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Head to head

ThinkMarkets vs XChief

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. XChief has no licence we could confirm on a regulator's register. The licence that applies to you depends on where you live, so check which company you would contract with before comparing anything else.

On its cheapest account per lot, ThinkMarkets costs about $11 per standard lot on EUR/USD (Standard account: 1.1 pips, no commission); XChief costs about $7 (xPRIME account: 0.1 pips plus $6 commission). On these typical figures XChief is $4 cheaper per lot, or $40 a month at 10 lots. Swap and other fees are extra.

Minimum deposits start at $10 at ThinkMarkets (the Standard account needs $50) and $0 at XChief (the xPRIME account needs $500). Only XChief offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

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

ThinkMarkets profileXChief 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
ThinkMarketsStrictly regulatedRead the profile
XChiefRead the profile
Comparing
ThinkMarketsStandard account · United Kingdom
XChiefxPRIME account

Overview

Founded
2010
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Not yet checked
Fomboni, Mwali (Comoros)
Official websites
  • thinkmarkets.com
  • xchief.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
TF Global Markets (UK) Limited
No licence listed
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
No licence listed
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
No licence listed
Licence number
629628
Check the register
No licence listed
Clients this company serves
UK residents
No licence listed
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
  • FSCA (South Africa)
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
None listed
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus); none for the Seychelles company
None

Costs

Your monthly cost
$110$11 per lot × 10 lots
$70$7 per lot × 10 lots
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
$11
$7
Spread from
0.4 pips
0.0 pips
Typical EUR/USD spread
1.1 pips
0.1 pips
Commission per lot (round turn)
None
$6
Typical GBP/USD spread
1.3 pips
0.3 pips
Typical USD/JPY spread
1.4 pips
0.2 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 (UK, EU, Australia); up to 500:1 (2500:1 on ThinkTrader) at the Seychelles company
Up to 1:1000 on forex (lower as account equity rises)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pairs (UK: 1:30
  • Currency pairs: up to 500:1
  • ThinkTrader account (Seychelles company): up to 2500:1
  • Forex (equity under $3: 1:1000
  • Metals (equity under $3: 1:500
  • Commodities and indices (equity under $3: 1:50
  • Cryptocurrencies: 1:5
  • US shares: 1:2
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
50% (forced liquidation level)
30% (CENT, Classic+, DirectFX); 50% (xPRIME)

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
$50
$500
Base currencies
USD, USDt, AUD, GBP, EUR, SGD, CHF
USD, EUR, GBP
Execution
Spread only, no commission (MT4, MT5)
Market execution, MetaTrader 5, $3 / €3 / £3 commission per side on forex and metals

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • ThinkTrader
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • TradingView
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • xChief mobile app
Markets
Forex, commodities, indices, crypto, stocks, ETFs and futures CFDs (up to 4,000 instruments on ThinkTrader)
Up to 32 currency pairs, metals, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies and 95 US share CFDs (xPRIME account)
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Yes
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
  • Mastercard
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Neteller
  • Crypto
  • Bank transfer (SWIFT
  • SEPA
  • FPS)
  • Cryptocurrency
Withdrawal fee
No fee on any funding method (international site)
The deposit page lists 0% for bank transfer and crypto; the agreement allows extra fees if you deposit and withdraw without trading
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
$20 one-off, then $20 a month, while an account is inactive

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
24/7 by live chat, Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and email

Our notes

Strengths
  • 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
  • Four account types, including a cent account with no minimum deposit
  • Negative balance protection and segregated client money are stated in its risk disclosure
  • Leverage is cut automatically as account equity grows, which limits the size of positions on larger accounts
Watch out for
  • 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.
  • Says xChief Ltd holds Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) licence T2023379; we could not confirm it on MISA's register on 2026-10-20 (the register blocked automated access).
  • Says xChief ZA (Pty) Ltd is authorised by the FSCA as FSP 54829; we could not confirm it on the FSCA register on 2026-10-20 (the register could not be reached). That company only introduces clients; accounts are opened with xChief Ltd in Comoros.
  • Leverage up to 1:1000 and heavy use of bonuses, no-deposit offers and trading credits
  • Inactive accounts pay $20 and then $20 a month

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:

  • 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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