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IC Markets vs ThinkMarkets 2023

BrokerNotes.co

Written by BrokerNotes.co

March 14, 2023

Trying to decide between IC Markets and ThinkMarkets? We’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation with our Comparison Tool. Use our tool to compare hundreds of data points, side-by-side, to see how these two brokers stack up against each other.

Based on our extensive research, hands-on testing, and expert analysis of over a hundred data-driven variables, we've determined that, overall, IC Markets ranks more highly than ThinkMarkets.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 65% and 82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Select Brokers

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Compare

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Overall RatingIC MarketsThinkMarkets
Overall Rating 8.2 / 10 7.4 / 10
Account TypeIC MarketsThinkMarkets
Standard Trade Size (100,000 units) Yes Yes
Mini Trade Size (10,000 units) Yes Yes
Micro Trade Size (1,000 units) Yes Yes
Islamic Account Yes Yes
Copy TradingIC MarketsThinkMarkets
Social Trading / Copy Trading Yes Yes
DupliTrade No No
ZuluTrade Yes Yes
CryptocurrencyIC MarketsThinkMarkets
Cryptocurrency (Physical) No No
Cryptocurrency (CFD) Yes Yes
Bitcoin Yes Yes
ethereum Yes Yes
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs)IC MarketsThinkMarkets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) Yes Yes
Mobile Trading - Forex or CFDs Yes Yes
Indices (Index CFDs)IC MarketsThinkMarkets
DAX Yes Yes
Dow Jones Yes Yes
FTSE Yes Yes
NASDAQ 100 Yes Yes
Nikkei Yes Yes
SP 500 Yes Yes
InvestmentsIC MarketsThinkMarkets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) Yes Yes
Spread Betting No No
Social Trading / Copy Trading Yes Yes
Metals Yes Yes
Energies Yes Yes
Agriculturals Yes No
ETF Yes No
U.S. Stocks (CFD) Yes Yes
Trading PlatformsIC MarketsThinkMarkets
Apple iOS App Yes Yes
Android App Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform No Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) Yes Yes
Web Platform Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) Yes Yes
Regulatory LicensesIC MarketsThinkMarkets
Tier-1 Licenses 1 2
Australia (ASIC Authorised) Yes Yes
Canada (SRO Authorised) No No
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) No Yes
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) No No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) No No
USA (CFTC Authorized) No No
Tier-2 Licenses 1 2
Tier-3 Licenses 1 0
Research, EducationIC MarketsThinkMarkets
Trading Central (Recognia) Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) Yes Yes
Daily Market Commentary Yes Yes
Autochartist Yes No
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) Yes Yes
Trading CostsIC MarketsThinkMarkets
Minimum Deposit $200 $250.00
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard 0.62 info N/A info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active 0.62 info N/A info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) Yes Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) Yes Yes
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) Yes No
Trading ToolsIC MarketsThinkMarkets
Watchlists - Total Fields 7 15
Mobile Watchlist Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) 30 30
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies 30 30
Trust FactorsIC MarketsThinkMarkets
Year Founded 2007 2010
Publicly Traded (Listed) No No
Bank No No
European Union Authorised (MiFID) Yes info Yes info
Trust Score 86 86
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IC Markets vs ThinkMarkets Comparison

Comparing forex brokers side by side is no easy task. For our 2023 annual forex broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 39 forex and CFD brokerages to find the best forex broker. Let's compare IC Markets vs ThinkMarkets.

Can I trust IC Markets?

IC Markets has a trust score of 86, giving it a "Trusted" trust label. Here's what each trust score label means:

  • "Highly Trusted" (90-99) - These brokers are considered the most trustworthy firms in the industry. Simply put, we would not hesitate to open and fund an account with a Highly Trusted broker.
  • "Trusted" (80-89) - These brokers are reliable and trustworthy. "Trusted" firms are a solid choice, and may simply hold fewer regulatory licences or feature different corporate structures than those brokers that have earned our top Trust Score rating.
  • "Average Risk" (70-79) - Average Risk brokers are firms we generally consider to be safe, but that may warrant a closer inspection before you open and fund a live trading account. At the least, we always encourage traders to check the regulatory licenses for Average Risk firms to verify that they are regulated in their own country of residence.
  • "High Risk" (60-69) - High-risk firms should be scrutinized and carefully reviewed before opening an account. These forex brokers are – in most cases – operating without credible regulatory licensing, and likely have a history of legal or financial issues. Before considering an account with a high-risk firm, we recommend checking our country guides for your country of residence to see if a more trusted broker is available.
  • "Do Not Trust" (<59) - We do not recommend opening an account of any kind with a broker that earns a “Do Not Trust” rating.

Can I trust ThinkMarkets?

ThinkMarkets has a trust score of 86, giving it a "Trusted" trust label.

Is IC Markets a good broker?

IC Markets' combination of low spreads and commissions, as well as its supportive execution policies that accomodate algorithmic traders make it our pick for the best MetaTrader broker. In addition, IC Markets recently bolstered its range of markets, sending the total available to over 3,000. It's worth noting, however, that its reserach and educational offerings still have lots of room to improve.

Is ThinkMarkets a good broker?

ThinkMarkets offers the full MetaTrader platform suite alongside its proprietary ThinkTrader platform. ThinkMarkets has a growing selection of regulatory licenses, available markets, research materials, and educational content, yet still has room to improve in all of these important categories.

What tier-1 jurisdictions is each broker regulated in?

Tier-1 regulators go above and beyond by requiring additional capital requirements, checking in on brokers more frequently, and putting brokers through a tougher screening process. IC Markets is Australia (ASIC Authorised), while ThinkMarkets is Australia (ASIC Authorised), Japan (SFC Authorised) and United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised).. Neither have Canada (SRO Authorised), Hong Kong (SFC Authorised), CBI Authorised (Ireland), Singapore (MAS Authorised), New Zealand (FMA Authorised), Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) and USA (CFTC Authorized)

What tier-2 jurisdictions is each broker regulated in? What about tier-3?

Tier-2 and tier-3 licenses are still important in evaluating the overall trustworthiness of forex brokers. As far as tier-2 licenses go, IC Markets is Cyprus (CySEC Authorised), while ThinkMarkets is Cyprus (CySEC Authorised) and South Africa (FSCA Authorised).. Neither have China (CBRC Authorised), India (SEBI Authorised), Israel (ISA Authorised), Russia (CBR Authorised), Thailand (SEC Authorised) and UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised). When comparing tier-3 licenses IC Markets is Bahamas (SCB Authorised), while ThinkMarkets is none.. Neither have Belize (FSC Authorised), Bermuda (BMA Authorised), British Virgin Islands (FSC Authorised), Cayman Islands (CIMA Authorised), Mauritius (FSC Authorised) and Vanuatu (VFSC Authorised).

Which broker offers more trading platforms?

For trading platforms IC Markets supports a Desktop Platform (Windows), cTrader and ZuluTrade, whereas ThinkMarkets supports a Proprietary Platform, Desktop Platform (Windows) and ZuluTrade.. Neither have DupliTrade

Does IC Markets offer MetaTrader? Does ThinkMarkets offer MetaTrader?

Both IC Markets and ThinkMarkets offer the whole MetaTrader suite, which consists of both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. If you’re new to MetaTrader 4 here’s our educational guide on how to use MT4.

How do IC Markets and ThinkMarkets differ in terms of minimum deposit? What about average spreads and funding options?

IC Markets requires a minimum deposit of $200, while ThinkMarkets requires a minimum deposit of $250.00. From our testing we found IC Markets offers spreads of 0.62, while ThinkMarkets offers spreads of N/A. IC Markets supports Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) and Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) for popular funding options, where ThinkMarkets supports Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) and Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw).

Which brokers offers more tradeable asset classes, IC Markets or ThinkMarkets?

IC Markets offers a more diverse selection of investment options than ThinkMarkets allowing you to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), Social Trading / Copy Trading, Metals, Energies, Agriculturals, ETF and U.S. Stocks (CFD).. Neither have Spread Betting Looking at total tradeable symbols, IC Markets has 3583, compared to 1674 from ThinkMarkets.

Can I trade cryptocurrency with IC Markets or ThinkMarkets?

Crypto trading is popular with forex traders. Most crypto assets are offered either as the underlying physical asset or as a CFD or other derivative — including spot forex contracts. In terms of trading physical cryptocurrency neither IC Markets nor ThinkMarkets allow you to trade physical cryptocurrencies.

Who offers more research tools, IC Markets or ThinkMarkets?

In terms of research and research tools IC Markets gives traders the following tools: Autochartist, Daily Market Commentary, Stock Charts, Forex News (Top-Tier Sources), Trading Central (Recognia) and Social Trading / Copy Trading. In comparison ThinkMarkets has the tools listed here: Daily Market Commentary, Stock Charts, Forex News (Top-Tier Sources), Trading Central (Recognia) and Social Trading / Copy Trading.

Broker Reviews

Still looking for more information, read our broker reviews.

IC Markets Review

ThinkMarkets Review

Overall winner: IC Markets

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announcementPlease note:

We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.

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