Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs IFC Markets, 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 ActivTrades and IFC Markets, it's important to consider their foundation and trust levels. ActivTrades, established in 2001, holds two Tier-1 licenses, highlighting its recognition in the financial world. In contrast, IFC Markets, founded in 2006, currently does not possess any Tier-1 licenses but does hold a Tier-2 license, showing a moderate level of trust. Neither company is listed on the stock exchange or operates as a bank, which may be considerations for investors looking for additional layers of regulatory assurances.
Evaluating their Trust Scores, as rated by ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades secures an 81 out of 99, placing it in the "trusted" category. This score suggests that users can have confidence in its services. On the other hand, IFC Markets scores a 73, indicating an average risk. This comparison provides a clearer picture for potential investors seeking assurance and stability in their online trading experiences.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, ActivTrades offers a slightly more competitive edge than usual industry rates, though it doesn’t reach the level of the most affordable forex brokers. The brokerage provides several account options, including an Individual Account, Professional Account, and Islamic Account, catering to a variety of trading needs. However, there's no specific account for high-volume traders nor any special pricing for active traders. Typical spreads are disclosed, but they can fluctuate during trading sessions and especially during rollover periods. For the EUR/USD currency pair, the average spread in May 2024 was 0.98 pips. ActivTrades has been rated 4 out of 5 stars and is ranked #28 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for commissions and fees.
IFC Markets, on the other hand, has an average EUR/USD spread of 1.44, which is higher than the industry average of 1.08, making it somewhat less competitive in comparison. However, its new ECN account offers improved spreads of 1.1 pips, though this includes a 0.005% commission on each side of a trade. Additionally, IFC Markets does not charge inactivity fees and offers active trader discounts, which could provide some cost savings for long-term users. Boasting the same 4-star rating as ActivTrades but ranked #39, IFC Markets shows that while there are financial benefits to their fee structure, they fall a bit behind in direct comparison.
Both brokers have their strengths and drawbacks when it comes to commissions and fees. ActivTrades may appeal more to traders looking for competitive standard spreads and a variety of account choices, while IFC Markets could be more attractive to active traders who benefit from lower effective spreads and no inactivity fees. Each has earned a 4-star rating for their fee structures, but ActivTrades ranks higher overall, suggesting a slight advantage in broader cost-effectiveness.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | 1.44 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.1 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing ActivTrades to IFC Markets, both platforms present traders with the opportunity to engage in forex trading, available as either CFDs or spot contracts, offering a competitive 49 forex pairs each. However, ActivTrades takes a lead in the broader investment landscape with a total of 1,267 tradeable symbols, nearly double the 630 symbols provided by IFC Markets. Neither broker offers the ability to purchase exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, but both allow investors to buy shares from international markets, such as Vodafone on the London Stock Exchange. Moreover, both platforms enable users to explore cryptocurrency trading through derivatives rather than direct purchases. Copy trading is also supported by both brokers, providing users with additional trading strategies.
ActivTrades is generally seen as the more versatile option with a 4-star rating for its range of investments, ranking 31st among 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, compared to IFC Markets' 3.5 stars and 43rd place ranking. Both brokers have strengths in their offerings, yet ActivTrades stands out for those seeking more diverse trading opportunities. These differences can make a significant impact on choosing the right broker based on a trader's specific needs and investment goals.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 630 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
ActivTrades and IFC Markets both provide comprehensive trading platforms suitable for traders of varied experience levels. Both brokers offer simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, allowing new and seasoned investors to refine their strategies without financial risk. They each provide proprietary platforms along with support for popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) software. Meanwhile, traders can access the market through both Windows-based desktop applications and web-based platforms, providing flexibility to trade from almost any device. While copy trading is available with both brokers, neither supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
When it comes to charting tools, ActivTrades and IFC Markets supply the same number of drawing tools, totaling 15. However, ActivTrades offers a slight edge with 11 columns for watch lists, compared to IFC Markets’ 7. Both brokers enable users to trade directly from stock charts, which adds convenience. As rated by ForexBrokers.com, both brokers score four out of five stars for their trading platforms and tools. Despite ActivTrades ranking slightly higher at 30th out of 63 brokers compared to IFC Markets at 36th, both offer compelling options for those focused on a versatile and powerful trading toolkit.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 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.
When exploring mobile trading apps, both ActivTrades and IFC Markets offer a range of features for traders on-the-go. Both platforms provide apps compatible with iPhone and Android, allowing users to access stock and forex alerts efficiently. Each app supports drawing trendlines and viewing charts across multiple time frames such as daily, weekly, or intraday, with all chart drawings being automatically saved. Additionally, both apps provide an impressive 30 technical studies for chart analysis and allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes.
Despite these similarities, a significant difference lies in watchlist symbol syncing: IFC Markets supports syncing changes between the mobile app and online account, while ActivTrades does not. Both apps receive a favorable mobile trading app rating of 4 out of 5 stars. However, ActivTrades ranks significantly higher in ForexBrokers.com’s list of 63 brokers, placing at #19 compared to IFC Markets’ #52. Traders prioritizing ranking and syncing capabilities may find these distinctions pivotal in making a choice.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| 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.
When considering market research support, both ActivTrades and IFC Markets offer daily market commentaries, providing traders with regular insights. However, ActivTrades pulls ahead in terms of forex news by sourcing information from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, whereas IFC Markets does not offer these external news features. Both platforms lack tools from Autochartist and Trading Central for technical and fundamental analysis, as well as research offerings from TipRanks and Acuity Trading. Notably, both ActivTrades and IFC Markets provide a sentiment-based trading tool to help traders gauge market trends through long or short positions, alongside an economic calendar to keep track of global economic events.
ActivTrades carries a slight edge in overall research offerings, earning a 4-star rating compared to IFC Markets’ 3.5 stars. This distinction is reflected in their research rankings by ForexBrokers.com, which places ActivTrades at #30 among 63 brokers, while IFC Markets ranks at #40. For traders prioritizing comprehensive market insights and external news resources, ActivTrades may offer a more well-rounded experience.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, ActivTrades and IFC Markets both equip aspiring traders with a wide range of learning materials. Both platforms offer more than 10 educational pieces focused on forex and CFDs, as well as a set of beginner and advanced educational videos to cater to all skill levels. However, ActivTrades stands out by offering regular online client webinars and a searchable archive of past sessions. These features allow traders flexibility in accessing live learning and revisiting previous lessons, a service that IFC Markets does not provide.
While IFC Markets compensates for the lack of webinars with a comprehensive investor dictionary featuring over 50 investing terms, ActivTrades only falls short in this area. Both brokers are recognized in the forex trading community, with ActivTrades rated 4 stars for education and ranked #38 by ForexBrokers.com, whereas IFC Markets is rated 3.5 stars but ranks higher at #30. This comparison highlights that while both platforms have plenty to offer, ActivTrades provides more interactive and accessible learning options for beginners keen to deepen their understanding of trading.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
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 IFC Markets. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45.
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
|
IFC Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 73 |
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Both ActivTrades and IFC Markets provide their users with the opportunity to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, although neither broker supports the purchase of actual, delivered cryptocurrencies.
When comparing online brokers, ActivTrades and IFC Markets both provide Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire options for account transactions, but neither offers ACH, SEPA, or PayPal transfers, while only ActivTrades supports Skrill.
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 | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | IFC Markets | |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | ActivTrades | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 630 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | 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). |
| Cost | ActivTrades | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | 1.44 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 1.1 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ActivTrades | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| 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 | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | IFC Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IFC Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
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