Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs Earn, 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.
ActivTrades, established in 2001, and Earn, founded in 1994, are both private online brokers, meaning they are not listed on any stock exchange and do not operate as banks. When it comes to regulatory compliance, ActivTrades stands out by holding two Tier-1 licenses, regarded as highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com, along with one Tier-2 license considered trusted. In contrast, Earn possesses one Tier-1 license but no Tier-2 licenses. This regulatory framework highlights ActivTrades' stronger compliance compared to Earn in terms of trusted licenses.
Based on ForexBrokers.com Trust Scores, ActivTrades scores an 81 out of 99, placing it in the "trusted" category, while Earn scores 71, marking it as an "average risk." This indicates a slightly higher level of trust in ActivTrades by industry standards. Consequently, for those considering online brokers, ActivTrades may offer a more secure choice based on its trust score and regulatory licenses.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 1994 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, ActivTrades offers relatively competitive spreads that are slightly better than the industry average but do not match the most cost-effective brokers in the forex market. ActivTrades provides several account options, including an Individual Account, Professional Account, and an Islamic Account designed for Sharia compliance. However, there’s no specific account tailored for high-volume traders or those seeking special pricing for active trading. The broker's costs can vary based on the assets traded, with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips recorded for May 2024. ActivTrades receives a 4-star rating for its fees and ranks as the 28th out of 63 brokers in this category according to ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, Earn’s specific average spread data is not readily available, making a direct comparison more challenging. Like ActivTrades, Earn also garners a 4-star rating for its commissions and fees. However, it ranks lower, positioned at 45th among 63 brokers for this aspect on ForexBrokers.com.
Overall, while both brokers share a similar star rating, ActivTrades emerges slightly ahead in the rankings, suggesting a broader acceptance of its commission and fee structures within the trading community. Traders should consider these ratings and rankings alongside their specific needs, particularly the asset types they intend to trade, to determine the best fit for their investment style.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When exploring investment options, ActivTrades stands out with an impressive array of 1,267 tradeable symbols, offering significant diversity for online investors. It offers 49 forex pairs as either CFDs or spot contracts, giving users ample currency trading choices. In contrast, Earn provides 500 symbols and broadens its forex range with 61 currency pairs available for trading. While both brokers facilitate forex trading options in CFD or spot contract form and offer cryptocurrency derivatives, neither supports the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies, catering primarily to traders comfortable with derivative products.
For those interested in traditional equities, ActivTrades allows investment in international exchange traded securities, such as Vodafone on the London Stock Exchange, which Earn does not offer. However, both brokers lack support for U.S. exchange securities. A notable similarity is the availability of copy trading features on both platforms, appealing to traders seeking to mirror successful strategies. With a slightly higher rating of 4 stars compared to Earn's 3.5 stars, ActivTrades holds a better position in the market. This is further confirmed by its #31 ranking for investment range on ForexBrokers.com, ahead of Earn, which stands at #45, highlighting ActivTrades as a more attractive platform for investors seeking a broader range of investment opportunities.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 61 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools of ActivTrades and Earn, both brokers provide simulated trading with free virtual demo accounts, making it easy for beginners to practice. While ActivTrades offers a proprietary platform that sets it apart with its unique in-house features, Earn does not have its own platform, relying instead on widely recognized platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), both of which are offered by ActivTrades as well. Each broker supports Windows-based desktop downloads as well as user-friendly web-based platforms for trading directly from your browser. Copy trading is supported by both brokers, but only Earn offers ZuluTrade for traders interested in social trading features. ActivTrades, however, ranks higher, holding the #31 spot compared to Earn's #51 in ForexBrokers.com's list of 63 brokers for trading platforms and tools.
In terms of charting capabilities, both ActivTrades and Earn offer a range of 15 drawing tools for insightful market analysis. ActivTrades excels in customizability with 11 columns for watch lists, making it easier for traders to manage and monitor their selected assets compared to Earn's 7 columns. Both platforms enable trades to be executed directly from stock charts, enhancing their convenience for active traders. Rated with an equivalent 4 stars for trading platforms and tools, both ActivTrades and Earn provide strong options, but ActivTrades' edge in proprietary technology, higher ranking, and superior customization options may resonate more with traders seeking a more tailored experience.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 35 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both ActivTrades and Earn offer convenient mobile trading experiences with their apps available on iPhone and Android. Traders can rely on features like stock and forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Both apps provide flexibility in viewing various time frames, whether daily, weekly, or intraday. Additionally, users can enjoy features such as auto-saving of chart drawings and the ability to create watchlists with real-time quotes. However, a missing feature in both apps is the syncing of watchlist symbols between the mobile app and online accounts.
When it comes to technical charting tools, Earn slightly edges out ActivTrades by offering 35 technical studies compared to ActivTrades' 30. Despite this, both are highly regarded, with each rated at 4 stars for mobile trading. According to ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades ranks higher at 19th on the list of 63 brokers, while Earn follows at 27th. This comparison shows both brokers provide solid mobile trading options, with ActivTrades having a slight edge in overall ranking.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing ActivTrades and Earn, both online brokers provide valuable market research features such as daily market commentary and forex news from respected sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. However, ActivTrades sets itself apart with a sentiment-based trading tool that offers insights into the ratio of long and short positions across various currency pairs, a feature not available with Earn. Both platforms lack support for technical analysis tools from Autochartist and Trading Central, and neither provides research tools from Acuity Trading or market insights from TipRanks. An economic calendar is available on both platforms to track current and upcoming global events.
In terms of research effectiveness, ActivTrades has a slight edge, earning a 4-star research rating compared to Earn's 3.5 stars. This distinction is reflected in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where ActivTrades is positioned at #30 out of 63 brokers for research, while Earn is ranked at #38. These ratings may guide users looking for comprehensive research features in an online broker, highlighting ActivTrades as the slightly better choice for those prioritizing market research tools and insights.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, ActivTrades offers a significantly more comprehensive experience compared to Earn. ActivTrades provides a resourceful education on forex and CFDs, featuring over ten educational pieces including articles, videos, and archived webinars. These materials target both novice and advanced traders, ensuring a rich learning journey. Additionally, ActivTrades conducts regular online client webinars, offering at least one per month, and maintains a searchable archive of these webinars for later access. Comparatively, Earn doesn’t match up in these areas, as it lacks the same volume and variety of educational content and does not facilitate webinars.
Furthermore, ActivTrades excels with its collection of at least ten beginner-specific educational videos, alongside ten advanced ones targeting more experienced traders. This wide range of resources helps solidify its education rating at four stars out of five. Despite not offering an investor dictionary with definitions of common investing terms, ActivTrades is ranked #38 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for education. Conversely, Earn, which does not provide a similar breadth of educational resources or an investor dictionary, is rated slightly lower at 3.5 stars and holds a lower education ranking at #62. These variances highlight ActivTrades as a more appealing option for those prioritizing educational support.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ActivTrades is better than Earn. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while Earn finished with an overall rank of #50.
ActivTrades is a long-standing brand that offers a proprietary trading platform, ActivTrader, and support for the award-winning TradingView and MetaTrader (MT4 and MT5) platforms. ActivTrades also delivers a selection of custom add-ons, indicators, and trading tools for traders who prefer to use MetaTrader. Drawbacks for trading with ActivTrades include a smaller selection of tradeable symbols and fewer educational resources than what’s available from the best forex brokers.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
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Earn
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 |
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When comparing ActivTrades and Earn for cryptocurrency trading, both platforms do not provide the option to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but do offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both online brokers, ActivTrades and Earn, offer Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire options for depositing or withdrawing account funds; however, neither supports ACH, SEPA transfers, nor PayPal for these transactions.
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 | ActivTrades | Earn | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | Earn | |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 1994 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | ||
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 35 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | Earn | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
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