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 |
ActivTrades and Exness both offer competitive trading conditions, but they have distinct approaches regarding commissions and fees. ActivTrades boasts slightly better-than-average spreads, though not as competitive as those of leading low-cost forex brokers. The broker offers an Individual Account, Professional Account, and Islamic Account, aside from its demo option. While high-volume traders might not find specialized pricing at ActivTrades, the fee structure mostly depends on the asset and platform used. Specifically, ActivTrades' average spread for EUR/USD was 0.98 pips as of May 2024. Overall, ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks 28th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for its commissions and fees.
Exness provides a variety of account types, including two standard and three professional accounts, designed to cater to different trader needs. The commission-based accounts at Exness offer tighter spreads, while the Pro account allows a choice between instant and market execution. Meanwhile, the Zero Spread account features a commission of $0.05 per trade, whereas the Raw account charges up to $7 per round turn lot. Each account comes with market execution, and the various trading conditions give traders flexibility in selecting the appropriate account. Exness shares a 4-star rating with ActivTrades but ranks 35th in commissions and fees, according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| 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.
When comparing the investment offerings of ActivTrades and Exness, several distinctions emerge. ActivTrades provides 1,267 tradeable symbols, including 49 forex pairs, positioning itself as a robust choice for those seeking diverse investment options. In contrast, Exness offers 227 tradeable symbols, though it surpasses ActivTrades with 96 forex pairs available for trading. While both platforms support forex trading via CFDs or spot contracts, neither allows for the purchase of exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, such as Apple shares. However, ActivTrades offers a unique advantage with access to exchange-traded securities on international markets, enabling investors to buy assets like Vodafone shares.
For investors interested in cryptocurrencies, both ActivTrades and Exness provide access to cryptocurrency derivatives, although neither offers the ability to purchase actual cryptocurrencies. Copy trading is supported by both brokers, appealing to those who enjoy mimicking successful trading strategies. ActivTrades obtains a slightly higher rating of 4 stars for its range of investments, ranked at #31 by ForexBrokers.com, surpassing Exness's 3.5-star rating and #55 rank. These factors suggest that while both brokers offer a variety of investment opportunities, ActivTrades might better cater to those seeking a broader spectrum of international securities and diverse trading options.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 227 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 96 |
| 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 Exness stand out as competitive online brokers offering an array of trading platforms and tools designed to cater to traders of all levels. Both brokers provide access to the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platforms, along with their own proprietary trading platforms. Traders can conveniently access their accounts via Windows-based desktop downloads and web-based platforms, ensuring flexibility and ease of use. For those interested in testing strategies without risking real money, both brokers offer free virtual demo accounts. Additionally, they support copy trading but do not offer DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. Notably, ActivTrades provides 15 drawing tools for charting, while Exness offers a more extensive selection with 87 tools.
When it comes to trading from stock charts and creating watch lists, both brokers allow direct trades from charts. However, ActivTrades provides more fields for watch lists, offering 11 columns compared to Exness's 7. Despite their differences, both brokers have received a solid 4-star rating for their platforms and tools. In a ranking by ForexBrokers.com, Exness slightly edges out ActivTrades, coming in at the 26th spot among 63 brokers, while ActivTrades ranks 30th. Overall, both brokers deliver significant value, with unique features that cater to various trading preferences.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 107 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 87 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of ActivTrades and Exness, both brokers provide apps for iPhone and Android users, catering to a wide range of traders. They each feature in-app alerts for stocks and forex, ensuring that users stay updated with market movements on the go. While neither app supports watchlist syncing across devices, they both offer real-time quotes to keep traders informed. Where ActivTrades stands out is its collection of 30 technical studies, just shy of Exness’s 35, providing plenty of tools for detailed analysis.
Both ActivTrades and Exness allow drawing trendlines on charts and provide the flexibility to view multiple time frames, whether daily, weekly, or intraday. However, in terms of user convenience, ActivTrades takes the lead by auto-saving chart drawings, a feature missing in Exness's app. Both applications are well-regarded, each earning a four-star rating, but ActivTrades ranks higher, holding the 19th spot compared to Exness's 26th in ForexBrokers.com’s list of mobile trading apps.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 |
| 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.
When it comes to market research, both ActivTrades and Exness provide daily market commentary, helping traders stay updated on the latest happenings. Both brokers deliver forex news sourced from well-known providers like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring quality information. However, a difference arises in their technical analysis offerings. Exness provides tools from Trading Central for enhanced technical insights, while ActivTrades does not. Despite this, both brokers offer sentiment-based trading tools and comprehensive economic calendars, keeping customers well-informed about global economic events.
ActivTrades generally earns higher ratings and rankings in research, receiving 4 out of 5 stars, compared to Exness’s 3.5-star rating. Among 63 brokers evaluated by ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades is positioned at #30, whereas Exness stands at #41. Neither broker supports specific research tools from TipRanks or Acuity Trading, so their additional research capabilities primarily differ in the use of tools like Trading Central, making ActivTrades a slightly more favored choice for research among the two.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 it comes to educational resources for newcomers in online trading, ActivTrades and Exness each have their strengths. ActivTrades offers a wealth of educational materials, including more than 10 articles, videos, and archived webinars that focus on forex or CFDs. Beginners can benefit from monthly webinars to enhance their knowledge, as well as access to a comprehensive archive of past webinars. Additionally, ActivTrades provides over 10 educational videos that specifically cater to beginner traders, alongside over 10 videos for those with more experience. Although they do not offer a dictionary of investing terms, their educational efforts have earned them a 4-star rating.
Exness also caters to beginner traders with over 10 educational pieces like articles and videos centered around forex and CFDs, alongside beginner-targeted videos. Like ActivTrades, they provide a searchable archive of recorded webinars. However, Exness does not offer regular monthly webinars or a large selection of advanced educational videos. Where they excel is offering an investor dictionary that includes definitions of at least 50 investing terms, a resource that can be particularly useful for those starting out. Despite some limitations, Exness maintains a respectable 3.5-star rating for education, ranking slightly lower than ActivTrades at 47th out of 63 brokers.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 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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Both ActivTrades and Exness do not provide options to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but do offer the ability to trade in cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both ActivTrades and Exness provide Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wire options for fund transactions, but neither supports ACH, SEPA, or PayPal transfers for deposits or withdrawals.
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 | |
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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). | No | 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 | 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). | No | 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/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | Yes |
| Investments | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 227 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 96 | |
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 | |
| 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 | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 107 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 87 | |
| 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 Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 | |
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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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