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Head to head

AvaTrade vs ThinkMarkets

AvaTrade is licensed by Central Bank of Ireland in the European Union, ASIC in Australia, JFSA in Japan, FSRA (ADGM) in the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi Global Market), CMA (Kenya) in Kenya, FSCA in South Africa and CySEC in the European Union, and also has an offshore registration. ThinkMarkets is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom; CySEC in the European Union; ASIC in Australia; DFSA in Dubai (DIFC), UAE and FSCA in South Africa, and also has an offshore registration. The licence that applies to you depends on where you live, so check which company you would contract with before comparing anything else.

Minimum deposits start at $0 at AvaTrade and $10 at ThinkMarkets (the Standard account needs $50). Neither offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

Facts last checked: AvaTrade on 20 October 2026, ThinkMarkets on 20 October 2026.

AvaTrade profileThinkMarkets profile
Broker 1
Broker 2
Broker 3

Monthly cost uses the account chosen in each slot: cost per lot × your lots. Swap and other fees are extra. The lowest monthly cost is highlighted only as a fact about cost, not as a recommendation.

Broker
AvaTradeStrictly regulatedRead the profile
ThinkMarketsStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
AvaTradeEuropean Union
ThinkMarketsStandard account · United Kingdom

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
2010
Headquarters
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Official websites
  • avatrade.com
  • thinkmarkets.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
AVA Trade EU Limited
TF Global Markets (UK) Limited
Regulator
Central Bank of Ireland
European Union
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
C53877
Check the register
629628
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Residents of EU and EEA countries
UK residents
All licences held
  • Central Bank of Ireland (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • JFSA (Japan)
  • FSRA (ADGM) (United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi Global Market))
  • CMA (Kenya) (Kenya)
  • FSCA (South Africa)
  • FSC (BVI) (British Virgin Islands)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
  • FSCA (South Africa)
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
No
Compensation scheme
Depends on the company named in your client agreement
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus); none for the Seychelles company

Costs

Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
$110$11 per lot × 10 lots
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
No accounts listed
$11
Spread from
No accounts listed
0.4 pips
Typical EUR/USD spread
No accounts listed
1.1 pips
Commission per lot (round turn)
No accounts listed
None
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
1.3 pips
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
1.4 pips
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Swap-free account
Yes
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
Up to 400:1 on forex (Ava Trade Markets Ltd, BVI); 1:30 on major pairs for EU and Australian retail clients
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia); up to 500:1 (2500:1 on ThinkTrader) at the Seychelles company
Retail leverage by asset class
Not yet checked
  • Major currency pairs (UK: 1:30
  • Currency pairs: up to 500:1
  • ThinkTrader account (Seychelles company): up to 2500:1
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
Not yet checked
50% (forced liquidation level)

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
$50
Base currencies
No accounts listed
USD, USDt, AUD, GBP, EUR, SGD, CHF
Execution
No accounts listed
Spread only, no commission (MT4, MT5)

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • WebTrader
  • AvaTrade app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • AvaOptions
  • DupliTrade
  • AvaSocial
  • ThinkTrader
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • TradingView
Markets
Currency pairs, stocks, crypto, commodities, indices, ETFs, bonds and FX options as CFDs
Forex, commodities, indices, crypto, stocks, ETFs and futures CFDs (up to 4,000 instruments on ThinkTrader)
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Yes
Not yet checked
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Yes
News trading allowed
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
  • Credit or debit card
  • Wire transfer
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • WebMoney
  • Bank wire
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Neteller
  • Crypto
Withdrawal fee
Not yet checked
No fee on any funding method (international site)
Inactivity fee
$50 (or €50/£50) after 3 months without use, then every 3 months; plus a $100 (€100) annual administration fee after 12 months without use, unless prohibited by law
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Our notes

Strengths
  • Licensed by strict regulators in Ireland, Australia and Japan, plus the ADGM's FSRA, Kenya's CMA and South Africa's FSCA
  • Spreads on EUR/USD from 0.9 pips with no separate commission on the global site
  • A wide range of platforms, including MetaTrader, AvaOptions and copy-trading tools
  • Licensed by the FCA, CySEC and ASIC, with client money in segregated accounts
  • Publishes target (typical) spreads for the Standard account, such as 1.1 pips on EUR/USD
  • No deposit or withdrawal fees on the international site's funding methods
Watch out for
  • Clients of the global site join Ava Trade Markets Ltd, which holds only an offshore licence from the BVI FSC, and South African clients also trade with that company
  • Inactivity fee of $50 after just 3 months without use, plus a $100 annual administration fee after 12 months
  • No minimum deposit is published as a fixed figure; AvaTrade says it depends on your base currency and payment method
  • We did not find negative balance protection stated for the BVI company; EU and Australian retail rules require it for those companies
  • International clients join TF Global Markets Int Limited in the Seychelles (offshore tier), where leverage goes up to 2500:1 on ThinkTrader and losses can exceed deposits
  • ThinkMarkets also says it is licensed by CIMA, an FSC, an FMA and (on its South African company) FSCA FSP 49835, without naming every company; we could not confirm these on 2026-10-20. Its FSCA OTC derivative provider approval is confirmed.
  • The ThinkZero minimum deposit is shown as $100 on the account types page and $500 on the ThinkZero page; ask before you fund.

Risk warnings

The buttons to a broker’s website above the table are partner links: we may earn a commission if you open an account through them. That never changes the facts shown here. Trading leveraged products such as forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money rapidly, and most retail accounts lose money. Each broker’s own warning:

  • AvaTrade: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
  • ThinkMarkets: Derivative products are leveraged products and can result in losses that exceed initial deposits. Please ensure you fully understand the risks and take care to manage your exposure and seek independent advice if necessary.

Open this comparison in the full tool to share a link with your own accounts and companies chosen.

Other head-to-head pages

Cost per lot is the typical EUR/USD spread in busy hours × $10, plus any round-turn commission, for one standard lot. “Not yet checked” means we have not confirmed that fact yet. This page compares facts; it does not rank the brokers or recommend either. Confirm costs and licences on each broker’s site and the regulator’s public register before opening an account: see how we review brokers and check a broker yourself.

Nothing on this page is financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.

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