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Head to head

HYCM vs ThinkMarkets

HYCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom and DFSA in the United Arab Emirates (DIFC). 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 $20 at HYCM and $10 at ThinkMarkets (the Standard account needs $50). Only HYCM offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

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

HYCM 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
HYCMStrictly regulatedRead the profile
ThinkMarketsStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
HYCMUnited Kingdom
ThinkMarketsStandard account · United Kingdom

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
2010
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Not yet checked
Official websites
  • hycm.com
  • hycm.co.uk
  • thinkmarkets.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited
TF Global Markets (UK) Limited
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
186171
Check the register
629628
Check the register
Clients this company serves
UK residents
UK residents
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
  • 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
Yes
No
Compensation scheme
FSCS for eligible clients of HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited only
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
1:30 on major pairs for FCA retail clients; up to 1:500 at the Costa Rica 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 (FCA); up to 1:500 (Costa Rica)
  • Bitcoin CFDs: 1:5 (Costa Rica company only)
  • 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
50% (HYCM may start closing positions from 55%)
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
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • HYCM Trader app
  • Web Trader
  • ThinkTrader
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • TradingView
Markets
300+ CFDs on forex, metals, indices, commodities, shares and cryptocurrencies, plus US stocks
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
  • Bank wire
  • Visa card
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Bank wire
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Neteller
  • Crypto
Withdrawal fee
No HYCM fee; your bank may charge. Profits are withdrawn by wire transfer only
No fee on any funding method (international site)
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Live chat and online help centre
Not yet checked

Our notes

Strengths
  • UK company authorised by the FCA since 2001 and allowed to hold client money
  • Client money kept in segregated accounts, with negative balance protection
  • Low $20 minimum deposit on every account type
  • 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 international website (hycm.com) signs clients up with HYCM Capital Markets S.R.L., a Costa Rica company with no financial licence
  • Leverage of up to 1:500 at the Costa Rica company, against 1:30 for FCA retail clients
  • The FCA has warned about many clone firms using HYCM's name, including hycmarkets.net and hycmarket.com
  • Spreads are published only as "from" figures, so typical costs are hard to compare
  • 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:

  • HYCM: Contracts for Difference (‘CFDs’) are complex financial products that are traded on margin. Trading CFDs carries a high degree of risk. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent expert advice if necessary and speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Please think carefully whether such trading suits you, taking into consideration all the relevant circumstances as well as your personal resources. We do not recommend clients posting their entire account balance to meet margin requirements. Clients can minimise their level of exposure by requesting a change in leverage limit. For more information please refer to HYCM’s Risk Disclosure.
  • 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.

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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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