Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs IUX, 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 (founded 2001) and IUX (founded 2016) are online brokers that are not publicly traded and are not banks. This comparison looks at their regulatory status and trust signals to help traders gauge safety.
ForexBrokers.com rates Trust Scores as follows: 90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and under 59 not trusted. ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license with a Trust Score of 80, placing it in the trusted bracket. IUX holds one Tier-1 and one Tier-2 license with a Trust Score of 76, indicating average risk. Both have regulatory oversight, but ActivTrades edges ahead on licensing depth and overall trust rating.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
ActivTrades and IUX both offer competitive pricing, but they take different approaches to commissions and fees. ActivTrades earns a 4-star rating and ranks #22 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. It mainly uses spread-only pricing, with no special high-volume trader account and no active trader discounts. Its spreads are slightly better than the industry average, but they are not among the lowest in the market. For example, ActivTrades reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024.
IUX scores a little higher with a 4.5-star rating and a #19 out of 36 ranking for commissions and fees. Its pricing depends on the account type you choose. The Standard and Standard+ accounts start with a $10 minimum deposit, while the Raw and Pro accounts are aimed at more active traders and require a $500 minimum deposit. The Raw account charges a $6 commission per 100,000 units, while the Pro account is commission-free and offers lower spreads than the Standard accounts. IUX lists average EUR/USD spreads around 0.7 pips on Pro, 0.9 pips on Standard, and about 0.6 pips on Raw when the commission is included in the cost.
Overall, IUX has a slight edge over ActivTrades on commissions and fees, mainly because its pricing structure gives traders more choices and its best accounts can be a bit cheaper. Still, both brokers are fairly priced rather than best-in-class. If you want simple spread-based trading, ActivTrades may appeal to you. If you want more account options and a lower-cost setup for active trading, IUX may be the better fit.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.08 | 0.86 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | 0.6 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, ActivTrades gives traders more choice than IUX. Both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, international exchange-traded securities, and cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency or U.S.-listed shares outright. ActivTrades stands out with 1,267 tradeable symbols and 49 forex pairs, compared with IUX’s 152 symbols and 34 forex pairs, which means ActivTrades offers a much wider selection across markets.
ActivTrades also has an edge in extra features, since it offers copy trading and is rated 4 out of 5 stars for range of investments, with a ForexBrokers.com rank of #26 out of 36 brokers. IUX does not offer copy trading and is rated 3.5 stars, ranking #36 out of 36 in the same category. Overall, ActivTrades is the stronger pick for traders who want more market variety and added trading tools.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 152 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 34 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
ActivTrades and IUX both give traders a good range of platform choices, including free demo accounts, their own in-house platforms, desktop software for Windows, web-based trading, and MetaTrader 5. Both also let users trade directly from charts, which can make it easier to place orders while watching price action. In short, each broker covers the basics well for traders who want flexibility across devices and platforms.
ActivTrades has the edge in trading tools overall because it also supports copy trading and MetaTrader 4, two features IUX does not offer. That difference helps explain why ActivTrades is rated higher for Trading Platforms and Tools, with 4 out of 5 stars and a #27 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with IUX at 3.5 stars and #36. For traders who want more platform features and a wider toolset, ActivTrades looks stronger, while IUX still offers a solid setup for traders who are comfortable with a simpler choice.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ActivTrades and IUX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, so traders can place trades and follow the markets on either type of device. That said, ActivTrades has the edge for everyday mobile use because it offers stock and forex price alerts, while IUX does not. ActivTrades also lets users draw trendlines on charts and automatically saves those drawings, which can make chart analysis easier for active traders. IUX also auto-saves drawings, but it does not offer trendline drawing in its mobile app.
When it comes to charting tools, IUX offers more technical studies in its app, with 106 compared with ActivTrades’ 30. Even so, ActivTrades scores better overall for mobile trading apps, earning 4 out of 5 stars and a #21 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, versus IUX’s 3.5 stars and #36 ranking. Neither broker supports watchlist symbol syncing between the app and online account, so changes made in one place will not carry over to the other.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 106 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, ActivTrades has the edge over IUX. ActivTrades provides daily market commentary, forex news from major sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus a sentiment tool that helps traders see how many positions are long or short across different markets. It also includes an economic calendar for tracking key global events. IUX offers an economic calendar too, but it does not provide daily commentary, top-tier news coverage, or a sentiment tool. Neither broker includes research tools from Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
This difference is reflected in third-party ratings and rankings. ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #27 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while IUX is rated 3 out of 5 stars and ranks #36 out of 36. For traders who want more built-in market insight and news support, ActivTrades is the stronger choice.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for learning support, ActivTrades has the edge over IUX in education. ActivTrades offers forex and CFDs learning content, monthly educational webinars, and plenty of beginner-friendly videos, plus a full set of advanced videos for traders who want to go further. That broader range is reflected in its 4-star Education rating and its #30 ranking out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. In simple terms, ActivTrades gives new traders more ways to learn and keep building their skills.
IUX also provides beginner trading videos and forex or CFDs education, but it falls behind ActivTrades in a few key areas. It does not offer monthly educational webinars and does not have at least 10 advanced educational videos for experienced traders. With a 3-star Education rating and a #36 ranking out of 36, IUX appears to offer a more limited learning experience overall, especially for beginners who want regular guidance and more advanced material as they improve.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 IUX. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28, while IUX finished with an overall rank of #36.
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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IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 76 |
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ActivTrades vs IUX: both online brokers let you trade cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither allows buying and taking delivery of actual cryptocurrencies.
In a head-to-head comparison of deposit and withdrawal methods, both ActivTrades and IUX do not support ACH/SEPA or PayPal, both support Skrill and bank wire transfers, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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 | IUX | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 76 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | IUX Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | IUX | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 80 | 76 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA 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 |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 152 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 34 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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). |
| Cost | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.08 | 0.86 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | 0.6 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 106 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IUX Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | IUX | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 76 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | IUX Review |
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