Editor’s Verdict
ThinkMarkets is a global, multi-regulated multi-asset broker founded in 2010, with offices in London, Melbourne, Dubai and Chicago, and hubs across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and South Africa. It holds regulatory licences and registrations across ten jurisdictions, including the UK, Australia, Cyprus, South Africa, the Seychelles, the UAE, New Zealand, the Cayman Islands and Mauritius, and gives traders quick and easy access to up to 4,000 CFD instruments through three trading platforms and a comprehensive set of research and execution tools.
A competitive core cost structure, an award-winning proprietary platform in ThinkTrader, and a growing suite of client-facing tools, including a loyalty cashback programme and the newly launched ChelseaAI, round out a broker that continues to invest in its offering. Per the UK entity, 75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
* Figures are subject to change.
Overview
Headquarters | Australia |
|---|---|
Regulators | ASIC, CIMA, CySEC, FCA, FSA, FSC Mauritius, FSCA, JFSA |
Tier 1 Regulator(s)? | |
Owned by Public Company? | |
Year Established | 2010 |
Execution Type(s) | ECN/STP, Market Maker |
Minimum Deposit | None |
Trading Platform(s) | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Proprietary platform |
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD | 1.2 pips / $12.00 |
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD | 1.5 pips / $15.00 |
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil | $0.03 / $3 |
Average Trading Cost Bitcoin | $18.31 |
Minimum Raw Spreads | 0.1 pips |
Minimum Standard Spreads | 1.2 pips |
Islamic Account | |
Signals | |
US Persons Accepted? | |
Managed Accounts |
ThinkMarkets is an Australian and UK-based multi-asset broker founded in 2010. It has dual headquarters in Melbourne and London, as well as regional offices across the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and South America. It maintains regulatory oversight in four jurisdictions, namely, the UK, the Seychelles, Australia and South Africa. It maintains a secure trading environment, and ensures superior technology powers its core trading environment. Traders have three trading platforms, three trading tools, and a choice of over 1,500 assets to manage their portfolios. A competitive cost structure increases the competitive advantage ThinkMarkets delivers for its traders. New traders have access to a quality educational section, and their blog offers daily market commentary. Per the UK unit, data shows that 75.43% of retail traders lose money at ThinkMarkets.
Regulation and Security
Country of the Regulator | United Arab Emirates, Australia, Cyprus, Japan, Cayman Islands, Mauritius, New Zealand, Seychelles, United Kingdom, South Africa |
|---|---|
Name of the Regulator | ASIC, CIMA, CySEC, FCA, FSA, FSC Mauritius, FSCA, JFSA |
Regulatory License Number | 629628, 215/13, 424700, SD060, 0250, 49835, F004173, 623289 |
Regulatory Tier | 1, 1, 1, 4, 1, 2, 2, 1 |
ThinkMarkets is a well-regulated, multi-jurisdictional broker, holding ten regulatory licences and registrations worldwide:
- UK – TF Global Markets (UK) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 629628).
- Australia – TF Global Markets (Aust) Pty Ltd is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (AFSL 424700).
- Cyprus – TF Global Markets (Europe) Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (licence 215/13).
- South Africa – TF Global Markets (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd is an authorised financial services provider regulated by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSP 49835).
- Seychelles – TF Global Markets Int Limited is authorised and regulated by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (licence SD060).
- UAE – ThinkMarkets holds a licence from the Dubai Financial Services Authority, covering the UAE and wider MENA region.
- New Zealand – ThinkMarkets holds a registration with the Financial Markets Authority.
- Cayman Islands – ThinkMarkets holds a registration with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority.
- Mauritius – ThinkMarkets holds a registration with the Financial Services Commission.
The UK payment processor for the group, TFG (Payments) Limited, is a separate UK-registered entity (company number 10537331). Clients outside these regulated entities trade with the group's international entity, TF Global Markets (STL) Limited, registered in Saint Lucia.
Client deposits are held in segregated accounts, separate from ThinkMarkets' own corporate funds, as required by each regulator.
Does ThinkMarkets accept US clients?
No, ThinkMarkets does not accept U.S. traders and is not CFTC/NFA registered.
Fees
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD | 1.2 pips / $12.00 |
|---|---|
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD | 1.5 pips / $15.00 |
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil | $0.03 / $3 |
Average Trading Cost Bitcoin | $18.31 |
Minimum Raw Spreads | 0.1 pips |
Minimum Standard Spreads | 1.2 pips |
Average trading costs shown: EUR/USD 1.2 pips / $12.00, GBP/USD 1.5 pips / $15.00, WTI Crude Oil $0.03 / $3, Bitcoin $18.31.
ThinkMarkets earns the bulk of its revenue from spreads and commissions. The commission-free Standard Account starts from 0.4 pips, with an average of around 1.2 pips. The commission-based ThinkZero Account offers raw spreads from 0.0 pips, averaging around 0.1 pips, for a commission of $3.50 per side ($7.00 per round-turn lot).
Swap rates apply to leveraged positions held overnight, and corporate actions affecting equity and index CFDs are passed through to clients as standard.
An inactivity fee may apply after a period without trading activity, and a currency conversion fee may apply where the deposit or withdrawal currency differs from the account's base currency. Select market data fees and third-party payment processor charges may also apply.
What Can I Trade
The asset selection at ThinkMarkets is broad and continues to grow. Clients can access up to 4,000 CFD instruments across seven sectors, spanning equities and ETFs, forex, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies and futures. The equity and ETF range is a particular strength, with well over a thousand share CFDs available from exchanges across the US, UK, Europe and Asia. The forex offering has been meaningfully expanded in recent years.
Account Types
Traders can choose between the commission-free Standard Account ($50 minimum deposit on MT4/MT5, or from $10 via ThinkTrader) and the commission-based ThinkZero Account ($100 minimum deposit, or currency equivalent, with raw spreads from 0.0 pips and $3.50/$7.00 commission as above). A swap-free Islamic Account is available on both Standard and ThinkZero for clients who require it.
For retail clients under the FCA, ASIC and CySEC-regulated entities, maximum leverage on major FX pairs is 1:30, rising to 1:500 for clients who qualify as professional. Clients trading under ThinkMarkets' Saint Lucia, South Africa or Seychelles entities may access materially higher dynamic leverage on eligible account types.
Trading Platforms
ThinkMarkets provides clients with three trading platforms: MT4, MT5 and the proprietary, award-winning ThinkTrader. MT4 remains a versatile, well-supported choice for automated traders, with a vast library of expert advisors and custom indicators built up over more than 15 years in the market. Both MT4 and MT5 are enhanced with the Autochartist plugin and Trading Central research tools.
ThinkTrader, available to Standard Account holders, is ThinkMarkets' in-house platform, combining a clean interface, live news from FX Wire Pro, TradingView charting, and, as of February 2026, a Guaranteed Stop Loss feature.
ThinkTrader was named Best Trading App by compareforexbrokers in January 2026, Best trading app for analysis by TechRadar for the 3rd year in a row and ThinkMarkets was separately named Europe's Best Forex and CFD Broker 2025 by TradingView.
Unique Features
The most newsworthy recent addition is ChelseaAI, launched in June 2026: it connects a live ThinkTrader account directly to an AI assistant (Claude is the recommended option) via the Model Context Protocol, so clients can check positions, place trades, and manage stop-loss/take-profit orders through conversation. It is explicitly built as an execution interface rather than an adviser; it does not provide recommendations, signals or investment advice, and has no access to deposits, withdrawals or fund transfers.
Research and Education
The bulk of research at ThinkMarkets comes from Autochartist and Trading Central. It also deploys four in-house analysts who produce high-quality market commentary and trading ideas under the Market News section. Readers can filter the information based on markets, categories, and authors. It also includes a market sentiment indicator based on client positions.
Daily updates provide traders with quality in-house research.
New traders can benefit from the educational content available at ThinkMarkets. While it lacks one uniform portal, the information published in numerous sections across the website are nothing but quality material. The ten trading guides, split into three sections, deliver the best value and are an excellent starting point for new traders. A sign-up is mandatory to download the guides. The MT4 tips and tricks article offers new traders a quick overview of helpful shortcuts. Adding value is the introduction to technical analysis, complemented by the indicators and chart patterns section. ThinkMarkets also hosts live webinars for an interactive experience. The overall educational section provides more in-depth value than many competitors.
The ten trading guides present an excellent starting point for new traders.
Traders should familiarize themselves with the MT4 tips and tricks.
ThinkMarkets provides a valuable introduction to technical analysis.
Some of the most commonly used indicators and chart patterns are well described.
Live webinars enhance the educational value at ThinkMarkets.
Customer Support
Customer Support Methods |   |
|---|---|
Support Hours | 24/7 |
Website Languages |             |
ThinkMarkets maintains 24/7 customer support via phone, email and live chat, backed by a comprehensive FAQ section.
Bonuses and Promotions
ThinkMarkets currently runs an active client rewards programme. ThinkRewards is an ongoing loyalty scheme that earns clients points on qualifying trading activity, redeemable for cash. ThinkMarkets also runs regular promotions and competitions, such as the Weekend League, launched 1 September 2026, which is a weekend trading competition with a leaderboard, cash prizes for top performers, and 2x ThinkRewards points for every participant regardless of ranking. ThinkMarkets also runs a Refer a Friend programme via ThinkPortal.
Opening an Account
A four-step online application, which includes funding the trading account, processes all new applicants at ThinkMarkets. It is a straightforward process and follows industry-wide standards. Account verification is mandatory to comply with regulatory AML/KYC rules. New traders must submit a copy of their ID and one proof of residency document dated within the last three months. ThinkMarkets may require additional information, but most new traders will satisfy the verification process with the two items.
The account opening process is straightforward and in line with AML/KYC rules.
Deposits and Withdrawals
ThinkMarkets offers bank wires, credit/debit cards, Skrill, Neteller, Apple Pay, Google Pay and cryptocurrency (USDT) as deposit and withdrawal methods, with processing times ranging from instant to three business days for deposits. Withdrawal requests are processed within 24 hours free of charge, though third-party costs may apply; bank wire withdrawals carry a $25 fee and a $100 minimum.
Summary
ThinkMarkets is a well-established, multi-regulated broker with over 15 years of experience, offering up to 4,000 instruments across seven sectors, with particular strength in equity CFDs and ETFs. Its technology infrastructure spans three trading platforms, including the award-winning ThinkTrader and the newly launched ChelseaAI, plus a competitive core cost structure and a genuinely useful set of trading tools. An active client rewards programme rounds out a broker that continues to invest in its client-facing offering. There is no minimum deposit for the commission-free Standard Account. The commission-based ThinkZero Account requires $500 or a currency equivalent. A $25,000 demo account is available at ThinkMarkets. ThinkMarkets established itself as a trustworthy broker with one of the most secure trading environments. The Australian ASIC, UK FCA, and the South African FSCA provide regulatory oversight, but most international clients will trade with the unregulated Bermuda entity. ThinkMarkets is a multi-asset online broker with a dual headquarters in Australia and the UK.FAQs
What is the minimum deposit at ThinkMarkets?
Does ThinkMarkets have a demo account?
Is ThinkMarkets a trustworthy broker?
Is ThinkMarkets regulated?
What is ThinkMarkets?
