Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Fineco 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.
Fineco and ActivTrades are both well-established online brokers, with Fineco being founded in 1999 and ActivTrades in 2001. Fineco is publicly traded and functions as a bank, which might offer an added layer of assurance for some investors. In terms of regulatory trust, both brokers hold two Tier-1 licenses, signifying a high level of trust. However, Fineco enjoys a superior Trust Score of 94 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, compared to ActivTrades' Trust Score of 81.
While both brokers offer a trusted experience, ActivTrades falls slightly behind in regulatory strength with one additional Tier-2 license. This, coupled with the company's privately held status and non-bank operation, might make it less attractive to investors prioritizing regulatory backing. In contrast, Fineco's standing as a public entity and a bank, alongside its higher Trust Score, might appeal to those seeking high transparency and security.
| Feature |
Fineco
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, ActivTrades comes out ahead for forex costs thanks to clearer pricing and slightly tighter typical spreads, while Fineco’s true costs are harder to pin down. ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #29 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees, versus Fineco’s 3.5 stars and #52 ranking.
Fineco does not publish average spread data for forex and CFD trading, making cost comparisons tricky. It advertises EUR/USD spreads of 1.0 pip and 0.8 pips, but neither figure is confirmed as an average or tied to a date range—so real trading costs may differ. Fineco’s index CFD spreads appear more competitive. Overall rating for Commissions and Fees: 3.5 stars (ranked #52/63).
ActivTrades lists target spreads and confirmed that its average EUR/USD spread was 0.98 pips in May 2024—slightly better than the industry average, though not among the very lowest. Pricing depends on the assets you trade and the platform, and spreads can widen during rollover. Spreads are the same across its Individual, Professional, and Islamic accounts, and there’s no special active-trader pricing. Overall rating for Commissions and Fees: 4 stars (ranked #29/63).
| Feature |
Fineco
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing the range of investments, both Fineco and ActivTrades support forex trading as CFDs or spot. Fineco stands out for sheer variety with 9,770 tradeable instruments and 54 forex pairs, while ActivTrades offers 1,267 instruments and 49 pairs. Fineco also lets you buy exchange-traded securities (not CFDs) on both U.S. and international exchanges, so you can purchase shares like Apple or Vodafone. ActivTrades provides exchange-traded securities on international markets but not U.S.-listed shares. Neither broker supports buying actual cryptocurrency, though ActivTrades does offer crypto derivatives. Copy trading is available at ActivTrades but not at Fineco.
For range of investments, Fineco is rated 4.5/5 and ranked 17th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades at 4/5 and 32nd. Choose Fineco if you want a larger selection and access to U.S. and international shares; consider ActivTrades if you value copy trading and crypto derivative exposure alongside a solid mix of markets.
| Feature |
Fineco
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 9770 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 54 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | No | 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.
Fineco vs ActivTrades: both online brokers offer proprietary trading platforms accessible on the web and via a Windows desktop download. ActivTrades also supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which Fineco does not. If you want a free virtual demo for paper trading, ActivTrades provides one; Fineco does not. For copy trading, ActivTrades has options, while Fineco does not. Neither broker connects to DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
On charting and tools, ActivTrades offers 15 drawing tools and the ability to place trades directly from charts; Fineco lists 7 drawing tools and no chart-trading. Indicator counts are not disclosed for either broker. Watchlists on ActivTrades include 11 columns, while Fineco’s watchlist fields aren’t specified. Both earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, yet Fineco ranks higher overall (#18 of 63) than ActivTrades (#32 of 63) in the ForexBrokers.com category.
| Feature |
Fineco
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | No | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 37 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 7 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | N/A | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Fineco and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts and multiple chart time frames for stocks and forex. Neither app syncs watchlist symbols with the online account. Each earns a 4-star Mobile Trading Apps rating, yet ForexBrokers.com ranks ActivTrades higher (#19 out of 63) than Fineco (#43 out of 63), signaling stronger overall appeal for on-the-go traders.
For charting and watchlist features, ActivTrades pulls ahead. It provides 30 technical studies, supports drawing trendlines, auto-saves chart drawings, and lets you build watchlists with real-time quotes. Fineco offers 6 technical studies, does not support trendline drawing or auto-saving of drawings, and does not provide real-time quotes in watchlists. In short, Fineco suits traders who want a straightforward mobile experience with alerts and basic charts, while ActivTrades is better for users who want deeper chart tools and live watchlist data.
| Feature |
Fineco
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 6 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
For market research, ActivTrades has an edge if you want in-house insights: it provides daily market commentary and a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long and short positions, while Fineco offers neither. Both brokers deliver forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, and each includes an economic calendar covering global events. Neither Fineco nor ActivTrades integrates Autochartist or Trading Central tools. Availability of TipRanks or Acuity Trading research for Fineco isn’t specified, while ActivTrades does not offer either provider.
In ratings, both brokers earn 4.0 stars for Research. However, ActivTrades holds a better placement in ForexBrokers.com’s rankings at #31 out of 63, compared with Fineco at #34. If you prioritize daily commentary and sentiment data, ActivTrades may suit you better; if your needs center on headline news and an economic calendar, both platforms are comparable.
| Feature |
Fineco
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing Fineco and ActivTrades for educational resources aimed at beginners, both online brokers offer unique advantages. Fineco provides a series of online educational webinars monthly and features a broad selection of beginner-focused trading videos. Additionally, Fineco includes an investor dictionary with definitions for over 50 investing terms, which can be a helpful resource for those new to trading. However, Fineco lacks a wide range of forex or CFDs-specific educational content and doesn't provide a searchable archive of recorded webinars, potentially limiting learning opportunities in these specific areas.
ActivTrades, on the other hand, excels in offering forex and CFDs education, with over 10 educational pieces such as articles and videos dedicated to these subjects. Like Fineco, ActivTrades conducts monthly educational webinars and has a comprehensive library of beginner videos. Furthermore, ActivTrades goes a step further with advanced trading videos and offers a searchable archive of past webinars, enhancing accessibility to learning materials. While ActivTrades lacks an investor dictionary, it still holds a commendable 4-star rating for education, comparable to Fineco's rating. Ultimately, ActivTrades ranks higher in the educational category, coming in at #38 compared to Fineco's #49 among 63 brokers. Both brokers have strengths, but ActivTrades presents a more extensive array of advanced educational content for beginners to explore as they evolve as traders.
| Feature |
Fineco
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Fineco is better than ActivTrades. Fineco finished with an overall rank of #25, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
FinecoBank is a trusted multi-asset broker offering forex and CFDs across its brands regulated in the U.K. and Italy. However, unless you visit a physical branch as a citizen of the EU – or you are a resident of Italy or the U.K. – you will not be permitted to open an online account with FinecoBank.
| Feature |
Fineco
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ActivTrades
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 81 |
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While Fineco does not provide options for purchasing actual delivered cryptocurrencies or cryptocurrency derivatives, ActivTrades stands out by offering the ability to trade in cryptocurrency derivatives, though neither platform allows buying actual cryptocurrencies.
When choosing between online brokers Fineco and ActivTrades, Fineco supports ACH and SEPA transfers as well as bank wires for depositing or withdrawing funds, while ActivTrades also supports bank wires but not ACH or SEPA transfers, instead offering Skrill and credit card options such as Visa and Mastercard, with both platforms not supporting PayPal transactions.
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 | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Fineco Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | ||
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 9770 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 54 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | No | 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 | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | No | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | No | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | N/A | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 37 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 7 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | No | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 6 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Fineco Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | Fineco | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Fineco Review | ActivTrades Review |
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