Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM 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.
FXCM, established in 1999, and ActivTrades, founded in 2001, are both prominent online brokers. A noteworthy distinction lies in their market presence and trustworthiness. FXCM is publicly traded, enhancing transparency and investor confidence, while ActivTrades remains privately owned. Neither firm operates as a bank. When evaluating trust indicators, FXCM takes the lead with an impressive Trust Score of 95 out of 99, categorizing it as highly trusted according to ForexBrokers.com. This score is supported by FXCM's possession of four Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, marking it as a highly compliant brokerage.
In comparison, ActivTrades holds a Trust Score of 81, which still considers it a trusted entity. It carries two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, indicating a strong adherence to regulatory standards, albeit at a slightly lower level than FXCM. Overall, both brokers demonstrate considerable reliability, but FXCM edges ahead with its broader regulatory footprint and higher trust rating. Potential traders may find these distinctions beneficial when deciding between the two for their trading activities.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
FXCM and ActivTrades both earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, but they take different paths to pricing. FXCM is ranked #25 of 63 brokers for this category, while ActivTrades is ranked #29 of 63. FXCM’s overall pricing is slightly higher than the industry average, yet it offers multiple ways to pay less if you trade more. ActivTrades is slightly better than the industry average on spreads, but it does not offer special rates for high-volume traders.
For FXCM, average EUR/USD spreads in May 2024 were 0.78 pips for its EU, U.K., and Australia entities, and 1.38 pips for its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. Its commission-based account posted a 0.28-pip core spread, with an effective cost near 0.74 pips once commissions are counted. FXCM also runs an Active Trader Rebate Program (not available in the U.K. or EU) that pays $5–$25 per million traded for clients doing at least $10 million in monthly volume. In the U.K., high-volume traders can still qualify for lower commissions (for example, $2.50 per side with a $25,000 balance and $50 million in monthly volume). As with most forex brokers, spreads can widen during rollover or in fast markets.
ActivTrades keeps things simple with one main account (Individual), plus Professional and Islamic options; spreads are the same across account types and there’s no active-trader pricing. The broker reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024. Costs depend on the assets and platform you use, and spreads can widen during rollover. In a head-to-head on EUR/USD, FXCM’s EU/U.K./Australia standard spread of 0.78 pips and its commission-based effective cost around 0.74 pips can be cheaper than ActivTrades’ 0.98 pips—though FXCM’s SVG entity is pricier.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.9 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
FXCM and ActivTrades both let you trade forex either as CFDs or spot contracts. ActivTrades offers a wider selection overall, with 1,267 tradeable symbols and 49 currency pairs, compared with FXCM’s 440 symbols and 46 pairs. Neither broker provides access to U.S.-listed shares as actual exchange-traded securities, but ActivTrades does let you buy international shares on certain exchanges, while FXCM does not.
Both brokers support copy trading. You can’t buy actual cryptocurrency with either, but both offer crypto derivatives for speculation. For range of investments, FXCM is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #48 of 63 at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #32. In short, ActivTrades delivers a broader catalog and adds international exchange-traded shares, whereas FXCM covers the essentials with fewer markets.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
FXCM and ActivTrades both offer free demo accounts, proprietary platforms, Windows desktop and web-based platforms, and copy trading. Each supports MetaTrader 4. ActivTrades also supports MetaTrader 5, while FXCM does not. For social trading, FXCM connects with ZuluTrade and ActivTrades does not; neither offers DupliTrade. Both let you place trades directly from charts. Indicator counts were not provided, but charting tools include 10 drawing tools at FXCM and 15 at ActivTrades, and watchlists offer 13 fields at FXCM versus 11 at ActivTrades.
According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM scores 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, while ActivTrades scores 4 stars and ranks #32. Choose ActivTrades if you want MT5 and more drawing tools; pick FXCM if you prefer ZuluTrade, a slightly richer watchlist, and higher third-party ratings in this category.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FXCM and ActivTrades both offer iPhone and Android apps for mobile trading, ensuring accessibility across major platforms. Both facilitate stock and forex trading with features such as price alerts and real-time quotes. FXCM, however, takes a lead with watchlist symbol syncing, allowing seamless updates across mobile and online accounts—a feature not available with ActivTrades. When it comes to technical charting, FXCM provides 59 technical studies compared to ActivTrades' 30, offering traders a wider array of analytical tools directly on the mobile app.
Both apps allow users to draw trendlines and view charts in multiple time frames, ensuring a comprehensive view of the market. Drawings on charts are automatically saved in both apps, providing convenience for ongoing analysis. In terms of user ratings, FXCM edges out with a 4.5-star rating, while ActivTrades holds a slightly lower 4-star rating. According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM ranks #16 out of 63 for mobile trading apps, ahead of ActivTrades, which ranks at #19. This reflects FXCM's slightly higher overall user satisfaction in the mobile trading category.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FXCM and ActivTrades both cover the essentials for market research: daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, sentiment tools that display long/short ratios, and an economic calendar to track upcoming events.
FXCM pulls ahead with added research from Trading Central and TipRanks, while ActivTrades lacks these extras. Neither broker offers Autochartist or tools from Acuity Trading. These differences show up in the scores: FXCM earns 4.5/5 stars for research and ranks #11 of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, whereas ActivTrades earns 4/5 stars and ranks #31. Choose FXCM if you want more third-party research built in; pick ActivTrades if core news, commentary, and sentiment tools are enough.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to education for beginner traders, both FXCM and ActivTrades offer a wealth of resources to help you navigate the world of forex and CFDs. Each broker provides more than ten educational pieces, including articles, videos, and webinars, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience. You'll find regular online webinars from both brokers, at least one per month, and they both maintain a searchable archive of previous webinars, allowing you to catch up on sessions you might have missed. This makes it easy to find material that suits your pace and interests.
FXCM and ActivTrades each offer at least ten beginner-focused videos, as well as ten more advanced videos for the seasoned trader. While both platforms are rich in educational content, FXCM edges ActivTrades out slightly with their investor dictionary, covering over 50 investing terms, a feature not found with ActivTrades. This added resource contributes to FXCM's higher educational rating of 4.5 stars compared to ActivTrades’ 4 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM is ranked #14 among 63 brokers for education, while ActivTrades sits at #38. These distinctions highlight FXCM's slightly stronger reputation for educational offerings, particularly for those new to trading.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that FXCM is better than ActivTrades. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #15, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading. Its range of tradeable markets is fairly narrow, however, and the pricing at FXCM is just average.
| Feature |
FXCM
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 81 |
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Both FXCM and ActivTrades allow traders to buy cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither provides the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency.
FXCM stands out by providing ACH, SEPA, and PayPal options for deposits and withdrawals, unlike ActivTrades, which lacks these options, though both brokers offer Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire services for their users.
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 | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 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 | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.9 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | FXCM Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | FXCM | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | ActivTrades Review |
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