Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ThinkMarkets vs Trade Nation, 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.
ThinkMarkets and Trade Nation are both online brokers established in the past decade, with ThinkMarkets founded in 2010 and Trade Nation in 2014. Neither broker is a bank or publicly traded. When evaluating the level of trust, ThinkMarkets holds a significant edge with a higher Trust Score of 92 out of 99, ranking them as highly trusted. In contrast, Trade Nation scores 85, placing them in the trusted category according to ForexBrokers.com. This higher rating aligns with ThinkMarkets' coverage of five Tier-1 licenses, compared to Trade Nation's two.
Beyond Tier-1, ThinkMarkets also carries two Tier-2 licenses while Trade Nation has one, further adding to their trust credentials. Both firms offer a reliable background for investors, yet ThinkMarkets' higher rating and broader regulatory coverage make it a more attractive option for individuals seeking confidence in their online broker.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
ThinkMarkets, rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, offers a straightforward approach. However, specific average spread data isn't readily available, making direct comparisons less precise. Despite this, ThinkMarkets remains a popular choice, though it ranks 48th out of 62 brokers in the commissions and fees category according to ForexBrokers.com.
Trade Nation stands out with a 5-star rating for its competitive fee structure, ranking 7th among 62 brokers in the commissions and fees category on ForexBrokers.com. It provides a unique fixed-spread pricing model for its proprietary platform, offering transparency and predictability for traders. For instance, the EUR/USD pair has a fixed spread of 0.6 pips, although this can widen to 1.4 pips during the daily rollover period, resulting in an average of about 1 pip.
Trade Nation also offers three primary account types, including two MetaTrader accounts and its proprietary TN Trader account. While the MetaTrader accounts offer both commission-based and commission-free options, the TN Trader account tends to have the lowest spreads when considering overall costs. This fixed-spread model generally offers more stability compared to the variable pricing most brokers provide, solidifying Trade Nation's competitive edge in commission and fee arrangements.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | 0.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.6 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | 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 ThinkMarkets and Trade Nation in terms of their available investments, several key differences become apparent. Both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, including access to 46 currency pairs. ThinkMarkets provides clients with a broader selection of over 4,000 tradeable symbols, whereas Trade Nation offers around 1,000. An important distinction is that ThinkMarkets allows trading of exchange-listed securities on international exchanges, which offers further investment opportunities like the ability to buy shares of Vodafone on the London Stock Exchange. On the other hand, Trade Nation does not offer this option.
Both brokers support copy trading and offer cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither allows for the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies. Despite some similarities, ThinkMarkets is favored in terms of the range of available investments, receiving a rating of 4.5 stars and ranking 21st out of 62 brokers. Trade Nation, meanwhile, is rated slightly lower with 3.5 stars and holds the 38th position. These rankings highlight ThinkMarkets' more expansive offerings, especially for those interested in a wider variety of international securities.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 46 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | 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 it comes to trading platforms and tools, both ThinkMarkets and Trade Nation offer a variety of options to suit traders of all levels. Each provides a proprietary platform developed in-house, a Windows-based desktop application, and web-based trading options accessible via a browser. They also cater to traders looking to try things out without risk, offering simulated or paper trading with a free virtual demo account. Traders interested in copy trading will find features available on both platforms. Moreover, users can engage with the widely popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) on either service; however, only ThinkMarkets extends its support to include MetaTrader 5 (MT5).
For charting enthusiasts, while ThinkMarkets provides 15 drawing tools, Trade Nation surpasses this offering with 39. ThinkMarkets allows users to trade directly from stock charts, a feature not available with Trade Nation. Both brokers offer extensive watch lists, though ThinkMarkets slightly edges out with 15 fields compared to Trade Nation’s 14. In terms of user ratings, both companies scored a commendable 4 out of 5 stars for their trading platforms and tools. However, ThinkMarkets is ranked more favorably at #27 in this category by ForexBrokers.com, compared to Trade Nation’s position at #45 among 62 brokers.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | 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 | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 99 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 39 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 15 | 14 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both ThinkMarkets and Trade Nation offer comprehensive platforms for traders using iPhones and Android devices. Users of both apps benefit from the ability to set stock and forex price alerts, create watchlists with real-time quotes, and utilize various technical features such as drawing trendlines and viewing multiple timeframes on their charts. However, a significant difference lies in watchlist symbol syncing. While Trade Nation synchronizes watchlists across devices, ThinkMarkets does not provide this feature, which may affect traders who frequently switch between their mobile app and online account.
Charting tools are essential for in-depth market analysis, and here both brokers deliver strong offerings. ThinkMarkets provides 94 technical studies, while Trade Nation surpasses it slightly with 99. Notably, both platforms automatically save chart drawings, enhancing user convenience. Ratings for both apps are tied at four stars out of five, reflecting generally favorable user experiences. Nonetheless, ForexBrokers.com ranks ThinkMarkets higher at #20 compared to Trade Nation’s ranking of #45, which might sway traders looking for a highly regarded mobile trading experience.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 99 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings of ThinkMarkets and Trade Nation, ThinkMarkets stands out by providing daily market commentary and a comprehensive economic calendar that outlines current and future global news events, a feature absent in Trade Nation. Speaking of market insights, both brokers supply forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders stay informed on global financial developments. Additionally, both ThinkMarkets and Trade Nation offer sentiment-based trading tools to reveal the ratio of long or short positions, which aids traders in understanding market dynamics.
In terms of specialized research and analysis tools, neither broker offers aids from companies like Autochartist or Trading Central, but they both provide tools from Acuity Trading, such as the Signal Centre. Their research capabilities have earned them a matching rating of 3.5 stars. However, in the rankings by ForexBrokers.com, Trade Nation takes a slightly higher position at #42 compared to ThinkMarkets at #50, among 62 brokers under scrutiny for their research capabilities.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
ThinkMarkets and Trade Nation both provide educational content in the form of articles, videos, and webinars to help beginners get started with forex and CFDs. While both platforms offer a sufficient number of beginner videos and educational pieces, ThinkMarkets stands out by hosting monthly online webinars to engage clients directly and providing a searchable archive for past sessions. This may offer beginners at ThinkMarkets more interactive learning opportunities compared to Trade Nation, which does not include these features.
When it comes to resources for more advanced traders, ThinkMarkets offers more comprehensive educational support with a series of advanced videos and an investor dictionary that explains over 50 trading terms. Trade Nation, on the other hand, lacks advanced trading videos and an extensive investor dictionary, potentially limiting the educational growth for traders looking to deepen their expertise. Rated at 3.5 stars for education, both brokers receive similar feedback, yet their unique offerings cater to different educational needs. Despite ThinkMarkets being ranked lower than Trade Nation in the education category on ForexBrokers.com, it still provides an engaging mix of resources for learners at different skill levels.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ThinkMarkets is better than Trade Nation. ThinkMarkets finished with an overall rank of #27, while Trade Nation finished with an overall rank of #34.
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
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 85 |
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Both ThinkMarkets and Trade Nation do not provide the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency, offering instead the ability to trade in cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both ThinkMarkets and Trade Nation provide Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wire options for depositing or withdrawing funds, but they do not support ACH, SEPA, or PayPal 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 | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
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| Regulation | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2014 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | 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 | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | 0.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.6 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | 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 | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | 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 | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 15 | 14 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 99 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 39 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 94 | 99 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| 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 | No |
| Education | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Overall | ThinkMarkets | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trade Nation Review |
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