Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of BlackBull Markets vs ActivTrades, 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.
BlackBull Markets (founded 2014) and ActivTrades (founded 2001) are both online brokers that are not publicly traded and are not banks. According to ForexBrokers.com, BlackBull Markets has a Trust Score of 77/99 (considered average risk on the 70–79 range), while ActivTrades scores 80/99 (considered trusted on the 80–89 range).
On regulation, BlackBull Markets holds 1 Tier-1 license and 0 Tier-2 licenses. ActivTrades holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license. Tier-1 regulators are viewed as highly trusted and Tier-2 as trusted by ForexBrokers.com. In short, ActivTrades has wider top-tier oversight, while BlackBull Markets maintains high-tier authorization but with fewer licenses.
| Feature |
BlackBull Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
BlackBull Markets and ActivTrades both keep trading costs around the middle of the pack, but BlackBull Markets comes out ahead for commissions and fees. BlackBull Markets earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers for this category. Its pricing depends on the account you choose: the commission-free Standard account has wider spreads, while the Prime account offers lower spreads with a $3 per side commission and a $2,000 minimum deposit. For active traders, the ECN Institutional account lowers commissions further to $2 per side, but requires at least $20,000.
For EUR/USD, BlackBull Markets’ Prime account had an average spread of 0.16 pips in March 2024, which works out to an all-in cost of about 0.76 pips after commission. That makes it a stronger choice for traders who want lower forex costs. By comparison, ActivTrades earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #23 out of 36, with spreads that are slightly better than the industry average overall, but not as low as the cheapest brokers. ActivTrades reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024.
ActivTrades keeps things simpler with one main Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic Account options, and spreads are generally similar across account types. There is no special pricing for active traders, so the final cost depends more on the assets you trade than on the account you open. In short, BlackBull Markets is the better pick for traders focused on lower commissions and tighter forex pricing, while ActivTrades is a more average-cost option with fewer pricing tiers.
| Feature |
BlackBull Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.16 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.76 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
BlackBull Markets has the wider range of investments when compared with ActivTrades. Both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, copy trading, and cryptocurrency CFDs, but BlackBull Markets gives traders access to far more markets overall, with about 26,000 tradeable symbols and 72 forex pairs, compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs. BlackBull Markets also stands out for offering exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while ActivTrades offers shares on international exchanges only.
For investors looking for broader choice, BlackBull Markets comes out ahead in this category. It earns 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and is ranked #7 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #26. Neither broker lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, so both focus on crypto CFDs rather than direct ownership.
| Feature |
BlackBull Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 26000 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 72 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
BlackBull Markets and ActivTrades both give traders a wide range of platform options, including free demo accounts, web-based trading, Windows desktop downloads, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Each broker also lets users trade directly from charts, which is helpful for active traders who want quick order entry. In terms of everyday trading tools, the two are closely matched, and both are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools.
The main difference is that ActivTrades offers its own in-house trading platform, while BlackBull Markets does not. That may matter for traders who want a broker-built platform alongside MetaTrader access. On ForexBrokers.com, BlackBull Markets ranks slightly higher in this category at #26 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at #28, but both are solid choices for traders looking for flexible platform access and useful trading tools.
| Feature |
BlackBull Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 109 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
BlackBull Markets and ActivTrades both make it easy to trade on the go with iPhone and Android apps, plus stock and forex price alerts. Each app also includes 30 technical studies for charting, lets users draw trendlines, and saves chart drawings automatically. In terms of app quality, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, so day-to-day features are fairly similar.
The main difference is watchlist syncing. BlackBull Markets lets watchlists sync between the mobile app and online account, so updates appear in both places, while ActivTrades does not offer this feature. That said, ActivTrades ranks higher overall in ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps category, coming in at #21 out of 36 brokers, compared with BlackBull Markets at #29 out of 36.
| Feature |
BlackBull Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, both BlackBull Markets and ActivTrades give traders daily market commentary, a sentiment tool showing long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. Neither broker offers research from Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading, so their extra research features are fairly similar in that respect.
The main differences come down to news and third-party tools. ActivTrades includes forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, while BlackBull Markets does not. BlackBull Markets, however, offers Autochartist, which can help with technical and fundamental analysis, and this may appeal to traders looking for more built-in scanning tools. Overall, BlackBull Markets scores higher for research at 4.5 out of 5 and ranks #17 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at 4 out of 5 and #28 out of 36.
| Feature |
BlackBull Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing BlackBull Markets vs. ActivTrades for beginner education, both brokers give new traders plenty to work with. Each offers forex and CFD learning content, plus monthly online webinars and at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos, so traders can start with the basics and move on to more detailed topics as they gain confidence. For someone looking for a broker with helpful learning tools, neither one falls short on the core educational features.
BlackBull Markets has the edge overall for education. It earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #25 out of 36 brokers for the Education category at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranked #32 out of 36. In simple terms, both are solid choices for trading education, but BlackBull Markets appears to offer a slightly stronger learning experience for beginners.
| Feature |
BlackBull Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that BlackBull Markets is better than ActivTrades. BlackBull Markets finished with an overall rank of #22, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
BlackBull Markets is a growing broker best known for its broad platform support, including MetaTrader, cTrader, TradingView, and copy trading tools, along with a large range of tradeable instruments.
| Feature |
BlackBull Markets
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 77 | 80 |
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In this comparison of online brokers, BlackBull Markets and ActivTrades do not allow buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both provide access to trade cryptocurrency CFDs.
Comparing deposit and withdrawal methods, BlackBull Markets supports ACH/SEPA, Skrill, and bank wires (no PayPal), while ActivTrades offers Skrill and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; Visa/Mastercard availability for both brokers was not specified.
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 | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 77 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | BlackBull Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 77 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 26000 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 72 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.16 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.76 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 109 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | BlackBull Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 77 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | BlackBull Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
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