Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs ATFX, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
ActivTrades and ATFX are both online brokers that provide trading services, but they differ significantly in regulatory standing. Founded in 2001, ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, giving it a Trust Score of 81 from ForexBrokers.com, which classifies it as a trusted broker. Although not publicly traded or a bank, ActivTrades has established a solid reputation over its lengthy tenure in the industry.
On the other hand, ATFX, established in 2017, boasts four Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, earning a slightly higher Trust Score of 85, indicating a trusted status as well. Like ActivTrades, ATFX is neither publicly traded nor operates as a bank. With more Tier-1 licenses, ATFX stands out in terms of regulatory strength, offering a reassuring layer of trust for traders. Whether you're new to online trading or considering a new broker, understanding these regulatory aspects can be essential in making an informed choice.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2017 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When comparing the online brokers ActivTrades and ATFX in terms of commissions and fees, ActivTrades shines with a four-star rating from ForexBrokers.com, ranking it 28th out of 63 brokers. The broker boasts slightly better-than-average spreads, though not at the level of the top-tier low-cost forex brokers. ActivTrades provides an Individual Account, with options for Professional and Islamic Accounts, but lacks a high-volume trading account or active trader pricing. Spreads are consistent across all account types, with the EUR/USD average spread reported at 0.98 pips in May 2024.
In contrast, ATFX is rated lower with three stars and ranks 60th for commissions and fees. While specific average spread data for ATFX is unavailable, the broker does not seem to offer competitive pricing or specialized account options comparable to those at ActivTrades. This indicates that those trading with ATFX might face less favorable trading conditions compared to the offerings at ActivTrades.
ActivTrades accounts for asset variability depending on the trading platform, with individualized targets for spreads that may fluctuate throughout the session. The Islamic Account option also caters to those who require Sharia-compliant trading. In summary, if fee and commission efficiency is paramount, especially for forex trading, ActivTrades stands out compared to ATFX.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $500 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing ActivTrades and ATFX for their range of investment options, potential investors will find both platforms offer forex trading both as CFDs and spot contracts. However, ActivTrades emerges as the broader platform with 1,267 tradeable symbols—significantly more than ATFX's 150 symbols. In terms of forex pairs, ActivTrades again leads with 49 pairs compared to ATFX's 44. While neither platform provides exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, ActivTrades distinguishes itself by offering access to international exchanges for securities like Vodafone on the London Stock Exchange, a feature absent in ATFX's offerings. Both brokers support copy trading options, allowing clients to mimic the strategies of successful traders. Despite not offering the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies, they do provide avenues for trading cryptocurrency derivatives.
From an evaluative standpoint, ActivTrades holds a slight edge with a 4-star rating for its range of investments, placing it at #31 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. ATFX, while still offering a substantial range, is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #57 in the same category. This comparison highlights ActivTrades as the more comprehensive choice for investors seeking a wider variety of trading opportunities, particularly in forex pairs and international exchange-traded securities, whereas ATFX may appeal to those prioritizing a straightforward trading approach.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 150 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 44 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When it comes to trading platforms and tools, ActivTrades and ATFX both offer similar essential features but differ in certain aspects. Both brokers provide free virtual demo accounts, enabling users to practice trading without financial risk. ActivTrades stands out with its in-house developed proprietary platform, offering a tailored trading experience that ATFX does not. However, both brokers support Windows-based desktop platforms and web-based trading, along with MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Copy trading is available with both providers, though neither supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. For those who prioritize charting tools, each broker offers 15 drawing tools, though technical indicator availability remains unspecified. Both brokers allow trades to be executed directly from stock charts, an important feature for many traders.
While features overlap, ActivTrades receives a higher rating of four stars compared to ATFX's 3.5 stars for their trading platforms and tools. In terms of customization, ActivTrades offers more watch list columns with 11 fields versus ATFX’s seven. When ranked among 63 brokers for trading platforms and tools, ActivTrades sits at #30, notably higher than ATFX at #62, highlighting ActivTrades' stronger offerings in this category. Despite similarities, ActivTrades' proprietary platform and higher ratings could cater to traders seeking advanced customization and a more personalized trading environment. ATFX’s tools, while slightly lower rated, still provide robust trading capabilities for varying levels of traders.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
If you're considering mobile trading platforms from online brokers ActivTrades and ATFX, both offer apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. They allow traders to receive price alerts and provide tools to draw trendlines and view various timeframes on charts. However, neither broker offers the convenience of watchlist symbol syncing between their mobile apps and online accounts. This means changes made in one location won't reflect automatically in the other.
ActivTrades stands out by offering 30 technical studies within its mobile app, significantly more than ATFX's 7. Both apps support real-time quotes for watchlists and automatically save chart drawings. However, when evaluated for overall mobile trading experience, ActivTrades holds a slightly higher user rating of 4 out of 5 stars compared to ATFX's 3.5 stars. Furthermore, ActivTrades ranks 19th among 63 brokers surveyed by ForexBrokers.com for mobile trading, while ATFX finds itself at the bottom of the list at the 63rd position.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 7 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When considering daily market commentary and forex news from renowned sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ActivTrades shines by offering both services, while ATFX provides only daily market commentary. For traders interested in technical analysis tools, ATFX stands out with resources from Autochartist and Trading Central, whereas ActivTrades does not provide these tools. However, ActivTrades excels with a unique sentiment-based trading tool, which is absent in ATFX’s offerings. Both brokers supply an economic calendar to keep traders abreast of global news events, but neither provides research tools from Acuity Trading or TipRanks.
In terms of research ratings and rankings, ActivTrades scores slightly higher, earning 4 out of 5 stars and holding the 30th position among 63 brokers, as per ForexBrokers.com. On the other hand, ATFX comes in with 3 stars and is ranked 54th. This makes ActivTrades a more appealing choice for those prioritizing superior market insights and competitive rankings in the realm of research and analysis. Conversely, ATFX may suit traders focused on comprehensive technical tools from renowned providers like Autochartist and Trading Central.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available to beginners from ActivTrades and ATFX, both brokers offer a range of materials designed to help those new to trading. ActivTrades provides over 10 educational resources, including articles, videos, and archived webinars focused on forex and CFDs. Additionally, it hosts monthly online educational webinars and offers a searchable archive of past sessions, allowing for flexible learning. Beginners can also access at least 10 videos tailored to their needs, as well as advanced videos for more experienced traders. Although an investor dictionary is not available, the breadth of its educational offerings earns ActivTrades a 4-star rating in this category and a #38 rank out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
ATFX also caters to beginner traders with over 10 educational resources centered on forex and CFDs, and it maintains a searchable archive of previously recorded webinars. The broker provides at least 10 videos aimed at new traders, but lacks in-depth advanced video content for seasoned investors. ATFX does offer an investor dictionary with definitions for over 50 terms, which can be valuable for those just starting out. However, the absence of monthly online webinars puts it at a slight disadvantage compared to its competitors. Despite these factors, ATFX receives a 3-star education rating and ranks #28 among 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ActivTrades is better than ATFX. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while ATFX finished with an overall rank of #51.
ActivTrades is a long-standing brand that offers a proprietary trading platform, ActivTrader, and support for the award-winning TradingView and MetaTrader (MT4 and MT5) platforms. ActivTrades also delivers a selection of custom add-ons, indicators, and trading tools for traders who prefer to use MetaTrader. Drawbacks for trading with ActivTrades include a smaller selection of tradeable symbols and fewer educational resources than what’s available from the best forex brokers.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 85 |
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Both ActivTrades and ATFX do not provide the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do offer the ability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both ActivTrades and ATFX do not support ACH or SEPA transfers or PayPal for deposits or withdrawals, but they both offer options such as Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires for funding accounts.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2017 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 150 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 44 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $500 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 7 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
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