rating

82/100

One rating, identical across our sites - only the way it is shown changes. It averages six assessments: regulation, trading costs, platforms, markets, support and education.

What it costs to trade

8.5/10
Spread from
0.0 pips
EUR/USD spread
0.1 pips, ThinkZero
GBP/USD spread
Approx. 0.3 pips, ThinkZero
Commission
US$3.50 per side / US$7 round turn, ThinkZero
All-in cost, EUR/USD
Approx. 0.8 pips
Spread type
Variable
Overnight swap
Both: overnight swaps apply; swap-free accounts available
Currency conversion
Currency conversion at applicable exchange rate

Cost is the second heaviest, and the one most likely to move a broker several places.

A quoted spread from 0.0 pips is a raw-spread figure, which almost always means a separate commission per lot. Compare the two together - a "zero spread" account with a high commission can cost more than a wider spread with none.

Quoted spreads are best-case figures on the most liquid pair, in normal conditions. What you actually pay widens around news and at the session open.

ThinkMarkets lists a minimum deposit of $10. Treat it as the cost of opening an account, not the cost of trading one - position sizing on a small balance is what tends to cause damage.

Markets and execution

8.2/10
Markets
Forex, Commodities, Metals, Indices, Cryptocurrencies, Stocks, ETFs, Futures
Currency pairs
45+
Total instruments
4,000+
Crypto CFDs
Yes
Maximum leverage
1:30
Execution model
Hybrid principal/STP execution
Execution speed
Approx. 50ms
Order types
Market, limit, stop, stop-loss, take-profit, trailing stop
Servers
London and global financial data centres

Leverage is capped at 1:30, which is the retail limit under tier-one regulation. It is a protection rather than a restriction: it caps how quickly a position can move against your balance.

ThinkMarkets covers forex, commodities, metals, indices, cryptocurrencies, stocks, etfs, futures. A wider range matters less than depth in the instruments you actually trade.

Funding options: visa, mastercard, bank wire, skrill, neteller, paypal, apple pay, google pay, cryptocurrency and regional methods. Check withdrawal routes as well as deposit ones - they are often not the same, and the difference only becomes apparent when you try to take money out.

Platforms and tools

8.8/10
Platforms
ThinkTrader, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView
Own platform
Yes, ThinkTrader
Mobile app
Both proprietary and third-party
Browser trading
Yes
Automated trading
Yes; MT4/MT5 Expert Advisors and automated trading
Copy trading
Yes
Indicators
100+ through TradingView; 30+ MT4; 38+ MT5
Third-party tools
TradingView, VPS
API access
Yes

MetaTrader 4 remains the most widely supported platform for expert advisors. If you rely on an existing EA, this is usually the deciding factor.

MetaTrader 5 handles more asset classes and order types than MT4, but expert advisors are not compatible between the two - an MT4 EA will not run on it.

TradingView integration lets you trade from charts you may already use, removing the need to run a second platform for analysis.

Regulation and safety

9.4/10
Regulated by
ASIC; FCA; CySEC (215/13); FSCA; Seychelles FSA (SD060); DFSA; CIMA; Mauritius FSC; New Zealand FMA
Regulator tier
Tier 1
Register entry
ASIC Professional Registers
Client money segregated
Yes
Held at
Major regulated banks
Negative balance protection
Yes, retail clients
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 for eligible UK clients; ICF up to €20,000 for eligible CySEC clients
Audited by
Independent external auditor
Not available to
United States, Canada, Bermuda, European Union, Australia, United Kingdom, Russia, India, Saint Lucia and Japan under the global entity; availability varies by regulated entity

Regulation is the heaviest-weighted input into the position on this page.

ThinkMarkets holds tier-one authorisations from ASIC, FCA, CySEC and FMA. That matters more than any headline spread: it determines your leverage cap, whether losses can exceed your deposit, and what happens to your money if the firm fails.

It also operates an offshore entity (CIMA, FSC and FSA). Which one you are onboarded to depends on where you live, and the two carry very different protections - worth confirming before you deposit.

ASIC caps retail leverage at 1:30, requires negative balance protection, and obliges the broker to hold client money in a separate trust account.

The FCA caps retail leverage at 1:30, mandates negative balance protection, and covers eligible clients under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

CySEC licences passport across the EU and follow the 1:30 retail leverage cap, with the Investor Compensation Fund covering eligible claims.

Check the licence yourself: ASIC Connect, the FCA Register, the CySEC register of investment firms, the FSCA list of regulated entities, the Seychelles FSA list of regulated entities, the DFSA public register, the Mauritius FSC register of licensees, the New Zealand Financial Service Providers Register.

Accounts

Minimum deposit
$10
Account types
ThinkTrader, Standard, ThinkZero, Swap-Free, Professional/EPC, Joint, Demo
Account currencies
USD, USDt, AUD, GBP, EUR, NZD, SGD, CHF, AED, QAR
Islamic account
Yes
Demo account
Yes
Professional account
Yes
Minimum trade size
0.01 lots
Time to open
Typically a few minutes

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
Visa, Mastercard, bank wire, Skrill, Neteller, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, cryptocurrency and regional methods
Withdrawal methods
Bank transfer, Visa/Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, PayPal and applicable original funding methods
Deposit time
Instant for most electronic methods; bank wire typically 1-3 business days
Withdrawal time
Processed within 24 hours; typically received within 1-7 business days
Minimum withdrawal
AUD 30; AUD 100 for bank wire
Local payment methods
BPAY; PayPal and jurisdiction-specific local payment methods

Support and education

7.6/10
Support hours
24/7
Contact channels
Live chat, email, contact form, phone
Languages
Multilingual
Telephone
+61 3 9093 3400
Email
support@thinkmarkets.com
Live chat response
Typically under 2 minutes
Education
Extensive: ThinkMarkets Academy, articles, tutorials, videos, webinars and trading guides
Research
Market news, technical/fundamental analysis, trading insights and platform analytics

The company behind the brand

Legal entity
TF Global Markets (Aust) Pty Ltd
Company number
ACN 158 361 561 / ABN 69 158 361 561
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Founded
2010
Publicly listed
No
Parent company
ThinkMarkets Group
Employees
201-500
Also trades as
ThinkMarkets; ThinkForex; ThinkPrime

Questions people ask about ThinkMarkets

How long does a withdrawal from ThinkMarkets take?

ThinkMarkets gives a withdrawal time of processed within 24 hours; typically received within 1-7 business days. The clock usually starts when the broker approves the request rather than when you submit it, and a first withdrawal is slower because identity checks run alongside it.

Does ThinkMarkets offer a swap-free account?

ThinkMarkets offers an Islamic, swap-free account. Brokers usually recover the swap through a wider spread or an administration charge, so it is worth asking which.