Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Tickmill 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.
Founded in 2014, Tickmill offers a reliable trading experience with a strong regulatory standing, boasting two Tier-1 and two Tier-2 licenses. Though not a publicly traded entity or a bank, Tickmill is considered a trusted broker with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 86 out of 99. This reflects its solid position as a trusted choice for online traders, ensuring compliance with financial regulations.
Founded in 2003, Xtrade also provides online trading services but with a different regulatory profile. Xtrade holds one Tier-1 and one Tier-2 license and, like Tickmill, it is not publicly traded nor a bank. With a Trust Score of 74 out of 99 on ForexBrokers.com, Xtrade is deemed to carry an average risk level, making it important for traders to weigh their options carefully when considering their investment platforms.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2003 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When it comes to comparing commissions and fees, Tickmill and Xtrade stand out quite differently according to ForexBrokers.com. Tickmill, with its clear focus on competitive pricing, offers two account types: the Classic and Raw accounts. The Classic account is commission-free, though average spreads are relatively higher at 1.76 pips as of August 2023. The Raw account, which replaced the Pro account, has a per-trade commission of $3 per side per standard lot, with typical spreads for EUR/USD recorded at 0.11 pips. This results in an all-in cost of approximately 0.71 pips factoring in commissions, which remains attractive for active traders. Tickmill is rated a stellar 5 stars for its commission and fees structure and holds an impressive #4 rank out of 62 brokers in this category.
In contrast, Xtrade lags significantly behind in terms of fees transparency and competitiveness. With a lack of available average spread data, it presents a challenge for traders seeking a clear understanding of their cost structure. This lack of detail contributes to Xtrade’s lower performance in this area. Xtrade receives a rating of 2.5 stars for commissions and fees and holds the lowest spot at #62 out of 62 brokers as per ForexBrokers.com’s rankings.
Overall, while Tickmill offers a more trader-friendly environment with its competitive spreads and straightforward commissions, Xtrade struggles with opaque fee information, which might be less appealing to traders focusing on cost efficiency. Traders looking for a cost-effective trading experience will likely find Tickmill to be the more attractive choice given its high ratings and favorable rankings in the commissions and fees category.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $250 |
| 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 | No |
| 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 Tickmill and Xtrade in terms of their range of investments, both brokers provide opportunities in CFD and spot forex trading, with Tickmill offering a slightly greater variety of options. Tickmill showcases 725 tradeable symbols and 63 forex pairs, surpassing Xtrade, which provides 482 tradeable symbols and 56 forex pairs. Neither broker offers exchange traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, so direct investment in companies like Apple or Vodafone is not available through their platforms. However, both brokers do cater to those interested in cryptocurrency derivatives instead of actual cryptocurrencies.
For investors interested in diversifying through copy trading, Tickmill stands out with its provision of this feature, while Xtrade does not offer copy trading services. Both brokers are rated similarly with 3.5 stars for their investment range. Despite their equal star ratings, Tickmill ranks slightly higher at #42 compared to Xtrade’s #49 in the Range of Investments category according to ForexBrokers.com. This shows a minor edge for Tickmill in terms of investment variety and offerings, although both companies have areas needing improvement to compete with top brokers in the market.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 725 | 482 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 63 | 56 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | 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.
Tickmill and Xtrade both offer users the benefit of engaging in simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, which is an essential feature for beginners looking to practice without financial risk. When it comes to trading platforms, Tickmill relies on popular third-party solutions, offering both MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), catering to traders looking for established and feature-rich platforms. In contrast, Xtrade provides a proprietary platform catering to its unique customer base. Unlike Xtrade, Tickmill also supports Windows-based desktop trading for users seeking a downloadable platform experience.
Both brokers offer web-based trading platforms, providing flexibility for traders who prefer operating through browsers. While Xtrade excels with 100 charting drawing tools, compared to Tickmill’s 15, Tickmill stands out with some added functionality by supporting copy trading. Additionally, both brokers allow users to trade directly from stock charts, which is a significant time-saving feature. For watch lists, Xtrade offers a slight advantage with nine columns compared to Tickmill's seven. Tickmill scores higher with a four-star rating for its trading platforms and tools, and it is ranked #32 by ForexBrokers.com, whereas Xtrade holds a 3.5-star rating and is placed at #58, reflecting its more tailored but less expansive platform options.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | No | 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 | 7 | 9 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both Tickmill and Xtrade offer apps for iPhone and Android users. However, there are notable differences in their features. Tickmill provides stock and forex price alerts, while Xtrade does not support this feature. This can be a crucial tool for traders needing real-time updates. Additionally, Tickmill excels in charting capabilities with an offering of 30 technical studies, compared to Xtrade, which doesn't specify the number of technical studies available. Tickmill also supports trendline drawing and multiple time frame views on charts, including daily, weekly, and intraday, and these setups are auto-saved. Unfortunately, Xtrade lacks these handy features.
Both platforms allow the creation of watchlists, but only Tickmill includes real-time quote updates, enhancing the trading experience by keeping traders updated with live data. One area where both apps align is in syncing watchlists between mobile and online accounts, something neither app offers. Despite these differences, both Tickmill and Xtrade receive a solid four-star rating for their mobile trading apps. Yet, according to ForexBrokers.com, Tickmill ranks higher at 31 out of 62 brokers, while Xtrade comes in at 53. This ranking reflects Tickmill's lead in offering more comprehensive mobile app features for active traders.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 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.
Tickmill and Xtrade both provide daily market commentary and forex news sourced from top-tier outlets like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders have access to significant information. However, neither broker offers technical analysis or fundamental research tools from Autochartist or Trading Central, which could be a consideration for traders focused on these types of analysis.
When it comes to sentiment-based trading tools, Tickmill stands out with its capability to display long and short position ratios across various instruments, a feature Xtrade lacks. Additionally, Tickmill utilizes research tools from Acuity Trading, such as the Signal Centre, whereas Xtrade does not. Both platforms offer an economic calendar to highlight key global news events. Tickmill's research offerings have earned it a higher rating of four stars, compared to Xtrade's 3.5 stars, and it is ranked #22 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Xtrade is placed at #52.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
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.
Both Tickmill and Xtrade are committed to offering educational resources to help beginners learn the ropes of forex and CFD trading. Both brokers exceed the benchmark by providing more than 10 educational pieces, which include articles, videos, and webinars. However, Tickmill takes the lead with its live webinars, offering at least one every month. This consistent interaction provides learners with regular opportunities to engage in real-time learning, unlike Xtrade, which does not offer monthly webinars. Additionally, Tickmill provides a searchable archive of past webinars, further enhancing its educational support, whereas Xtrade offers no such archive.
For video resources, Tickmill also stands out with its extensive library tailored for both beginners and advanced traders. Xtrade falls short here, particularly for beginners, as it does not meet the minimum benchmark of 10 beginner-focused educational videos, nor does it offer advanced educational videos. Despite both brokers having an investor dictionary with definitions of at least 50 investing terms, Tickmill is rated higher for education with four stars, compared to Xtrade's three and a half stars. Ranking-wise, Tickmill is significantly ahead, positioned at #15 out of 62 brokers, while Xtrade is ranked #46, indicating a stronger educational offering by Tickmill.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
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 Tickmill is better than Xtrade. Tickmill finished with an overall rank of #22, while Xtrade finished with an overall rank of #59.
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
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 74 |
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Both Tickmill and Xtrade provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives but do not offer the ability to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies.
When comparing online brokers Tickmill and Xtrade, both do not support ACH or SEPA transfers, but while Tickmill allows PayPal for deposits and withdrawals, Xtrade does not; however, both brokers facilitate transactions through Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires.
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 | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review | Xtrade Review |
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| Regulation | Tickmill | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 74 | |
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2003 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Tickmill | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | 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 | Tickmill | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 725 | 482 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 63 | 56 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | 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 | Tickmill | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Tickmill | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $250 | |
| 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 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | No | 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 | Tickmill | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 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 | Tickmill | 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 | 30 | 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 | Tickmill | 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 | Tickmill | 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 | Tickmill | 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 | Tickmill Review | Xtrade Review |
| Overall | Tickmill | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review | Xtrade Review |
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