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 |
Comparing eToro vs ActivTrades on commissions and fees: both earn 4 out of 5 stars from ForexBrokers.com, with ActivTrades ranking slightly higher (#21 of 63) than eToro (#22 of 63). On EUR/USD, eToro lists a typical variable spread of about 1.0 pip (a touch above the industry average), while ActivTrades reported an average of 0.98 pips in May 2024—slightly better than average but not the cheapest on the market. As always, spreads can vary by market conditions and may widen during rollover.
eToro is a market-maker broker, and its pricing leans on spreads rather than per-trade commissions. Traders generally choose eToro for its social copy trading features more than for rock-bottom spreads. For larger balances, the eToro Club offers five VIP tiers (Silver to Diamond) for $5,000–$250,000, with perks such as access to Trading Central, discounted withdrawal and deposit fees, and a dedicated account manager. eToro commissions and fees rating: 4/5 stars; category ranking: #22 of 63.
ActivTrades offers an Individual Account as its primary option, alongside Professional and Islamic accounts. Spreads are the same across these account types; the Professional Account mainly changes margin requirements rather than pricing. There’s no specific high-volume or active-trader pricing, and overall costs depend on the assets and platform you use. If you’re focused strictly on FX spreads, ActivTrades often edges out eToro by a small margin. ActivTrades commissions and fees rating: 4/5 stars; category ranking: #21 of 63.
| 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 comparing eToro vs ActivTrades for range of investments, eToro gives traders a wider choice overall. eToro offers 7,441 tradable symbols and 65 forex pairs, compared with 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs at ActivTrades. Both brokers let you trade forex as a CFD or spot contract, and both also support copy trading. However, eToro stands out for its much larger market selection and stronger overall range of instruments.
eToro also has an edge for share and crypto investing. It offers exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while ActivTrades does not offer U.S.-listed shares outside of CFDs. eToro also lets you buy actual cryptocurrency, not just crypto CFDs, which ActivTrades does not provide. This broader mix helps explain why eToro is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranked #10 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades’ 4-star rating and #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 vs ActivTrades: both brokers offer a free virtual demo account for paper trading, their own proprietary platforms, and web-based trading. For desktop users, ActivTrades provides a Windows download platform while eToro does not. Both support copy trading and let you place orders directly from charts.
If you want MetaTrader, ActivTrades includes both MT4 and MT5, whereas eToro does not support either. Based on ForexBrokers.com, eToro earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, while ActivTrades scores 4/5 stars and ranks #26. Choose eToro if a modern web platform with copy trading fits your style, or go with ActivTrades if you need a Windows desktop platform and MetaTrader compatibility.
| 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.
Comparing the eToro mobile app to the ActivTrades mobile app, both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps with price alerts to help you track markets in real time. A key difference is watchlist management: eToro syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, so changes update everywhere, while ActivTrades does not sync watchlists across platforms.
Charting is another divider. eToro includes trendline drawing and 104 technical indicators (studies), but it does not auto-save drawings. ActivTrades also supports trendlines and does auto-save drawings, yet offers 30 technical studies. In ratings from ForexBrokers.com, eToro’s mobile trading apps scored 4.5/5 stars and ranked #10 out of 63 brokers, while ActivTrades earned 4/5 stars and ranked #21.
| 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 useful day-to-day tools. Each one offers daily market commentary, news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, a sentiment tool that shows how traders are positioned, and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. Neither broker includes Autochartist, Trading Central, or Acuity Trading tools, so the research lineup is fairly similar in those areas.
The main difference is that eToro goes a step further with TipRanks market research, which ActivTrades does not offer. That extra feature may help traders who want more outside insight before making a trade. Reflecting this edge, eToro is rated 4.5 out of 5 for Research and ranks #12 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 and ranks #26.
| 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.
eToro vs ActivTrades for beginner education: both brokers deliver a clear path to learning forex and CFDs. Each offers well over the 10-piece threshold with 10+ beginner videos, 10+ advanced videos, and live educational webinars at least once a month. That mix of bite-size videos and regular webinars helps new traders build skills at a steady pace.
Where they differ is in overall strength and recognition. eToro earns 4.5/5 stars for Education and ranks 3rd out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4/5 stars and ranks 30th. Both are solid choices for beginners, but if you want the more highly rated education experience, eToro has the edge.
| 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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