Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Tickmill vs Markets.com, 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.
When comparing online brokers Tickmill and Markets.com, it's clear that both have carved out their niches from different periods, with Tickmill launching in 2014 and Markets.com debuting in 1999. Neither broker is listed on a stock exchange nor operates as a bank, yet they are well-regulated entities with numerous licenses. Tickmill holds 2 highly trusted Tier-1 licenses and has an overall trust score of 86 according to ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the trusted category.
Markets.com, on the other hand, holds an impressive 3 Tier-1 licenses, which contributes to its standout trust score of 93, categorizing it as highly trusted. It also maintains a Tier-2 license, adding another layer to its credibility. While both brokers provide secure and regulated environments, Markets.com edges out Tickmill in terms of regulatory trustworthiness, making it a favored choice for those prioritizing stronger regulatory oversight.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2014 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees, Tickmill offers two primary account types: Classic and Raw. The Raw account, which replaced the former Pro account, features a competitive commission structure at $3 per side, equating to $6 per standard lot. Despite this increase from the previous $2 per side, Tickmill remains a top choice for active traders, thanks to its low average spreads. The Classic account, by contrast, is entirely commission-free, with charges applicable only through the bid/ask spread. However, the average spread for the Classic account is considerably higher, recorded at 1.76 pips as of August 2023. Tickmill's Raw account provides tighter spreads, such as 0.11 pips for the EUR/USD pair, with an all-in cost of 0.71 pips when including the elevated per-trade commission.
Markets.com, on the other hand, lacks detailed average spread data, which is a notable gap in assessing its cost-effectiveness. This absence limits transparency in comparing its fees against other brokers. Consequently, while Markets.com does offer various features, Tickmill's clear presentation of the Raw account's cost structure makes it a more attractive option for those prioritizing cost efficiency in trading.
Tickmill outshines Markets.com in ratings and rankings, earning a commendable 5 stars for its commissions and fees. It ranks #4 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, Markets.com receives a more moderate 3.5 stars and a ranking of #50 in the same category. For traders prioritizing low cost with strategic fee structures, Tickmill stands out as a preferable choice, providing transparency and consistently appealing to cost-conscious traders.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.51 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.31 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| 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 comparing the range of investments offered by Tickmill and Markets.com, both online brokers provide opportunities for forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. However, Markets.com stands out with a broader selection of tradeable symbols, offering investors a choice of 2,179 options compared to Tickmill's 725. While Tickmill provides a slightly higher number of tradeable forex pairs with 63, Markets.com is close behind with 57 pairs. Both brokers do not offer exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, meaning clients cannot purchase actual shares like Apple or Vodafone directly.
In terms of additional offerings, both Tickmill and Markets.com support copy trading and allow trading in cryptocurrency derivatives, not the actual cryptocurrencies. The difference in the overall range is reflected in their ratings, with Markets.com earning 4 stars and ranking #29 in the Range of Investments category by ForexBrokers.com, while Tickmill garners a 3.5-star rating and ranks #42. These distinctions highlight Markets.com's more extensive options, potentially appealing to investors seeking a wider array of investment choices.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 725 | 2179 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 63 | 57 |
| 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 Tickmill and Markets.com in terms of trading platforms and tools, both brokers offer a free virtual demo account, enabling new and seasoned traders to practice without financial risk. However, Markets.com stands out with its proprietary platform, developed in-house to cater to its clients' needs, whereas Tickmill relies on third-party solutions like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Both brokers offer MetaTrader 4 and 5, as well as Windows-based desktop and web-based trading platforms, making them versatile for various trading preferences. Furthermore, copy trading is available at both brokers, providing options for those interested in mirror trading strategies.
In terms of advanced trading features, Tickmill seems to offer a more comprehensive charting experience with 15 drawing tools and provides the ability to trade directly from a stock chart. Markets.com, on the other hand, offers just 4 drawing tools and lacks the direct trade-from-chart functionality. For watch lists, Tickmill also offers more extensive customization, with seven column fields compared to Markets.com's six. Both brokers are rated four stars for their trading platforms and tools, with ForexBrokers.com ranking Markets.com slightly higher at 27th out of 63 brokers, while Tickmill ranks at 32nd. Despite these differences, both brokers provide solid trading platforms and tools that cater to diverse trading needs.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 89 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 4 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 6 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both Tickmill and Markets.com offer compatible options for iPhone and Android users, ensuring access across popular device platforms. Each broker provides stock or forex price alerts, as well as tools to draw trendlines on charts. Traders using Tickmill enjoy the advantage of exploring multiple time frames on their charts, a feature not available with Markets.com. However, Markets.com makes up for this by allowing seamless watchlist syncing across devices, letting users maintain consistency between their mobile app and online account.
In terms of charting, Tickmill excels with 30 technical studies available, whereas Markets.com users may have to rely on the basics provided by the MT4 platform. Although both apps support the creation of real-time watchlists, Tickmill uniquely offers the convenience of auto-saving chart drawings. Despite these differences, both brokers receive a respectable 4-star rating for their mobile apps from users. When ranked by ForexBrokers.com, Tickmill slightly edges ahead at #32, while Markets.com follows closely at #33, reflecting small differences in user experience and functionality.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both Tickmill and Markets.com offer a comprehensive suite of market research tools to assist traders. They provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring users are always informed. However, neither broker offers technical analysis or fundamental research tools from companies like Autochartist or Trading Central. Both platforms feature sentiment-based trading tools, allowing users to gauge the market's mood by viewing the ratio of long to short positions across various instruments. Additionally, they include an economic calendar that tracks global news events crucial for decision-making.
Despite these similarities, there are notable differences. Tickmill stands out for its inclusion of research tools from Acuity Trading, such as the Signal Centre, which Markets.com does not provide. Both brokers hold a solid four-star rating in research and are distinguished by their ranks on ForexBrokers.com—Tickmill at #22 and Markets.com at #17 out of 63 brokers. This positioning highlights Markets.com's slight edge, though both platforms remain competitive options for research-driven trading.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, Tickmill and Markets.com offer varied experiences. For those new to forex and CFDs, Tickmill stands out by providing over 10 educational pieces including articles and videos, whereas Markets.com does not meet this benchmark. Both brokers do, however, offer monthly online educational webinars to help clients grow their trading knowledge. In addition, Tickmill provides a searchable archive of these webinars for post-session review, a feature that Markets.com does not offer.
Both Tickmill and Markets.com feature educational videos targeting beginners, as well as more advanced traders, ensuring a wide range of learning opportunities. One area where Tickmill excels is having an investor dictionary with definitions of over 50 investing terms, a resource Markets.com lacks. Both brokers receive a 4-star rating for education, but in rankings by ForexBrokers.com, Tickmill holds the 15th position, markedly higher than Markets.com's 34th place, indicating a stronger educational offering overall.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
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 Markets.com. Tickmill finished with an overall rank of #22, while Markets.com finished with an overall rank of #23.
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
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 93 |
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Both Tickmill and Markets.com allow traders to invest in cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither platform offers the option to purchase actual physical cryptocurrencies.
When comparing online brokers, Tickmill and Markets.com both accept Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals, but while Tickmill supports PayPal transactions, Markets.com does not; neither broker offers ACH or SEPA transfers.
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 | Markets.com | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
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| Regulation | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 2014 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | 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 | No | |
| 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 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 725 | 2179 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 63 | 57 | |
| 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 | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.51 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.31 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 6 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 89 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 4 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | No | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Tickmill Review |
| Overall | Tickmill | Markets.com | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review |
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