Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs Exness, 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 Exness are both established online brokers, with ActivTrades having been founded in 2001 and Exness in 2008. Neither of these brokers is publicly traded or operates as a bank. When it comes to regulatory strength, both ActivTrades and Exness have built strong foundations, each holding two Tier-1 licenses. Tier-1 licenses are highly regarded and signify a strong level of trust for these brokers.
In addition to their Tier-1 licenses, ActivTrades has one Tier-2 license, while Exness boasts three. With a Trust Score of 81 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, both brokers are considered trusted. Their impressive regulatory standing and trust ratings make them reliable choices for individuals seeking efficient online trading platforms.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
Comparing commissions and fees, both ActivTrades and Exness earn 4 out of 5 stars. However, ActivTrades ranks higher for pricing overall (#29 of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com) than Exness (#36 of 63). In short, ActivTrades offers slightly tighter typical pricing than the industry average, while Exness gives traders more ways to tailor costs through multiple account types.
ActivTrades keeps pricing simple: spreads are the same across its Individual, Professional, and Islamic accounts, and there’s no special pricing for high-volume or “active” traders. Actual costs depend on what you trade and the platform used, and spreads can widen around rollover. For reference, the average EUR/USD spread was about 0.98 pips in May 2024. Rating: 4/5 stars; Ranking: #29 of 63 for Commissions and Fees.
Exness structures pricing by account type. Standard Cent and Standard accounts are commission-free with higher spreads, while the Pro account is also commission-free but typically offers lower spreads. The commission-based options target tighter spreads: Zero Spread charges a $0.05 per-trade commission, and Raw charges up to $7 per round turn lot ($3.5 per side). Execution varies by account (most use market execution; Pro also supports instant execution). Rating: 4/5 stars; Ranking: #36 of 63 for Commissions and Fees.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
ActivTrades delivers a wider overall range of investments with 1,267 tradeable symbols versus 209 at Exness. If your focus is currencies, Exness lists more forex pairs (96 vs 49), while both brokers support forex trading via CFDs/spot, offer copy trading, and provide crypto trading through CFDs (neither allows buying actual coins).
For shares, neither broker offers real U.S.-listed stocks, but ActivTrades does provide access to international exchange-traded securities, which Exness lacks. In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments ratings, ActivTrades earns 4/5 stars and ranks #32 of 63, while Exness earns 3.5/5 stars and ranks #56—giving ActivTrades the edge for overall product breadth.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 209 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 96 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| 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 Exness both check the key boxes for platform access and ease of getting started. Each broker offers a free demo account for paper trading, a proprietary (in‑house) platform, and support for Windows desktop and web-based trading. If you prefer industry standards, both also provide MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), plus copy trading options for following or sharing strategies.
For charting and trade execution, both brokers let you place trades directly from charts and include technical indicators (exact counts weren’t specified). Watchlists are available as well, though the number of fields wasn’t disclosed. In expert reviews, ActivTrades and Exness each earned 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools; within a field of 63 brokers, ActivTrades ranked #32 while Exness ranked #26. If platform ratings and rankings sway your choice, Exness edges ahead, but feature-wise these two are closely matched.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 107 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Comparing ActivTrades vs Exness for mobile trading, both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps with price alerts, along with the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Each earns a 4-star rating for mobile trading apps. According to ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades ranks #19 out of 63 brokers in the Mobile Trading Apps category, while Exness ranks #26.
For charting tools, ActivTrades includes 30 technical studies and auto-saves your chart drawings, which makes it easier to pick up where you left off. Exness offers slightly more studies at 35, but it does not auto-save chart drawings. Neither broker syncs watchlists between the mobile app and the web platform. Choose ActivTrades if auto-saving and a higher ranking matter to you; pick Exness if having a few extra indicators is your priority.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
ActivTrades vs Exness for market research: Both brokers deliver daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, a sentiment tool that shows long/short ratios, and an economic calendar. Neither offers tools from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
The key difference is that Exness includes Trading Central analytics, while ActivTrades does not. Even so, ActivTrades holds the higher research score (4 stars; ranked #31 of 63 by ForexBrokers.com) versus Exness (3.5 stars; ranked #42). Pick ActivTrades if you want a slightly higher-rated research experience, or choose Exness if having Trading Central built in matters more to you.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
If you’re comparing ActivTrades vs Exness for beginner forex and CFD education, both brokers deliver plenty of learning resources. Each hosts monthly client webinars and offers sizable video libraries, with at least 10 beginner videos to get you started and at least 10 advanced lessons for when you’re ready to level up. This mix helps new traders learn core concepts, explore strategies, and understand risk before placing trades.
Where they differ is in third-party scores. ActivTrades earns 4 out of 5 stars for education and ranks #38 out of 63 brokers with ForexBrokers.com. Exness scores 3.5 stars and ranks #47 out of 63. For most beginners, ActivTrades has a slight edge in overall educational quality and organization, while Exness still offers a helpful pathway from novice to more experienced trading with frequent webinars and a wide selection of videos.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 ActivTrades is better than Exness. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #43.
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
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 81 |
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Comparing ActivTrades and Exness, neither broker allows you to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
ActivTrades vs Exness: both online brokers allow Skrill and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, do not support ACH/SEPA or PayPal, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
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 | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2008 | |
| 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 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | Yes |
| Investments | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 209 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 96 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 107 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Exness Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Exness Review |
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