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.
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.
Capital.com and ActivTrades are both noteworthy players in the online brokerage space but have distinct features in terms of regulatory compliance and trust ratings. Founded in 2016, Capital.com holds three Tier-1 licenses, considered highly trusted, and one Tier-2 license. It achieves a Trust Score of 87, classifying it as a trusted broker. Meanwhile, ActivTrades, established in 2001, holds two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license. With a Trust Score of 81, it also falls within the trusted category according to ForexBrokers.com, though it ranks slightly behind Capital.com.
Neither Capital.com nor ActivTrades are publicly traded companies or operate as banks, underscoring their focus on providing specialized online trading services. Both brokers demonstrate a commitment to security and reliability, evidenced by their multiple regulatory licenses. While both are considered trustworthy, Capital.com's higher Trust Score reflects a marginal edge in terms of perceived security and reliability based on the criteria set by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Capital.com comes out cheaper overall than ActivTrades. Capital.com earns 5/5 stars and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades earns 4/5 stars and ranks #29 out of 63. Both brokers price slightly better than the industry average, but Capital.com is the more cost-effective pick for forex traders based on its tighter EUR/USD spread.
Capital.com offers a universal retail account and a professional account for eligible traders (note: professional clients do not receive the same regulatory protections as retail clients). Its dynamic EUR/USD spread averaged 0.6712 pips in April 2024, which is lower than the industry average and supports low-cost forex trading.
ActivTrades provides an Individual Account as its main option, plus Professional and Islamic accounts, and a demo account. There’s no dedicated high-volume account or active trader pricing, and spreads are the same across account types. Costs vary by asset and platform, and spreads can widen during quieter periods. For EUR/USD, ActivTrades’ average spread was 0.98 pips in May 2024—slightly better than average, though not as low as the cheapest brokers.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $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 the range of investments, Capital.com offers a larger menu overall with about 5,585 tradeable instruments and 125 forex pairs, while ActivTrades lists roughly 1,267 symbols and 49 currency pairs. Both brokers support forex trading and offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets you buy real (delivered) crypto. Neither provides direct access to U.S.-listed shares, yet ActivTrades does allow trading of certain international exchange-traded shares, whereas Capital.com does not.
For extras, ActivTrades includes copy trading, while Capital.com does not. Reflecting the broader selection, Capital.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks 23rd out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 32nd out of 63.
| 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 and ActivTrades both check key boxes for platform access and ease of use: each offers a free demo account, a proprietary (in-house) platform, a web-based platform, a Windows desktop download, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. Both also support MetaTrader 4 (MT4). The main split comes down to advanced options: ActivTrades adds MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and copy trading, while Capital.com does not offer MT5 or copy trading.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, Capital.com earns 4.5 stars and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4 stars and ranks #32. If MT5 and copy trading matter to you, ActivTrades has the edge. If you want a higher-rated overall platform experience with MT4 and a strong in-house platform, Capital.com is a solid pick.
| 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) | No | 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, 30 technical indicators for charting, and handy drawing tools like trendlines that auto-save your work. One notable gap for both is watchlist syncing: changes made on mobile won’t sync with your web platform watchlists.
In independent ratings, Capital.com scores higher for mobile, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranking #11 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps (per ForexBrokers.com). ActivTrades is close behind with 4 out of 5 stars and a #19 ranking. If you want a slightly higher-rated mobile experience with the same core charting and alert features, Capital.com has the edge; if you’re already trading with ActivTrades, its app still covers the essentials for analysis and trading on the go.
| 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.
Comparing Capital.com vs ActivTrades for market research: both provide daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Each also offers an economic calendar and a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long vs short positions. Neither broker includes Autochartist, Trading Central, or Acuity Trading tools. The standout difference is TipRanks—Capital.com includes TipRanks-driven research, while ActivTrades does not.
Independent ratings back this up: Capital.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4 stars and ranks #31. If TipRanks insights and a higher research score are priorities, Capital.com has the edge; if you simply need daily commentary, premium news, sentiment data, and a calendar, both brokers cover the essentials.
| 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 | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginner traders comparing education, both Capital.com and ActivTrades deliver sizable video libraries, with each offering at least 10 beginner-focused videos and 10+ advanced videos for growing your skills over time. A key difference is live learning: Capital.com does not run monthly client webinars, while ActivTrades hosts online educational webinars at least once per month—useful if you prefer interactive sessions and Q&A.
Independent ratings from ForexBrokers.com highlight Capital.com’s edge for overall education quality: Capital.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers, whereas ActivTrades receives 4 stars and ranks #38. In short, both are solid for self-paced videos, ActivTrades stands out for live webinars, and Capital.com is rated higher overall for education—an appealing mix for beginners looking to learn efficiently.
| 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 #10, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
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
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 87 | 81 |
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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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| Trust Score | 87 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Capital.com Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Capital.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
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