Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs Eightcap, 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 Eightcap are online brokers that are not publicly traded and are not banks. ActivTrades was founded in 2001 and holds a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 80/99, which is considered trusted. Eightcap, founded in 2009, scores 87/99, also in the trusted range according to ForexBrokers.com.
Looking at regulation, Eightcap holds three Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted), while ActivTrades holds two. Both brokers have one Tier-2 license (trusted). In plain terms, both are viewed as trusted choices, with Eightcap showing a slight edge in top-tier regulatory coverage.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
When comparing ActivTrades and Eightcap on commissions and fees, both brokers land in a fairly competitive range, but Eightcap has a slight edge overall. ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #22 out of 36 for this category. Its spreads are a little better than the industry average, with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024, but it does not offer a special pricing tier for active traders. Costs vary by asset, and spreads are the same across its account types, including Individual, Professional, and Islamic accounts.
Eightcap scores higher with 4.5 stars and a ranking of #20 out of 36 for commissions and fees. Traders can choose between the commission-based Raw account and the spread-only Standard account. On the Raw account, Eightcap shows an average spread of 0.06 pips, and after the $3.50 per side commission, the all-in cost comes to about 0.76 pips, which is just below the industry average. While that makes Eightcap a bit cheaper than ActivTrades in many cases, it is still not among the very lowest-cost forex brokers.
In simple terms, Eightcap is the slightly stronger choice on pricing, while ActivTrades remains a solid option if you want competitive spreads without complex fee structures. Both brokers are close on cost, but Eightcap offers the better star rating and ranking for commissions and fees.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.08 | 1.0 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | 0.76 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, ActivTrades offers more choice overall than Eightcap. ActivTrades gives clients access to 1,267 tradeable symbols, compared with 803 at Eightcap. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs, but Eightcap lists slightly more forex pairs at 55 versus 49 at ActivTrades. Neither broker offers exchange-traded U.S. stocks or the ability to buy actual cryptocurrency, but both do offer cryptocurrency CFDs.
ActivTrades has the edge if you want broader market access, since it also offers exchange-traded securities on international exchanges, such as London-listed shares, while Eightcap does not. ActivTrades also supports copy trading, which Eightcap does not. Reflecting this wider selection, ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 for Range of Investments and ranked #26 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Eightcap is rated 3.5 out of 5 and ranked #30.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 803 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 55 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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.
ActivTrades and Eightcap both give traders a solid mix of platform choices, including free demo accounts, Windows desktop software, browser-based trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Each broker also lets you trade directly from charts, which is helpful for placing orders quickly while reviewing price action. Both are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, so on the basics they are closely matched.
Where ActivTrades pulls ahead is with its own in-house trading platform and copy trading, two options Eightcap does not offer. That extra flexibility may appeal to traders who want more ways to manage trades or follow other investors. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, ActivTrades places higher in this category at #27 out of 36 brokers, compared with Eightcap at #32, making ActivTrades the stronger pick overall for platforms and tools.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 100 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ActivTrades and Eightcap both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts. Each app also lets traders draw trendlines and automatically saves those drawings on charts. Both brokers earn a 4-star rating for mobile trading apps, so either one should cover the basics well for traders who want to manage positions on the go.
The biggest difference is in charting and watchlist syncing. Eightcap stands out with 100 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with 30 at ActivTrades, and it also syncs watchlists between the app and online account. ActivTrades does not offer watchlist syncing. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps ranking, ActivTrades places higher at #21 out of 36 brokers, while Eightcap is ranked #32.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 100 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
ActivTrades and Eightcap both give traders a useful set of market research features, including daily market commentary, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar with current and upcoming global events. Neither broker offers research from Autochartist, Trading Central, or TipRanks, so the core research mix is fairly similar at first glance.
The main difference is in news and third-party research. ActivTrades stands out by offering forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, while Eightcap does not. Eightcap, however, adds Acuity Trading tools like Signal Centre, which ActivTrades lacks. Overall, ActivTrades has the edge for research quality, with a 4-star rating and a ForexBrokers.com rank of #27 out of 36, compared with Eightcap’s 3.5-star rating and #34 ranking.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to beginner-friendly learning tools, ActivTrades has a slight edge over Eightcap. ActivTrades offers forex and CFDs education, hosts online educational client webinars at least once a month, and provides 10+ beginner videos as well as 10+ advanced videos for traders who want to keep learning. Eightcap also offers 10+ beginner videos, but it does not provide monthly educational webinars, and it falls short on advanced video content. In ForexBrokers.com’s Education category, ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranked #30 out of 36 brokers, while Eightcap is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #31.
For new traders, both brokers give access to learning content, but ActivTrades is the better choice if you want more support beyond the basics. Its regular webinars and wider mix of forex and CFDs education can make it easier for beginners to build confidence step by step. Eightcap still covers beginner video education well, but ActivTrades offers a more complete learning package overall.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | 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 Eightcap. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28, while Eightcap finished with an overall rank of #30.
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
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 80 | 87 |
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ActivTrades vs Eightcap: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs (not the underlying coins).
Comparing online brokers ActivTrades vs Eightcap for deposit and withdrawal methods: neither supports ACH or SEPA transfers, both offer Skrill and bank wire funding, and only Eightcap supports PayPal.
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 | Eightcap | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Eightcap Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 80 | 87 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| 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) | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 803 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.08 | 1.0 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | 0.76 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 100 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 100 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Eightcap Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | Eightcap | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Eightcap Review |
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