Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AvaTrade vs ThinkMarkets, 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.
AvaTrade, established in 2006, and ThinkMarkets, founded in 2010, are two well-known online brokers, neither of which is publicly traded or operates as a bank. Both brokers have built a strong reputation for trustworthiness, with AvaTrade scoring an impressive 94 out of 99 on the ForexBrokers.com Trust Score rating, indicating it is highly trusted. ThinkMarkets also holds a solid position in the industry with a score of 92, closely following AvaTrade, reflecting a similar level of trust.
In terms of regulatory oversight, AvaTrade holds four Tier-1 licenses, underscoring its commitment to high standards of security and reliability, while also possessing three Tier-2 licenses. ThinkMarkets surpasses AvaTrade slightly in Tier-1 regulation, holding five Tier-1 licenses, but it holds fewer Tier-2 licenses with two. These regulatory credentials make both brokers reputable choices, with AvaTrade emphasizing a balanced regulatory footprint and ThinkMarkets offering slightly more coverage at the top-tier level.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
ThinkMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 5 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
AvaTrade vs ThinkMarkets: commissions and fees comparison. AvaTrade earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #13 of 63 for Commissions & Fees at ForexBrokers.com, while ThinkMarkets is rated 4/5 stars and ranks #48 of 63.
AvaTrade’s pricing centers on spreads that sit near the industry average: just under one pip (0.9 pips as of June 2024). That’s slightly higher than the entry-level accounts at CMC Markets and Tickmill, but still reasonable for many retail traders. If you qualify as an elected professional, AvaTrade’s Professional account lists tighter spreads around 0.6 pips, comparable to FP Markets.
ThinkMarkets does not publish average spread data, making direct cost comparisons more difficult. If you’re considering ThinkMarkets, check live quotes and any account-specific pricing to gauge your likely trading costs.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
ThinkMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.93 | 1.1 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
AvaTrade and ThinkMarkets both let you trade forex as CFDs or spot, offer crypto CFDs (but not delivered crypto), and support copy trading. The biggest difference is breadth: ThinkMarkets lists about 4,000 tradeable symbols compared to AvaTrade’s 1,260. If you care most about forex pairs, AvaTrade has a slight edge with 53 pairs versus 46 at ThinkMarkets. Neither broker lets you buy U.S.-listed shares outright, but ThinkMarkets does provide access to exchange-traded shares on some international markets, while AvaTrade does not.
Independent ratings reflect this spread of markets: ThinkMarkets earns 4.5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #24 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade scores 4 stars and ranks #33. In short, choose ThinkMarkets for a wider overall menu of instruments, or pick AvaTrade if your focus leans toward forex pairs and you’re fine trading CFDs for most other assets.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
ThinkMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 4000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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.
AvaTrade vs. ThinkMarkets: both brokers check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo (paper) account, an in-house proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. Fans of automation and shared strategies will find copy trading at both brokers, and traders who prefer industry standards can use MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) with either provider. You can also place trades directly from charts on both, which makes acting on analysis quick and simple.
When it comes to third-party reviews, AvaTrade holds an edge. For Trading Platforms and Tools, AvaTrade is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #13 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ThinkMarkets is rated 4 stars and ranks #28. If you want the higher-reviewed platform suite, AvaTrade may be the better fit; if you’re comparing on specific features or layout preferences, it’s worth test-driving both demo accounts to see which interface you prefer.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
ThinkMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 80 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
AvaTrade and ThinkMarkets both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, including price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. A key difference is watchlist syncing: AvaTrade syncs your watchlists across devices and web, while ThinkMarkets does not. In independent reviews, AvaTrade earns 4.5 stars and ranks #13 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, compared with ThinkMarkets at 4 stars and #20.
For charting, ThinkMarkets offers more built-in technical studies (94 vs. AvaTrade’s 73) and auto-saves your chart drawings, which AvaTrade’s app does not. If seamless watchlist sync and higher overall ratings matter most, AvaTrade has the edge. If you prefer a wider set of indicators and want drawings to save automatically, ThinkMarkets may suit you better.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
ThinkMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 94 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
AvaTrade vs ThinkMarkets: for market research, each broker takes a different path. ThinkMarkets publishes daily market commentary, while AvaTrade does not. Both brokers stream forex news from top-tier providers like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and each includes an economic calendar and a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long and short positions. Neither broker integrates Autochartist or TipRanks.
The big split is in third‑party research suites: AvaTrade offers Trading Central for technical and fundamental insights, whereas ThinkMarkets leans on Acuity Trading’s Signal Centre for trading ideas. If you prefer Trading Central’s analytics, AvaTrade will appeal; if you want daily commentary and Acuity signals, ThinkMarkets fits better. Overall ratings reflect this edge: AvaTrade scores 4 stars and ranks 35th out of 63 brokers for research on ForexBrokers.com, while ThinkMarkets earns 3.5 stars and ranks 51st.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
ThinkMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
AvaTrade and ThinkMarkets both give beginners plenty of ways to learn about forex and CFDs. Each broker runs ongoing client webinars (at least one per month) and offers sizable video libraries that include 10+ beginner lessons and 10+ advanced lessons, helping you progress from the basics to more complex trading topics at your own pace.
Where they differ is in recognition and depth as reflected by third-party ratings. For Education, AvaTrade earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ThinkMarkets scores 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #52. If you want a highly rated education lineup with frequent webinars and extensive video content, AvaTrade has the edge; if you’re comparing options that still cover the essentials for newcomers, ThinkMarkets remains a solid pick.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
ThinkMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that AvaTrade is better than ThinkMarkets. AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #13, while ThinkMarkets finished with an overall rank of #27.
AvaTrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering an extensive selection of trading platforms for forex and CFD traders, as well as exceptional educational content that helped it nab Best in Class honors for Beginners in the ForexBrokers.com 2025 Annual Awards.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
ThinkMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 94 | 92 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
In this AvaTrade vs ThinkMarkets comparison, neither online broker offers the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both provide cryptocurrency CFD trading.
AvaTrade vs ThinkMarkets: both brokers do not support ACH or SEPA transfers, while AvaTrade supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits/withdrawals (Visa/Mastercard not specified), and ThinkMarkets’ availability for PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires was not provided.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 94 | 92 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| Regulation | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 92 | |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 5 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 4000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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 | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.93 | 1.1 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 94 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Overall | AvaTrade | ThinkMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 94 | 92 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill