Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC 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.
Compare CMC Markets vs ActivTrades on regulation and trust. CMC Markets (founded 1989) and ActivTrades (founded 2001) are both online brokers and neither is a bank. CMC Markets is publicly traded, while ActivTrades is privately held. As defined by ForexBrokers.com, Trust Scores of 90–99 are highly trusted and 80–89 are trusted; CMC Markets scores 99 (highly trusted), and ActivTrades scores 80 (trusted).
Regulatory coverage differs: CMC Markets holds six Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license; ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 and one Tier-2. Tier-1 licenses are considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com, and Tier-2 are considered trusted. In plain terms, CMC Markets offers wider top-tier oversight and the highest possible Trust Score, while ActivTrades provides a trusted setup with fewer top-tier approvals.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
CMC Markets stands out for commissions and fees, earning 5 stars and ranking #4 out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com. It is known for low spreads across all account types, with typical EUR/USD spreads around 0.61 pips based on CMC Markets’ August 2023 pricing data. For active traders, its Price Plus Scheme can lower trading costs as monthly Trading Points add up, and the FX Active pricing model can bring the all-in EUR/USD cost down to about 0.5 pips, including commission.
ActivTrades also offers pricing that is a bit better than the industry average, but it does not match the lowest-cost brokers. It earned 4 stars and ranked #22 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. ActivTrades reports target spreads by asset, and its EUR/USD average spread was 0.98 pips in May 2024. Unlike CMC Markets, it does not have a special pricing plan for active traders, so costs are more straightforward but less flexible for high-volume users.
In simple terms, CMC Markets is the stronger pick if low trading costs are your top priority, especially if you trade often or want access to commission-based pricing. ActivTrades is still competitive, but its fees are generally higher than CMC Markets and it offers fewer ways to reduce trading costs over time.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.15 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, CMC Markets offers a much wider selection than ActivTrades. CMC Markets lists 21,710 tradeable symbols and 303 forex pairs, compared with 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs at ActivTrades. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both let you trade international exchange-traded securities and crypto CFDs. CMC Markets also stands out for offering U.S.-listed exchange-traded securities, such as Apple shares, which ActivTrades does not.
ActivTrades does have one key extra feature: copy trading, while CMC Markets does not. Even so, CMC Markets scores higher overall for investment choice, with a 5-star Range of Investments rating and a ForexBrokers.com rank of #9 out of 36 brokers, versus ActivTrades’ 4 stars and #26 ranking. Neither broker offers the ability to buy actual cryptocurrency.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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.
CMC Markets and ActivTrades both give traders a strong range of platform choices, including a free demo account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop app, a web-based platform, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Both brokers also let you trade directly from a chart, which is helpful for quick order entry and chart-based analysis. In short, either broker gives you the core trading platform tools most people look for when comparing online brokers.
The main difference is that ActivTrades offers copy trading, while CMC Markets does not. CMC Markets also comes out ahead in independent reviews, with a 5-star rating for Trading Platforms and Tools and a #6 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades’ 4-star rating and #27 ranking. If you want the better-rated all-around platform experience, CMC Markets has the edge; if copy trading matters to you, ActivTrades may be the better fit.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
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) | 65 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts, so traders can stay connected while on the move. Each app also includes 30 technical studies, plus the ability to draw trendlines and have those drawings auto-save on charts, making chart analysis easy from a phone or tablet.
The main difference is watchlist syncing: CMC Markets lets watchlists sync between the mobile app and the online account, while ActivTrades does not. This gives CMC Markets an edge for traders who want their lists to stay updated across devices. That advantage is reflected in its 5-star Mobile Trading Apps rating and #5 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at 4 stars and #21.
| Feature |
CMC 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.
CMC Markets and ActivTrades both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, sentiment data showing long and short positions, and an economic calendar with key global events. Each broker also covers the basics well for traders who want timely updates and a simple way to track what may move the markets.
Where CMC Markets stands out is in its research depth: it offers Autochartist tools and earns a 5-star Research rating, ranking #6 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. ActivTrades does not include Autochartist, and while it still provides solid research features, it is rated 4 stars and ranked #27 out of 36. For traders who want more built-in market analysis tools, CMC Markets has the edge.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | 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.
CMC Markets and ActivTrades both give beginners plenty of learning support, with each broker offering at least 10 forex or CFD education pieces, monthly live educational webinars, and a large set of videos for both new and experienced traders. That means beginners can find basic trading lessons, while more advanced users can also dig into deeper topics as their skills grow. In everyday terms, both platforms are well stocked with learning content, but CMC Markets stands out more clearly for overall education quality.
CMC Markets is rated 5 stars for Education and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com Education category, while ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks #30. For beginners comparing online brokers, this makes CMC Markets the stronger choice for educational resources, even though ActivTrades still offers a solid range of helpful material for learning forex and CFD trading.
| Feature |
CMC 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 CMC Markets is better than ActivTrades. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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CMC Markets vs ActivTrades: both online brokers do not offer buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but each provides cryptocurrency CFD trading to speculate on price movements without owning the underlying asset.
Comparing online brokers CMC Markets and ActivTrades for deposit and withdrawal options: CMC Markets supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wire transfers, whereas ActivTrades does not support ACH/SEPA or PayPal but does support Skrill and bank wire transfers (card availability not specified for either broker).
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 | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | 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 | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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 | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.15 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | 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 | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC 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 | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC 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 | CMC Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
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