Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Saxo 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.
Saxo and Tickmill are online brokers with different regulatory footprints. Saxo, founded in 1992, is a bank and not publicly traded. Tickmill, founded in 2014, is not publicly traded and is not a bank. In terms of regulation, Saxo holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, while Tickmill holds 2 Tier-1 and 2 Tier-2 licenses.
On ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score, which classifies 90-99 as highly trusted and 80-89 as trusted, Saxo scores 99/99 (highly trusted) and Tickmill scores 85/99 (trusted). For traders prioritizing regulation and safety, Saxo shows the stronger profile, while Tickmill still earns a trusted rating.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Saxo (5 stars; ranked #8 of 63 for Commissions & Fees) and Tickmill (4.5 stars; ranked #10 of 63) both aim to keep costs down, but they price trades differently. Saxo is spread-only on forex with no per-trade commission, while Tickmill’s sharpest pricing comes via its commission-based Raw account. Which one is cheaper depends on your account tier and how much you trade.
For Saxo, average EUR/USD spreads as of November 2023 were 1.1 pips (Classic), 1.0 pips (Platinum), and 0.9 pips (VIP), with minimums about 0.2 pips tighter. The Classic account now has a $0 minimum deposit; Platinum requires $200,000 (or a loyalty upgrade), and VIP typically needs $1,000,000 (or qualifying volume). Forex trading is commission-free, though trading under 50,000 units in a month triggers a $3-per-side ticket fee. Saxo also waives custody fees for share trading if you opt into securities lending.
Tickmill’s Classic account is commission-free but showed higher average EUR/USD spreads of about 1.76 pips (August 2023). Its Raw account (minimum $100) lists a typical EUR/USD spread of 0.11 pips (October 2023) plus a $3-per-side commission per 100,000 units, putting the all-in cost near 0.71 pips in normal conditions. That can undercut Saxo’s Classic pricing and even beat the average spreads on Saxo’s Platinum and VIP tiers, whereas high-volume or large-balance traders who prefer no per-trade commissions may still favor Saxo’s spread-only model.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | 100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.0 | 1.70 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.70 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Saxo offers a much wider range of investments than Tickmill, making it the stronger choice for traders who want more market access in one account. Saxo supports forex trading as either CFDs or spot contracts, and it lists about 71,000 tradeable symbols, including 190 forex pairs. It also lets clients buy actual shares on both U.S. and international exchanges, so investors can trade real stocks such as Apple or Vodafone. By comparison, Tickmill also offers forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, but its lineup is much smaller, with 637 tradeable symbols and 62 forex pairs, and it does not offer exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges.
When it comes to other features, both brokers offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither allows clients to buy actual delivered crypto. Tickmill does have copy trading, while Saxo does not. Overall, Saxo is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers, while Tickmill is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #30, which highlights Saxo’s broader investment selection for most traders and investors.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 71000 | 637 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 62 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
In this Saxo vs Tickmill comparison of trading platforms and tools, both brokers provide a free demo account, Windows desktop and web platforms, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. The main differences are platform choice and extras: Saxo offers its own in-house platform but does not support MetaTrader or copy trading, while Tickmill does not have a proprietary platform yet supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 and includes copy trading.
For ratings, Saxo earns 5/5 stars and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools on ForexBrokers.com, while Tickmill scores 4/5 stars and ranks #24. Choose Saxo if you want a streamlined proprietary platform experience; pick Tickmill if you prefer MT4 or MT5 and want copy trading alongside web and desktop access.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 61 | 97 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Saxo and Tickmill both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each lets you sync watchlists between the app and your online account. Both apps also support trendline drawing on charts, making it easier to review price moves on the go. Saxo adds stock and forex price alerts, while Tickmill does not, which may matter if you want quick updates without checking the app often.
When it comes to charting tools, Tickmill offers more technical studies in its mobile app, with 97 compared with Saxo’s 64. However, Saxo does better in overall mobile app quality, with a 5-star rating and a #3 ranking out of 63 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, versus Tickmill’s 4-star rating and #25 ranking. Saxo also automatically saves chart drawings, while Tickmill does not, which can make Saxo more convenient for active traders who use mobile charts regularly.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 97 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Saxo comes out ahead of Tickmill for market research overall. Both brokers provide daily market commentary and an economic calendar, so traders can keep track of major news events and get regular updates. However, Saxo also adds forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Autochartist tools, and a sentiment-based trading feature that shows how many traders are long or short on different instruments. These extra research features give Saxo a wider set of ways to study the market before placing a trade.
Tickmill still offers useful research support, but it is more limited in scope. It includes daily market commentary, an economic calendar, and Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre, yet it does not provide top-tier forex news, Autochartist, or sentiment data. That difference is reflected in the ratings and rankings: Saxo earns 5 stars for Research and holds the #1 spot out of 63 brokers, while Tickmill is rated 4 stars and ranks #19.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing Saxo vs Tickmill for beginner education, both brokers make it easy to learn the basics of forex and CFDs. Each runs client webinars at least once a month and offers 10+ beginner videos, so new traders can get up to speed on core topics like how trades work and how to manage risk. Both also include 10+ advanced videos, giving you room to grow as your skills improve.
Saxo edges ahead on quality: it earns 5 stars for Education and is ranked #12 out of 63 brokers in the Education category by ForexBrokers.com, while Tickmill holds 4 stars and ranks #14. If you want the highest-rated learning library with regular webinars and plenty of beginner-friendly videos, Saxo is the better pick. If you’re fine with slightly lower ratings but still want frequent webinars and ample beginner content, Tickmill is a strong alternative.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Tickmill
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo is better than Tickmill. Saxo finished with an overall rank of #3, while Tickmill finished with an overall rank of #23.
Saxo is a multi-asset broker with brilliant research and a superb trading platform experience – as well as a stunning selection of over 40,000 securities.
| Feature |
Saxo
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Tickmill
|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
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In the Saxo vs Tickmill comparison, neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs for trading.
Comparing online brokers Saxo and Tickmill for deposits and withdrawals: both support bank wire transfers and do not offer ACH or SEPA, but Tickmill additionally supports PayPal and Skrill whereas Saxo offers neither.
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 | Saxo | Tickmill | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | Tickmill Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Saxo | Tickmill | |
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| Regulation | Saxo | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2014 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Saxo | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| 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) | Saxo | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Saxo | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 71000 | 637 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 62 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | Saxo | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.0 | 1.70 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.70 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Saxo | 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 | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Saxo | 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 | Saxo | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 61 | 97 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Saxo | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 97 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Saxo | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Saxo | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Saxo | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Saxo Review | Tickmill Review |
| Overall | Saxo | Tickmill | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | Tickmill Review |
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