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 is the stronger choice for low trading costs, especially for traders who want commission-based pricing. Its Raw ECN account has very tight spreads, with EUR/USD averaging 0.1 pips before commission and about 0.8 pips all-in, while its cTrader Raw account charges a flat $6 per round-turn standard lot for forex. FP Markets also offers competitive DMA pricing on its Iress share CFD platform, though some Iress account types come with higher minimum deposits and extra platform or data fees. FP Markets is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #11 out of 36 brokers.
ActivTrades keeps its pricing fairly simple with one main Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic account options, but it does not offer special pricing for active or high-volume traders. Its spreads are a bit better than the industry average, yet not as low as the cheapest forex brokers. For example, EUR/USD averaged 0.98 pips in May 2024, and costs can still vary by asset and market conditions. ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #22 out of 36 brokers.
Overall, FP Markets is the better pick if your main goal is lower commissions and tighter spreads, especially for forex and active trading. ActivTrades is still a solid option, but its fee structure is more standard and less focused on cutting costs for frequent traders.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 AUD | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | 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 strong set of platform choices, so the main differences come down to how each broker is organized rather than basic access. Each one offers a free demo account for practice, its own in-house platform, Windows desktop and web trading, copy trading, and support for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both also let users place trades directly from a chart, which is helpful for faster order entry and easier trade management.
In Trading Platforms and Tools ratings, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars, but FP Markets places higher in ForexBrokers.com’s ranking at #22 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at #27. That said, the two are closely matched for everyday platform use, and either broker should suit traders looking for flexible access across desktop, browser, and popular MetaTrader options.
| 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 useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool that shows whether traders are mostly long or short, and an economic calendar for tracking upcoming events. Both brokers are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for research, which suggests a solid overall offering for everyday market tracking and planning.
The main difference is in the extra research tools. FP Markets includes Autochartist and Trading Central, two well-known services for technical and fundamental analysis, while ActivTrades does not offer either. This gives FP Markets an edge in research depth, and it may help explain why ForexBrokers.com ranks FP Markets higher for research at #22 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at #27.
| 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 lessons, both FP Markets and ActivTrades offer a solid range of learning tools. Each broker provides forex and CFDs education with at least 10 pieces of content, plus monthly client webinars, beginner-friendly videos, and advanced videos for more experienced traders. In other words, both platforms give new traders plenty of ways to learn the basics and continue building skills over time.
Where they differ is in overall education ranking. FP Markets earns 4 out of 5 stars for Education and is ranked #22 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades also scores 4 out of 5 stars but sits lower at #30 out of 36. For a beginner comparing the two, the educational offer is quite similar, but FP Markets has the edge in ranking and may be the slightly stronger choice for structured learning support.
| 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
|
|---|---|---|
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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) - Standard account | 1.3 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 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 | $100 AUD | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | 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 Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| 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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