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 in 2014, operates as a private online brokerage but is not listed on any stock exchange. While it is not a bank, the broker holds one Tier-1 license, marking it as highly trusted within the industry. However, with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 78, BlackBull Markets falls in the average risk category. This might be an important consideration for traders looking for a more secure platform, especially since the company does not possess any Tier-2 licenses.
Established in 2001, ActivTrades is likewise a private operating online broker and is not publicly traded or a bank. The company stands out with two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, reflecting a significant trust level within the industry. Boasting a Trust Score of 81 on ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades is classified as a trusted broker, offering traders additional assurance. This comparison shows that, while both brokers are not publicly listed or banks, ActivTrades holds a slight edge in trustworthiness based on license holdings and trust score.
| 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 |
Comparing commissions and fees, BlackBull Markets tends to be cheaper on EUR/USD if you choose its commission-based Prime account, while ActivTrades keeps pricing simple with spread-only trading. In our data points, BlackBull’s EUR/USD all-in cost on the Prime account averaged 0.76 pips (March 2024), versus ActivTrades’ 0.98 pips (May 2024). For this category, BlackBull Markets is rated 4.5/5 stars and ranked #19 of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com; ActivTrades is rated 4/5 stars and ranked #29 of 63.
BlackBull Markets offers three account types. The Standard account is commission-free with no minimum deposit, but carries higher spreads. The Prime account requires a $2,000 minimum deposit and charges $3 per side ($6 round turn) per lot, in exchange for lower spreads; its EUR/USD averaged 0.16 pips before commission, translating to 0.76 pips all-in. For high-volume traders, the ECN Institutional account requires $20,000 and cuts commissions to $2 per side ($4 round turn). Overall costs at BlackBull are around the industry average, but the Prime and Institutional tiers can materially reduce spreads.
ActivTrades centers on one main “Individual” account, plus Professional and Islamic options. Spreads are the same across account types, there’s no dedicated active-trader pricing, and fees depend on the asset and platform you use. ActivTrades reports target spreads and notes they can vary during the session; its average EUR/USD spread was 0.98 pips in May 2024. That makes ActivTrades slightly better than the industry average, but not the lowest-cost choice compared with BlackBull’s Prime account.
| Feature |
BlackBull Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.71 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.71 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing BlackBull Markets and ActivTrades on range of investments, BlackBull Markets offers a much wider selection. You get access to 26,000 tradable symbols at BlackBull versus 1,267 at ActivTrades, along with 72 forex pairs compared with 49. Both brokers support forex trading (CFD/spot), offer copy trading, and provide cryptocurrency trading via CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual, delivered crypto.
For stock investing, BlackBull Markets allows trading exchange-traded U.S. shares (such as Apple) in addition to international stocks, while ActivTrades offers international shares but not U.S.-listed equities. Reflecting these differences, ForexBrokers.com rates BlackBull Markets 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks it #6 out of 63 brokers, while ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #32.
| 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.
If you’re weighing BlackBull Markets against ActivTrades for trading platforms and tools, both brokers cover the essentials: free demo (paper) accounts, Windows desktop and web platforms, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. The key difference is that ActivTrades also offers its own proprietary platform, while BlackBull Markets focuses on third‑party platforms.
Both brokers received 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools from ForexBrokers.com. In category rankings out of 63 brokers, BlackBull Markets placed #31 and ActivTrades placed #32. The exact counts for built‑in technical indicators and watch‑list columns were not provided.
| 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 deliver capable mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports stock or forex price alerts, offers 30 built-in technical studies, lets you draw trendlines, and auto-saves your chart drawings. The main day-to-day difference is watchlist management: BlackBull Markets syncs watchlists between mobile and your online account, while ActivTrades does not, which may matter if you switch devices often.
When it comes to reputation, both apps earn 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps. However, ForexBrokers.com ranks ActivTrades higher (#19 out of 63) than BlackBull Markets (#33 out of 63). If seamless watchlist syncing is a priority, BlackBull Markets stands out; if overall category ranking influences your choice, ActivTrades gets the edge. Either way, both apps cover the core needs for on-the-go charting and alerts.
| 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.
BlackBull Markets and ActivTrades both deliver daily market commentary, a sentiment tool that shows long versus short positioning, and an easy-to-use economic calendar. Their lineups diverge in a few key areas: ActivTrades integrates forex news from top-tier sources (think Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones), while BlackBull does not. On the flip side, BlackBull includes Autochartist for trading ideas and pattern recognition, which ActivTrades lacks. Neither broker offers Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools.
Ratings are tied at 4 out of 5 stars for Research, yet ForexBrokers.com ranks BlackBull Markets higher (#18 of 63) than ActivTrades (#31 of 63). Choose ActivTrades if integrated professional news is your priority; pick BlackBull Markets if you want Autochartist’s scanning and alerts. Both are solid choices for daily commentary, market sentiment, and tracking key economic events.
| 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.
BlackBull Markets and ActivTrades both make it easy for beginners to start learning. Each broker clears the bar for forex/CFD education with well over 10 pieces of content and runs client webinars at least once a month. You’ll find at least 10 beginner-focused trading videos at both brands to help you grasp the basics, plus another 10 or more advanced videos when you’re ready to dig deeper.
Both are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education by ForexBrokers.com, though BlackBull Markets holds a higher category rank (#29 of 63) than ActivTrades (#38 of 63). If you want a slight edge in overall education standing, BlackBull Markets comes out ahead, while ActivTrades still delivers a strong mix of lessons and regular webinars for new traders.
| 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 #24, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
BlackBull Markets is a plain-vanilla MetaTrader broker with a growing range of products and support for a handful of third-party social copy trading platforms.
| Feature |
BlackBull Markets
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 78 | 81 |
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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 online brokers BlackBull Markets vs ActivTrades for deposit and withdrawal options: neither offers ACH/SEPA or PayPal, both support Skrill and bank wire transfers, and Visa/Mastercard availability is 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 | 78 | 81 | |
| 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 | 78 | 81 | |
| 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 SCA 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) - Standard account | 0.71 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.71 | N/A | |
| 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 | No | 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 Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | BlackBull Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | BlackBull Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 78 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | BlackBull Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
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