Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro 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.
eToro vs. ActivTrades: eToro, founded in 2007, is publicly traded and not a bank. It earns a 97/99 ForexBrokers.com Trust Score, which falls in the “highly trusted” range (90–99). eToro also holds four Tier-1 licenses (the most stringent) and one Tier-2 license. ActivTrades, founded in 2001, is not publicly traded and is not a bank. It has an 80/99 Trust Score—classified as “trusted” (80–89)—with two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license.
In plain terms, both brokers are regulated, but eToro shows wider top-tier oversight and a higher trust rating, while ActivTrades remains trusted with fewer top-tier approvals. Always check which specific license covers your country before opening an account.
| Feature |
eToro
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When comparing commissions and fees, eToro and ActivTrades are closely matched, with both brokers earning 4 out of 5 stars. On ForexBrokers.com, eToro ranks #22 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees, while ActivTrades ranks slightly higher at #21 out of 36. eToro is a market-maker broker with a typical variable spread of 1 pip on EUR/USD, which is a little above the industry average, so many traders are drawn more to its social copy trading tools than to low pricing.
ActivTrades also lands near the middle of the pack, but its pricing is a bit better overall. It lists spreads that are slightly below the industry average, and the average EUR/USD spread was 0.98 pips for May 2024. Unlike eToro, ActivTrades offers an Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic Account options, but it does not have a special pricing plan for active traders. Spreads stay the same across account types, though professional accounts can offer lower margin requirements.
For everyday traders, the main difference is that eToro is better known for its copy trading platform, while ActivTrades may appeal more to those focused on slightly tighter spreads. Both brokers have reasonable fees compared with the broader market, but neither is among the cheapest options available.
| Feature |
eToro
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| 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, eToro gives traders more to choose from than ActivTrades. eToro offers 7,441 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts, and both offer copy trading. However, eToro goes further by also letting clients buy real U.S. and international exchange-traded shares, while ActivTrades only offers international exchange-traded securities and does not provide access to U.S.-listed shares as actual investments.
Crypto access is another key difference. eToro lets users buy actual cryptocurrency as well as crypto CFDs, while ActivTrades offers crypto only through CFDs. Overall, eToro stands out for its wider selection and earns a 5-star Range of Investments rating, ranking #10 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. ActivTrades is still a decent choice for variety, but its smaller market list and more limited stock and crypto access place it behind eToro, with a 4-star rating and a #25 ranking.
| Feature |
eToro
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
eToro and ActivTrades both give traders a user-friendly mix of platform options and tools, including free demo accounts, web-based trading, proprietary platforms, copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. This makes both brokers easy to use for beginners and convenient for more active traders who want to test strategies or follow other investors.
The main difference is that ActivTrades also offers a Windows desktop platform plus MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, while eToro does not support those options. eToro, however, earns a higher rating for trading platforms and tools at 4.5 out of 5 stars, compared with 4 out of 5 stars for ActivTrades, and it ranks better overall in ForexBrokers.com’s platform category (#8 of 36 versus #26 of 36).
| Feature |
eToro
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
eToro and ActivTrades both make it easy to trade on the go with iPhone and Android apps, plus stock and forex price alerts. Both mobile apps also let you draw trendlines on charts. Where eToro stands out is in watchlist syncing, which lets changes made in the app and online account stay in sync, while ActivTrades does not offer this feature. eToro also provides a much wider set of charting tools, with 104 technical studies compared with 30 at ActivTrades.
In overall mobile app quality, eToro has the edge with a 4.5-star rating and a #10 ranking out of 36 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks #21. ActivTrades does have one helpful advantage: its app auto-saves chart drawings, which eToro does not. For traders who want stronger charting, synced watchlists, and a higher-rated app, eToro is the better pick, while ActivTrades still offers the basics needed for trading from a phone.
| Feature |
eToro
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, both eToro and ActivTrades give traders a useful mix of tools and updates. Each broker offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. Neither broker includes research from Autochartist, Trading Central, or Acuity Trading, so the core research experience is fairly similar on those fronts.
Where eToro pulls ahead is with TipRanks market research, which ActivTrades does not offer. That added feature helps eToro edge out ActivTrades in overall research quality, with a 4.5-star rating and a #12 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades at 4 stars and #26. For traders who want a slightly wider research lineup, eToro has the advantage.
| Feature |
eToro
|
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.
When it comes to beginner-friendly education, both eToro and ActivTrades give new traders plenty to work with. Each broker offers forex and CFD learning content, monthly online client webinars, and at least 10 beginner and 10 advanced videos covering trading topics. That means either platform can help someone who is just starting out build basic knowledge and keep learning as their skills grow.
Still, eToro has the edge overall. It earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30. For beginners looking for the stronger mix of education and support, eToro stands out as the better choice, though ActivTrades still provides a useful set of learning tools.
| Feature |
eToro
|
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 eToro is better than ActivTrades. eToro finished with an overall rank of #9, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
eToro is a winner for its easy-to-use copy-trading platform, where traders can copy the trades of experienced investors – or receive exclusive perks for sharing their own trading strategies.
| Feature |
eToro
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ActivTrades
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| Trust Score | 97 | 80 |
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In the eToro vs ActivTrades comparison for crypto trading, eToro allows buying both actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas ActivTrades offers only cryptocurrency CFDs and does not provide delivered crypto.
In the eToro vs ActivTrades comparison, eToro supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, while ActivTrades supports Skrill and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; Visa/Mastercard availability is 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 | eToro | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 97 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 97 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | 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) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | eToro | 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 | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | eToro | 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 | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | eToro Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | eToro | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 97 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | ActivTrades Review |
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