Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FP Markets 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.
FP Markets (founded 2005) and ActivTrades (founded 2001) are online brokers that are privately held and not banks. Each holds two Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and one Tier-2 license (trusted), signaling a strong regulatory footprint for both.
Per ForexBrokers.com’s scale—90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted—FP Markets earns a 90/99 Trust Score (highly trusted), while ActivTrades scores 80/99 (trusted). In simple terms, both are well regulated, with FP Markets edging ahead on trust rating and ActivTrades offering a comparable, slightly lower-rated alternative.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2005 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
FP Markets comes out ahead of ActivTrades on commissions and fees, especially for traders who want low-cost forex trading. FP Markets earns 4.5 stars and ranks #11 out of 36 for Commissions and Fees at ForexBrokers.com. Its Raw ECN account is the standout option, with very tight spreads and a low all-in trading cost, while its cTrader setup also supports commission-based pricing. FP Markets is especially attractive for active traders who can use its low-cost MetaTrader, cTrader, or DMA-style share CFD pricing.
ActivTrades is still a solid choice, but its pricing is not quite as sharp as FP Markets. It earns 4 stars and ranks #23 out of 36 for Commissions and Fees. ActivTrades keeps things simple with one main account type, and its spreads are a little better than average overall, but they are not as low as the best bargain brokers. On EUR/USD, the average spread was about 0.98 pips, so it may suit casual traders more than high-volume users looking for the lowest possible cost.
In short, FP Markets is the better pick for traders focused on cutting costs, while ActivTrades offers fair pricing with fewer account choices. If low spreads and commission-based trading matter most, FP Markets has the edge. If you want a straightforward account setup and decent pricing without needing active trader discounts, ActivTrades may still fit the bill.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.9 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
FP Markets offers a wider range of investments than ActivTrades overall, making it the stronger choice for traders who want more market access. FP Markets lists 10,000 tradeable symbols and 71 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 copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency or U.S.-listed exchange-traded shares directly.
The biggest difference is that ActivTrades does offer exchange-traded securities on international exchanges, such as shares listed outside the U.S., while FP Markets does not. Even so, FP Markets scores higher for range of investments, with 4.5 out of 5 stars and a #17 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, versus ActivTrades’ 4 stars and #26 ranking. For investors focused on a broader selection of CFDs and forex markets, FP Markets has the edge.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10000 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| 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.
FP Markets and ActivTrades both give traders a wide choice of platforms and tools, making them similar in many key areas. Each broker offers a free demo account for practice, its own in-house platform, desktop software for Windows, web-based trading, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Both also let users trade directly from a chart, which can make it easier to act quickly when the market moves.
When it comes to overall ratings, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. FP Markets, however, edges ahead in the ForexBrokers.com rankings, placing #22 out of 36 brokers compared with ActivTrades at #28. Since neither broker has listed details here for technical indicators or watch list columns, the main takeaway is that both offer a very similar platform experience, with FP Markets holding a slight lead in the category overall.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FP Markets and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts to help traders track market moves on the go. Each app also lets users draw trendlines on charts, and any drawings are saved automatically. One key difference is charting depth: ActivTrades includes 30 technical studies in its mobile app, while FP Markets uses the default MetaTrader chart tools.
Neither broker offers watchlist syncing between the mobile app and online account, so watchlists do not carry over automatically across devices. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps category, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars, with FP Markets ranked #20 out of 36 and ActivTrades ranked #21 out of 36. Overall, the two apps are very similar, but ActivTrades has the edge for built-in chart indicators.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | MetaTrader (Default) | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FP Markets and ActivTrades both give traders the main market research tools most people look for. Each broker offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool showing long and short positions, and an economic calendar for tracking global events. Both are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for Research by ForexBrokers.com, so on the basics, they are closely matched.
The main difference is that FP Markets offers extra research support through Autochartist and Trading Central, while ActivTrades does not provide those tools. This gives FP Markets an edge for traders who want more chart-based signals and analysis. That advantage is reflected in the rankings too: FP Markets places #22 out of 36 brokers for Research, while ActivTrades ranks #28.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | 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 for trading help, both FP Markets and ActivTrades offer a solid range of educational tools. Each broker provides forex and CFD learning content, runs online client webinars at least once a month, and offers at least 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos. Both are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education, so each gives new traders useful ways to learn the basics and build skills over time.
That said, FP Markets has the edge in overall education quality and reach. ForexBrokers.com ranks FP Markets #21 out of 36 brokers for Education, while ActivTrades is ranked #32. If you want a broker with slightly stronger educational support for beginners, FP Markets comes out ahead, although ActivTrades still offers plenty of learning material for new traders.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
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 FP Markets is better than ActivTrades. FP Markets finished with an overall rank of #19, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
FP Markets shines as a low-cost broker for trading forex and CFDs – as long as you use the MetaTrader platform. The Iress platform suite offers well over 10,000 tradeable symbols, but it’s mostly a share trading platform – and is generally a much pricier option.
| Feature |
FP Markets
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 90 | 80 |
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FP Markets vs ActivTrades: both online brokers do not support buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but each offers trading in cryptocurrency CFDs.
Comparing FP Markets vs ActivTrades for deposits and withdrawals: neither supports ACH or SEPA transfers, both support Skrill and bank wire transfers, FP Markets supports PayPal while ActivTrades does not, and 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 | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 90 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FP Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 90 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2005 | 2001 | |
| 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 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | 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) | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10000 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.9 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | MetaTrader (Default) | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | FP Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | FP Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 90 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FP Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
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