ThinkMarkets vs BlackBull Markets

ThinkMarkets or BlackBull Markets – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare ThinkMarkets and BlackBull Markets in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

ThinkMarkets vs BlackBull Markets Comparison Table 2025
ThinkMarkets BlackBull Markets
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2.8
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3.7
ThinkMarkets is ranked #34 among CFD brokers. BlackBull Markets is ranked #14 among CFD brokers.
Founded in 2010, ThinkMarkets is a reputable CFD and forex broker with regulation from several top-tier bodies including the FCA and ASIC. The broker provides services to over 450,000 accounts from 11 global offices. Traders can use a bespoke platform, MT4 or MT5 to access a wide variety of assets including 3500+ stocks and ETFs, 46 forex pairs and over 20 cryptocurrencies. BlackBull is a New Zealand-based CFD broker providing diverse trading opportunities on over 26,000 instruments. After undergoing a rebrand in 2023, it now sports a modern look and feel complete with professional-grade trading tools and ultra-fast execution speeds averaging 20ms.
71.89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Pros
  • Low fees with competitive spreads on the commission-free account and very tight spreads and a low $3.5 commission on ThinkZero
  • Unique Traders' Gym simulation tool for testing out strategies on real historical data, with multiple timeframes and custom features
  • In-depth educational resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced level traders, plus live webinars
  • Three stable and award-winning platforms plus seamless integration with the broker's Signal Centre
  • Top-tier regulation from the FCA, ASIC and CySEC plus offshore branches with high leverage
  • Free VPS hosting available for MT4 and MT5, ideal for traders using Expert Advisors (EAs)
  • Advanced charting package from TradingView in ThinkTrader Web - ideal for traders
  • Reliable 24/7 multilingual support via telephone, email or live chat
  • Quick and easy to open a ThinkMarkets account
  • BlackBull offers every ingredient for traders; fast execution speeds of <100ms, leverage up to 1:500, and tight spreads from 0.0 pips.
  • BlackBulls’s research is superb, especially the daily ‘Trading Opportunities’ articles that break down complex market movements into easy-to-understand insights, making it simpler to capitalize on emerging trends.
  • After partnering with ZuluTrade and Myfxbook, alongside improvements to its own CopyTrader, BlackBull offers one of the most comprehensive copy trading experiences we've seen.
  • With three ECN-powered accounts (Standard, Prime, and Institutional), BlackBull accommodates beginners, experienced traders, and professionals, offering flexibility based on trading needs and capital.
Cons
  • $500 minimum deposit for ThinkZero account
  • Not many payment methods available for UK traders
  • Limited bonus offers, refer-a-friend schemes or trading competitions
  • Despite a growing selection of 26,000+ assets, including additions to its Asia Pacific indices, they are mainly stocks with an average selection of currency pairs and indices.
  • Unlike most top brokers, BlackBull charges an irritating $5 withdrawal fee, which can detract from the overall cost-effectiveness, especially for active traders who frequently move funds.
  • Although the Education Hub now features improvements like webinars and tutorials, the courses we’ve explored need more focus on explaining the wider economic factors influencing prices.
  • BlackBull lacks a proprietary platform, relying on MetaTrader, cTrader and TradingView. While these are excellent, other brokers' exclusive platforms, notably eToro’s, often have unique features for beginner traders.
Awards
  • Best CFD Provider 2021 - City of London Wealth Management Awards (COLWMA)
  • Best Value Broker in Asia at the 2020 - Global Forex Awards
  • Best Forex Trading Experience 2017 - UK Forex Awards
  • Best Forex Trading Innovation 2017 - UK Forex Awards
  • Best Customer Service 2013 - UK Forex Awards
  • Fast 50 Index (multiple years) - Deloitte
  • Best Global FX Broker 2022 - Forex Expo Dubai
  • Fastest Growing Exporter for Auckland 2018 - Westpac Auckland Business Awards
FCA Regulated
Yes No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, ETFs, Futures, Commodities, Crypto, Spread Betting (UK Only) CFDs, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Crypto
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, JFSA, FSA, DFSA, FMA FMA, FSA
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

BlackBull offers one of the most complete mobile trading ecosystems we’ve seen, providing active traders with first-rate charting tools and the broker’s impress execution speeds of <100ms on a choice of MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView apps, catering to diverse preferences.

iOS App Rating
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4.8
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3.7
Android App Rating
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4
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3.7
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5
Yes Yes
cTrader
No Yes
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
Yes Yes
Autochartist
Yes Yes
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
Yes No
STP Account
Yes No
ECN Account
No Yes
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No Yes
PAMM Account
Yes No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cTrader Automate
Copy Trading
Yes Yes
Copy Trading Platform
The Signal Centre is FCA-regulated and offers insights into forex, stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Users can receive up to 40 signals before the trading day starts. Blackbull stands out with its sheer range of copy trading solutions, from its own CopyTrader to HokoCloud, DupliTrade and Myfxbook. With rich metrics to analyze strategy providers, including annual returns and percentage returns, on user-friendly dashboards, it offers one of the most comprehensive copy trading packages that you can find today.
Social Trading
Yes Yes
Trade Signals
Signal Centre BlackBull Research stock recommendation service
VPS Hosting
Yes Yes
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$0 $0
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • CHF
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • SGD
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Natural Gas
  • Silver
  • Platinum
  • Copper
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Oil
  • Gasoline
  • Cocoa
  • Wheat
  • Corn
  • Sugar
  • Coffee
  • Natural Gas
  • Platinum
  • Palladium
  • Copper
  • Aluminium
  • Lead
  • Zinc
CFD
ThinkMarkets continues to offer an excellent range of around 3500 CFD instruments covering forex, indices, stocks and commodities. Leverage is available up to 1:30 in the EU and UK, while global clients can access up to 1:500. BlackBull is an obvious choice for CFD traders, providing leveraged trading up to 1:500, low spreads from 0.0 pips, and 24/7 support that performed excellently during testing, providing a sense of confidence for active traders operating in fast-moving markets.
Leverage
1:500 1:500
FTSE Spread
0.7 1.5
GBPUSD Spread<
0.4 0.5
Oil Spread
0.03 1.5
Stocks Spread
From 0.4 Variable
Forex
ThinkMarkets offers 46 currency pairs, which is around the industry average. Forex traders can benefit from tight 0.0-pip spreads for EUR/USD during peak market hours. Additionally, the ThinkTrader proprietary platform offers an impressive 125+ technical indicators - ideal for complex forex strategies. BlackBull offers 64 currency pairs with excellent pricing through its ECN accounts, with the Standard commission-free spread starting from 0.8 pips. BlackBull also ensures its rapid execution carries through to MT4, which still stands as the industry’s most popular platform with active forex traders.
Assets
45+ 64
GBPUSD Spread
0.3 0.5
EURUSD Spread
0.0 0.3
EURGBP Spread
0.0 0.8
Cryptocurrency
With 20+ cryptocurrencies available to trade via CFDs, traders can securely speculate on crypto markets with up to 1:10 leverage. ThinkMarkets does not directly trade crypto assets, meaning you will not own the tokens, and crypto trading is not available in some jurisdictions. BlackBull supports short-term trading on 11 cryptos including Bitcoin and Ethereum with up to 1:5 leverage. Digital tokens are paired with USD, while the broker’s ‘Daily Opportunities’ excel for their excellent insights into emerging trends in the cryptocurrency space.
Spread
BTC 25, ETH 6 (Variable) 245
Coins
  • BCH
  • LTC
  • XMR
  • DOGE
  • XLM
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
  • LTC
  • ADA
  • POLY
  • XFET
  • XINJ
  • XNAKA
  • XAX
  • XCOTI
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
ThinkMarkets BlackBull Markets
71.89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
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