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, established in 1999, is a publicly traded online broker recognized for its high trust level, boasting a Trust Score rating of 95 out of 99 as per ForexBrokers.com. This makes it a highly trusted choice for traders, bolstered by the fact that it holds four Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, which signify high trust and trust respectively. Despite not being a bank, FXCM's long-standing presence in the financial market highlights its stability and reliability.
In contrast, Tickmill, founded in 2014, is a privately-owned online broker with a Trust Score rating of 86 out of 99, which indicates that it is trusted, though not at the level of FXCM. Tickmill holds two Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, pointing to its credibility in the industry. Like FXCM, Tickmill is not a bank, yet it offers a solid regulatory standing for traders seeking a secure and trustable platform.
| 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 |
When comparing FXCM and Tickmill for commissions and fees, FXCM offers forex spreads that are slightly above industry average. For standard accounts, average spreads on the EUR/USD pair were recorded at 0.78 pips for European and Australian users, with slightly higher spreads of 1.38 pips for St. Vincent and the Grenadines users. Commission-based accounts at FXCM showed average spreads of 0.28 pips, excluding commissions, as of May 2024. While FXCM provides active trader discounts, offering rebates that depend on trading volume and account type, these offerings may not be as competitive as Tickmill's for high-frequency traders. FXCM earns a 4-star rating for fees, and it ranks #24 out of 63 brokers in this category according to ForexBrokers.com.
Tickmill stands out in this comparison with its two account types: Classic and Raw. The Classic account is commission-free, but carries a higher average spread of 1.76 pips as of August 2023. However, the Raw account offers significantly lower spreads, with an average of 0.11 pips on the EUR/USD pair and an overall cost of 0.71 pips when including the $6 per standard lot commission. This account replaced Tickmill's previous Pro offering and offers highly competitive costs, appealing to active and algorithmic traders, especially given its low entry requirement of a $100 minimum deposit. Tickmill receives a 5-star rating for its commissions and fees and ranks highly at #4 out of 63 brokers in this category.
To summarize, while FXCM provides appealing active trader rebates, Tickmill excels with its lower trading costs and more attractive fee structure. For those prioritizing low commissions and narrower spreads, especially in a cost-effective professional account setting, Tickmill emerges as the top choice. Overall, Tickmill's higher ratings and ranking make it a preferred option for traders focused on minimizing trading expenses.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.78 | 0.51 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.78 | 0.31 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the variety of investments, FXCM and Tickmill both offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. FXCM provides 440 tradeable symbols, including 43 forex pairs, while Tickmill offers a wider selection with 725 tradeable symbols and 63 forex pairs. Both brokers do not support the buying of exchange-traded securities on either U.S. or international exchanges, which means that investors cannot purchase actual shares such as Apple or Vodafone through these platforms.
For those interested in cryptocurrencies, neither FXCM nor Tickmill allows for the purchasing of actual cryptocurrency; instead, they both offer cryptocurrency derivatives. Additionally, both brokers support copy trading, which allows investors to mimic the strategies of successful traders. Despite offering a similar range of investments and both earning a 3.5-star rating, Tickmill is ranked slightly higher in the "Range of Investments" category by ForexBrokers.com, placing 42nd out of 63 brokers, whereas FXCM is ranked 47th.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 725 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 43 | 63 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
When comparing FXCM and Tickmill, both brokers provide several trading platforms and tools that cater to a diverse range of traders' needs. FXCM stands out with its proprietary platform, developed in-house, offering traders a unique trading experience. Both brokers allow access to the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4), but Tickmill additionally provides MetaTrader 5 (MT5) support, which might appeal to those looking for the latest platform features. In terms of simulated trading, both FXCM and Tickmill offer free virtual demo accounts, making it easy for beginners to practice without risking real money. While both brokers provide Windows-based desktop and web-based trading platforms, FXCM offers ZuluTrade for social and copy trading, which is absent in Tickmill's offering.
FXCM and Tickmill both allow trading directly from stock charts, with notable differences in charting tools. FXCM offers 10 drawing tools, whereas Tickmill provides 15, adding a bit more flexibility for technical analysis. However, FXCM compensates with 13 fields for watch lists compared to Tickmill's 7, allowing for more detailed monitoring of trading instruments. When it comes to overall performance, FXCM earns 5 stars for its trading platforms and tools, ranking 6th out of 63 brokers, whereas Tickmill receives 4 stars and ranks 32nd. These distinctions highlight FXCM's advanced offerings in the trading platform sector.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When choosing a mobile trading app, both FXCM and Tickmill provide solid options for trading on the go. Both platforms are available on iPhone and Android devices and offer essential features such as stock and forex price alerts. While FXCM and Tickmill both allow users to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames on charts, FXCM stands out by offering 59 technical studies compared to Tickmill’s 30, making it a more versatile choice for traders who rely on in-depth chart analysis. Additionally, FXCM ensures a seamless experience with watchlist symbol syncing between the mobile app and online accounts, a feature Tickmill does not currently offer.
Further enhancing the user experience, FXCM’s mobile app earns a higher rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, while Tickmill receives 4 stars. This superior rating is reflected in FXCM’s position, ranked 16th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for Mobile Trading Apps, compared to Tickmill’s 32nd place. Both apps support creating watchlists with real-time quotes and auto-saving chart drawings, but FXCM's more comprehensive set of features and higher user ratings make it a more appealing choice for traders seeking a reliable and well-rounded mobile trading experience.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing FXCM and Tickmill for market research, both brokers offer daily market commentary and provide forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. However, FXCM offers a broader selection of research tools, including Trading Central's Technical Analytics and market research from TipRanks, which are not available through Tickmill. On the other hand, Tickmill incorporates research tools from Acuity Trading, such as Signal Centre, offering a unique aspect to its market analysis.
Both FXCM and Tickmill supply sentiment-based trading tools and economic calendars to keep traders informed about the latest economic events worldwide. FXCM, however, scores slightly higher with a 4.5-star rating and ranks 11th in research according to ForexBrokers.com, while Tickmill earns a 4-star rating and ranks 22nd. These distinctions highlight FXCM's slight advantage in providing research resources for traders looking to make informed decisions.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available for beginners, both FXCM and Tickmill offer a wealth of learning materials. Each provides over ten pieces of educational content, such as articles, videos, and archived webinars on forex and CFDs, making it easy for novices to get started. Additionally, both brokers host online educational webinars at least once a month, ensuring continuous learning opportunities for their clients. These brokers also maintain a searchable archive of previously recorded webinars, enabling users to access valuable insights at their convenience.
FXCM and Tickmill go the extra mile by offering at least ten beginner education videos, specifically designed for those new to trading, along with ten advanced videos catering to experienced traders. To further aid learning, both brokers feature an investor dictionary with over 50 investment terms. While FXCM earns a slightly higher education rating of 4.5 stars compared to Tickmill's 4 stars, both are very close in quality and rank closely at #14 and #15 respectively out of 63 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com. Whether you're beginning your trading journey or expanding your expertise, both FXCM and Tickmill provide comprehensive educational resources to support your growth.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | 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 #15, while Tickmill finished with an overall rank of #22.
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
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 86 |
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Both FXCM and Tickmill do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing FXCM and Tickmill for online broker services, FXCM stands out by offering both ACH and SEPA transfers for account fund transactions, while both brokers provide options for PayPal, Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires.
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 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Tickmill Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | Tickmill | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 86 | |
| 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 (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 725 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 43 | 63 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | 0.78 | 0.51 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.78 | 0.31 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 15 | |
| 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 Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | FXCM Review | Tickmill Review |
| Overall | FXCM | Tickmill | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Tickmill Review |
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