Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM 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.
FXCM vs Tickmill: regulation and trust at a glance. FXCM was founded in 1999 and is publicly traded; Tickmill launched in 2014 and is not publicly traded. Neither firm is a bank. For oversight, FXCM holds 4 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, while Tickmill holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses—Tier-1 being the most stringent regulators tracked by ForexBrokers.com.
On safety signals, FXCM earns a 95/99 Trust Score, which falls in the “highly trusted” range (90–99). Tickmill scores 85/99, placing it in the “trusted” tier (80–89). In short, both brokers are considered safe by industry standards, with FXCM scoring higher and carrying more top-tier licenses.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
FXCM and Tickmill both earn 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, but they are aimed at slightly different types of traders. FXCM ranks #17 out of 36 brokers in this category, while Tickmill places higher at #10 out of 36. In general, FXCM’s forex pricing is a bit above the industry average, with EUR/USD spreads averaging 0.78 pips on its EU, U.K., and Australia offerings in May 2024, and 1.38 pips for its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. Its commission-based accounts were lower at 0.28 pips before commissions, though costs can drop further for eligible active traders who trade high monthly volume.
Tickmill is usually the better pick for low-cost trading, especially for active traders. Its Classic account has no commission, but spreads are wider, averaging 1.76 pips. The Raw account is Tickmill’s main low-cost option, with typical EUR/USD spreads around 0.11 pips before commission, and an all-in cost of about 0.71 pips after the newer $3 per side commission is included. Even after the fee increase, Tickmill still stands out for its low overall trading costs and low $100 minimum deposit on the Raw account.
In simple terms, FXCM can become more affordable for high-volume traders who qualify for rebates, but its standard pricing is generally higher. Tickmill is more straightforward and often cheaper overall, especially on its Raw account. If your main goal is to keep commissions and spreads low, Tickmill has the edge.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 1.70 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.70 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
FXCM and Tickmill both give traders access to forex as a CFD or spot contract, along with copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. Neither broker offers direct access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international stock exchanges, and neither lets clients buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency. For traders focused mainly on forex and CFDs, both platforms cover the basics well, but Tickmill offers a wider menu overall, with 637 tradeable symbols and 62 forex pairs compared with FXCM’s 440 symbols and 46 forex pairs.
That wider selection helps Tickmill edge ahead in the range of investments comparison, though FXCM still scores strongly. FXCM is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #21 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Tickmill is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #31. In simple terms, FXCM and Tickmill are close on the types of products available, but Tickmill has more instruments to choose from, while FXCM earns the higher overall rating.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 637 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 62 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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.
FXCM and Tickmill both give traders a strong set of platform choices, including free demo accounts, Windows desktop downloads, web-based trading, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. FXCM also stands out with its own in-house platform, while Tickmill does not offer a proprietary platform. For traders who want more platform variety, Tickmill adds MetaTrader 5, which FXCM does not provide.
When it comes to trading platforms and tools, FXCM gets the edge overall. It is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers in this category on ForexBrokers.com, compared with Tickmill’s 4-star rating and #24 ranking. Both brokers cover the main tools most traders need, but FXCM has a small advantage thanks to its proprietary platform and higher overall rating.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
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) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 97 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FXCM and Tickmill both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, so traders can manage their accounts on either device. Each app also supports watchlist syncing, which means changes made on the phone will match the online account. Both platforms let users draw trendlines on charts, but FXCM stands out with stock and forex price alerts, while Tickmill does not offer alerts in its mobile app.
When it comes to chart tools, Tickmill gives traders more technical studies, with 97 compared with FXCM’s 59. That said, FXCM has the edge in overall mobile app quality, earning a 4.5-star rating and a #16 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, versus Tickmill’s 4-star rating and #25 ranking. FXCM also auto-saves chart drawings in the app, while Tickmill does not, which may matter for traders who want a smoother mobile experience.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 97 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FXCM and Tickmill both give traders daily market commentary and an economic calendar, so each broker covers the basics well when it comes to tracking news and upcoming events. FXCM goes further with access to top-tier forex news sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, plus Trading Central tools, a sentiment indicator that shows long and short positioning, and market research from TipRanks. It does not offer Autochartist or Acuity Trading tools.
Tickmill also provides daily commentary and an economic calendar, but its research offering is more limited overall. It does not include top-tier news feeds, Trading Central, sentiment tools, TipRanks, or Autochartist, though it does offer research tools from Acuity Trading. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s Research category, FXCM earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 out of 36 brokers, while Tickmill scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #19, giving FXCM the edge for market research.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for trading help, both FXCM and Tickmill offer a wide range of learning materials. Each broker provides at least 10 educational pieces focused on forex or CFDs, monthly live webinars, 10 or more beginner videos, and 10 or more advanced videos for traders who want to build on the basics. This means both platforms give new traders plenty of ways to learn at their own pace, whether they prefer reading, watching videos, or joining webinars.
That said, FXCM has a slight edge in overall education quality. It is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #13 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Tickmill is rated 4 stars and ranks #14. For a beginner comparing the two, both are strong choices for learning forex trading, but FXCM comes out just ahead on overall educational value.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 FXCM is better than Tickmill. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #10, while Tickmill finished with an overall rank of #23.
For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading. Its range of tradeable markets is fairly narrow, however, and the pricing at FXCM is just average.
| Feature |
FXCM
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Tickmill
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 95 | 85 |
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In the FXCM vs Tickmill cryptocurrency trading comparison, neither broker supports purchasing actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
FXCM and Tickmill both support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits/withdrawals, but only FXCM offers ACH/SEPA transfers, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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 | FXCM | Tickmill | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Tickmill Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | Tickmill | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2014 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | 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) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 637 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 62 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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 | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 1.70 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.70 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FXCM | 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) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 97 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | 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 | 59 | 97 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FXCM Review | Tickmill Review |
| Overall | FXCM | Tickmill | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Tickmill Review |
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