Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ThinkMarkets vs HFM, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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When comparing online brokers ThinkMarkets and HFM, both established in 2010, regulatory information plays an important role in assessing their trustworthiness. Neither company is publicly traded, nor are they banks, which is common among many online brokers. ThinkMarkets stands out with a higher Trust Score of 92 as rated by ForexBrokers.com, landing it in the 'highly trusted' category. This is bolstered by its possession of 5 Tier-1 licenses, which are considered top-tier regulatory approvals. In contrast, HFM holds a Trust Score of 86, categorizing it as 'trusted', with 2 Tier-1 licenses. Both brokers' credibility is further supported by their respective holdings of Tier-2 licenses, with ThinkMarkets having 2 and HFM having 3, ensuring a solid level of regulation.
With the regulatory landscape being a significant factor for traders, ThinkMarkets may appeal to those seeking a broker with higher levels of regulatory trust due to its greater number of Tier-1 licenses and superior Trust Score. Meanwhile, HFM still represents a trusted choice with a respectable regulatory foundation, backed by its Tier-2 licenses. Both brokers provide strong regulatory oversight, making them viable options for traders worldwide, although ThinkMarkets has a slight edge in terms of regulatory reputation.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
For commissions and fees, both ThinkMarkets and HFM earn 4 out of 5 stars. In the ForexBrokers.com rankings (out of 63 brokers), HFM places #32 while ThinkMarkets ranks #48. That means HFM scores higher in this category, even though both sit in the same star tier.
ThinkMarkets does not provide average spread data. Without averages or a clear date range, it’s difficult to estimate typical trading costs or make an apples-to-apples comparison versus other brokers. Rating: 4/5 stars; Ranking: #48 of 63 for Commissions and Fees.
HFM’s trading costs are slightly above the industry average. The company lists a typical spread of 1.2 pips for its Standard account, but no date range is given, so the true average may be higher. Its Zero account shows an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission, yet this figure is also not an average. Rating: 4/5 stars; Ranking: #32 of 63 for Commissions and Fees.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.7 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
ThinkMarkets and HFM both support forex trading via CFDs and spot contracts. ThinkMarkets lists 4,000 tradeable symbols, far more than HFM’s 500, while HFM counters with 102 forex pairs versus ThinkMarkets’ 46. Both brokers offer copy trading. Neither broker lets you buy U.S.-listed shares directly, but ThinkMarkets does provide access to real shares on select international exchanges, whereas HFM does not. For crypto, each offers cryptocurrency CFDs, but you can’t buy actual coins on either platform.
In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments ratings, ThinkMarkets scores 4.5 stars and ranks #24 of 63 brokers, while HFM scores 4 stars and ranks #37. Choose ThinkMarkets if you want broader overall market coverage and the option to buy international shares; pick HFM if your priority is a larger lineup of forex pairs.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 102 |
| 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.
ThinkMarkets and HFM both offer free demo (paper) accounts, proprietary platforms, and the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Each provides a Windows desktop download and a web-based platform, supports copy trading, and lets you place trades directly from charts. Specific counts for built-in technical indicators and watchlist columns are not disclosed.
For trading platforms and tools, both brokers earn 4 stars from ForexBrokers.com. In the category ranking, ThinkMarkets is #28 out of 63 brokers, while HFM is #43 out of 63. If you want similar core platform features—demo access, MT4/MT5, copy trading, and chart trading—either fits the bill; the slight edge in third-party rankings goes to ThinkMarkets.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 30 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ThinkMarkets and HFM both deliver mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, trendline drawing on charts, and auto-saving of your chart annotations. One notable limitation for both brokers is the lack of watchlist syncing between the mobile app and the web platform. In terms of user feedback, both apps earn 4 out of 5 stars.
Where they differ is charting depth. ThinkMarkets offers 94 technical studies in its mobile app, while HFM includes 30, giving ThinkMarkets an edge for on-the-go analysis. This is reflected in ForexBrokers.com’s rankings: ThinkMarkets sits at #20 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, compared with HFM at #40. If you value a wider selection of indicators, ThinkMarkets is the stronger pick; if you only need the essentials, HFM still covers the basics well.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both ThinkMarkets and HFM cover the essentials for market research. Each broker provides daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (from sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones), a sentiment tool that shows long/short positioning, and an economic calendar to track upcoming events. Neither broker includes research from Trading Central or TipRanks.
The key differences lie in their add-on tools. HFM includes Autochartist for chart pattern scanning, while ThinkMarkets does not. By contrast, ThinkMarkets offers tools from Acuity Trading (including Signal Centre), which HFM lacks. In ForexBrokers.com’s 2024 ratings for Research, HFM scores 4 stars and ranks #20 out of 63 brokers, while ThinkMarkets earns 3.5 stars and ranks #51. Choose HFM if you want Autochartist baked in; pick ThinkMarkets if you value Acuity Trading signals alongside core research features.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
ThinkMarkets and HFM both provide forex and CFD education with at least ten learning resources, such as articles, videos, or archived webinars. Each broker also runs client webinars at least once a month, giving beginners regular chances to learn live and ask questions.
Both brokers feature at least ten beginner videos and at least ten advanced videos. That said, HFM holds a slight edge for overall education: it’s rated 4 stars and ranks #37 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with ThinkMarkets’ 3.5 stars and #52 ranking. If you want a broader learning path, HFM may be the better pick; if you’re after straightforward basics with steady webinars, ThinkMarkets remains a practical choice.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 ThinkMarkets is better than HFM. ThinkMarkets finished with an overall rank of #27, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #30.
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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HFM
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| Trust Score | 92 | 86 |
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ThinkMarkets vs HFM: neither online broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
When comparing online brokers ThinkMarkets and HFM for deposit and withdrawal methods, neither supports ACH or SEPA transfers; HFM supports Skrill and bank wires but not PayPal (card support not specified), while ThinkMarkets’ availability of PayPal, Skrill, cards, and bank wires isn’t 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 | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
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| Regulation | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 86 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| 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) |
| Investments | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 102 | |
| 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 | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.7 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | HFM Review |
| Overall | ThinkMarkets | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review |
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