ThinkMarkets is a dual-headquartered (Melbourne/London) group founded in 2010 by brothers Nauman and Faizan Anees, in which each of its major-jurisdiction licences (FCA, ASIC, FSCA, DFSA, FMA) sits in a different legal entity from its CySEC-licensed European arm.
| Regulated entity | TF Global Markets (Europe) Ltd |
|---|---|
| Regulation | CySEC No. 215/13 + FCA No. 629628 + FSA Seychelles No. SD060 |
| Other Tier-1 regulators | ASIC, FSCA, DFSA, FMA |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Australia / London, UK (group); European entity based in Cyprus |
| Minimum deposit | $0 (Standard account); $500 for ThinkZero account |
| Avg. spread (EUR/USD) | 1.1 pips |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, TradingView, Proprietary (ThinkTrader) |
| Instruments | Up to 4,000 CFD instruments across forex (40+ pairs), indices, shares, commodities and crypto, varying by platform. |
See ThinkMarkets's full regulation dossier → · How to check whether a forex broker is regulated
Derived from the same confirmed data behind this broker's score (regulation, cost, platforms, deposit minimum) -- not a separate editorial judgment.
Via its FCA-regulated UK entity, eligible clients are covered by the UK's Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per person if the firm fails. Via its CySEC-regulated Cyprus entity, eligible clients are covered by Cyprus's Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) up to €20,000 per person if the firm fails. Via its Seychelles FSA-licensed entity, there is no statutory investor compensation scheme -- if that entity fails, there is no guaranteed fund to recover client money from.
Beyond the headline spread and minimum deposit above. Where our research hasn't independently confirmed a specific detail, we say so rather than guess -- verify directly with the broker before relying on it.
| Account types | Standard (no minimum deposit, commission-free) and ThinkZero/ThinkTrader Raw (ECN-style, spreads from near 0.0 pips plus a per-side commission, reported minimum balance around £500), both with an Islamic swap-free option on request. Note: ThinkMarkets runs a separate FCA-regulated UK entity from the CySEC Cyprus entity reviewed here -- some published figures may not specify which entity they apply to. |
|---|---|
| Execution model | Described by multiple independent sources as STP/ECN with no dealing desk, with execution style varying by account tier (Standard vs. ThinkZero). |
| Withdrawals & deposits | No broker-side deposit/withdrawal fees reported; typical processing around 4 hours during market hours, bank wire 3-5 business days. Minimum withdrawal reported around $30 (or $100/£100 for bank transfer). Methods include card, wire, Neteller, PayPal and Skrill. |
| Overnight financing (swap) | Standard swap/rollover applies to regular accounts. The Islamic account has historically been charged a flat weekly administration fee instead of nightly swaps (reported at $5-10/week depending on instrument group as of a 2019 company notice) -- this figure is dated and should be reconfirmed against current terms. |
| Currency conversion cost | One source cites a 3% currency conversion fee when trading an instrument in a currency different from the account's base currency, notably higher than some competitors -- this single-source figure should be verified against ThinkMarkets' own current fee schedule before relying on it. |
| Inactivity fee | Reports conflict: one source states no inactivity fee applies; another describes a fee after 6 months but for ThinkMarkets' Australian entity specifically. No confirmed figure was found for the CySEC Cyprus entity reviewed here. |
| Customer service | Forex Peace Army rates it 3.15/5 (187 reviews). Reviews are mixed: praise for multilingual live chat, email and phone support and fast withdrawals, alongside complaints about delayed withdrawal codes and slow email responses. |
| Mobile experience | No numeric App Store or Google Play rating was independently confirmed; qualitative feedback is mixed, from "great, instant execution" to reports of occasional slowness. |
| Educational offering | Offers beginner-to-advanced video content plus Acuity Trading/Signal Centre research tools; a third-party aggregator citation (not independently re-verified against the source site) reported research and education scores of 3.5/5 each. |
See how ThinkMarkets's spread cost compares across every researched broker → · Forex broker fees explained
Is ThinkMarkets regulated?
Yes -- CySEC No. 215/13 + FCA No. 629628 + FSA Seychelles No. SD060. See the regulation dossier on this page for the underlying licence numbers.
Is my money protected if ThinkMarkets fails?
Via its FCA-regulated UK entity, eligible clients are covered by the UK's Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per person if the firm fails. Via its CySEC-regulated Cyprus entity, eligible clients are covered by Cyprus's Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) up to €20,000 per person if the firm fails. Via its Seychelles FSA-licensed entity, there is no statutory investor compensation scheme -- if that entity fails, there is no guaranteed fund to recover client money from.
What is the minimum deposit at ThinkMarkets?
Our research confirms a minimum deposit of $0 (Standard account); $500 for ThinkZero account.
What trading platforms does ThinkMarkets offer?
ThinkMarkets offers MT4, MT5, TradingView, Proprietary (ThinkTrader).
What is ThinkMarkets's average spread on EUR/USD?
Our research confirms an average EUR/USD spread of 1.1 pips. See our cost calculator to compare this across every broker we've reviewed.
When was ThinkMarkets founded?
ThinkMarkets was founded in 2010.
How is ThinkMarkets's overall score calculated?
ThinkMarkets currently scores 4.01/5 overall under our disclosed nine-category methodology -- regulation & client protection 30%, trading costs 20%, non-trading fees 10%, platforms & tools 10%, execution/trading conditions 10%, product range 5%, deposits/withdrawals 5%, transparency 5%, track record 5%. It is not a comparison to other brokers and not based on hands-on testing.
A dated log of when our own published data about this broker actually changed -- not a reconstructed history of what the broker itself did. See the full change log tool for every broker.
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