Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ThinkMarkets vs Alpari, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
ThinkMarkets and Alpari are both online brokers catering to traders with varied experience levels, yet they differ significantly when it comes to regulatory standing. ThinkMarkets, established in 2010, holds a competitive edge with its impressive five Tier-1 licenses, indicating a high level of trust in the industry. In contrast, Alpari, a broker in the market since 1998, lacks Tier-1 regulatory licenses entirely. Additionally, ThinkMarkets enjoys a Trust Score of 92 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, reflecting its position as a highly trusted broker. Meanwhile, Alpari's Trust Score of 68 places it under high risk, signaling potential traders to proceed with caution.
Neither firm is publicly traded or a banking institution, which means they operate independently of stock exchange regulations. ThinkMarkets further distinguishes itself with two Tier-2 licenses, whereas Alpari holds none. The superior regulatory credentials of ThinkMarkets may offer potential investors more confidence in their trading services compared to Alpari. When evaluating brokers, paying close attention to the number and type of regulatory licenses can help traders make informed decisions about where to invest their finances securely.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 1998 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees, both ThinkMarkets and Alpari earn 4 out of 5 stars from ForexBrokers.com. However, Alpari holds a higher category ranking at #42 out of 63 brokers, while ThinkMarkets is ranked #48 out of 63. This indicates that, despite identical star ratings, Alpari edges ahead in the broader assessment of pricing.
Average spread data is not available for either broker, making it important to check live quotes and each broker’s latest fee schedules. Beyond spreads, consider factors like account-type commissions, overnight financing (swap) rates, and any deposit, withdrawal, or inactivity fees to understand your true trading costs.
Bottom line: both brokers are rated 4/5 for commissions and fees, but Alpari’s #42 ranking suggests a slight advantage over ThinkMarkets at #48. Your best choice will depend on the instruments you trade, your holding periods, and the current pricing each broker publishes.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $20 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
ThinkMarkets offers a much wider range of investments than Alpari, with about 4,000 tradeable symbols compared with Alpari’s 105. Both brokers support 46 forex pairs and allow forex trading as CFDs or spot. Each also offers crypto trading via CFDs (not actual coins) and provides copy trading. Neither broker lets you buy U.S.-listed shares directly, but both offer access to certain international exchange-traded shares outside the U.S.
For range of investments, ForexBrokers.com rates ThinkMarkets 4.5/5 and Alpari 3/5. In the same category, ThinkMarkets ranks 24th, while Alpari ranks 64th. If you want a broader menu of markets, ThinkMarkets has the edge; if you only need the basics, Alpari covers the core instruments.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 105 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Comparing ThinkMarkets vs Alpari on trading platforms and tools, both brokers check the key boxes: free demo (paper) accounts, proprietary platforms, Windows desktop software, and web-based trading. Each also supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), offers copy trading, and lets you place orders directly from charts. These overlaps make it easy to test strategies, trade on the go, or stick with familiar MetaTrader setups while exploring each broker’s in-house platform.
For quality scores, both ThinkMarkets and Alpari earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. However, their category rankings differ: ThinkMarkets sits at #28 of 63 brokers, while Alpari ranks #56, suggesting a modest edge for ThinkMarkets in this area. Specific counts for technical indicators and watchlist columns weren’t provided, so your final choice may come down to platform feel, available tools within MT4/MT5 and the proprietary app, and how well each broker’s web and desktop experiences fit your day-to-day trading.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ThinkMarkets and Alpari both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each supports price alerts for staying on top of market moves. Neither broker syncs watchlists between the mobile app and the web platform, so any changes you make won’t carry over automatically.
For charting, ThinkMarkets stands out with 94 technical studies compared with Alpari’s 30. Both apps let you draw trendlines, but only ThinkMarkets automatically saves your drawings. While each broker earns a 4-star rating for Mobile Trading Apps, ForexBrokers.com ranks ThinkMarkets higher (#20 out of 63) than Alpari (#57). If you want richer charting and saved annotations, ThinkMarkets is the better fit; if you just need the basics on the go, Alpari covers the essentials.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing ThinkMarkets vs Alpari for market research: ThinkMarkets provides daily market commentary, while Alpari does not. Both brokers stream forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and each includes an economic calendar. For tools, Alpari integrates Autochartist, but ThinkMarkets does not. Neither broker offers Trading Central. ThinkMarkets includes a sentiment-based trading tool that shows long/short ratios across instruments; Alpari does not. ThinkMarkets does not provide TipRanks research and offers tools from Acuity Trading (e.g., Signal Centre); TipRanks and Acuity availability at Alpari is not specified.
Ratings from ForexBrokers.com place ThinkMarkets at 3.5/5 stars for Research (ranked 51 out of 63), while Alpari holds 3/5 stars (ranked 58 out of 63). In short, ThinkMarkets suits traders who want daily commentary, sentiment data, and Acuity-powered signals, whereas Alpari is appealing if Autochartist is your must-have and you can go without daily commentary.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
ThinkMarkets vs Alpari for beginner education: both brokers provide at least 10 beginner-focused videos covering trading basics in forex and CFDs. ThinkMarkets also hosts client education webinars at least once per month, giving newcomers live instruction, while Alpari does not run monthly webinars. If you plan to grow your skills, ThinkMarkets includes at least 10 advanced trading videos, whereas Alpari does not offer the same volume of advanced content.
On quality scores, ThinkMarkets is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for Education, and Alpari is rated 3 out of 5. Yet in ForexBrokers.com’s Education ranking out of 63 brokers, Alpari sits at #48 and ThinkMarkets at #52. Beginners who want live classes and a fuller path into advanced topics may prefer ThinkMarkets; learners who mainly need beginner videos and value a slightly higher category rank may consider Alpari.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ThinkMarkets is better than Alpari. ThinkMarkets finished with an overall rank of #27, while Alpari finished with an overall rank of #58.
ThinkMarkets has multiple regulatory license and offers a proprietary trading platform, as well as the entire MetaTrader suite. The broker has made progress in key areas, such as research and education, and the range of markets available, although trails behind the best brokers in these categories.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
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Alpari
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 68 |
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In a ThinkMarkets vs Alpari comparison for crypto trading, neither broker supports buying actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs for trading.
ThinkMarkets vs Alpari: both brokers do not offer ACH or SEPA transfers for deposits or withdrawals, and no information was provided regarding support for PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, or bank wire funding options.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
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| Broker Screenshots | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
| Regulation | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 68 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 1998 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 105 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $20 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | |||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | |||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | |||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
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| Overall | ThinkMarkets | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review |
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