Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs Tickmill, 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.
CMC Markets vs Tickmill: CMC Markets was founded in 1989 and is publicly traded, while Tickmill launched in 2014 and is not listed. Neither broker is a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, CMC Markets holds a Trust Score of 99, which falls in the 90–99 “highly trusted” range, whereas Tickmill’s score is 85, placing it in the 80–89 “trusted” range.
Regulation and licenses: CMC Markets holds 6 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and 1 Tier-2 license (trusted). Tickmill holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses. These credentials help signal how each broker is supervised across top-tier and mid-tier regulators.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
CMC Markets earns 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #4 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com (it also won our 2025 Commissions & Fees award). Its pricing is built around tight spreads available to all clients. Typical spreads were 0.61 pips on EUR/USD in August 2023, and its FX Active plan charges $2.50 per side with minimum spreads from 0, delivering a 0.5‑pip all‑in cost on EUR/USD and several other pairs. As an example, NZD/USD falls from a 1.5‑pip spread on the standard account to about 0.5 pips all‑in with FX Active. CMC’s Price Plus Scheme can further reduce trading costs for high‑volume traders via Trading Points (e.g., a 20% spread discount at Tier 4, which the firm notes would require about 1,250 standard lots in a month), and its average spreads tend to stay close to published minimums.
Tickmill earns 4.5 stars and ranks #10 out of 63 for commissions and fees. It offers two accounts: Classic (spread‑only, no commission) and Raw (tight spreads plus commission). The Classic account is simple but pricier, with average spreads of 1.76 pips as of August 2023. The Raw account is aimed at active traders, listing a typical 0.11‑pip EUR/USD spread (Oct 2023) and charging $3 per side ($6 per standard lot), which brings the estimated all‑in cost on EUR/USD to about 0.71 pips. The Raw account’s $100 minimum deposit keeps the entry bar low while still targeting cost‑conscious traders.
Bottom line: CMC Markets generally delivers lower all‑in costs on major pairs—especially with FX Active—and backs that with a 5‑star rating and a #4 ranking for commissions and fees. Tickmill remains competitive for frequent traders through its Raw account, earning 4.5 stars and a #10 ranking, though its move to $3 per side nudges its all‑in costs higher than CMC Markets on key pairs.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 1.70 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.70 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, CMC Markets gives traders a much wider selection than Tickmill. CMC Markets offers 12,029 tradable symbols and 141 forex pairs, compared with Tickmill’s 637 symbols and 62 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both offer copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. Neither broker lets you buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency.
CMC Markets also stands out because it offers exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, so you can buy real shares like Apple or Vodafone. Tickmill does not offer these exchange-traded securities. This broader product list helps explain why CMC Markets earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers, while Tickmill scores 3.5 stars and ranks #30.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 637 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 62 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | 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.
CMC Markets vs Tickmill: both brokers cover the essentials for trading platforms and tools. Each provides a free demo (paper) account, web and Windows desktop platforms, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. The key difference is platform variety: CMC Markets offers its own proprietary platform alongside MetaTrader, while Tickmill focuses on third-party options like MT4 and MT5.
Independent ratings tilt in CMC Markets’ favor for platform quality: it earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks 6th out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools on ForexBrokers.com, while Tickmill scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 24th. If you want an in-house platform plus MetaTrader, CMC Markets is the more feature-rich choice; if you prefer a straightforward MetaTrader-only setup, Tickmill fits the bill.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 73 | 97 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and Tickmill both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, so either broker lets you trade on the go from a phone or tablet. Both apps also support watchlist syncing, which means changes you make in the mobile app can carry over to your online account. Each platform lets you draw trendlines on charts as well.
Where CMC Markets stands out is in alerts and chart settings: it offers stock and forex price alerts, and its mobile app saves chart drawings automatically. Tickmill does not offer price alerts or auto-save drawings, although it does provide more technical studies in its mobile charts, with 97 compared with CMC Markets’ 29. In overall Mobile Trading Apps ratings, CMC Markets earns 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers, while Tickmill scores 4 stars and ranks #25.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 97 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
CMC Markets has the stronger market research offering overall compared with Tickmill. Both brokers provide daily market commentary and an economic calendar, but CMC Markets goes further with forex news from major sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus Autochartist tools and a sentiment indicator that helps traders see whether more users are buying or selling a pair. This wider mix of market research tools helps CMC Markets stand out for traders who want more help with trade ideas and market direction.
Tickmill still covers the basics well, including daily market commentary and an economic calendar, and it also offers research from Acuity Trading. However, it does not provide top-tier forex news, Autochartist, or a sentiment tool, which means its research lineup is more limited than CMC Markets. That difference is reflected in the ratings too: CMC Markets earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers, while Tickmill is rated 4 stars and ranks #19.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners comparing forex and CFD education, both CMC Markets and Tickmill deliver plenty of learning materials. Each offers at least 10 beginner-focused videos and at least 10 advanced videos, so you can start simple and level up over time. A key difference is live instruction: Tickmill runs online educational webinars at least once a month, while CMC Markets does not.
In independent evaluations, CMC Markets earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Tickmill earns 4 stars and ranks #14. If you prefer live webinars to ask questions in real time, Tickmill may suit you. If you want a higher-rated, on-demand video library for self-paced study, CMC Markets is the stronger pick.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | 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 CMC Markets is better than Tickmill. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while Tickmill finished with an overall rank of #23.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
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CMC Markets vs. Tickmill: Both online brokers support cryptocurrency trading through CFDs, but neither allows buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies.
Comparing deposit and withdrawal methods, CMC Markets and Tickmill both support PayPal and bank wire transfers, but CMC Markets additionally offers ACH/SEPA transfers while Tickmill supports Skrill—making CMC Markets ideal for ACH/SEPA users and Tickmill a better fit for Skrill users.
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 | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Tickmill Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2014 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | 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) | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 637 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 62 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | 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 | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 1.70 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.70 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 97 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 97 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Tickmill Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Tickmill | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Tickmill Review |
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