Two regulated brokers face off on price and account structure. Admirals and Tickmill offer MT4/MT5 and strong protections, but their fee and inactivity policies diverge.
Admirals and Tickmill are closely matched, with Admirals not charging an inactivity fee and Tickmill charging one.
Find out which broker best suits your trader profile.
Which broker wins for each type of trader, based on costs, safety, platforms, and editorial scoring.
Tickmill offers tighter spreads from 0.00 pips vs 0.50 pips for Admirals, reducing trading costs.
| Editorial score | 4.3/ 5 | 4.3/ 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Score Breakdown | ||
Trust & Regulation 40% weight | 4.3 / 5 | 4.4 / 5▲ |
Pros
Extensive range of accounts including Zero, Trade, and Invest
Strong FCA and CySEC regulation covering EU and UK traders
High-quality educational content including live webinars
Zero account offers spreads from 0.5 pips with $6 round-turn commission
Client funds held in segregated accounts
A closer look at the specific criteria each broker meets or misses within each scoring category.
| Criteria | Admirals | Tickmill |
|---|---|---|
| Trust & Regulation | ||
| Top-tier regulator (FCA, ASIC, CFTC, etc.) | Pass | Pass |
| Segregated client funds | Pass | Pass |
| Negative balance protection | Pass | Pass |
| Compensation scheme (e.g. FSCS) | Pass | Pass |
| Fees & Spreads | ||
| Raw/ECN spreads available | Pass | Pass |
| No deposit fee | Pass | Pass |
| No inactivity fee | Fail | Pass |
| Transparent pricing page | Pass | Pass |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| MT4/MT5 available | Pass | Pass |
| Proprietary platform | Fail | Fail |
| Mobile app | Pass | Pass |
| Advanced charting tools | Pass | Pass |
| Customer Support | ||
| 24/5 live chat | Pass | Pass |
| Phone support | Pass | Pass |
| Multilingual support | Pass | Pass |
Admirals and Tickmill share the same editorial score of 4.3/5. One concrete differentiator: Tickmill has tighter spreads from 0 pips.
Tickmill starts from 0 pips, tighter than Admirals's 0.5 pips. Tighter spreads lower the cost per trade, which matters most for high-frequency and scalping strategies.
Both Admirals and Tickmill require a minimum deposit of $100 to open a live trading account.
Both Admirals and Tickmill hold licences from top-tier regulators, indicating a high standard of regulatory oversight. Check each broker's specific regulatory bodies to confirm coverage in your jurisdiction.
For beginners, both brokers provide negative balance protection. Also compare demo account availability and educational resources on each broker's site before deciding.
Admirals lists maximum leverage of 500:1, while Tickmill lists up to 1000:1. Available leverage depends on your jurisdiction. EU retail clients under ESMA rules are capped at 1:30 on major forex pairs.
Both Admirals and Tickmill charge the same commission of $6 per lot on applicable accounts.
Admirals supports MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4, while Tickmill supports MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4. Both provide MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4.
Admirals wins for safety & regulation due to broader coverage including ASIC and KNF, in addition to CySEC and FCA.
Tickmill is better suited for scalpers: tighter spreads from 0.00 pips.
Admirals wins for beginners due to high-quality educational content and webinars.
Admirals wins for instrument variety with about 8000 instruments.
Tickmill wins due to no dealing desk on Pro accounts and industry-low $6 round-turn commissions.
Equally matched, both provide MT4 and MT5.
Fees & Spreads 30% weight | 4.4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5▲ |
|---|
Platforms & Tools 20% weight | 4.2 / 5▲ | 4.0 / 5 |
|---|
Customer Support 10% weight | 4.2 / 5▲ | 4.1 / 5 |
|---|
| Founded | 2001 | 2014 |
|---|
| Headquarters | Tallinn, Estonia | London, United Kingdom |
|---|
| Min Deposit | $100 | $100 |
|---|
| Spreads From | 0.5 pips | 0 pips▼ lower |
|---|
| Commission / lot | $6/lot | $6/lot |
|---|
| 1.1 pips | 0.6 pips▼ lower |
| Max Leverage | 500:1▲ higher | 1,000:1 |
|---|
| Inactivity Fee | $10/month (after 24 months) | None |
|---|
| Deposit Fee | Free | Free |
|---|
| Deposit methods | Bank transferCredit cardDebit cardSkrillNeteller | Bank transferCredit cardDebit cardSkrillNeteller |
|---|
| Withdrawal methods | Bank transferCredit cardSkrillNeteller | Bank transferCredit cardSkrillNeteller |
|---|
| Withdrawal Fee | Free | Free |
|---|
| Regulators | FCA ASIC CySEC KNF | FCA FSCA CySEC |
|---|
| Platforms | MetaTrader 5 MetaTrader 4 | MetaTrader 5 MetaTrader 4 |
|---|
| Active bonuses |
|---|
Negative balance protection
Investor compensation scheme coverage
No deposit fees
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 supported
Mobile trading app available
Advanced charting tools included
Transparent pricing with clear cost disclosure
24/5 live chat support
Phone support available
Multilingual customer support
Pros
Industry-low commission of $6 round-turn on Pro account
Strong FCA, CySEC, and FSCA regulatory coverage
No dealing desk on Pro and Raw accounts
Negative balance protection for retail clients
Client funds held in segregated accounts
Investor compensation scheme coverage
No deposit fees
No inactivity fee
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 supported
Mobile trading app available
Advanced charting tools included
Transparent pricing with clear cost disclosure
24/5 live chat support
Phone support available
Multilingual customer support
Cons
Platform-heavy, MT4 and MT5 only, no proprietary platform
Customer support quality varies by region
Not available to US clients
Inactivity fee applies
Cons
No cTrader support
Limited asset classes compared to multi-asset peers
Not available to US residents
No proprietary platform
Dig deeper into each broker’s features, fees, and regulation.
Score 4.3 / 5
Score 4.3 / 5
Personalised recommendation
Answer 6 quick questions and we’ll match you with the brokers that best fit your trading style, experience level, and country.
Find my broker