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.
FOREX.com vs ActivTrades: FOREX.com was founded in 1999, while ActivTrades started in 2001. FOREX.com is publicly traded, ActivTrades is not, and neither broker is a bank. On ForexBrokers.com’s 0–99 Trust Score (90–99 highly trusted; 80–89 trusted; 70–79 average risk; 60–69 high risk; below 59 not trusted), FOREX.com scores 99 (highly trusted) and ActivTrades scores 80 (trusted).
Regulation matters in this comparison. FOREX.com holds seven Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and two Tier-2 licenses (trusted). ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license. The larger set of top-tier licenses helps explain FOREX.com’s higher Trust Score, while ActivTrades maintains a trusted standing.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When comparing commissions and fees, FOREX.com comes out slightly ahead of ActivTrades overall, especially for traders who want more pricing options. FOREX.com offers both standard spread-only pricing and commission-based RAW accounts, with lower spreads for active traders and volume rebates for very high monthly trading volumes. Its costs can still be a bit higher than the industry average in some cases, but the RAW account can be a good fit for traders who place frequent trades and want tighter spreads. FOREX.com is rated 4.5/5 stars and ranks #15 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
ActivTrades keeps things simpler with one main account type and no special pricing for high-volume traders. Its spreads are a little better than average, but not among the lowest in the market, and costs vary depending on the asset you trade. For EUR/USD, ActivTrades reported an average spread of 0.98 pips, which is higher than FOREX.com’s RAW account pricing and not as cheap as the best low-cost brokers. ActivTrades is rated 4/5 stars and ranks #22 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
In plain terms, FOREX.com is the better choice if you want more account choices and the chance for lower all-in trading costs, while ActivTrades may appeal more to traders who prefer a simpler account setup. If keeping fees as low as possible is your main goal, FOREX.com has the edge, particularly for active traders.
| 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.
When it comes to range of investments, FOREX.com offers a wider selection than ActivTrades. FOREX.com provides 5,500 tradeable symbols and 80 forex pairs, compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency. FOREX.com also stands out for offering exchange traded securities on U.S. exchanges as well as international exchanges, while ActivTrades offers exchange traded securities only on international markets.
ActivTrades does have a few features FOREX.com does not, including copy trading. Still, FOREX.com comes out ahead overall for investment choice, earning 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranking #6 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, versus ActivTrades’ 4 stars and #26 ranking. For traders who want the broadest menu of markets and assets, FOREX.com has the stronger selection.
| 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.
When it comes to trading platforms and tools, both FOREX.com and ActivTrades give traders plenty of ways to get started, including free demo accounts, web-based platforms, desktop downloads for Windows, and access to both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Each broker also offers a proprietary platform, and both let users trade directly from charts, which can make it easier to place orders while analyzing the market. In short, either choice gives you a wide range of platform options for active trading and chart-based decision-making.
The biggest difference is that ActivTrades offers copy trading, while FOREX.com does not. FOREX.com also stands out in third-party reviews, earning 5 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranking #5 out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades at 4 out of 5 stars and #27 out of 36. If platform quality and tool selection are top priorities, FOREX.com has the edge, while ActivTrades may appeal more to traders who want copy trading alongside the usual platform choices.
| 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 and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts for stocks or forex. Each app also lets users draw trendlines on charts and saves those drawings automatically, which makes it easier to track trading ideas on the go. For traders who want a smooth experience between devices, FOREX.com has an added advantage because its watchlists sync with the online account, while ActivTrades does not offer watchlist syncing in its mobile app.
When it comes to charting tools, FOREX.com stands out with 90 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with 30 at ActivTrades. That difference helps give FOREX.com an edge for traders who want more ways to analyze price action from a phone or tablet. This stronger mobile trading experience is reflected in ratings as well: FOREX.com earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks #21.
| 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.
FOREX.com and ActivTrades both give traders daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool showing long and short positions, and an economic calendar with current and upcoming global events. Neither broker includes research tools from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
The main difference is that FOREX.com adds Trading Central research tools, such as Technical Analytics, while ActivTrades does not. That edge shows in the ratings and rankings: FOREX.com scores 5 out of 5 for Research and ranks #7 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 and ranks #27, making FOREX.com the stronger choice for market research overall.
| 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.
For beginners looking to learn forex or CFD trading, both FOREX.com and ActivTrades offer a wide range of educational content, including at least 10 learning pieces focused on forex or CFDs, plus monthly educational webinars. Each broker also provides at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos, so new traders can start with the basics and grow their skills over time. If you want a broker with plenty of help for learning trading concepts, both platforms give you a solid starting point.
That said, FOREX.com stands out as the stronger choice for education overall. It earns a 5-star education rating and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers in the Education category on ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades holds a 4-star rating and ranks #30. In simple terms, both brokers support beginners well, but FOREX.com offers a more highly rated learning experience and a better overall education package.
| 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
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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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 | 80 | |
| 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 | 80 | |
| 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 | 2 | 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 CMA 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 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | ActivTrades Review |
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