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Head to head

FXCM vs ThinkMarkets

FXCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom, CySEC in the European Union and ASIC in Australia. 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 $50 at FXCM and $10 at ThinkMarkets (the Standard account needs $50). Neither offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

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

FXCM 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
FXCMStrictly regulatedRead the profile
ThinkMarketsStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
FXCMUnited Kingdom
ThinkMarketsStandard account · United Kingdom

Overview

Founded
1999
2010
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom (Stratos Group)
Not yet checked
Official websites
  • fxcm.com
  • tradu.com
  • thinkmarkets.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Stratos Markets Limited
TF Global Markets (UK) Limited
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
217689 (applied to cancel)
Check the register
629628
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Existing UK clients; FXCM's UK site sends new accounts to Trade Nation
UK residents
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • 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
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK company); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus company); none for the St Vincent company
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
Not yet checked
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia); up to 1:1000 at the St Vincent company
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
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30
  • Non-major currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
  • Crypto CFDs: 1:2
  • 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
  • Trading Station
  • MetaTrader 4
  • TradingView
  • ThinkTrader
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • TradingView
Markets
Forex, index, commodity, share and crypto CFDs, plus FXCM baskets
Forex, commodities, indices, crypto, stocks, ETFs and futures CFDs (up to 4,000 instruments on ThinkTrader)
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
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
  • Debit card
  • Credit card
  • Bank wire
  • Google Pay
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Crypto
  • 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
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
24/5 live chat
Not yet checked

Our notes

Strengths
  • Long-running brand (since 1999) with companies licensed by the FCA, CySEC and ASIC
  • Its own Trading Station platform alongside MetaTrader 4, TradingView and API access
  • Low first deposit of 50 in the account currency on the international site
  • 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
  • The UK company, Stratos Markets Limited, has applied to cancel its FCA authorisation (shown on the FCA register since 15 October 2026), and FXCM's UK site says new trading accounts are now provided through Trade Nation.
  • FXCM's EU site says new trading accounts are now provided through AvaTrade, a separate broker
  • International clients join Stratos Global LLC in St Vincent and the Grenadines, which holds no financial licence; leverage there goes up to 1:1000 and losses can exceed deposits
  • Says Stratos South Africa (Pty) Ltd is FSCA FSP 46534 and Stratos Light Limited is supervised by the Israel Securities Authority; we could not confirm either on the regulator's register on 2026-10-20 (the FSCA FSP register could not be reached).
  • 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:

  • FXCM: Our products are traded on leverage which means they carry a high level of risk and you could lose more than your deposits. These products are not suitable for all investors. Please ensure you fully understand the risks and carefully consider your financial situation and trading experience before trading. Seek independent advice if necessary.
  • 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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