Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FOREX.com 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.
When choosing a trading platform, understanding the level of trust and security a broker offers is crucial. FOREX.com, established in 1999, stands out with its impressive ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, indicating it's highly trusted. The company is publicly traded, which often adds a layer of transparency, and it holds 7 Tier-1 licenses, the highest number in the industry, showcasing its strong regulatory standing. Although it’s not a bank, the platform is considered a secure choice for online trading.
In contrast, ActivTrades, founded in 2001, has a Trust Score rating of 81, placing it in the trusted category. Although not publicly traded, ActivTrades holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, providing a solid regulatory framework, though not as extensive as FOREX.com. Like its counterpart, ActivTrades is not a bank, but it remains a viable option for traders looking for a platform with a trusted track record.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, FOREX.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars (ranked #15 of 63 for Commissions and Fees), while ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars (ranked #21 of 63). For typical, lower-volume trading, ActivTrades’ average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips (May 2024) is generally cheaper than FOREX.com’s U.S. Standard account, which averages 1.4 pips on EUR/USD (July 2023). However, FOREX.com becomes more competitive outside the U.S., where its time-weighted average EUR/USD spread was 0.74 pips (July 2023), and it can be compelling for high-volume traders via its RAW pricing.
At FOREX.com, the discontinued DMA account has been replaced by the commission-based RAW account, which posts typical EUR/USD spreads of 0.13 pips (Feb 2024) plus a $7 round-turn commission per standard lot (about 0.7 pips added to cost). The RAW account includes volume rebates from $2 to $9 per million and is available in the U.S., Canada, and the EU (including on MetaTrader 5). The bottom line for U.S. residents: unless you trade more than $50 million per month, the all-in cost of the Commission/RAW setup is similar to the Standard account—your main differences are execution style (including market‑maker execution on Standard) and platform choice. Extremely high-volume traders turning over more than $2 billion per month can achieve all-in costs that rival top low-cost brokers.
ActivTrades keeps pricing simple with one main Individual account (plus Professional and Islamic options), and no separate high‑volume or active‑trader pricing. Spreads are the same across account types, and actual costs can vary by asset and platform. In our data point for May 2024, the average EUR/USD spread was 0.98 pips. While that’s slightly better than the industry average, ActivTrades doesn’t offer commission-based tiers or rebates, so cost-conscious, high‑volume traders may find more savings with FOREX.com’s RAW structure.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 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.
Both FOREX.com and ActivTrades support forex trading via CFDs and spot-style contracts, but their overall range of investments differs. FOREX.com offers a far larger lineup with 5,500 tradeable symbols and 80 forex pairs, compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 symbols and 49 pairs. FOREX.com also lets clients buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while ActivTrades offers exchange-traded securities on international markets only (not U.S.-listed stocks). Both brokers provide cryptocurrency CFDs but do not support buying actual crypto. Copy trading is available at ActivTrades, but not at FOREX.com.
Reflecting this breadth, FOREX.com earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #25. Choose FOREX.com if you want more symbols and access to U.S. and international shares; pick ActivTrades if you value copy trading alongside international share access.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
Comparing trading platforms and tools, both FOREX.com and ActivTrades check the main boxes: each offers a free demo account for practice, an in-house proprietary platform, a Windows desktop platform, and a web-based platform. They also support MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and both let you place trades directly from charts—handy for quick execution while analyzing price action.
The key difference is copy trading: ActivTrades offers it, while FOREX.com does not. In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, FOREX.com earns 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers, while ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #26. If copy trading matters most, ActivTrades is the pick. If top-rated, feature-rich platforms and tools are your priority, FOREX.com stands out.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FOREX.com vs ActivTrades: both brokers offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android with price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-save for chart annotations. The big differences are watchlists and indicators. FOREX.com syncs watchlists between mobile and your online account, while ActivTrades does not. For charting, FOREX.com includes about 90 technical indicators compared with about 30 on ActivTrades, which can matter if you rely on technical analysis or switch between devices.
Independent reviews reflect this spread. ForexBrokers.com rates FOREX.com 5 stars and ranks it #2 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #21. If you want deeper chart tools and synced watchlists, FOREX.com is the better fit. If you mainly need alerts and essential drawing tools on iOS and Android, ActivTrades gets the job done.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing market research at FOREX.com and ActivTrades, both brokers deliver daily market commentary and real-time forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Each also provides a sentiment tool that shows long vs. short positioning, along with an economic calendar for tracking global events. The key difference is that FOREX.com includes Trading Central research, while ActivTrades does not.
These features help explain the scores: FOREX.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, whereas ActivTrades holds 4 stars and ranks #26. Neither broker offers Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading (Signal Centre). If you want those extras, you’ll need another provider; otherwise, both cover the essentials, with FOREX.com adding an edge through Trading Central.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Both FOREX.com and ActivTrades give beginner traders plenty of forex and CFD education. Each broker offers at least 10 learning pieces such as articles, videos, and archived webinars, and both run online client webinars at least once a month. Beginners can start with more than 10 intro videos that explain core topics, then move into at least 10 advanced videos when they’re ready to go deeper.
If education quality is your key filter, FOREX.com has the edge. It is rated 4.5 stars for Education and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades holds 4 stars and ranks #30. Both are solid for getting started, but FOREX.com is rated higher and may be the better pick if you want the widest path from beginner lessons to advanced topics.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
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 FOREX.com is better than ActivTrades. FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #4, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
FOREX.com is a trusted brand that delivers an excellent trading experience for forex and CFDs traders across the globe. It offers a wide range of markets and provides an impressive suite of proprietary platforms – alongside limited access to MetaTrader.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 |
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In the FOREX.com vs ActivTrades comparison, neither online broker offers the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both allow cryptocurrency trading via CFDs.
Compared to ActivTrades, FOREX.com stands out by supporting ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires, 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 | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $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 | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FOREX.com | 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 | 90 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | FOREX.com | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | ActivTrades Review |
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