Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ThinkMarkets vs Xtrade, 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 Xtrade are both well-established online brokers, but they differ significantly in trust and regulation. ThinkMarkets was founded in 2010 and boasts a higher Trust Score of 92 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, indicating a highly trusted status. This is supported by its five Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses. Despite not being publicly traded or a bank, these licenses suggest a high level of security and regulatory compliance for users.
In contrast, Xtrade was founded earlier in 2003 but holds a Trust Score of 74, seen as average risk. While Xtrade also is not publicly traded or a bank, it holds just one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license, which may still be appealing to some traders but does not match the level of trust signified by ThinkMarkets. Choosing between these brokers depends on one's comfort level with their respective trust ratings and licenses.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2003 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
When comparing ThinkMarkets and Xtrade in terms of commissions and fees, traders will notice some key differences. ThinkMarkets earns a rating of four stars out of five for its commissions and fees, reflecting a solid position in the market. Ranked at #48 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, ThinkMarkets provides competitive pricing that may appeal to cost-conscious traders looking for value.
In contrast, Xtrade receives a lower rating of 2.5 stars out of five for its commissions and fees. This rating suggests that traders might face higher costs or less competitive pricing when trading through Xtrade. With a ranking of #62 out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category by ForexBrokers.com, Xtrade appears at the bottom, indicating it might not be the most economical choice for those focused on minimizing transaction costs.
Overall, when it comes to commissions and fees, ThinkMarkets offers a more favorable structure for traders compared to Xtrade. Traders interested in a broker with more competitive fees might find ThinkMarkets to be a preferable option.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $250 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| 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.
ThinkMarkets and Xtrade both provide opportunities for forex trading as CFDs, yet their overall offerings significantly differ. ThinkMarkets offers an impressive 4,000 tradeable symbols, overshadowing Xtrade's 482 symbols. For those interested in forex pairs, Xtrade provides a slight edge with 56 pairs over ThinkMarkets' 46. A notable distinction is ThinkMarkets' ability to offer international exchange-traded securities, allowing clients to invest in companies like Vodafone, while Xtrade does not provide this service.
Moreover, ThinkMarkets supports copy trading, offering investors additional strategies, whereas Xtrade lacks this feature. Both platforms offer cryptocurrency derivatives but not the actual cryptocurrencies themselves. With a higher rating of 4.5 stars, ThinkMarkets stands out in terms of the range of investments compared to Xtrade's 3.5 stars. Reflecting these capabilities, ThinkMarkets is ranked 21st among 62 brokers, while Xtrade ranks 49th, highlighting their differing strengths in the investment arena.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 482 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 56 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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 ThinkMarkets and Xtrade for their trading platforms and tools, there are notable differences. ThinkMarkets shines with a strong offering, providing a Windows desktop trading platform alongside a proprietary platform. Users can also access popular tools like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), adding flexibility for traders familiar with these platforms. Furthermore, ThinkMarkets supports web-based trading and delivers features like copy trading and trading directly from stock charts. In terms of charting, ThinkMarkets offers 15 drawing tools and 15 columns for watch lists, contributing to its respectable rating of 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. It finds itself in the 28th spot out of 62 brokers in ForexBrokers.com's rankings.
Xtrade, on the other hand, provides a proprietary web-based trading platform without a desktop download option, which might limit users who prefer trading on Windows-based software. While it doesn’t support third-party platforms like MT4 or MT5, it impressively offers a vast array of 100 drawing tools for charting. Users can trade directly from stock charts, though the watch lists are restricted to 9 columns. Xtrade does not offer features like copy trading but still maintains a solid presence with a 3.5-star rating for its platforms and tools, ranking 58th in ForexBrokers.com's list.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | N/A |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 100 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 15 | 9 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of ThinkMarkets and Xtrade, both platforms are available on iPhone and Android devices. ThinkMarkets stands out with its comprehensive features, offering 94 technical studies for charting, the ability to draw trendlines, and view multiple time frames for stock or forex charts. Additionally, it supports stock or forex price alerts and auto-saves chart drawings. It also allows users to create watchlists with real-time quotes. On the other hand, Xtrade does not provide these functionalities, limiting its appeal for traders seeking robust charting tools and alert features.
Both ThinkMarkets and Xtrade have received four-star ratings for their mobile trading apps. However, ThinkMarkets holds a stronger position in the industry, ranking 20th among 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com for its mobile app category, while Xtrade ranks 53rd. Neither platform offers watchlist symbol syncing between mobile and online accounts. For traders who prioritize charting capabilities and alert systems, ThinkMarkets offers a more feature-rich experience, while Xtrade may suit those with simpler needs.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
ThinkMarkets and Xtrade both aim to offer strong market research options for their users. Both brokers provide daily market commentary and deliver forex news from highly reputable sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. However, when it comes to advanced analysis tools from popular companies like Autochartist and Trading Central, neither broker currently provides these features. A notable advantage for ThinkMarkets is its sentiment-based trading tool, which provides insights into market positioning, something Xtrade lacks. Additionally, ThinkMarkets supports its clients with research tools from Acuity Trading, including the Signal Centre, while Xtrade does not offer these resources. Both platforms feature an economic calendar to keep traders informed about significant global events.
In terms of market research ratings, ThinkMarkets and Xtrade both receive a 3.5-star rating, indicating a comparable level of research services. When assessed across a spectrum of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, ThinkMarkets holds the 50th position, slightly ahead of Xtrade, which is ranked 52nd. These rankings suggest that both brokers deliver fairly similar research capabilities, with ThinkMarkets having a slight edge due to additional tools like its sentiment analysis feature and Acuity Trading collaborations.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| 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, both ThinkMarkets and Xtrade offer a range of materials to help newcomers learn about forex and CFDs. Each provides at least 10 articles, videos, or webinars focused on these topics. However, ThinkMarkets stands out by offering monthly online webinars for clients, along with a searchable archive of past sessions, providing a richer and more flexible learning experience. Beginners can also benefit from over 10 videos tailored specifically to those starting out in the trading world through ThinkMarkets. In comparison, Xtrade does not provide regular webinars or a video library aimed at beginners. Both brokers supply a useful investor dictionary with definitions of over 50 trading terms, supporting learners with essential knowledge as they grow in their trading journey.
While both ThinkMarkets and Xtrade receive an educational rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, they are ranked differently by ForexBrokers.com. ThinkMarkets is placed at #52 among 62 brokers, whereas Xtrade ranks higher at #46. Despite Xtrade’s slightly better ranking, ThinkMarkets offers a broader array of learning tools for beginners, including advanced educational videos that can cater to more experienced traders. This makes ThinkMarkets potentially a more fitting choice for those who are looking for a comprehensive array of educational content to support their trading endeavors from the ground up.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
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 Xtrade. ThinkMarkets finished with an overall rank of #27, while Xtrade finished with an overall rank of #59.
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
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 74 |
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Both ThinkMarkets and Xtrade provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives but do not offer the ability to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies.
Both ThinkMarkets and Xtrade do not provide ACH or SEPA transfers or PayPal as options for depositing or withdrawing account funds, but they both support Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wire transfers for these transactions.
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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2 of 5| Overall Rating | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Xtrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
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| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
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| Regulation | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 74 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2003 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 482 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 56 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $250 | |
| 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 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 15 | 9 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | N/A | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 100 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | No | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Xtrade Review |
| Overall | ThinkMarkets | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Xtrade Review |
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