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 lower trading costs on MetaTrader, cTrader, or the broker’s commission-based Raw ECN account. FP Markets’ Raw ECN pricing is especially competitive, with average EUR/USD spreads of 0.1 pips in October 2023, or about 0.8 pips all-in after commission. Its Standard account is more expensive, with wider spreads, and some of its Australia-based Iress account options can add platform and data fees unless you meet higher deposit or trading requirements. FP Markets is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.
ActivTrades also offers fair pricing, but it is not as low-cost as FP Markets overall. Its spreads are slightly better than the industry average, and the broker reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024. However, ActivTrades has a simpler account setup with no special pricing for active traders or high-volume traders, and costs vary based on the market you trade and the platform you use. ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #21 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees.
In short, FP Markets is the stronger pick for traders focused on cutting fees, while ActivTrades may suit those who want a straightforward account structure with pricing that is still reasonably competitive.
| 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, with 10,000 tradeable symbols compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267. FP Markets also provides more forex pairs, with 71 available versus 49 at ActivTrades. Both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both support copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency.
There is one key difference in shares: ActivTrades offers exchange traded securities on international exchanges, while FP Markets does not offer exchange traded securities on either U.S. or international markets. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments review, FP Markets is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #17 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #25. Overall, FP Markets has the broader choice of markets, while ActivTrades may appeal to traders who want access to international listed shares.
| 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 set of platform choices, making either broker a good fit for people who want flexibility. Each one offers a free demo account for paper trading, plus access to MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, a web-based platform, a Windows desktop download, and a proprietary in-house platform. Both also support copy trading and let users place trades directly from a price chart, which can make active trading easier for beginners and experienced traders alike.
When it comes to overall trading platforms and tools, both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars, but FP Markets holds a stronger ForexBrokers.com ranking at #22 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades ranks #26. That suggests FP Markets has a slight edge in this category, even though the two brokers are closely matched in the core platform features most traders look for.
| 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, making them fairly even overall in this area. Each broker offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, a sentiment tool showing long and short positions, and an economic calendar with global news events. Both are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for Research, which points to a solid level of support for traders who want to stay informed.
The main difference is in extra research features. FP Markets has more built-in analysis help, since it includes tools from Autochartist and Trading Central, while ActivTrades does not offer those. This gives FP Markets an edge for traders who want more chart analysis and trading ideas. That said, ActivTrades still provides a good research setup and holds a slightly lower ranking in the category, placing #26 out of 36 brokers versus FP Markets at #22 out of 36.
| 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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|---|---|---|
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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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