Arincen

Key Takeaways

ThinkMarkets is a well-regulated global online broker, founded in 2010.
ThinkMarkets invests significant effort in its trading platforms, culminating in awards for “Best FOREX Trading Experience” and “Best FOREX Trading Innovation” at the UK FOREX Awards in 2017.
ThinkMarkets is an emerging company with a growing presence that serves clients from 180 countries.
ThinkMarkets can cater just as easily to beginners as it can to advanced high-volume traders through its fast and dynamic executions.
ThinkMarkets offers 24/7 customer support in several languages.
ThinkMarkets is subject to stringent regulations in its home bases of London and Melbourne. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) respectively ensure that funds are used prudently.
Traders can access a wide choice of products, with over 38 global currency pairs on offer, as well as commodities like gold, silver, oil and natural gas.
ThinkMarkets provides traders with several ways to make deposits into their trading accounts. These can involve bank transfers, cards, as well as e-money transfer services.
ThinkMarkets makes use of popular third-party trading platforms MetaTrader4 and MetaTrader5. It also uses its in-house product, ThinkTrader, as necessary.
ThinkMarkets’s full-service mobile app, ThinkTrader, is available for download to iOS and Android devices. More than 4,000 users rate the app 3.4 stars over 500,000 downloads.
ThinkMarkets has a range of authoritative research tools that help traders stay in tune with global markets.
ThinkMarkets offers helpful beginner support through a 24/6 channel via live chat, email form or direct phone.

ThinkMarkets Evaluate - research result

Overall Evaluation 8.05

Regulations

Deposits and Withdrawals

Commissions

Assets

Trading Platform

Research and Development

Customer Service

Mobile App Trading

Learning

Experience with broker

Trading Tools

Website

Overall Summary

Founded in New Zealand in 2010, before moving to Australia two years later, ThinkMarkets is an emerging online trader. Now headquartered in both London and Melbourne, this growing company currently serves clients from over 180 countries.

With offices in areas as far afield as the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, North Africa, Europe, South America and South Africa, ThinkMarkets is a global organization. It provides clients with access to trades in FOREX and Contracts for Difference (CFDs), in addition to cryptocurrencies, stock indices and commodities. ThinkMarkets offers over 1,200 single stocks and 50+ Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF) available as CFDs.

With an emphasis on superior customer service, ThinkMarkets maintains 24/7 support in several languages. It provides different trading accounts suited to individual trader needs. This includes zero commission accounts, as well as access to trading guides, analysis tools and industry news feeds.

ThinkMarkets won awards in such areas as “Best FOREX Trading Experience” and “Best FOREX Trading Innovation” at the UK FOREX Awards in 2017. The Global FOREX Awards awarded it, “Best Value Broker in Asia” in 2020.

With its headquarters in London and Melbourne, both strongly regulated financial environments, ThinkMarkets falls within the regulatory domain of the FCA in the UK and the ASIC in Australia.

The company boasts a powerful internally developed trading platform called ThinkTrader mobile, a highly regarded trading tool, for which it received recognition as “Best Mobile Platform” at the FOREX Magnates Wards in 2012.

The maximum trading leverage while using ThinkMarkets depends on the jurisdiction under which the account operates. For UK-registered accounts, FCA rules tightly control leverage and cap it at 1:30. However, Australia-registered accounts, operating under ASIC rules, can go as high as 1:500 on FOREX instruments.

ThinkMarkets has a deep resource of trading information available for anyone interested in learning. Its detailed and up-to-date educational resources come as Webinars or online tutorials for any level of trader.
Who ThinkMarkets Is Good For?

ThinkMarkets can cater just as easily to beginners as it can to advanced high-volume traders. Having fostered a fast and dynamic trading environment, ThinkMarkets traders can enjoy the benefits of rapid order execution, intuitive platforms, competitive fees, and a range of instruments to trade.

Quality customer support is available 24/7 in multiple languages. ThinkMarkets welcomes clients from all over the world, with notable country exceptions being the US, Canada and Japan. Legal and regulatory controls mean that traders from these countries are barred. Here is a list of the top pros and cons of trading with ThinkMarkets:

ThinkMarkets

Rating

Foundation Year

2010

Main Branch

Australia

Other Branches

Tokyo, Johannesburg, Italy, Spain

Languages

21 languages including English

Work Hours

Market Opening Hours

Pros

Beginner assistance offered through 24/6 channels.
Spreads are as low as 0.0 pips.
24/7 expert customer service.
CFD shares and indices come at no extra fee.
Zero broker fees for FOREX trading.
Technical analysis and quality market information.
Percentage allocation management module (PAMM) and Multi-account manager (MAM) accounts available.

Cons

Direct share trading is on a separate platform.
No binary options offered.
Commissions charged for two account types.
After a strong early start, ThinkTrader user ratings have slid to 3.4 stars.
No US, Canada or Japan clients allowed.

Is ThinkMarkets Safe?

ThinkMarkets is safe mainly because two of the most demanding regulatory entities in the world, the UK’s FCA and the ASIC in Australia, regulate it. This means it must keep client funds in segregated accounts with premier banks. Traders can enjoy the supreme peace of mind that their funds are safe and will be used diligently.

The UK’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) also covers ThinkMarkets. The FSCS guarantees clients a maximum payment of £85,000 should an online broker become insolvent. If a client complaint exceeds this threshold, ThinkMarkets has also taken out investor protection and compensation rights of up to £1 million through an insurance policy with Lloyd’s of London.

Trading Account Information

Account Currency

USD

Minimum Deposit

Segregated Accounts

Yes

Payment Methods

Bank transfer, credit card, Electronic Banks, Crypto, Google Pay, Apple Pay

America Accepts

Yes

Available Markets

FOREX, commodities, stocks, indices, mutual funds and cryptocurrencies

Trial Duration

30 Days

Offering of Investments

ThinkMarkets traders can choose from an array of markets. With 38 global currency pairs, and diversified trading options in commodities, like gold, silver, oil and natural gas, there is a wealth of choice. Traders can also trade in five cryptocurrencies and CFD shares and indices. Here are the highlights of the ThinkMarkets investment range:

38 major currency pairs.
Access to major global indices, such as the Australia 200, Dow Jones 30, Nasdaq US Tech 100, and more.
Individual shares (CFD) in markets like the ASX, US, EU, and more.
Major commodities such as gold, silver, Brent crude, and more.
Five major cryptocurrencies.
Direct ASX shares.

Available assets

Markets	Available	Number of Assets
Currency Pairs		43
Stocks		2985
Commodities		12
Crypto		21
Indices		15
ETFs		325

Account Types

ThinkMarkets offers its clients the option of two comprehensive accounts:

Standard Account

With this account, traders can select
spreads from 0.4 pips, with an average FOREX spread at 1.2 pips. They can also select CFDs from 0.4 points. No commission is charged and there is a minimum operating balance of $0.

Lot sizes can range from 1.0 to 100k. Traders will get access to maximum leverage of 1:500 if the account is not based in Europe. Clients can choose whether to use ThinkTrader, MT4 or MT5 as their preferred trading platform. ThinkMarkets also allows traders to use a combination of these platforms for different accounts.

ThinkZero Account

Traders can upgrade their trading to marginal spreads that start from zero, combined with tight commissions. As aforementioned, maximum leverage is up to 1:500 if the account is not based in Europe. Raw FOREX spreads start from 0 pips. The account requires a minimum of $500 deposit upon opening.

To cater to all segments, ThinkMarkets also provides traders the option of opening an Islamic Sharia-compliant account.

Account Type	Minimum Deposit	Spread Commission	Commission	Swap Commission	Deposit Commission	Withdrawal Commission
Mini account	$10	Starting from 0.6 pip	$0	$0	$0	$0
Think Trader account	$50	Starting from 0.4 pip	$0	$0	$0	$0
Standard account	$250	Starting from 0.4 pip	$0	$0	$0	$0
ThinkZero account	$500	Starting from 0.0 pip	$3.50	$0	$0	$0

Deposits and Withdrawals

ThinkMarkets offers traders multiple methods with which to make deposits into their trading account. The payment provider will decide what currencies they can support. Traders need to know that fees differ substantially among payment providers, and they are advised to verify this before they select a partner.

ThinkMarkets accepts these deposit payment options:

Bank Wire.
Credit/Debit Card.
Neteller.
Skrill.
BitPay.

Withdrawals

To withdraw money, traders must initiate a withdrawal by submitting a request through their trading account.

For safety, ThinkMarkets monitors that deposits and withdrawals are processed through the same channels. Third-party deposits and withdrawals are forbidden.

Withdrawals are processed within 24 hours, but funds may reach the trader within one to seven business days, depending on the payment method.

Advantages of Trading

Maximum Leverage

1:2000

Minimum Lot Size

0.01 Lot

Available FOREX Pairs

43 Currency Pairs

Scalping

Yes

Hedging

Yes

Spread

Starting from 0.6 pips

Trailing Stop

Yes

Islamic Account

Yes

Trading Platforms

ThinkTrader, Web platform, MT4, MT5

Regulatory Bodies

FCA

Broker Type

STP

Customer Service

ThinkMarkets offers expert, always-on customer service. Support options include 24/7 live chat, phone and email. Its live-chat responses are fast and informative. To ensure continued quality service, ThinkMarkets records every support staff client interaction for training purposes. The powerful and detailed FAQs section on their Website also acts as a good response to many common queries.

Commissions and Fees

ThinkMarkets offers some attractive pricing options for FOREX spreads and fees. It does not charge any FOREX commission costs on the Standard Account option. The ThinkZero Account, however, attracts a fee of $7 per trade as it is a higher-level account.

The broker does not levy any monthly fees or inactivity fees. The Standard Account option does not have an opening balance requirement while the ThinkZero account comes with a $500 account opening fee.

Platforms and Tools

ThinkMarkets makes use of its own ThinkTrader platform, in addition to popular, feature-rich platforms MT4 and MT5. ThinkMarkets allows traders the option of using more than one trading platform at the same time. This is useful, as traders can leverage the best of each trading platform and use it with their chosen accounts.

MT4

This popular trading platform can seamlessly run many automated trading strategies. It allows users to optimize their trading strategies through its backtest function. MT4 can be downloaded on Android, iOS and Windows. Here are just some benefits when it is used in collaboration with selected ThinkMarkets accounts:

Advanced trading intelligence and indicators.
Customizable options for any level of trader.
Rapid order execution.
Attractive low spreads.

MT5

This futuristic upgrade on MT4 has a wide selection of extra features that are useful. Here are just a few:

Six pending order types.
Options for hedging and netting.
Multi-thread strategy tester for Expert Advisors (EA).
Native economic calendar.
Attractive FOREX spreads.
Free access to Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting.

ThinkTrader

This is ThinkMarkets’s internal platform. It has designed it to give traders access to benefits they might not find elsewhere. These include:

Access to 80 indicators and 50 drawing tools for analysis.
Multiple cloud-based alerts are delivered even when the trader is not actively online.
TrendRisk scanner that scans the market for attractive opportunities on several timeframes.
Always-on, mobile ThinkTrader app, packed with features.
Multiple order execution with a single confirmation.
One-time login on approved devices.
Trading toolkit for market analysis on mobile devices and desktops.

Mobile Trading

ThinkMarkets offers a powerful market-leading mobile app available to download to iOS and Android devices. ThinkTrader.com provides a superior mobile trading experience. The award-winning mobile program provides multiple markets, in-app chat support, and a wide range of analysis tools and market indicators.

Research and Development

ThinkMarkets covers traders with different levels of experience and knowledge. Its Website has a broad range of research and educational tools of which clients cantake advantage. Tutorials are split into beginner, intermediate and advanced tiers so that nobody is left behind.

Through Webinars and Web content, ThinkMarkets provides information, such as indicators, a trading glossary, and a detailed knowledge repository. ThinkMarkets has a selection of powerful research tools that can help traders stay up to date with market movements. Some of these tools include:

FX Wire Pro streams of industry headlines.
Informative economic calendar by FXStreet.
Access to informative daily blog articles.
Access to Autochartist, Trading Central, and VPS. Traders will, therefore, have access to extensive technical analysis of the major markets.

Admittedly, much of the research material at ThinkMarkets originates from Autochartist and Trading Central. To add to this, ThinkMarkets employs in-house analysts to generate insightful market analysis and offer trading ideas.

Users can select information based on markets, categories and contributors. New traders will be interested in the built-in market sentiment indicator based on client positions.

New traders will find large amounts of material to sink their teeth into with ThinkMarkets. One drawback of the system is that it is not one self-contained portal, but the third-party material is still topical and important. Users will find 10 trading guides split into three sections. Together, these will provide the best information sources that are invaluable to new traders and seasoned traders alike. Users must sign-up for the resource before downloading the guides.

Traders will find a useful MT4 and MT5 tips and tricks article. Here, they can find a quick overview of helpful shortcuts. Meanwhile, the technical analysis section, bolstered by insightful indicators and chart patterns, provides in-depth value to traders of any level.

Final Thoughts

ThinkMarkets is improving all the time and has a high-quality service offering when compared to many of its peers in the emerging trader space. The company is setting itself apart with sound technology, expert customer service, competitive pricing and platform innovations.

The ThinkMarkets Website layout is easy to follow, and even new clients can navigate their way around the core Website functionalities, such as account opening and trading. Educational tools are also well-marked and easy to access.

This growing company offers robust platforms that will get new users started in a safe trading environment. Though not at the leading edge of trading diversity and market penetration, ThinkMarkets can still offer a distinctive and reliable service in a competitive marketplace.

Conclusion

ThinkMarkets continues to mature into a dependable online broker. Though not the biggest player, the company offers solid access to markets through innovative platforms and superior client service. Its trading technologies are at the upper end of the market, and with its expanding global reach, it has a reason to continue to grow.

ThinkMarkets in Brief

ThinkMarkets is a well-regulated emerging broker that offers superior platform access and competitive fees with tight spreads. Its educational facilities are well-designed and will upskill the novice trader in no time. Featuring expert customer service and strong market access, this broker is set to continue expanding its global reach.

Review Methodology

The team at Arincen collected more than 120 pieces of data covering in excess of 100 licensed FOREX companies. Data collection was done in three ways:

Companies’ Websites.
Other Websites that have ranked FOREX companies.
A survey questionnaire (referred to here as Survey “1”) we had sent to the companies invited to participate in the exercise.

We have identified 12 criteria for our assessment, each containing several aspects and carrying its own relative weight. These include licensing, deposits and withdrawals, number of assets etc.

Afterward we validated the data by:

Registering with FOREX companies as a secret shopper and/or as Arincen.
Survey number “2,” in which we asked these companies’ customers for important feedback and past experience.

The next step saw us evaluate and rank each company, relying on the hard work of 15 Arincen employees. We were very careful in ensuring the most accurate assessment possible, including taking into account different languages, as well as the various mobile-app operating systems. e.g., Apple, Samsung etc.

To add credibility to our research project, we sent a final and third survey (referred to here as Survey “3”) to enable participating FOREX companies evaluate our own research and whether it accurately reflects the realities on the ground. We were fortunate enough to receive a mark of 9.9 out of 10! We have kept to a minimum the margin of error, which stood at a measly 1%. To learn more on how we came up with the evaluation, please click here.