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ActivTrades vs IronFX 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

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

ActivTrades
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 81
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 1267
IronFX
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $50
  • Trust Score: 83
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 340

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

When comparing online brokers ActivTrades and IronFX, their regulatory status is a key factor. ActivTrades, founded in 2001, holds two Tier-1 licenses, making it highly trusted in the industry. It also has one Tier-2 license, which adds another layer of reliability. Despite not being publicly traded or a bank, ActivTrades earns a trust score of 81 from ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the "trusted" category.

IronFX, established in 2010, holds three Tier-1 licenses, underscoring its trusted status. Although it lacks Tier-2 licenses, its trust score of 83 still classifies it as trusted by ForexBrokers.com. Like ActivTrades, IronFX is neither publicly traded nor a bank. This information can guide investors in gauging the credibility and reliability of these brokers in the competitive online trading landscape.

Feature ActivTrades logoActivTrades
IronFX logoIronFX
Year Founded info 2001 2010
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 2 3
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 2 1

Fees

Comparing commissions and fees, ActivTrades generally comes out leaner on costs than IronFX. ActivTrades’ spreads are a bit better than the industry average, while IronFX’s pricing tends to run higher than average. Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, but ActivTrades ranks 29th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, versus IronFX at 47th out of 63.

At ActivTrades, the Individual Account is the main option, alongside Professional and Islamic accounts. Spreads are the same across account types, and there’s no special pricing for high-volume traders. Actual costs depend on the asset and platform you use, and spreads can widen during rollover. For reference, ActivTrades reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024.

IronFX lists a typical 1.8-pip spread for its Standard variable spread account (no date range provided), and pricing varies by account. Its zero fixed-spread account can start at 0.0 pips but carries a $18 per-lot commission, with spreads widened to 3 pips overnight. In short, ActivTrades looks sharper on headline spreads for pairs like EUR/USD, while IronFX offers a zero-spread structure that swaps tighter quotes for a per-lot commission and potential overnight widening.

Feature ActivTrades logoActivTrades
IronFX logoIronFX
Minimum Deposit info $0 $50
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.98 info 1.2
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info N/A N/A
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info No Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info No No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

Comparing ActivTrades and IronFX for range of investments: both brokers support forex trading (CFD/spot) and offer copy trading. ActivTrades lists 1,267 tradeable instruments versus IronFX’s 340, and earns 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked 32 out of 63). IronFX scores 3.5 stars (ranked 52 out of 63). For forex pairs, IronFX offers more—83 compared with ActivTrades’ 49—so currency specialists may prefer IronFX.

Beyond forex, neither broker lets you buy actual cryptocurrencies or U.S.-listed shares directly. Both allow crypto via derivatives, but only ActivTrades provides access to exchange-traded international shares (not CFDs), which broadens its non-forex lineup. In short, choose ActivTrades for a larger overall menu and international share dealing, or pick IronFX if your priority is a deeper list of currency pairs.

Feature ActivTrades logoActivTrades
IronFX logoIronFX
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 1267 340
Forex Pairs (Total) info 49 83
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No 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

ActivTrades and IronFX both offer free demo (paper) accounts, plus web and Windows desktop platforms with copy trading options. Each supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while only ActivTrades adds MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and an in-house proprietary platform; IronFX does not offer a proprietary platform. Neither broker integrates DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. If you value having more platform choices under one roof, ActivTrades has the edge.

On the tools front, both brokers let you trade directly from charts and include 15 drawing tools, though the exact counts of built-in technical indicators aren’t specified. Watch lists are more detailed at ActivTrades (11 columns) than at IronFX (7 columns). Reflecting these differences, ForexBrokers.com rates ActivTrades 4 stars and ranks it 32nd out of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, while IronFX earns 3.5 stars and ranks 62nd. For most traders comparing platform variety and practical tools, ActivTrades is the stronger pick.

Feature ActivTrades logoActivTrades
IronFX logoIronFX
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 30 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 15 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 11 7

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

Forex trading apps

ActivTrades and IronFX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app includes stock and forex price alerts, real-time quote watchlists, 30 technical studies for charting, trendline drawing, multiple time frames, and auto-saving of chart drawings. One limitation for both is that watchlist symbol syncing with the online account isn’t available.

In head-to-head ratings for Mobile Trading Apps, ActivTrades scores 4 stars and ranks #19 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX earns 3.5 stars and ranks #63. Both cover the essentials for trading on the go, but ActivTrades stands out with a higher rating and better ranking.

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

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

ActivTrades and IronFX both cover the essentials for market research: daily market commentary, forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and an economic calendar. Their toolsets diverge beyond that. IronFX integrates Trading Central for technical and fundamental insights, while ActivTrades does not. Neither broker offers Autochartist. ActivTrades includes a sentiment tool that shows long/short positioning across instruments; IronFX does not. TipRanks research and Acuity Trading tools are not offered by ActivTrades, and their availability for IronFX wasn’t specified by the source.

Both brokers earn 4 stars for Research from ForexBrokers.com. IronFX ranks 29th out of 63 brokers in this category, slightly ahead of ActivTrades at 31st. If you want Trading Central’s analytics, IronFX has the edge; if a built-in sentiment gauge is a priority, ActivTrades may suit you better.

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

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

ActivTrades and IronFX both offer a variety of educational resources for beginners interested in forex and CFDs trading, but there are some differences that set them apart. ActivTrades provides a comprehensive package with over ten educational pieces such as articles, videos, and archived webinars on forex and CFDs. Additionally, they host monthly online webinars for clients and offer a searchable archive of these recorded sessions. For those just starting, ActivTrades presents at least ten beginner-focused educational videos, and for traders with more experience, they deliver another ten advanced videos. However, they do not supply an investor dictionary for terminology.

IronFX also meets the standard by offering more than ten educational materials centered on forex and CFDs. They maintain a searchable archive of past webinars but do not offer monthly online educational webinars for clients. Beginner traders can take advantage of more than ten educational videos tailored specifically for their needs, although advanced traders may find less content geared for them as IronFX falls short here. One unique offering by IronFX is an investor dictionary defining over fifty investing terms. Both brokers received a four-star rating in education, but ActivTrades ranks slightly higher at 38th out of 63 brokers compared to IronFX, which is ranked 44th by ForexBrokers.com.

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

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ActivTrades is better than IronFX. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.

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 logoActivTrades
IronFX logoIronFX
Overall Rating info 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 81 83
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with ActivTrades or IronFX?

Both ActivTrades and IronFX do not offer the ability to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do provide options for buying cryptocurrency derivatives, allowing investors to trade without owning the actual asset.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Both ActivTrades and IronFX do not support ACH or SEPA transfers for deposits and withdrawals and neither offer PayPal, but both brokers provide options for Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires.

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Overall Rating ActivTrades IronFX
Overall Rating info 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 81 83
Winner check_circle
Review ActivTrades Review
Broker Screenshots ActivTrades IronFX
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
ActivTrades ActivTrader mobile app watchlist light mode. ActivTrader platform web. ActivTrader research weekly outlook articles. ActivTrades educational articles macro analysis.
Regulation ActivTrades IronFX
Trust Score info 81 83
Year Founded info 2001 2010
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 2 3
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) ActivTrades IronFX
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) ActivTrades IronFX
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments ActivTrades IronFX
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 1267 340
Forex Pairs (Total) info 49 83
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No 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 ActivTrades IronFX
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.98 info 1.2
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info N/A N/A
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info No Yes
Inactivity Fee info Yes No
Execution: Agency Broker info No Yes
Execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding ActivTrades IronFX
Minimum Deposit info $0 $50
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info No No
Trading Platforms ActivTrades IronFX
Proprietary Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes No
cTrader info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Trading Tools ActivTrades IronFX
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 11 7
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 30 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 15 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading ActivTrades IronFX
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 No No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 30 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research ActivTrades IronFX
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info No Yes
TipRanks info No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education ActivTrades IronFX
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info No Yes
Major Forex Pairs ActivTrades IronFX
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 ActivTrades Review
Overall ActivTrades IronFX
Overall Rating info 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 81 83
Winner check_circle
Review ActivTrades Review
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