Interactive Brokers vs Tickmill 2025
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Tickmill, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers 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.
Interactive Brokers and Tickmill are two options to consider for online trading, both offering different levels of trust and credibility. Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers is publicly traded and boasts the highest ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99. It holds 9 Tier-1 licenses, reflecting strong regulatory compliance. On the other hand, Tickmill, established in 2014, is not publicly traded and has a Trust Score of 86. While it holds 2 Tier-1 licenses, this suggests a solid level of trust but not as extensive as Interactive Brokers.
Neither company operates as a bank, focusing solely on providing brokerage services. Both firms hold 2 Tier-2 licenses, indicating they meet trusted standards in certain jurisdictions. However, Interactive Brokers' extensive Tier-1 licensing positions it as a more secure choice from a regulatory perspective compared to Tickmill. For investors prioritizing regulatory approval and publicly traded status, Interactive Brokers may offer greater peace of mind.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees between Interactive Brokers and Tickmill, both platforms offer competitive pricing structures that cater to active forex traders. Interactive Brokers stands out with a pricing system where commissions start at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the U.S. dollar trade value, with a minimum of $2 per order. This structure can drop to 0.08 basis points for very active traders. For example, buying and then selling $100,000 worth of EUR/USD at Interactive Brokers results in a commission-equivalent of roughly 0.40 pips, making it an appealing choice for seasoned traders. Interactive Brokers, rated 5 stars for its commissions and fees, is ranked #2 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
On the other hand, Tickmill provides two main account options: Classic and Raw. The Raw account, which replaced the Pro account, features a $3 per side commission rate, or $6 per standard lot. With this account, typical spreads for the EUR/USD are listed at 0.11 pips, with an all-in cost of 0.71 pips after incorporating the commission. While the Classic account offers commission-free trading, its average spreads are significantly higher at 1.76 pips. Despite the recent price increase, Tickmill remains a top contender for active traders, earning a 5-star rating and securing the #4 rank for commissions and fees according to ForexBrokers.com.
In summary, Interactive Brokers and Tickmill both offer attractive options for forex traders with efficient pricing models. Interactive Brokers is particularly suited for those who prioritize volume discounts and extensive interbank access, while Tickmill appeals with its straightforward account options and competitive spreads through its Raw account. Both brokers shine in delivering cost-effective solutions while receiving top ratings in the industry for their commissions and fees.
| Feature |
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| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.59 | 1.70 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.70 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers offers a far wider range of investments than Tickmill. You’ll find 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs at Interactive Brokers versus 637 symbols and 63 pairs at Tickmill. Interactive Brokers also lets you buy exchange-traded stocks on both U.S. and international markets (for example, Apple on NASDAQ and Vodafone in London), while Tickmill does not. Both brokers provide forex trading via CFDs or spot.
When it comes to crypto, Interactive Brokers supports buying actual cryptocurrency as well as crypto CFDs; Tickmill offers crypto CFDs only. Tickmill does support copy trading, whereas Interactive Brokers does not. In independent reviews by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earned 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 63 brokers for Range of Investments, while Tickmill received 3.5 stars and ranked #43.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 637 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 63 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
Interactive Brokers vs Tickmill for trading platforms and tools: both brokers provide free paper trading (demo accounts), Windows desktop and web-based platforms, and the ability to place orders directly from charts. Interactive Brokers offers an in-house proprietary platform, while Tickmill does not have its own platform and instead supports third-party apps. If you want MetaTrader or copy trading, Tickmill supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and copy trading; Interactive Brokers does not support MetaTrader and does not offer copy trading. The exact counts of built-in technical indicators and watchlist fields were not specified for either broker.
For overall platform quality, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #3 out of 63 brokers in the Trading Platforms and Tools category. Tickmill earns 4 stars and ranks #30. Consider Interactive Brokers if you prefer an in-house platform with chart trading and paper trading, or choose Tickmill if you prioritize MT4/MT5 and copy trading alongside chart trading and a demo account.
| Feature |
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| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 91 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and Tickmill both offer iPhone and Android trading apps and support stock and forex price alerts. Key differences show up in everyday use: Interactive Brokers syncs watchlists between mobile and your online account, while Tickmill does not. For charting, Interactive Brokers provides 97 technical studies compared with Tickmill’s 30. Both apps let you draw trendlines, but Tickmill auto-saves your drawings; Interactive Brokers does not.
In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers’ mobile trading app earned 5 stars and ranked #4 out of 63 brokers, while Tickmill earned 4 stars and ranked #30. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want deeper analysis tools and synced watchlists; pick Tickmill if auto-saving drawings and a simpler set of indicators fit your needs.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | 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.
Interactive Brokers and Tickmill both deliver solid market research capabilities to traders, featuring daily market commentary and forex news from esteemed sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. However, their offerings diverge significantly beyond these shared features. Interactive Brokers extends its comprehensive research toolkit with resources like Trading Central's Technical Analytics and TipRanks, whereas Tickmill does not provide these tools. Both brokers support research through Acuity Trading's offerings and provide economic calendars that showcase global news events impacting various economies.
When assessing sentiment-based tools, both Interactive Brokers and Tickmill offer features that display the ratio of long and short positions among currency pairs or other instruments. Nevertheless, the overall research capabilities of Interactive Brokers are rated higher, earning 5 out of 5 stars compared to Tickmill's 4-star rating. Reflecting this distinction, Interactive Brokers is ranked #3 in the Research category by ForexBrokers.com, among 63 brokers surveyed, while Tickmill holds the #21 spot. This distinction highlights the advanced research tools and resources available to Interactive Brokers' clients, making it a preferred choice for traders prioritizing in-depth market insight.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Interactive Brokers and Tickmill both give beginner traders plenty to learn from. Each hosts online educational webinars at least once a month and offers a library with 10 or more beginner videos, plus 10 or more advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up. That means you can start with the basics, then keep going with deeper topics through on-demand videos and live sessions.
Where they differ is in quality ratings and rankings. Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for education and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Tickmill scores 4 stars and ranks #15. If you want the highest-rated path with the most comprehensive learning experience, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice. If you’re seeking regular webinars and plenty of starter videos, Tickmill still offers a solid education lineup.
| Feature |
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|---|---|---|
| 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 Interactive Brokers is better than Tickmill. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Tickmill finished with an overall rank of #22.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.
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| Trust Score | 99 | 86 |
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Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, while Tickmill does not offer delivered crypto but does provide cryptocurrency CFDs.
Comparing online brokers Interactive Brokers vs Tickmill for deposit and withdrawal options: Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers, while Tickmill supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Tickmill Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 86 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2014 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 637 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 63 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.59 | 1.70 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.70 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 91 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
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| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Tickmill Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Tickmill | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Tickmill Review |