Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs easyMarkets, 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 and easyMarkets, both established in 2001, are online brokers that offer a range of trading services. Neither company is publicly traded nor operates as a bank, which might influence how some traders perceive their financial robustness. In terms of regulatory credentials, each broker holds two Tier-1 licenses, which indicates a high level of trust according to ForexBrokers.com. Additionally, they both possess one Tier-2 license, placing them within the 'trusted' category.
When comparing their Trust Scores, easyMarkets slightly edges out with a score of 84, placing it firmly in the 'trusted' range. Meanwhile, ActivTrades maintains a respectable score of 81, also within the 'trusted' bracket. These scores suggest that both brokers are considered reliable choices for traders, although easyMarkets is rated a bit higher in terms of trust according to ForexBrokers.com standards.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, both brokers lean on spreads. ActivTrades’ pricing is slightly better than the industry average but not among the very cheapest. Its average EUR/USD spread was 0.98 pips in May 2024. easyMarkets lists fixed EUR/USD spreads of 0.8 pips on its own platform and TradingView; on MT4 the Standard account is 1.7 pips while the VIP account drops to 0.7 pips. On MT5, spreads are variable starting from 0.7 pips.
ActivTrades offers one main Individual Account plus Professional and Islamic options; spreads are the same across these accounts, with the Professional setup mainly affecting margin and leverage. There’s no special pricing for high‑volume or active traders. Actual costs depend on the asset and platform used, and spreads can widen during quiet or rollover periods—something common across brokers.
Ratings and rankings: ActivTrades scores 4.0 stars for Commissions & Fees and ranks 29th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while easyMarkets earns 3.5 stars and ranks 53rd out of 63. In practice, EUR/USD traders may find easyMarkets cheaper on its own platform or via VIP tiers, whereas its MT4 Standard pricing is higher than ActivTrades’ recent average.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| 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.
ActivTrades and easyMarkets both let you trade forex as CFDs or spot, and each supports copy trading. ActivTrades offers a far wider overall selection with 1,267 tradeable symbols, while easyMarkets lists 230. When it comes to currency pairs, easyMarkets has the edge with 63 forex pairs versus 49 at ActivTrades. For crypto, neither broker lets you buy actual coins, but both provide access to cryptocurrency derivatives.
Neither broker offers direct share dealing on U.S. exchanges, but ActivTrades does provide access to international exchange‑traded securities, whereas easyMarkets does not. Reflecting these differences, ActivTrades earns 4 stars for Range of Investments and ranks 32nd out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com; easyMarkets scores 3.5 stars and ranks 55th.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 230 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 63 |
| 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.
ActivTrades and easyMarkets line up closely on core platform features. Both offer free demo (paper) trading, a proprietary platform alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), plus Windows desktop and web-based platforms. Each supports copy trading and lets you place trades directly from charts. Neither integrates DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
For charting tools, ActivTrades lists 15 drawing tools, while easyMarkets offers 30; indicator totals weren’t specified for either. Watchlists allow more fields on ActivTrades (11) than on easyMarkets (8). Both earn 4 stars for trading platforms and tools, while ForexBrokers.com ranks ActivTrades #32 of 63 and easyMarkets #36. If you value more drawing tools, easyMarkets edges ahead; if you want more detailed watchlists, ActivTrades may suit you better.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 15 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 8 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ActivTrades and easyMarkets both offer iPhone and Android apps with real-time quote watchlists, trendline drawing, and multiple time frames for charts. Key differences: ActivTrades supports stock and forex price alerts while easyMarkets does not. If syncing watchlists across devices and web matters, easyMarkets has it, whereas ActivTrades does not.
For charting, easyMarkets lists 81 technical studies (indicators) versus 30 at ActivTrades. However, ActivTrades auto-saves your chart drawings; easyMarkets doesn’t. Both apps earn 4 out of 5 stars, but ActivTrades ranks higher with ForexBrokers.com at #19 of 63 brokers, compared with easyMarkets at #32. Choose ActivTrades if you rely on alerts and saved annotations, or easyMarkets if you want more built-in indicators and synced watchlists.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 81 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
ActivTrades and easyMarkets both cover the basics of market research well. Each offers daily market commentary, premium forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning, and a global economic calendar. Neither broker includes Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. The key difference: easyMarkets adds Trading Central analysis tools, while ActivTrades does not.
According to ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades earns 4 stars for Research and ranks 31st out of 63 brokers, while easyMarkets scores 3.5 stars and ranks 44th. If you want a higher overall research rating, ActivTrades edges ahead; if Trading Central insights matter to you, easyMarkets has the advantage.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available for beginners at ActivTrades and easyMarkets, both brokers show commitment to offering a wealth of learning materials. ActivTrades provides a robust suite of educational content, with over 10 pieces focusing on forex and CFDs. Additionally, they hold regular webinars each month, and clients have access to a searchable archive of recorded sessions. ActivTrades excels in their beginner educational videos, offering more than 10 that explain trading topics in an easy-to-understand manner. They also have content for more experienced traders with advanced educational videos. However, ActivTrades falls short in offering a comprehensive investor dictionary.
easyMarkets also makes learning accessible with over 10 educational pieces centered on forex and CFDs. Similar to ActivTrades, easyMarkets organizes monthly webinars and maintains a searchable archive of previous recordings. Their selection of beginner and advanced educational videos is equally extensive. Unlike ActivTrades, easyMarkets includes an investor dictionary with over 50 investing term definitions, providing a resourceful tool for those new to the trading world. When it comes to ratings, ActivTrades holds a slight edge with 4 stars compared to easyMarkets' 3.5 stars, and they are ranked 38th out of 63 brokers for education by ForexBrokers.com, marginally outscoring easyMarkets, which ranks 39th.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
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 easyMarkets. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while easyMarkets finished with an overall rank of #42.
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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easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 84 |
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Both ActivTrades and easyMarkets do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives.
Comparing the deposit and withdrawal options between ActivTrades and easyMarkets, easyMarkets offers more flexibility with ACH and SEPA transfers, while both brokers support Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, yet neither provides PayPal services.
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 | easyMarkets | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | easyMarkets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 84 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| 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 | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 230 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 63 | |
| 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 | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 8 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 81 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | easyMarkets Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | easyMarkets | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | easyMarkets Review |
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