Interactive Brokers vs ActivTrades 2025

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	ActivTrades
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

Interactive Brokers vs. ActivTrades on commissions and fees: Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63, while ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #29. For EUR/USD, Interactive Brokers doesn’t publish typical spreads, but Q3 2024 data shows an average spread of 0.19 pips, translating to about 0.59 pips all-in after commissions on a standard lot. By comparison, ActivTrades reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024. In plain terms, IBKR often prices out cheaper on forex if you trade standard sizes.

Interactive Brokers uses a commission-based model with agency execution, aggregating quotes from 17 major liquidity providers and avoiding spread markups. Commissions start at 0.00002 (0.2 bps) of the USD trade value per side with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), which equals roughly 0.40 pips in commission on a $100,000 EUR/USD trade. Pricing ranges from $16 to $40 per million round turn ($8–$20 per side), with volume discounts that can cut the minimum to $1.50 per order above $1 billion in monthly volume and $1 at $5 billion. Note: the $2-per-side minimum makes smaller-than-standard trades proportionally pricier, and IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro support forex but are not commission-free. RFQ is available for very large orders.

ActivTrades primarily competes on spread-based pricing. It lists target spreads by asset, though actual spreads can vary during the trading day (including wider spreads around rollover). The EUR/USD averaged 0.98 pips in May 2024. There’s one main account for retail traders (plus Professional and Islamic options), and spreads remain the same across account types. There’s no special active-trader pricing, and total costs depend on the asset and platform you choose.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$0
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.59 info	0.98 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.65 info	N/A
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Range of investments

Interactive Brokers vs ActivTrades for range of investments: Interactive Brokers offers 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, while ActivTrades lists 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both support forex trading as CFDs or spot. Interactive Brokers lets clients buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges (for example, Apple on NASDAQ and Vodafone in London), while ActivTrades offers exchange-traded securities on international exchanges but not U.S. markets. For crypto, Interactive Brokers provides both actual cryptocurrency and crypto CFDs; ActivTrades offers crypto CFDs but not actual coins.

Feature differences matter too. ActivTrades supports copy trading, while Interactive Brokers does not. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers for Range of Investments, whereas ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #32. In short, Interactive Brokers suits those seeking the widest market access, including U.S. shares and actual crypto, while ActivTrades appeals to traders who want copy trading and access to international shares.

Feature	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. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) 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 vs ActivTrades: both brokers deliver well-rounded trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free paper trading (demo) account, in-house proprietary platforms, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. You can place trades directly from charts with either broker, making analysis-to-execution smooth and quick.

The key differences come down to features and third-party platforms. ActivTrades supports copy trading and gives you access to MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Interactive Brokers does not. Despite that, Interactive Brokers earns a higher score for platforms and tools: 5 stars and ranked #3 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades at 4 stars and #32. Choose ActivTrades if you want copy trading and MetaTrader, or go with Interactive Brokers if you prefer a high-rated proprietary suite with strong chart trading on web and desktop.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	30
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes

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

Forex trading apps

Both Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, complete with price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Where they differ most is in charting depth and convenience features. Interactive Brokers provides 97 technical studies in its app, far more than ActivTrades’ 30, and it syncs watchlists with your online account so changes carry over automatically. ActivTrades does not sync watchlists, but it does auto-save chart drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not.

For overall quality, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades’ 4 stars and a #19 ranking. If you want richer charting and seamless watchlist syncing, Interactive Brokers stands out; if auto-saving chart annotations matters most, ActivTrades has the edge there.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	97	30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both cover the basics for market research. Each offers daily market commentary, an economic calendar of global events, and sentiment tools that show long-versus-short positioning. You’ll also find forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones at both brokers. Neither platform currently includes Autochartist.

Where they differ is in third-party research depth. Interactive Brokers adds Trading Central analytics plus research from TipRanks and Acuity Trading, while ActivTrades lacks these extras. Reflecting this spread, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars for Research (ranked #3 of 63 brokers) and ActivTrades 4 stars (ranked #31). If you want a wider mix of outside research and trading ideas, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you only need core news, commentary, and calendars, ActivTrades fits the bill.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	Yes
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	Yes	No
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	Yes	No
Acuity Trading info	Yes	No
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both make it easy for beginners to learn the basics. Each broker runs online client webinars at least once a month and offers a sizeable library of beginner videos (10 or more) to help you get started step by step. When you’re ready to progress, both also provide 10+ advanced videos. Their lessons span platform how‑tos and key trading topics, including forex and CFDs.

For overall education quality, Interactive Brokers takes the lead: it’s rated 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks #38. If you want the most comprehensive learning path, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick. If you’re looking for clear, practical guidance with regular webinars and beginner-friendly videos, ActivTrades still delivers solid value for new traders.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

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	ActivTrades
Overall Rating info
Trust Score info	99	81
Range of Investments
Commissions & Fees
Platforms & Tools
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

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What funding options does each broker offer?

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Overall Rating	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Overall Rating info
Commissions & Fees
Range of Investments
Platforms & Tools
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	81
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	ActivTrades Review

Broker Screenshots	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Broker 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
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

Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info		No
Israel (ISA Authorised) info	No	No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info	No	No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info	Yes	No
India (SEBI Authorised) info	Yes	No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info		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. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) 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 account info	0.59 info	0.98 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.65 info	N/A
Inactivity Fee info	No	Yes
Order execution: Agency info	Yes	No
Order 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
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No

Trading Platforms	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	Yes
cTrader info	No	No

Trading Tools	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	30
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 Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	97	30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Research	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	Yes
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	Yes	No
TipRanks info	Yes	No
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Education	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Major Forex Pairs	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info	Yes	Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	ActivTrades Review

Overall	Interactive Brokers	ActivTrades
Overall Rating info
Commissions & Fees
Range of Investments
Platforms & Tools
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	81
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	ActivTrades Review