Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM 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.
When comparing online brokers HFM and ActivTrades, both non-bank entities have been operating since 2010 and 2001 respectively. Neither is publicly traded, pointing to a focus on private ownership. From a regulatory standpoint, both brokers hold two Tier-1 licenses, indicating their operations are considered highly trusted. However, the number of Tier-2 licenses, which denotes a trusted status, differs, with HFM holding three compared to ActivTrades’ one.
In terms of overall trustworthiness, ForexBrokers.com provides a Trust Score to measure risk and reliability. HFM boasts a Trust Score of 86, placing it firmly within the "trusted" category. ActivTrades, while slightly lower, holds a Trust Score of 81, also falling under the "trusted" range. These ratings reflect the brokers' adherence to regulatory standards and their commitment to providing a reliable trading environment.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
HFM vs ActivTrades: commissions and fees. Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for pricing. In our rankings for the Commissions and Fees category (63 brokers), HFM is #32 while ActivTrades is #29. In general, HFM’s trading costs lean slightly above the industry average, whereas ActivTrades’ pricing is slightly better than average—though not among the very lowest-cost forex brokers. As always, spreads can widen during volatile periods and around rollover.
HFM pricing highlights: the company cites a typical spread of 1.2 pips on its Standard account, but no date range is provided, so the true average may be higher. Its Zero account advertises an effective 0.7-pip spread after commission, yet this figure is not an average either. These caveats make HFM’s real-world costs harder to benchmark, supporting its 4/5 star rating and #32/63 ranking for commissions and fees.
ActivTrades pricing highlights: the broker lists target spreads by asset, with real spreads varying by platform, instrument, and time of day. Verified data from the broker shows the EUR/USD averaged 0.98 pips in May 2024. Spreads are the same across its Individual, Professional, and Islamic accounts; there’s no dedicated high-volume plan and no active trader pricing. Given these results, ActivTrades earns 4/5 stars and ranks #29/63 for commissions and fees.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | 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.
HFM and ActivTrades both let you trade forex via CFDs and/or spot contracts, and each supports copy trading. ActivTrades offers a wider overall selection with 1,267 tradeable symbols, compared with HFM’s 500. If your focus is currency markets, HFM lists more forex pairs (102) than ActivTrades (49). Both brokers provide cryptocurrency exposure through derivatives, but neither lets you buy actual crypto.
When it comes to direct share dealing, neither broker offers U.S.-listed stocks, but ActivTrades does provide access to exchange-traded securities on certain international markets, whereas HFM does not. For Range of Investments, both earn 4 out of 5 stars; in category rankings, HFM is 37th of 63 brokers and ActivTrades is 32nd.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 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.
HFM and ActivTrades both check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo (paper) account, a proprietary platform alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), plus Windows desktop and web-based platforms. Copy trading is available at both brokers, and you can place trades directly from charts. Neither supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. The number of built-in technical indicators wasn’t specified for either broker.
For charting and list management, HFM provides 30 drawing tools compared to 15 at ActivTrades, while ActivTrades offers 11 watchlist columns versus 7 at HFM. Both earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, yet ForexBrokers.com ranks ActivTrades #32 out of 63 brokers and HFM #43, hinting at a slight overall edge for ActivTrades. If you value more watchlist fields and a higher category ranking, ActivTrades may suit you; if you prefer more chart drawing tools, HFM stands out.
| Feature |
HFM
|
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) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app includes stock and forex price alerts, real-time watchlists, 30 technical studies for charting, drawing tools such as trendlines, multiple time frames (from intraday to daily or weekly), and auto-saving for chart drawings. One limitation is shared: watchlist symbols do not sync between the mobile app and the online account.
Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for their mobile trading apps. Where they differ is in industry rankings from ForexBrokers.com: ActivTrades ranks 19th out of 63 brokers, while HFM ranks 40th. If you value similar features on iPhone and Android, either app will work; if third-party rankings factor into your decision, ActivTrades has the edge.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| 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.
HFM and ActivTrades both deliver daily market commentary, an economic calendar, and streaming forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. Each broker also includes a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long vs. short positions across instruments. The key difference is research add‑ons: HFM provides Autochartist for pattern recognition and trade idea screening, while ActivTrades does not. Neither broker offers Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools.
In our HFM vs. ActivTrades research comparison, both earn 4 out of 5 stars, but HFM ranks higher at #20 of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades at #31. If you want built-in scanning and technical idea generation via Autochartist, HFM has the edge. If those extras aren’t essential, ActivTrades still covers the basics with news, commentary, sentiment data, and an economic calendar.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing HFM and ActivTrades in terms of educational resources for beginners, both online brokers offer comprehensive materials to help newcomers understand the world of forex and CFDs trading. Each provides more than 10 educational pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars, specifically focused on forex and CFDs. They also host at least one webinar each month, and both have a searchable archive of past webinars, allowing users to learn at their own pace. Additionally, both platforms cater to beginner traders with at least 10 beginner educational videos, ensuring that novices have ample resources to grasp fundamental trading concepts.
While both HFM and ActivTrades excel in producing a wide range of beginner and advanced videos, HFM distinguishes itself by offering an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms, which ActivTrades does not. Both brokers are equally rated with four stars for their educational offerings. Despite their similarities, HFM slightly edges out ActivTrades in rankings, being placed at #37 compared to ActivTrades' #38 in the Education category according to ForexBrokers.com. Whether you opt for HFM or ActivTrades, you can expect a solid foundation in trading education to begin your investment journey.
| Feature |
HFM
|
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 HFM is better than ActivTrades. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
Alongside its enhanced MetaTrader offering and quality research, HFM (HF Markets), previously known as HotForex, offers a proprietary copy trading platform, HFcopy, a proprietary HF mobile app, and a decent selection of over 1,000 CFDs and 47 forex pairs. Still, trading costs at HFM are slightly above the industry average.
| Feature |
HFM
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 86 | 81 |
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Both HFM and ActivTrades do not provide the option to purchase actual cryptocurrencies for delivery but do offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
While both HFM and ActivTrades lack ACH, SEPA, and PayPal options for depositing or withdrawing funds, they both offer convenient alternatives like Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transfers, providing versatile funding methods for traders.
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 | HFM | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 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 | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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) | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 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 | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | HFM | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | 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 | HFM | 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 | HFM Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | HFM | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | ActivTrades Review |
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