AvaTrade vs ThinkMarkets (2026): regulation, platforms and costs compared
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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
AvaTrade is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker offering multiple trading platforms, broad market access, and educational resources. It provides market research and risk management tools with an emphasis on platform reliability…
ThinkMarkets is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker offering broad market access via MetaTrader and its proprietary ThinkTrader platform. It provides research, education, and risk management tools to support analysis and platform…
AvaTrade (Ireland, founded 2006) holds 8 regulatory licences (ADGM FSRA, ASIC, BVI FSC, CBI, FFAJ…), 3 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5, Proprietary and sits in our low-fee bracket. ThinkMarkets (Australia, founded 2010) holds 4 regulatory licences (ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA), 2 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5, Proprietary and sits in our low-fee bracket. The two overlap in 186 countries; AvaTrade is available in 30 countries where ThinkMarkets is not, and ThinkMarkets in 13 where AvaTrade is not.
Verdict at a glance
AvaTrade leads on trust rank, track record, regulatory coverage, country coverage and tier-1 licences.
Level on platform choice, instrument range and fee level.
Scored on 8 measurable dimensions where both brokers have verified data. Dimensions missing for either side are excluded rather than guessed. This is a data summary, not a recommendation.
AvaTrade vs ThinkMarkets: side-by-side data
Criteria
AvaTrade
ThinkMarkets
Trust rank
#12
#20
Founded
2006
2010
Headquarters
Ireland
Australia
Regulators
ADGM FSRA, ASIC, BVI FSC, CBI, FFAJ, FSCA, ISA, JFSA
Copy Trading, Professional Trading, Retail Trading
Highlighted cells mark the stronger value where a direction is objectively better (e.g. more licences, lower fees). "Not verified" means the field is not yet in our catalogue for that broker — we never fill gaps with estimates.
Pros
AvaTrade
Multi-jurisdiction regulation
MT4/MT5, AvaTradeGO, WebTrader, AvaOptions support
Fixed-spread account option
ZuluTrade and DupliTrade copy trading
AvaProtect trade-loss protection
ThinkMarkets
FCA & ASIC regulation
MT4/MT5 and ThinkTrader platforms
Raw-spread ThinkZero; commission-free Standard
Negative balance protection; segregated funds
Hedging, scalping, EAs allowed; high leverage options
Cons
AvaTrade
Market-maker model (no ECN/DMA)
Higher spreads than ECN brokers
Inactivity and administration fees
Not available to U.S. residents
Not FCA-regulated (UK)
ThinkMarkets
- Offshore entity for many clients with weaker investor protections
- No guaranteed stop-loss orders (GSLO)
- Not available to U.S. residents
- No cTrader platform support
- CFDs only (no physical shares/ETFs)
Key features
AvaTrade
Multi jurisdiction regulation client fund segregation and negative balance protection
MetaTrader 4 MetaTrader 5 AvaTradeGO and WebTrader platforms
Forex and CFD trading on indices commodities metals equities and cryptocurrencies
Vanilla FX options trading with AvaOptions
Copy trading with ZuluTrade DupliTrade and AvaSocial
AvaProtect risk management for loss protection
ThinkMarkets
Multi Asset CFD Trading Forex Indices Commodities Shares
MT4 MT5 and ThinkTrader Platforms
Multi Jurisdiction Regulation ASIC FCA FSCA FSA and Segregated Client Funds
Negative Balance Protection
Standard and ThinkZero Raw Spread Accounts
VPS Hosting and Algorithmic EA Support
Country availability: AvaTrade vs ThinkMarkets
Available at both (186): Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands and 146 more.
Only AvaTrade (30): Austria, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania and 5 more.
Only ThinkMarkets (13): Afghanistan, Algeria, Guernsey, Iraq, Isle of Man, Jersey, Lebanon, Libya, New Zealand, Somalia, South Sudan, United Kingdom, Yemen.
Both sit in the same fee bracket (low) in our catalogue; compare the spreads and commission rows above for detail.
Which is older, AvaTrade or ThinkMarkets?
AvaTrade is the older of the two, founded in 2006; ThinkMarkets was founded in 2010.
Are AvaTrade and ThinkMarkets available in the same countries?
They overlap in 186 countries. AvaTrade is additionally available in 30 countries (Austria, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus and 24 more) and ThinkMarkets in 13 countries (Afghanistan, Algeria, Guernsey, Iraq, Isle of Man, Jersey and 7 more).
Risk warning: CFDs and forex are complex, leveraged instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly. A majority of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Nothing on this page is financial advice; verify licence status on the regulator's register before depositing. Full risk disclosure.