ForexBrokers.com is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently. Learn How We Make Money

Interactive Brokers vs ActivTrades 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs ActivTrades, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 8500
ActivTrades
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 81
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 1267

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.

Regulation

Interactive Brokers, founded in 1977, and ActivTrades, established in 2001, present distinct profiles in the online brokerage landscape. Interactive Brokers stands out as a publicly traded company, while ActivTrades remains privately held. Neither company operates as a bank. In terms of regulation, Interactive Brokers holds an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, indicating a high level of trust, compared to ActivTrades' two Tier-1 licenses. Both firms maintain additional Tier-2 licenses, signaling their commitment to maintaining trusted operations.

When considering trustworthiness as determined by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers achieves a near-perfect Trust Score rating of 99, placing it at the top of the list for reliability. On the other hand, ActivTrades earns a respectable Trust Score of 81, categorizing it as trusted. These scores emphasize Interactive Brokers' strong regulatory framework and its established reputation in the financial sector.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Year Founded info 1977 2001
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 2

Fees

When comparing the commissions and fees between Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades, Interactive Brokers stands out with a five-star rating, securing the #2 spot among 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Their forex trading structure is particularly competitive, with commissions per side starting at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the U.S. dollar trade value and an effective spread of 0.59 pips for the EUR/USD during Q3 2024. While there’s a minimum charge of $2 per side, discounts are available for active traders who meet specific trading volume thresholds. Interactive Brokers aggregates prices from 17 major interbank forex dealers and charges a commission per trade ranging from $16 to $40 per million round turn, ensuring competitive pricing without marking up spreads.

ActivTrades, on the other hand, receives a respectable four-star rating for commissions and fees, holding the #28 position out of 63 brokers. While their average EUR/USD spread for May 2024 was 0.98 pips, slightly better than the industry average, it doesn't quite meet the standards of the lowest-cost forex brokers. ActivTrades provides an Individual Account, along with Professional and Islamic Account options, but lacks a specialized account for high-volume traders and doesn't offer active trader discounts. Despite listing target spreads for each asset, traders may experience variability during trading sessions.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Minimum Deposit info $0 $0
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info 0.98 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.59 info N/A
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both provide options for forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts. However, when it comes to the sheer volume of tradeable symbols, Interactive Brokers stands out with a remarkable offering of 8,500, compared to ActivTrades’ 1,267. In forex pairs alone, Interactive Brokers offers 90, almost doubling the 49 pairs available through ActivTrades. Moreover, Interactive Brokers allows clients to directly purchase U.S. exchange-traded securities, like Apple shares, unlike ActivTrades, which does not offer direct access to the U.S. stock market but does provide international options such as Vodafone on the London Stock Exchange. Another key differentiator is cryptocurrency accessibility; Interactive Brokers enables users to buy actual cryptocurrencies, while ActivTrades confines its offerings to cryptocurrency derivatives.

When it comes to specialized trading services, Interactive Brokers does not provide options for copy trading, a feature which ActivTrades includes in its service lineup. Despite this, Interactive Brokers earns a top rating of 5 stars for its range of investments, while ActivTrades scores a commendable 4 stars. Reflecting these ratings, Interactive Brokers ranks as the number one broker out of 63 in the Range of Investments category, whereas ActivTrades holds the 31st position. This ranking underlines the broader investment options available through Interactive Brokers, appealing more to those who seek a wider scope of investment opportunities.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 1267
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 49
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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.

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both offer an impressive range of trading platforms and tools tailored to suit various trader needs. Both brokers provide access to simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, which is ideal for beginners looking to practice their strategies without financial risk. Each broker boasts a proprietary platform, alongside offering a Windows-based desktop download and a web-based trading platform. However, for traders interested in MetaTrader platforms, ActivTrades has the advantage, supporting both MT4 and MT5, while Interactive Brokers does not offer these options. ActivTrades also enables copy trading, which is absent from Interactive Brokers' offerings.

When it comes to additional trading features, Interactive Brokers shines with a remarkable 85 drawing tools available for charting and the capability to trade directly from a stock chart. ActivTrades, while offering similar chart trading functionality, provides a broader introduction to copy trading via MT4 and MT5 platforms. Moreover, Interactive Brokers surpasses ActivTrades in custom watch list options with 659 available fields compared to ActivTrades' 11. Such comprehensive tools contribute to Interactive Brokers earning a superior 5-star rating for trading platforms and tools, ranking 3rd out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, ActivTrades holds a respectable 4-star rating, positioned at 30th place.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 85 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 11

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android devices, allowing users to trade on the go. Both platforms provide stock and forex price alerts and allow users to draw trendlines and view multiple timeframes on their charts. These features are essential for traders looking to manage their portfolios and monitor market trends efficiently. However, a key difference lies in the synchronization of watchlist symbols: Interactive Brokers syncs watchlists across devices, while ActivTrades does not. Both brokers allow the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes, but ActivTrades' app stands out for automatically saving chart drawings, a feature that Interactive Brokers lacks.

When it comes to technical charting capabilities, Interactive Brokers offers a wider range of options with 97 technical studies compared to ActivTrades' 30. In terms of user satisfaction and expert reviews, Interactive Brokers has an impressive rating of 5 stars and ranks 4th among 63 brokers in the Mobile Trading Apps category by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, ActivTrades receives a 4-star rating and is positioned at 19th. These ratings reflect the overall user experience, app features, and the level of service provided, making Interactive Brokers a preferred choice for those seeking comprehensive mobile trading functionalities.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from renowned sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters. However, Interactive Brokers stands out by offering advanced research tools and capabilities that ActivTrades lacks. Notably, Interactive Brokers provides tools from Trading Central and market research from TipRanks, as well as Acuity Trading's Signal Centre, giving traders comprehensive insights and analysis. Both brokers share the feature of a sentiment-based trading tool and an economic calendar, offering traders valuable market insights, yet the breadth of tools available with Interactive Brokers goes a step further in assisting traders with their strategies.

When it comes to research ratings, Interactive Brokers shines with a 5-star rating and an impressive 3rd place ranking among 63 brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, ActivTrades holds a respectable 4-star rating but is positioned at 30th. This indicates that while both brokers provide essential market research tools, Interactive Brokers offers a more extensive suite of resources, making it a top choice for traders seeking deeper market insight and analytical support.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes No
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

When comparing the educational resources for beginners at Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades, both platforms provide substantial offerings. They each supply more than 10 educational materials, including articles, videos, and webinars focused on forex and CFDs. Additionally, both brokers host monthly online educational webinars and maintain an accessible archive of past webinars, making them a great choice for ongoing learning. They each offer over 10 beginner-focused videos, ensuring newcomers have plenty of material to start their trading journey. While both brokers excel in these areas, Interactive Brokers sets itself apart with an extensive investor dictionary containing over 50 financial term definitions, a feature not offered by ActivTrades.

In terms of advanced resources, both Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades meet the needs of more experienced traders with over 10 advanced educational videos. However, Interactive Brokers holds a distinct edge with a 5-star education rating compared to ActivTrades' 4 stars. This higher rating is further reflected in its ranking: Interactive Brokers is placed 3rd out of 63 brokers in the Education category by ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades ranks 38th. Overall, Interactive Brokers offers a slightly more comprehensive and highly rated educational experience for beginners looking to deepen their trading knowledge.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than ActivTrades. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.

Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 81
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or ActivTrades?

Interactive Brokers allows customers to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency and offers cryptocurrency derivatives, while ActivTrades only provides the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives and does not support buying actual delivered cryptocurrency.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Interactive Brokers supports ACH, SEPA transfers, and bank wires for account transactions, whereas ActivTrades offers Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but does not support ACH or SEPA transfers, and neither broker provides PayPal as a transaction option.




announcementPlease 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.

Select Brokers

×
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxActivTrades
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxACY Securities
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAdmirals
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlpari
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxATFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAvaTrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAxi
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBDSwiss
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBlackBull Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCharles Schwab
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCity Index
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCMC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxDooPrime
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxEarn
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeasyMarkets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxEightcap
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxExness
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFinecoBank
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFOREX.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFP Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXCM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXGT.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXOpen
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXPrimus
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFxPro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxGBE brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHFM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIFC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxiFOREX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIG
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIronFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIUX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLegacyFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLibertex (Forex Club)
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMarkets.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMarkets4you
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMoneta Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMultiBank
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxOANDA
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxOcta
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPepperstone
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPlus500
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxQuestrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxRoboForex
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSaxo
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSpreadex
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSwissquote
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxThinkMarkets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTickmill
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTMGM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTopFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrade Nation
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrading 212
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVantage
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVT Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXM Group
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXTB
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXtrade

Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 81
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review ActivTrades Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) info
Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) info
Research Gallery (click to expand) info
Education Gallery (click to expand) info
Regulation Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Trust Score info 99 81
Year Founded info 1977 2001
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 2
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info Yes No
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info Yes No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info No No
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) info Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info No No
Investments Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 1267
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 49
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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 Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info 0.98 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.59 info N/A
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
Inactivity Fee info No Yes
Execution: Agency Broker info Yes No
Execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Minimum Deposit info $0 $0
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
cTrader info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 11
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 85 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No Yes
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes No
TipRanks info Yes No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes No
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
GBP/USD info Yes Yes
USD/JPY info Yes Yes
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF info Yes Yes
USD/CAD info Yes Yes
NZD/USD info Yes Yes
AUD/USD info Yes Yes
Review Interactive Brokers Review ActivTrades Review
Overall Interactive Brokers ActivTrades
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 81
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review ActivTrades Review
arrow_upward

close