Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ThinkMarkets vs ATFX, 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 ATFX, both prominent players in the online brokerage industry, offer different levels of trust and licensing. Established in 2010, ThinkMarkets holds five Tier-1 licenses, indicating a high level of trust. In comparison, ATFX, founded in 2017, is authorized with four Tier-1 licenses. This sets the stage for examining their respective Trust Score ratings by ForexBrokers.com. ThinkMarkets scores a commendable 92, placing it in the highly trusted bracket, while ATFX scores an 85, also considered trustworthy but slightly lower in comparison.
Neither ThinkMarkets nor ATFX is a publicly traded company, nor are they banks. Both brokers additionally maintain two Tier-2 licenses each, which are considered trusted. These licensing credentials and trust rankings demonstrate a significant level of regulatory oversight and reliability for both firms, although ThinkMarkets edges ahead with a stronger Trust Score and an additional Tier-1 license.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2017 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
ThinkMarkets earns 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #48 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Average spread data isn’t available, so it’s hard to pin down typical trading costs from spreads alone. Traders should compare account types, commission structures, and any extra charges (such as swaps and inactivity fees) when evaluating ThinkMarkets’ overall cost.
ATFX receives 3 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and sits at #61 out of 63 in the same ForexBrokers.com ranking. Like ThinkMarkets, ATFX does not provide average spread data, which means you’ll want to check live quotes, account-level pricing, and any non-trading fees to gauge your likely costs.
Based on the star ratings and rankings, ThinkMarkets edges ATFX on overall pricing in the commissions and fees category. Without average spread figures for either broker, the best way to compare is to review real-time spreads during your trading hours, confirm commission rates for your specific account type, and factor in all ancillary fees to estimate total trading costs.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $500 |
| 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 vs ATFX: For range of investments, ThinkMarkets offers about 4,000 tradeable symbols, far more than ATFX’s roughly 150. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot, with ThinkMarkets listing 46 currency pairs and ATFX 44. Each also offers copy trading for those who want to mirror strategies.
On asset access, neither broker lets you buy U.S.-listed stocks directly, and neither sells actual cryptocurrency. ThinkMarkets does provide access to select international exchange-traded shares (not CFDs), which ATFX does not. For crypto exposure, both offer cryptocurrency CFDs. Reflecting this breadth, ForexBrokers.com rates ThinkMarkets 4.5/5 for Range of Investments (ranked 24 of 63), compared with ATFX at 3.5/5 (ranked 58 of 63).
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 150 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 44 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| 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 ATFX for trading platforms and tools: both brokers offer free demo (paper) accounts, web-based and Windows desktop platforms, copy trading, and the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Each lets you place trades directly from charts. The key difference is that ThinkMarkets also provides a proprietary, in-house platform, while ATFX focuses on third-party platforms like MetaTrader.
For quality scores, ThinkMarkets earns 4 stars and ranks #28 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools on ForexBrokers.com. ATFX scores 3.5 stars and ranks #63 out of 63. If you want an in-house platform option and a higher-rated toolset, ThinkMarkets has the edge. If you’re comfortable with MetaTrader and want essentials like copy trading and a demo account, ATFX covers the basics.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 ATFX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, lets you draw trendlines on charts, and automatically saves your drawings. One limitation is watchlists: neither app syncs watchlist symbols between mobile and the web platform, so changes don’t carry over.
The biggest difference is charting depth. ThinkMarkets includes 94 technical indicators (studies) in its mobile charts, while ATFX offers 7. According to ForexBrokers.com, ThinkMarkets earns 4 stars and ranks 20th for Mobile Trading Apps, whereas ATFX scores 3.5 stars and ranks 64th. If you want more advanced mobile chart tools, ThinkMarkets has the edge; if you only need the basics, ATFX may be enough.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 7 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
ThinkMarkets vs ATFX for market research: ThinkMarkets earns 3.5 stars and ranks 51st out of 63, while ATFX scores 3 stars and ranks 55th, according to ForexBrokers.com. Both brokers provide daily market commentary and an economic calendar, giving traders timely updates on upcoming events.
The differences show up in the tools. ThinkMarkets delivers forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, includes a sentiment tool that shows long/short positioning, and offers tools from Acuity Trading; it does not include Autochartist, Trading Central, or TipRanks. ATFX lacks a premium news feed and a sentiment tool, but adds trade ideas and analysis from Autochartist and Trading Central; its support for TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools wasn’t specified. If live news and sentiment matter most, ThinkMarkets fits better; if you want Autochartist and Trading Central for charts and signals, ATFX is appealing.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners comparing trading education, ThinkMarkets and ATFX both deliver plenty of entry-level video lessons, with each offering at least 10 beginner-focused videos on forex and CFDs. ThinkMarkets goes further with live online webinars held at least once a month, plus 10 or more advanced trading videos for when you’re ready to level up. ATFX does not run monthly educational webinars and doesn’t meet the same threshold for advanced video content, but it still covers the basics well through its beginner video library.
In expert reviews, ThinkMarkets earns 3.5 out of 5 stars for Education but ranks 52nd out of 63 brokers in the Education category, while ATFX earns 3 out of 5 stars and ranks 28th out of 63. In simple terms: pick ThinkMarkets if you want beginner videos now, a clear path to advanced lessons, and live webinars; choose ATFX if a higher category ranking matters more and you’re mainly after beginner-friendly video education.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 ATFX. ThinkMarkets finished with an overall rank of #27, while ATFX finished with an overall rank of #51.
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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ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 85 |
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ThinkMarkets vs ATFX: both online brokers do not offer buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but each provides cryptocurrency CFD trading for speculating on digital assets.
In a ThinkMarkets vs ATFX funding comparison, both online brokers do not offer ACH or SEPA transfers for deposits or withdrawals, while the availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires is not specified.
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 | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
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| Broker Screenshots | ThinkMarkets | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
| Regulation | ThinkMarkets | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2017 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | ThinkMarkets | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 150 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 44 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ThinkMarkets | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $500 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | |||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | |||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | |||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ThinkMarkets | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 7 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ThinkMarkets | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ThinkMarkets | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ThinkMarkets | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review |
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