Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IC 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.
Established in 2007, IC Markets is a noteworthy online broker with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 84, placing it in the trusted category. It operates privately and is not a bank. IC Markets is backed by two Tier-1 licenses, signaling its strong regulatory standing in the financial landscape.
ActivTrades, founded in 2001, joins IC Markets as a trusted broker, boasting a Trust Score of 81. Like IC Markets, ActivTrades is a private company and not a banking institution. It holds two Tier-1 licenses as well as an additional Tier-2 license, which enhances its credibility and compliance in the market.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, IC Markets generally comes in cheaper than ActivTrades for forex trading. IC Markets earned Best in Class honors for Commissions & Fees in the 2024 Annual Awards, holds a 5/5 star rating, and ranks #5 of 63 brokers. ActivTrades earns 4/5 stars and ranks #21 of 63; its spreads are a bit better than the industry average but not at the level of the lowest-cost providers.
IC Markets offers three account types: Standard (spread-only), Raw Spread (MT4/MT5), and cTrader Raw. Pricing varies by platform, account, and the entity you open with (Cyprus, Australia, or Seychelles). On cTrader, the commission is $3.00 per side per 100,000 units ($6.00 round turn), while MT4/MT5 Raw Spread is $3.50 per side ($7.00 round turn). IC Markets lists an average EUR/USD spread of 0.02 pips (Aug 2022); after adding commission, the all-in cost is about 0.62 pips on cTrader or 0.72 pips on MT4/MT5. The Standard account averages about 0.62 pips with no commission. IC Markets also offers discounts for high-volume traders (100+ standard lots per month) and has a low deposit requirement for its commission-based accounts.
ActivTrades uses one main “Individual” account, plus Professional and Islamic options; spreads are the same across account types, and there’s no special pricing for high-volume traders. Actual costs depend on the instruments and platform you choose. For reference, ActivTrades reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024. As with most brokers, spreads can vary during the trading day and may widen around rollover.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.62 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | 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.
IC Markets offers a wider range of investments than ActivTrades, with 3,583 tradable symbols compared with 1,267. Both support forex trading (CFD or spot), with IC Markets listing 61 currency pairs and ActivTrades 49. In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments ratings, IC Markets scores 4.5/5 and ranks #22 out of 63 brokers, while ActivTrades scores 4/5 and ranks #25.
Outside of forex, both brokers provide cryptocurrency trading via CFDs but do not offer direct, delivered crypto. Neither broker supports U.S.-listed shares as exchange-traded securities (not CFDs), yet both give access to international exchange-traded shares. Copy trading is available with both IC Markets and ActivTrades.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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.
IC Markets and ActivTrades both cover the essentials for trading platforms and tools: free demo (paper) accounts, Windows desktop downloads, web-based platforms, MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), copy trading, and the ability to place orders directly from charts. On these platforms you can work with standard watch lists and a range of technical indicators to guide your analysis.
The key difference is platform choice. ActivTrades also offers its own proprietary platform, while IC Markets focuses on third-party options like MetaTrader. According to ForexBrokers.com, both earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools; IC Markets ranks 17th out of 63 brokers, and ActivTrades ranks 26th. If you want a broker with an in-house platform alongside MetaTrader, ActivTrades fits the bill; if you prefer a MetaTrader-centered setup, IC Markets is a solid pick. In either case, you can test drive everything with a free demo account.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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.
IC Markets and ActivTrades both offer fully featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. You’ll get price alerts on each platform. One notable limitation: neither broker syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, so lists you create on your phone won’t automatically appear elsewhere.
For charting, the two apps are evenly matched: each provides 30 technical indicators, supports drawing trendlines, and auto-saves your chart drawings. Both received 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, with ActivTrades ranked #21 and IC Markets ranked #22 out of 63 brokers. With such similar mobile tools, the slight ranking edge goes to ActivTrades, but your final choice may come down to interface preference or other account features.
| Feature |
IC 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 | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
IC Markets and ActivTrades both cover the essentials for market research. Each broker provides daily market commentary, top-tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking key events. Neither broker includes research from TipRanks or tools from Acuity Trading.
The biggest difference is in advanced analysis tools: IC Markets offers Autochartist and Trading Central, while ActivTrades does not. Both earn 4 out of 5 stars for Research from ForexBrokers.com, with IC Markets ranked 21st out of 63 brokers and ActivTrades ranked 26th. If you want more built-in technical and fundamental tools, IC Markets has the edge; if you mainly need news, commentary, sentiment, and a calendar, both brokers are comparable.
| Feature |
IC 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.
IC Markets and ActivTrades both deliver beginner-friendly forex and CFD education. Each broker offers a library that meets the 10-piece minimum, plus monthly live webinars to help new traders learn in real time. For self-paced learning, both platforms include 10+ beginner videos that explain core topics, along with 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up.
When it comes to quality scores, both brokers earn 4 stars for Education from ForexBrokers.com. However, IC Markets holds a higher Education ranking (#16 of 63) compared with ActivTrades (#30 of 63). If you want slightly stronger overall standing without sacrificing beginner support, IC Markets has the edge; if you’re comparing purely on access to webinars and video lessons, both are solid choices for new traders.
| Feature |
IC 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 IC Markets is better than ActivTrades. IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
IC Markets’ competitive pricing and scalable execution make it an excellent option for algorithmic traders. Though it supports an impressive range of third-party tools and plugins, IC Markets’ research and education offerings are not as impressive as those offered by industry leaders.
| Feature |
IC Markets
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 81 |
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IC Markets vs ActivTrades: neither broker offers buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both provide cryptocurrency CFDs for trading price movements.
Comparing deposit and withdrawal options, IC Markets and ActivTrades both support Skrill and bank wire transfers and do not offer ACH or SEPA transfers, but only IC Markets supports PayPal, while 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 | IC Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IC Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | IC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 84 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 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 | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IC 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) | IC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | IC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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 | IC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.62 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $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 | IC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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 | IC 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 | IC 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 | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IC 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 | IC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IC 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 | IC Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | IC Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
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