Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ThinkMarkets vs IFC Markets, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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ThinkMarkets and IFC Markets offer online brokerage services but differ in terms of regulatory standing and trust scores. Established in 2010, ThinkMarkets is not publicly traded and does not operate as a bank. It holds an impressive five Tier-1 licenses, deemed highly trusted, and two Tier-2 licenses, which are trusted by ForexBrokers.com. This strong regulatory foundation earns ThinkMarkets a high Trust Score of 92, indicating it is highly trusted in the industry.
In contrast, IFC Markets, founded in 2006, also remains privately held and is not a bank. However, it holds no Tier-1 licenses and just one Tier-2 license, resulting in a more moderate Trust Score rating of 73, categorized as average risk. Comparing these factors, ThinkMarkets appears to offer a stronger level of trust and regulatory oversight than IFC Markets.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
ThinkMarkets and IFC Markets both earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, IFC Markets places higher at #40 out of 63 brokers, while ThinkMarkets sits at #48. ThinkMarkets does not publish average spread data, which makes a direct, apples-to-apples comparison harder for cost-focused traders.
IFC Markets discloses that its average EUR/USD spread is 1.44 pips, above the industry average of 1.08 pips, so standard pricing is slightly less competitive. Active traders may find better value through IFC’s new ECN account, where the effective spread is about 1.1 pips after a 0.005% commission on both sides of the trade. IFC Markets also skips inactivity fees and offers active trader discounts, which can help trim overall trading costs. (IFC Markets: 4/5 stars, ranked #40/63; ThinkMarkets: 4/5 stars, ranked #48/63.)
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $1 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
ThinkMarkets and IFC Markets both support forex trading (via CFDs or spot), copy trading, and cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual crypto. Each also offers exchange-traded shares on select international markets, while U.S.-listed stocks aren’t available as real shares. The key difference is breadth: ThinkMarkets lists about 4,000 tradeable symbols, compared with IFC Markets’ roughly 630. On the currency side, IFC Markets edges out ThinkMarkets with 49 forex pairs versus 46.
If you want more overall markets to choose from, ThinkMarkets stands out; if you care about a slightly larger list of currency pairs, IFC Markets has the advantage. Reflecting this, ForexBrokers.com rates ThinkMarkets 4.5/5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked #24 of 63) and IFC Markets 3.5/5 stars (ranked #44 of 63).
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
ThinkMarkets vs IFC Markets: Both brokers cover the essentials for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo account for paper trading, a proprietary in-house platform, and access to MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can trade on a Windows desktop download or through a web-based platform, and both support copy trading. Chart-driven trading is available at both brokers, letting you place orders directly from the chart.
For quality, ForexBrokers.com rates both ThinkMarkets and IFC Markets at 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, with ThinkMarkets ranked #28 of 63 brokers and IFC Markets at #37. That slight edge may matter if rankings are important to you; otherwise, your choice will likely come down to which proprietary platform you prefer and the specific features you value around web, desktop, and chart trading.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both ThinkMarkets and IFC Markets offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, trendline drawing on charts, and auto-saving of your drawings. The key difference is watchlists: ThinkMarkets does not sync watchlists between the mobile app and the web platform, while IFC Markets does, so changes carry over across devices.
For charting depth, ThinkMarkets provides 94 built-in technical studies, compared with 30 on the IFC Markets app. Despite that gap, both apps earned 4 stars for Mobile Trading Apps from ForexBrokers.com; however, ThinkMarkets ranked #20 out of 63 brokers, while IFC Markets ranked #53. If you value a larger set of indicators, ThinkMarkets has the edge; if watchlist syncing matters more, IFC Markets may fit better.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
In a ThinkMarkets vs IFC Markets research comparison, both brokers cover the basics: you get daily market commentary, an economic calendar for global events, and a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long and short positions. The key difference is news and extra research. ThinkMarkets includes premium forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones and adds third‑party insights from Acuity Trading (Signal Centre). IFC Markets does not include these premium news feeds and doesn’t offer Acuity tools.
Neither broker provides Autochartist, Trading Central, or TipRanks. For overall quality, both earn 3.5 out of 5 stars for research. That said, ForexBrokers.com ranks IFC Markets higher at #41 out of 63 brokers, compared with ThinkMarkets at #51, suggesting IFC Markets holds a slight edge in the category despite ThinkMarkets’ stronger news coverage.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| 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 vs IFC Markets: beginner education compared. Both brokers provide at least 10 beginner-focused video lessons on trading forex and CFDs, plus 10+ advanced videos for when you level up. The key difference is live training: ThinkMarkets runs client webinars about once a month, offering real-time tips and Q&A, while IFC Markets does not currently host ongoing educational webinars. If you learn best through live sessions, that could be a deciding factor.
According to ForexBrokers.com, each broker earns 3.5 out of 5 stars for Education. Still, IFC Markets ranks higher overall in the Education category (#30 of 63) than ThinkMarkets (#52 of 63). So, beginners who want a higher-ranked library may gravitate to IFC Markets, while those who value live webinars may prefer ThinkMarkets. Either way, both deliver a strong set of forex and CFD video lessons to help new traders get started.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| 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 IFC Markets. ThinkMarkets finished with an overall rank of #27, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45.
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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IFC Markets
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| Trust Score | 92 | 73 |
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In this ThinkMarkets vs IFC Markets comparison, neither online broker supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
ThinkMarkets vs IFC Markets: for deposits and withdrawals, both do not support ACH/SEPA transfers; ThinkMarkets’ availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wire is not specified, while IFC Markets does not support PayPal or Skrill, does support bank wire transfers, and its Visa/Mastercard availability is not 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 | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
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| Broker Screenshots | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
| Regulation | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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). |
| Cost | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| 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 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
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| Overall | ThinkMarkets | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
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