When it comes to online brokers, ThinkMarkets stands out as a well-regulated and globally recognized player in the industry. Established in 2010 in Australia, ThinkMarkets has expanded its operations to serve clients in over 60 countries, providing access to a wide range of tradable products across forex, commodities, indices, and more.
ThinkMarkets Review
This comprehensive ThinkMarkets review will examine key aspects of trading with this broker including:
- An overview of the ThinkMarkets brokerage and their history
- The trading platforms offered and their key features
- Account options available to clients
- ThinkMarkets’ cryptocurrency offerings
- Funding and withdrawal processes and potential fees
- Trading costs and applicable commissions
- Customer support services
- Regulation and security measures
By the end, you’ll have an in-depth understanding of what ThinkMarkets provides to traders around the world, who they are as a brokerage, and their advantages and disadvantages compared to competitors. The information is presented clearly and concisely, allowing you to determine if ThinkMarkets is a good fit for your personal trading needs.
About ThinkMarkets
ThinkMarkets is an online brokerage enabling clients to trade global financial markets across different asset classes like forex, commodities, indices, shares, and cryptocurrencies.
ThinkMarkets was founded in 2010 by Nauman Anees, a former hedge fund manager, along with two other co-founders with backgrounds in IT and finance. Over the past 12+ years, ThinkMarkets has steadily expanded its operations from Australia to serve retail and institutional clients in over 60 countries across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and South America.
Unlike many brokers that outsource platform development and account management functions, ThinkMarkets handles these activities in-house. Their three main offices are located strategically in Dubai, London, Beijing and Melbourne to provide 24-hour coverage. According to CEO Anees, this level of vertical integration and direct ownership of core functions allows ThinkMarkets to be nimbler when developing new products and responding to client needs.
A key factor that sets ThinkMarkets apart is its focus on compliant transparency across all areas of operation. As ThinkMarkets expands into new markets, the broker emphasizes adherence to local regulations and strives to provide localized support. This legal and ethical foundation has helped build trust among ThinkMarkets’ global client base.
The background shows an innovative and responsive brokerage committed to responsible operations on a global scale. In later sections, we’ll see how these principles carry through to their trading platforms, account options, customer support and other offerings.
Trading Platforms
ThinkMarkets offers clients a choice between five platforms:
- MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
- MetaTrader 4 (MT4)
- ThinkTrader
- ThinkPortal
- ThinkCopy
Of these options, MetaTrader is likely the most well-known, especially among active forex traders. The latest MetaTrader 5 (MT5) supports trading across forex, stocks, futures and indices, with an impressive charting and analysis package that includes over 80 built-in technical indicators. For those who prefer the classic MT4 edition, ThinkMarkets has also kept this platform operational for legacy users.
Over in ThinkMarkets’ proprietary platforms, seasoned traders can take advantage of advanced functionality for fast trade execution and automated trading strategies through ThinkTrader and the ThinkPortal web interface. For a social angle, check out ThinkCopy which allows you to automatically copy top-performing Traders’ strategies.
Regardless of platform choice, users benefit from stable platforms enriched by ThinkMarkets’ in-house expertise, with the assurance that order execution adheres to industry best execution principles. Tight spreads starting from 0 pips also translate to lower trading costs.
Account Types
ThinkMarkets provides traders with flexibility through five account options tailored to different experience levels and trading styles. This includes:
- Demo (Practice account)
- Standard
- ThinkZero
- Mini
- Swap-Free account
The Standard account is ideal for traders who prioritize tight raw spreads from 0.4 pips on major forex pairs, with no commission charges. Leverage is capped at a reasonable 500:1 and there are no restrictive trading conditions like minimum stop loss levels.
For those keen on paying no spreads whatsoever, the ThinkZero account has true zero spread pricing on all instruments, albeit with a $3.5 round-turn commission per $100k traded. Leverage is the same as Standard at 500:1 maximum.
Rounding out the options, the Mini account allows higher 2000:1 leverage for traders with smaller account sizes from just $10 to start. Spreads are wider, averaging 2.5+ pips on forex, but no commissions apply.
Finally, ThinkMarkets accommodates Muslim traders’ needs through a dedicated Swap-Free (Islamic) account, avoiding overnight interest charges that conflict with religious beliefs.
Overall, ThinkMarkets casts a wide net with these diverse account models to attract traders across the experience and capital spectrum.
Cryptocurrency Offerings
In addition to traditional asset classes like forex, shares, commodities and indices, ThinkMarkets allows clients to trade a select range of popular cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple and more.
Crypto trading is available on both the MetaTrader 5 platform as well as ThinkMarkets’ proprietary platforms like ThinkTrader. This provides traders the flexibility to access crypto markets using their preferred platform’s advanced charting, analysis tools and order execution capabilities.
A unique advantage for crypto traders on ThinkMarkets is the ability to trade crypto cross pairs directly against other cryptocurrencies, instead of just versus fiat currencies. For example, you can speculate on Bitcoin’s price movement relative to Ethereum’s price.
ThinkMarkets also offers competitive pricing on crypto CFDs, with tight spreads from 60 cents on pairs like BTC/USD during normal market conditions. Leverage is allowed up to 3:1 on cryptocurrencies.
Whether a crypto expert or just starting out, having direct market access to this emerging asset class through a regulated broker provides traders another avenue to diversify their portfolio while enjoying ThinkMarkets’ overall security and support.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Funding a trading account at ThinkMarkets is a straightforward process with multiple payment methods accepted for both deposits and withdrawals. Clients can easily transfer funds via bank wire, debit/credit card, e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller, or online payment processors such as UnionPay and FasaPay.
For time-sensitive traders, ThinkMarkets strives to process deposits instantly whenever possible, though bank wires may take up to two business days to reflect in accounts. Withdrawals are also processed efficiently, generally within 24 hours once requests are approved by the compliance team.
In terms of fees, most deposit options at ThinkMarkets are free of extra charges. The exception is credit card deposits, which incur a 3% processing fee from the payment processor. For withdrawals, domestic bank wires within the same country are free, while international wires may carry a modest $15 fee deducted from the withdrawal amount.
Trading Fees
ThinkMarkets aims to keep trading costs low for clients through competitive spreads and commissions across all asset classes. On the popular forex market, average spreads start as low as 0 pips on major pairs for ThinkZero accounts, or 0.4 pips for Standard accounts with no added commissions.
For equity index CFDs, ThinkMarkets quotes spread from just 0.4 points on instruments like the US30 and UK100. Commodity CFDs like gold and crude oil are similarly tight, averaging $0.20 per lot. ThinkZero accounts pay a $3.50 commission per $100k traded in addition to these raw spreads.
Shares trading is also available at ThinkMarkets with low $0.01 per share pricing with no Share CFD fees or custodian charges. The broker doesn’t charge any account inactivity fees to keep accounts open.
Outside of these core trading costs, some supplemental fees may apply such as $50 for IB rebate accounts or $25 for corporate/institutional accounts. Excerpts of account statements or transactions incur a $5 fee per request.
By providing wholesale pricing across all tradable instruments, ThinkMarkets continues its transparency commitment while keeping overall trading fees highly competitive versus other multi-asset brokers.
Customer Support
ThinkMarkets understands the importance of accessible and knowledgeable support, whether you’re a new or experienced trader. The broker provides multiple communication channels for clients to get assistance.
For quick queries, the easiest option is ThinkMarkets’ live chat available directly from trading platforms and the website. Live chat support is available 24/7 in multiple languages including English, Chinese, Arabic, Russian and more.
Alternatively, traders can email ThinkMarkets’ support team at support@thinkmarkets.com for non-urgent matters. Phone support is also available with local touch numbers provided for over 30 countries.
In addition to reactive channels, ThinkMarkets hosts an extensive knowledge base of tutorials, video guides and FAQs covering all aspects of their platforms, products and account types. The broker also maintains an active presence on social media like Facebook and Twitter.
From onboarding new clients to providing ongoing training and query resolution, ThinkMarkets makes it easy to get the help you need through convenient support channels available globally around the clock.
Regulation and Security
As a globally operational broker, ThinkMarkets is regulated by multiple top-tier financial authorities to ensure the highest levels of security and compliance for client funds and data. This includes oversight from:
- The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK
- Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in UAE
- The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
- The Financial Services Commission (FSC) in Mauritius
ThinkMarkets keeps all client money segregated in tier-1 bank accounts separate from its operating capital. Retail client funds are also backed by insurance protection schemes in case of broker insolvency.
On the data front, ThinkMarkets maintains strict privacy policies and uses SSL secure socket layer encryption to protect all communication with its servers and platforms.Two-factor authentication is also available as an extra login security layer.
By adhering to some of the most stringent regulatory bodies in multiple jurisdictions, ThinkMarkets provides its global client base the assurance that their trading activity and funds are always secured with professional risk management controls in place.
ThinkMarkets Review Conclusion
ThinkMarkets has continued to expand its global footprint and multi-asset product suite since its founding over a decade ago. At its core, the broker differentiates itself through a keen focus on transparency, robust security policies, and cutting-edge yet stable trading infrastructure.
With a diverse range of account types, tradable instruments spanning forex, stocks, commodities, indices and cryptocurrencies, ThinkMarkets offers something for traders of all experience levels. Price-sensitive traders will appreciate the tight spreads and low-cost commissions, while feature-rich platforms cater to needs like automated trading, social copying and advanced analysis.
Backed by top-tier regulatory oversight and comprehensive banking safeguards, ThinkMarkets provides extra peace of mind for those prioritizing a secure and legally compliant broker. The extensive multi-lingual customer support adds further assurance that any queries will be promptly resolved.