Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs iFOREX, 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 and iFOREX are both established online brokers, with ActivTrades debuting in 2001 and iFOREX in 1996. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank. When it comes to regulatory licenses, ActivTrades holds a stronger position with two Tier-1 licenses, reflecting a high degree of trust, and an additional Tier-2 license, which is also seen as trustworthy. Meanwhile, iFOREX holds one Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses, suggesting a somewhat less comprehensive regulatory framework in comparison to ActivTrades.
In terms of trustworthiness ratings by ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades earns a Trust Score of 81 out of 99, placing it in the "trusted" category. Conversely, iFOREX receives a Trust Score of 75, indicating an "average risk" in terms of credibility. These scores, combined with the number of regulatory licenses held, highlight ActivTrades as a more reliable choice for investors prioritizing security and regulatory oversight in their brokerage services.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 1996 |
| 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, ActivTrades offers pricing that is slightly better than the industry average, though not as sharp as the very lowest-cost forex brokers. It provides an Individual Account as the main option, plus Professional and Islamic accounts (and a demo). Spreads are the same across account types; the Professional designation mainly changes margin requirements, which affects leverage. There’s no dedicated high‑volume account or active‑trader pricing. Costs vary by asset and by platform, and target spreads can widen during rollover. ActivTrades reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024. Overall, it earns 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #29 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
iFOREX does not provide average spread data, making direct cost comparisons harder. It is rated 3 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #62 out of 63 at ForexBrokers.com. If transparent, generally lower spreads are your priority, ActivTrades tends to have the edge, while iFOREX may require checking live quotes to gauge actual costs. As always, your total trading expenses will depend on the instruments you trade and the platform you choose.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
For range of investments, ActivTrades offers 1,267 tradeable symbols compared with 750 at iFOREX. Both let you trade forex as CFDs or in spot form, though their pair counts differ: ActivTrades lists 49 currency pairs, while iFOREX features 88. In our ratings, ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks 32nd out of 63 brokers for Range of Investments, while iFOREX scores 3.5 stars and ranks 42nd.
Neither broker provides access to U.S.-listed shares as actual, exchange-traded securities (non-CFDs). However, ActivTrades does let you buy certain international stocks as real shares, whereas iFOREX does not. ActivTrades also supports copy trading, which iFOREX lacks. For crypto, both brokers offer cryptocurrency trading via CFDs but do not support purchasing actual, delivered coins.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 750 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 88 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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.
Comparing ActivTrades and iFOREX on trading platforms and tools, ActivTrades offers a wider setup for most traders. You get a free virtual demo account for practice, copy trading, and the choice of its in‑house platform or the popular MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 suites. ActivTrades is available on Windows desktop and the web, and you can place trades directly from charts. iFOREX also provides a proprietary web platform with trading from charts, but it does not offer a demo account, copy trading, desktop software, or MetaTrader support.
Both brokers earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, yet ActivTrades ranks #32 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while iFOREX ranks #55. If you want MetaTrader, a desktop app, or a risk‑free demo to learn the ropes, ActivTrades is the more complete choice. If you prefer a broker’s own web platform without extra features, iFOREX may suit your needs.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | No |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 57 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both ActivTrades and iFOREX offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. ActivTrades pulls ahead for everyday use because it supports stock and forex price alerts, while iFOREX does not. Watchlist syncing between the mobile app and the online account isn’t available with either broker.
For charting, the ActivTrades app includes 30 technical studies, lets you draw trendlines, and automatically saves your drawings. On iFOREX, trendline drawing and autosave aren’t available, and the number of built-in studies isn’t specified. Although both earned 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, ForexBrokers.com ranks ActivTrades higher (#19 of 63) than iFOREX (#56 of 63), pointing to a stronger overall mobile experience.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
ActivTrades and iFOREX both deliver daily market commentary and an economic calendar to help you track key events. ActivTrades goes further with forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, while iFOREX does not include those news feeds. Neither broker offers Autochartist, but iFOREX provides Trading Central tools whereas ActivTrades does not. Both brokers also include a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long and short positions.
ActivTrades does not offer TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools; for iFOREX, these integrations are not specified. In independent ratings, ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks 31st out of 63 brokers for Research on ForexBrokers.com, compared with iFOREX at 3.5 stars and 49th. Choose ActivTrades if you want premium news coverage alongside core tools, or iFOREX if access to Trading Central analysis is a priority.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing ActivTrades and iFOREX for beginner trading education: both brokers provide at least 10 beginner-focused videos on forex and CFD topics, giving new traders a clear starting point. ActivTrades adds live client webinars at least once a month and also offers 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up. iFOREX does not run monthly educational webinars and does not have a comparable advanced video library, so its learning path is more limited to basic videos.
These differences show up in independent ratings: ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars for Education and is ranked 38th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while iFOREX earns 3.5 stars and ranks 53rd. If you want ongoing webinars and deeper material as you progress, ActivTrades is the stronger pick; if you only need beginner videos, either broker can get you started.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | 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 iFOREX. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while iFOREX finished with an overall rank of #52.
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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iFOREX
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 81 | 75 |
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ActivTrades vs iFOREX: both brokers offer cryptocurrency trading through CFDs, but neither allows clients to buy or take delivery of actual cryptocurrencies.
In a head-to-head comparison of deposit and withdrawal methods, ActivTrades and iFOREX both do not offer ACH/SEPA; ActivTrades supports Skrill and bank wire transfers but not PayPal, while availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires for iFOREX—along with Visa/Mastercard for ActivTrades—is not specified.
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 | iFOREX | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 75 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 1996 | |
| 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 | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | 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) | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 750 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 88 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | No | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 57 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | iFOREX | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
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