Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Capital.com vs ActivTrades, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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Capital.com vs ActivTrades: Capital.com was founded in 2016, while ActivTrades dates back to 2001. Neither broker is publicly traded or a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, Capital.com has a Trust Score of 89 and ActivTrades scores 80—both sit in the “trusted” band of 80–89 (with 90–99 highly trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and under 59 not trusted).
On regulation, Capital.com holds three Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and three Tier-2 licenses (trusted). ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 and one Tier-2 license. In plain terms, Capital.com carries a broader mix of top-tier and mid-tier regulatory approvals, while ActivTrades still maintains solid oversight with multiple high-quality licenses.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
Capital.com vs ActivTrades on commissions and fees: Capital.com generally comes out cheaper for forex. Capital.com is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #3 of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #21 of 63. Both price slightly better than the industry average, but Capital.com typically has the edge.
Capital.com keeps costs low with tight spreads. Its dynamic EUR/USD spread averaged 0.6712 pips in April 2024 (listed as 0.67 pips), which is below the industry average and supports low-cost forex trading. The broker offers a single retail account and an elective Professional account for qualified traders; note that Professional clients do not receive the same regulatory protections as retail clients.
ActivTrades’ pricing is also competitive, though in our like-for-like check the EUR/USD averaged 0.98 pips in May 2024—higher than Capital.com. ActivTrades offers an Individual account, a Professional account (lower margin requirements but the same spreads), and an Islamic account. There’s no dedicated high-volume or active-trader pricing, and fees vary by asset and platform. Spreads can change during the day, including around rollover when they may widen.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $20 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.64 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.67 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing Capital.com vs ActivTrades for range of investments, Capital.com offers a wider selection overall with 5,585 tradeable symbols, while ActivTrades lists 1,267. For forex, Capital.com provides 125 currency pairs versus 49 at ActivTrades. Both brokers support forex trading and let you trade cryptocurrency via CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual coins.
When it comes to exchange-traded shares, neither broker offers direct access to U.S.-listed stocks; however, ActivTrades does provide access to some international exchange-traded shares, which Capital.com does not. ActivTrades also supports copy trading, while Capital.com does not. For Range of Investments, Capital.com is rated 4.5/5 stars and ranks 18th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com; ActivTrades earns 4/5 stars and ranks 25th. In short, Capital.com suits traders seeking more symbols and forex pairs, while ActivTrades adds perks like copy trading and international share access.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5585 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 125 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
Capital.com vs ActivTrades: both brokers tick the key platform boxes. Each offers a free demo (paper) account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. If you prefer MetaTrader, you’re covered either way with MT4 and MT5 available at both brokers. Traders who like quick execution from visuals can trade directly from charts on both Capital.com and ActivTrades.
The main platform-tool difference is copy trading: ActivTrades supports it, while Capital.com does not. In independent testing, Capital.com earns 4.5/5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers, while ActivTrades scores 4/5 stars and ranks #26. If copy trading matters, ActivTrades has the edge; if overall platform quality and rankings sway you, Capital.com stands out.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Capital.com and ActivTrades both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts for stocks and forex, offers 30 technical studies for charting, and lets you draw trendlines that auto save. One noticeable limitation for both is watchlists: changes made on mobile don’t sync with the online account’s watchlists. If you value on-the-go charting and timely alerts, either app can cover the basics well.
When it comes to ratings and industry standing, Capital.com has the edge. It earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps category, while ActivTrades scores 4 stars and ranks #21. In simple terms, both apps are capable for traders who want solid charting and alerts on mobile, but Capital.com is rated higher overall, making it the stronger pick if app quality and user experience are your top priorities.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | 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.
Capital.com and ActivTrades both cover the research basics traders care about. Each offers daily market commentary and timely forex news pulled from major outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. You’ll also find a sentiment tool showing the split between long and short positions, plus a global economic calendar to track upcoming events. These features make it easy to follow market drivers and gauge what other traders are doing.
Neither broker integrates add-on research suites such as Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. If you rely on those third-party tools, you won’t find them here. That said, Capital.com holds a slight edge in overall research quality: it’s rated 4.5/5 stars and ranked #14 out of 63 brokers for Research, compared with ActivTrades at 4/5 stars and #26, according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | 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.
For beginner traders comparing education at Capital.com and ActivTrades, both online brokers deliver plenty of on-demand learning. Each offers at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos, so you can start with the basics and progress as your skills grow. The key difference is live instruction: Capital.com does not host monthly educational webinars, while ActivTrades does—helpful if you prefer real-time sessions with Q&A.
In third-party evaluations, Capital.com earns a higher Education score and rank—4.5 out of 5 stars and #8 of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com—while ActivTrades holds 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30. If you want a stronger overall learning package and self-paced videos, Capital.com stands out. If monthly webinars are essential to your study routine, ActivTrades is the better fit.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | 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 Capital.com is better than ActivTrades. Capital.com finished with an overall rank of #12, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
Capital.com stands out for its quality research, strong educational content, and innovative web platform. Capital.com holds fewer regulatory licenses and offers a narrower range of markets than some of the best brokers, but still significantly outperforms the industry average.
| Feature |
Capital.com
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 80 |
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Capital.com vs ActivTrades: neither online broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency trading via CFDs.
Comparing online brokers Capital.com and ActivTrades for deposits and withdrawals: both lack ACH or SEPA transfers, both support Skrill and bank wire, Capital.com offers PayPal while ActivTrades does not, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Capital.com Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 89 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5585 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 125 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.64 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.67 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $20 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | 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 | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Capital.com Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Capital.com Review | ActivTrades Review |
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