Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs GBE brokers, 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.
ActivTrades, established in 2001, and GBE Brokers, founded in 2013, are both online brokers that provide trading services to clients globally. Although neither company is publicly traded nor operates as a bank, they differ significantly in their regulatory credentials, which influences their Trust Score ratings as determined by ForexBrokers.com. ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 licenses, which are highly trusted, and one Tier-2 license, which is considered trusted, resulting in a Trust Score rating of 81. This rating categorizes ActivTrades as a trusted broker.
Conversely, GBE Brokers has one Tier-1 license and does not hold any Tier-2 licenses. This regulatory standing results in a Trust Score rating of 71, placing GBE Brokers in the average risk category. These scores not only reflect the degree of regulatory oversight each broker is subjected to but also provide an insight into their safety and trustworthiness, helping traders make informed decisions based on their investment needs.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2013 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
For commissions and fees, both ActivTrades and GBE Brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s 2024 rankings, ActivTrades places #29 out of 63 brokers, while GBE Brokers ranks #38. ActivTrades’ spreads are slightly better than the industry average (though not among the very lowest), and GBE Brokers does not publish average spread data, making like-for-like cost comparisons less precise.
ActivTrades offers one main Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic options (and a demo account). Spreads are the same across account types; the Professional account mainly changes margin requirements, which can affect leverage, not pricing. There’s no special high-volume account and no active trader pricing. Costs vary by asset and platform, and spreads can move during the trading day—especially around rollover. For reference, ActivTrades reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024.
In practice, ActivTrades provides clearer published pricing and slightly tighter typical spreads, while GBE Brokers requires checking live quotes since average spread data isn’t available. Given their equal star ratings but different rankings (#29 vs. #38), ActivTrades has a modest edge on fees for many traders, though the best choice still depends on the assets and platforms you plan to trade.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1000 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
ActivTrades vs GBE brokers: both support forex trading via CFDs and/or spot contracts and both offer copy trading. ActivTrades lists 1,267 tradeable symbols compared with GBE brokers’ 500. That said, GBE brokers provides more forex pairs (71) than ActivTrades (49), which may appeal if your focus is currency trading.
Neither broker lets you buy U.S. exchange-traded shares directly, and neither sells actual cryptocurrency, though both offer cryptocurrency derivatives. A key difference is that ActivTrades offers access to some international exchange-traded securities, while GBE brokers does not. For Range of Investments, ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranked #32 out of 63 by ForexBrokers.com, whereas GBE brokers holds 3.5 stars and ranks #45.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 71 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| 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.
ActivTrades and GBE Brokers both offer free demo (paper) accounts, copy trading, and the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platforms. Each provides a Windows desktop download and a web-based platform, plus the ability to place trades directly from charts. ActivTrades also offers its own proprietary platform, while GBE Brokers relies on third-party platforms. For charting, both list 15 drawing tools; the exact number of technical indicators wasn’t specified. Watch lists differ: ActivTrades supports 11 columns, compared with 7 at GBE Brokers. Neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
Both brokers earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools from ForexBrokers.com. In the category ranking out of 63 brokers, ActivTrades is placed at #32 and GBE Brokers at #58. If you want a proprietary platform in addition to MT4 and MT5 and more watch list fields, ActivTrades has the edge. If your needs are covered by MT4/MT5, copy trading, and a free demo account, both are suitable options.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ActivTrades and GBE brokers both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports forex and stock price alerts, real-time watchlists, 30 technical studies for charting, trendline drawing, multiple time frames (intraday to weekly), and auto-saving of chart annotations. One drawback is shared: neither app syncs watchlist symbols between the mobile app and the client’s online account.
Both apps earn 4-star ratings for mobile trading. That said, ForexBrokers.com ranks ActivTrades higher at #19 out of 63 brokers, while GBE brokers sits at #58. If mobile app capability is your main filter, both are solid choices, but ActivTrades holds the edge in industry rankings.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 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.
Comparing ActivTrades vs GBE Brokers for market research, both provide daily market commentary, sentiment tools that show long/short ratios, and an economic calendar. The key difference is news coverage: ActivTrades offers forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, while GBE Brokers does not. Neither broker includes tools from Autochartist or Trading Central. ActivTrades does not offer TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools, and availability of these for GBE Brokers isn’t specified.
For Research, ActivTrades is rated 4/5 stars and ranks 31st out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, whereas GBE Brokers scores 3/5 stars and ranks 63rd out of 63. If you want top-tier news alongside core tools like commentary, sentiment, and an economic calendar, ActivTrades has the edge; for basic coverage, GBE Brokers delivers the essentials.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners who want strong learning support, ActivTrades clearly offers more than GBE Brokers. ActivTrades provides a full forex and CFD education library with at least 10 pieces, runs monthly client webinars, and maintains a searchable archive of recorded sessions. It also features 10+ beginner videos and 10+ advanced videos to help you progress. By comparison, GBE Brokers does not meet these benchmarks: it lacks a 10+ piece forex/CFD library, does not host monthly webinars, has no searchable webinar archive, and does not offer 10+ beginner or advanced videos. Neither broker supplies an investor dictionary with 50+ terms.
These gaps show up in the ratings and rankings. ActivTrades earns 4 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #38 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. GBE Brokers scores 3 out of 5 stars and is ranked #64. If you’re a new trader who values webinars, videos, and on-demand content, ActivTrades is the more complete choice.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ActivTrades is better than GBE brokers. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while GBE brokers finished with an overall rank of #57.
ActivTrades is a long-standing brand that offers a proprietary trading platform, ActivTrader, and support for the award-winning TradingView and MetaTrader (MT4 and MT5) platforms. ActivTrades also delivers a selection of custom add-ons, indicators, and trading tools for traders who prefer to use MetaTrader. Drawbacks for trading with ActivTrades include a smaller selection of tradeable symbols and fewer educational resources than what’s available from the best forex brokers.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
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GBE brokers
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 |
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Both ActivTrades and GBE Brokers do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do provide options for purchasing cryptocurrency derivatives.
In comparing the online brokers ActivTrades and GBE brokers, it's notable that while both offer deposit and withdrawal options such as Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, GBE brokers further distinguishes itself by also providing ACH, SEPA, and PayPal options, which ActivTrades does not offer.
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 | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2013 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | ||
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1000 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 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 | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
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