Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Tickmill vs HFM, 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.
Tickmill vs HFM: Both online brokers have been around for years (Tickmill since 2014, HFM since 2010). Neither is publicly traded or a bank. On ForexBrokers.com’s 99-point Trust Score, Tickmill and HFM each score 85, which places them in the trusted 80–89 range (below the 90–99 highly trusted tier).
Looking at regulation and licenses, both brokers hold two Tier-1 licenses (rated highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com). Tickmill has two Tier-2 licenses, while HFM has three Tier-2 licenses. That means their top-tier oversight is similar, with HFM carrying one additional mid-tier license—useful context for anyone comparing safety and regulation.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When you compare commissions and fees, Tickmill generally comes out cheaper for active forex traders than HFM. Tickmill earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #10 of 63 for Commissions & Fees, while HFM scores 4/5 stars and ranks #28 of 63. That gap reflects Tickmill’s lower all-in trading costs on its most competitive account type.
Tickmill offers two choices: Classic and Raw. Classic is commission-free but has wider average spreads (about 1.76 pips as of August 2023). The Raw account charges a $3 per side commission per 100,000 units ($6 per standard lot) and lists a typical EUR/USD spread of 0.11 pips (October 2023). After commission, that puts the all-in cost near 0.71 pips. Tickmill notes these typical spreads are recorded during normal market conditions. With a $100 minimum and low all-in costs, the Raw account remains attractive despite the recent commission increase.
HFM’s pricing sits slightly above the industry average. Its Standard account shows a typical 1.2-pip spread, but no date range is provided, so the true average could be higher. The HFM Zero account advertises about 0.7 pips effective spread after commission, though this figure isn’t an average and may vary. In practice, Tickmill’s data-backed typical spreads and strong category standing (4.5/5 stars, #10/63) give it an edge over HFM (4/5 stars, #28/63) for traders focused on minimizing fees and all-in costs.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | 100 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.70 | 1.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing Tickmill and HFM for range of investments, both brokers support forex trading as CFDs and both offer copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. Neither broker lets you buy real, delivered cryptocurrency or exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international stock exchanges, so neither is built for direct stock ownership. In simple terms, both platforms focus on CFD trading rather than long-term investing in physical assets.
The main difference is in product variety. Tickmill offers more tradeable symbols overall, with 637 compared with HFM’s 500, while HFM provides a wider choice of forex pairs, with 102 versus Tickmill’s 62. Based on ForexBrokers.com, HFM is also rated slightly higher for range of investments at 4 stars and ranks #28 out of 63 brokers, while Tickmill scores 3.5 stars and ranks #30.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 637 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 62 | 102 |
| 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.
Tickmill and HFM both check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers free paper trading via a demo account, Windows-based desktop and web platforms, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. The main difference is that HFM also provides a proprietary, in-house platform, while Tickmill focuses on third-party options like MetaTrader.
Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings out of 63 brokers, Tickmill places at #24 while HFM comes in at #33. Choose Tickmill if you want a straightforward MetaTrader setup across desktop and web, or pick HFM if you want MetaTrader plus the option to try an additional proprietary platform.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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) | 97 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Tickmill and HFM both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, so traders on either platform can manage accounts from a phone or tablet. Each app includes trendline drawing on charts and earns a 4-star rating for mobile trading apps, but Tickmill comes out ahead in overall ranking, placing #25 out of 63 brokers versus HFM at #32. Tickmill also offers watchlist symbol syncing, which means changes made in the mobile app and online account stay aligned, while HFM does not provide this feature.
Where HFM gains an edge is with price alerts, which Tickmill does not offer in its mobile app. Tickmill, however, gives traders more charting tools, with 97 technical studies compared with HFM’s 30. HFM does have the advantage of auto-saving chart drawings, while Tickmill does not. For mobile trading, Tickmill is better suited to traders who want more charting choices and watchlist sync, while HFM may appeal to those who value alerts and saved drawings.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Tickmill and HFM both give traders daily market commentary and an economic calendar, so each broker covers the basics well for keeping up with news and scheduled events. They are also evenly matched in ForexBrokers.com’s Research rating, with both earning 4 out of 5 stars. In the broader ranking of 63 brokers, HFM places just ahead of Tickmill at #18, while Tickmill ranks #19.
Where HFM pulls ahead is in extra research content. It offers forex news from top sources like Reuters or Bloomberg, Autochartist tools, and a sentiment tool that helps show whether traders are mostly buying or selling. Tickmill does not offer those features, but it does include Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre, which HFM does not. Neither broker offers Trading Central or TipRanks research.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
If you’re comparing Tickmill vs HFM for beginner forex and CFD education, both brokers check the key boxes. Each hosts online educational webinars at least once a month, and both offer at least 10 beginner-focused videos to help you learn the basics, plus at least 10 advanced videos when you’re ready to go deeper.
Both Tickmill and HFM earn 4 out of 5 stars for Education. However, Tickmill ranks higher overall (#14 of 63) than HFM (#29) in the ForexBrokers.com Education category. In practice, beginners can learn effectively with either broker—choose Tickmill if a higher-ranked education hub matters to you, or go with HFM if you prefer its platform while still getting regular webinars and a sizable library of videos.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
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 Tickmill is better than HFM. Tickmill finished with an overall rank of #23, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #27.
Tickmill is a run-of-the-mill MetaTrader broker that offers a limited selection of tradeable securities. The broker does offer very competitive commission-based pricing for professionals through its VIP and Pro accounts.
| Feature |
Tickmill
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HFM
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 85 | 85 |
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Tickmill vs HFM: neither online broker supports purchasing actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Between online brokers Tickmill and HFM, both lack ACH/SEPA transfers but allow Skrill and bank wire funding, with Tickmill additionally offering PayPal while HFM does not.
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 | Tickmill | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Tickmill | HFM | |
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| Regulation | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 85 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | 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) | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 637 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 62 | 102 | |
| 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 | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.70 | 1.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | 100 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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 | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Tickmill | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Tickmill Review | HFM Review |
| Overall | Tickmill | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review | HFM Review |
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