Plus500 vs ThinkMarkets (2026): regulation, platforms and costs compared
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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
Plus500 is a regulated forex and CFD broker offering broad access to currency pairs and other markets on a proprietary web and mobile platform. It provides built-in charting, order types, and risk…
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…
Plus500 (Israel, founded 2008) holds 11 regulatory licences (ASIC, CFTC, CySEC, DFSA, FCA…), 6 of them tier-1, offers 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 199 countries; Plus500 is available in 32 countries where ThinkMarkets is not, and ThinkMarkets in 0 where Plus500 is not.
Verdict at a glance
Plus500 leads on trust rank, track record, regulatory coverage, country coverage and tier-1 licences.
ThinkMarkets leads on platform choice.
Level on 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.
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
Plus500
Multi-jurisdiction regulation and segregated client funds
Commission-free FX trading with competitive spreads
Negative balance protection and advanced risk tools
Intuitive WebTrader and mobile apps
Broad FX pair selection
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
Plus500
Market-maker execution (no ECN/STP/DMA)
Proprietary platform only (no MetaTrader/cTrader)
No algorithmic/API trading support
No commission-based raw-spread accounts
Inactivity fee after inactivity
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
Plus500
Multi asset CFD trading Forex Indices Commodities Shares ETFs Options and Crypto
Proprietary WebTrader platform on web and mobile advanced charting alerts and sentiment
Top tier regulation segregated client funds and FTSE 250 listed parent company
Commission free spread only pricing with overnight funding and conversion fees
Free unlimited demo account and 24 7 multilingual support
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: Plus500 vs ThinkMarkets
Available at both (199): Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, 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 and 159 more.
Only Plus500 (32): Austria, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and 7 more.
Both sit in the same fee bracket (low) in our catalogue; compare the spreads and commission rows above for detail.
Which is older, Plus500 or ThinkMarkets?
Plus500 is the older of the two, founded in 2008; ThinkMarkets was founded in 2010.
Are Plus500 and ThinkMarkets available in the same countries?
They overlap in 199 countries. Plus500 is additionally available in 32 countries (Austria, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus and 26 more) and ThinkMarkets in 0 countries ().
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.