ThinkMarkets vs Skilling | Our Analysis & Comparison in 2024

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ThinkMarkets and Skilling are Forex and CFD brokers offering online trading services to traders and investors worldwide. Both brokers are regulated by top-tier regulatory authorities. ThinkMarkets is regulated by 10 regulatory authorities , including the ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSA, FSC, NZFMA, DFSA, JFSA, FSCA, CIMA. On the other hand, Skilling is regulated by 3 regulatory authorities, including CySEC, FSA, and FCA (recently deregistered from FCA). These two brokers offer almost similar services. However, each broker has its strengths and weaknesses.

In this article, we will compare ThinkMarkets with Skilling regarding trading platforms, regulations, tradable assets, fees, customer support, and overall trading experience score. We will also explore if ThinkMarkets is better than Skilling. This comparison lets you understand which broker is better for your trading style and preferences.

ThinkMarkets vs Skilling: In a Nutshell

ThinkMarkets

ThinkMarkets is an Australian forex and CFD broker founded in 2010. Today, it has offices in 10 locations and 10 licenses from different countries. On its MetaTrader and ThinkTrader platforms, clients can trade over 4,000 instruments. Real stock trading is available on the ThinkTrader app. Traders are supported with free VPS, Signal Centre, Dynamic leverage, Traders’ gym, etc.

ThinkMarkets At a Glance

ThinkMarkets At a Glance
  • Founded In: 2010
  • Founder: Nauman and Faizan Anees
  • Headquarters: London, England
  • Minimum Deposit: $0 (Standard Account), $500 (ThinkZero account).
  • Maximum Leverage: 1:500
  • Regulations: ASIC, CySEC, FMA, JFSA, FSA-S, FSCA , FCA , DFSA
  • Trading platform: MT5, ThinkTrader, ThinkCopy
  • Account Types: Demo ,Standard Account, Think Zero, Mini Account
  • Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard, BPAY, Cryptocurrency, Neteller, PayPal, PayRetailers, Skrill
  • US Clients : Not Accepted

Skilling

Established in 2016 by Scandinavian entrepreneurs, Lennart Clausen, André Lavold, Henrik Ekdahl, and Mikael Harstad, Skilling is a regulated and innovative forex broker. It offers traders access to more than 900 forex and CFDs on its Skilling Trader, cTrader, and MT4 platforms. The broker’s Premium account features competitive spreads and low commissions, ideal for advanced traders. Skilling.com provides forex pairs, CFDs, commodities, shares, indices, gold, silver, oil, bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies for your personal investment and trading options. Additionally, Skilling provides tools like TradingView, an economic calendar, market news, and detailed analysis to enhance trading decisions.

Skilling Overview

Skilling Overview
  • Founded In: 2016
  • Minimum Deposit: 25 € or equivalent
  • Maximum Leverage: Up to 1:1000 for non-EU retail traders,1:30 for EU retail traders.  1:200 for professional traders
  • Regulations:CySEC, FSA, and FCA (recently deregistered from FCA)
  • Trading platform: MT4, MT5, cTrader, Skilling Trader, and Skilling Copy
  • Account Types:  Offers 3 account types: Standard, Premium, MT4
  • Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard, CoinsPaid, Directa24, FasaPay, Klarna, Neteller, Ngan Luong, Pagsmile, PayPal, PayRetailers, PayTrust88, Skrill, Swish, Trustly, UnionPay, WebMoney
  • US Traders: Not Accepted

ThinkMarkets vs Skilling Features

Skilling

  • Trading Instruments: 800+  forex, CFDs, commodities, shares, indices, and cryptocurrencies
  • Maximum leverage: up to 1:1000 for non-EU retail traders,1:30 for EU retail traders.  1:200 for professional traders
  •  Minimum Deposit: $25 for the Non-EU standard account, $100 for the EU standard account, and $5000 for the premium account. 
  • Account Types: Offers 3 account types: Standard, Premium MT4 
  • Fees: starting from 0.8  pips for a standard account,
  • Social Copy Trading:  Yes, 
  • Zulutrade: No
  • Scalping: Allowed 
  • News Trading: Allowed
  • EA/ Robot Trading: Allowed

ThinkMarkets vs Skilling: Pros and Cons

ThinkMarkets

Pros
  • Regulated by ASIC, FCA, CySEC, JFSA, FSA-S, DFSA 
  • The minimum deposit is as low as $1 
  • The Maximum Leverage is as high as 2000:1 
  • Allows scalping, EA trading, Copy trading
  • Offers social trading options PAMM, MAM Accounts
  • Negative balance protections for EU, UK, and Australian clients
  • Tight Spreads Starting From 0 pips 
  • MT4, MT5, and Thinktrader trading platforms are offered 
Cons
  • Only Forex and CFDs are offered (not real assets).
  • There is no investment protection scheme for Global traders.
  • Ctrader and TradingView are not offered.
  • No bonuses or promotional offerings are available.
  • Conditions may vary according to regulation and entity.
  • Offshore Entity for international traders 

Skilling

Pros
  • Regulated by CySEC,  FSA, and FCA.
  • The Maximum leverage is as high as 1:1000 for global entities, 1:30 for EU traders, and 1:200
  • Fully Digital Account Opening ( Easy Sign and Verification Process)
  • Demo Accounts are Available
  • Low Trading fees starting from 0.8 pips for standard accounts, and 0.10 pips for premium accounts
  • Offers both leverage and non-leverage cryptos of trading
  • Educational resources with a new 'Trading Study Hub' for beginner investors to learn more about investing
  • Offers a variety of trading platforms and tools including MT4, Ctrader, Skilling Social Copy Trading, and Skilling own trading platform
  • Straightforward fees, no hidden charge
  • No deposit and withdrawal fees
Cons
  • Higher minimum deposit of $100 for Standard accounts, and $5000 for Premium accounts in the EU
  • Degegistered  from FCA regulations 
  • Service is not available in many countries including Canada and the US
  • 1:2 leverage for cryptocurrencies
  • Only Forex and CFDs are offered

ThinkMarkets vs Skilling: Side-by-Side Comparison

ThinkMarkets
Skilling
Product
Product
ThinkMarkets
Skilling
Founded In
Founded In
2010
2016
Founded By
Founded By
Nauman and Faizan Anees
Scandinavian Entrepreneurs
Headquarters
Headquarters
London, England
Mahe, Seychelles
Regulations
Regulations
ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSA, FSC, NZFMA, DFSA, JFSA, FSCA, CIMA,
CySEC, FSA, and FCA.
Min Deposit
Min Deposit
None (Standard Account), $500 (ThinkZero account)
$25 for the Non-EU standard account, $100 for the EU standard account, and $5000 for the premium account.
Max Leverage
Max Leverage
1:2000
up to 1:1000 for non-EU retail traders,1:30 for EU retail traders. 1:200 for professional traders
Tradable Assets
Tradable Assets
Forex, Futures, Commodities, Indices, ETFs, Crypto, Stocks
800+ forex, CFDs, commodities, shares, indices, and cryptocurrencies
Fees
Fees
Spread from 0.4 pips (Standard Account) or Commission $3.5 per side
starting from 0.8 pips for a standard account,
Platforms and Tools
Platforms and Tools
MT4, MT5, ThinkTrader, ThinkCopy
MT4, Ctrader, Skilling Social Copy Trading, and Skilling own trading platform
US Traders
US Traders
Not Allowed
Not Allowed

ThinkMarkets Vs Skilling: Our Scores and Ratings

We rated both brokers, ThinkMarkets and Skilling, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 0.1 increments. To achieve a comprehensive rating, we broadly grouped all services offered by brokers into 6 macro categories and assigned percentage weights to them. Each macro category is subdivided into several data points which contributes to the total score of 1.0-10.0 assigned to each macro category. Since all categories are not equally important, our weight percentage plays a significant role in assessing the broker accurately. For example, Regulation and Security contributes a total weight of 40% to the whole ratings because this is the most important rating category. To learn more, read our methodology.

ThinkMarkets :

9.2
Total Score
Regulation and Security (40%)9.8
Fees and Commissions (20%)8.4
Trading (15%)9
Trading tools (10%)8
Customer Support (10%)9.5
Trading Education (5%)9

Skilling

8.8
Skilling Score
Regulation and Security (40%)9
Fees and Commissions (20%)9
Trading (15%)9
Trading tools (10%)9
Customer Support (10%)8
Trading Education (5%)7

Final Verdict :

ThinkMarkets and Skilling are regulated forex and CFD brokers in the industry. They offer similar trading services. Both brokers allow scalping, hedging, EA trading, and Copy trading. The minimum order size for both of them is 0.01. 

However, there are a few areas where you may find some differences. For example, the minimum deposit for ThinkMarkets is $0., whereas the minimum deposit for Skilling is 25 € or equivalent. Additionally, the maximum leverage for ThinkMarkets is 1:2000. In contrast, the maximum leverage for Skilling is up to 1:1000 for non-EU retail traders, 1:30 for EU retail traders. 1:200 for professional traders. ThinkMarkets offers passive investment programs like MAM and PAMM, while Skilling does not have any passive investment programs.

Our score for ThinkMarkets is 9.2, and for Skilling, it is 8.8 So, if you are looking for the most trusted forex brokers with MAM and PAMM services, you may choose ThinkMarkets. However, if you prefer another forex brokers that offer similar services, you may choose Skilling.

Written by

Jason Paine is a forex trader, researcher, and tech enthusiast. He is passionate about financial markets and cutting-edge technology. With a dynamic 16-year trading career, he's on a mission to guide fellow traders. Having navigated diverse forex brokers, Jason shares his insights at Brokersway to bridge the gap between traders and the right brokerage.

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