Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of OANDA vs ActivTrades, 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.
Founded in 1996, OANDA stands out for its trustworthiness in the online brokerage world. Despite not being publicly traded or a bank, OANDA achieves a high level of confidence with a Trust Score of 93 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, categorizing it as highly trusted. A key factor contributing to this top rating is its possession of seven Tier-1 licenses, which signals a strong reputation for reliability in the industry.
On the other hand, ActivTrades, established in 2001, holds a Trust Score of 81 from ForexBrokers.com, marking it as a trusted broker but not reaching the same heights as OANDA. While it is also neither publicly traded nor a banking institution, ActivTrades backs its credibility with two Tier-1 licenses and an additional Tier-2 license. This structure provides a sturdy base for reliability, although it does not match the extensive regulatory oversights that OANDA boasts.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
OANDA and ActivTrades both earn 4 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking (out of 63 brokers), ActivTrades is #29 and OANDA is #35, suggesting ActivTrades is a bit more cost-competitive overall. The main difference shows up in spreads, where ActivTrades tends to run tighter on popular forex pairs.
OANDA’s default, commission-free pricing is on the higher side: the average EUR/USD spread was 1.61 pips in July 2024. Its Core Pricing can trim costs if you qualify, with tighter spreads (about 0.4 pips in this example) plus a $5 per side commission per $100,000 traded (about 1 pip round-trip), bringing the all-in cost to roughly 1.4 pips—slightly better than its default pricing. Core Pricing requires a $10,000 minimum deposit. OANDA also allows tiny trade sizes (down to 1 unit), offers volume-based rebates in select regions ($5–$17 per million), and publishes trailing average spreads for transparency.
ActivTrades uses one main Individual account (with Professional and Islamic options), keeps spreads the same across account types, and does not offer separate active-trader pricing. Its average EUR/USD spread was 0.98 pips in May 2024—better than the industry average but not the very lowest. Actual costs depend on the asset and platform you choose, and—as with most brokers—spreads can widen during rollover hours.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.69 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.69 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing OANDA vs ActivTrades on range of investments, OANDA lists 4,172 tradeable symbols versus ActivTrades’ 1,267. OANDA also has more forex pairs (69 vs 49). Both brokers support forex trading via CFDs or spot and both offer copy trading. For shares, OANDA lets clients buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while ActivTrades offers exchange-traded securities only on international markets (not U.S.). In crypto, each broker provides cryptocurrency CFDs, but only OANDA also lets you buy actual, delivered crypto.
Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking of 63 brokers, OANDA places #28 and ActivTrades ranks #32. In short, OANDA suits those who want a wider selection, U.S. and international shares, and the option to buy real crypto, while ActivTrades still covers key markets with international shares and crypto CFDs.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
OANDA and ActivTrades both check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each broker offers a free demo account for practice, a proprietary (in‑house) platform, and Windows desktop and web-based platforms. You’ll also find MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) support, copy trading options, and the ability to place trades directly from charts—useful for timing entries and exits without switching screens.
In independent testing of Trading Platforms and Tools, both brokers earned 4 out of 5 stars. That said, OANDA ranks higher overall at #15 out of 63 brokers, while ActivTrades sits at #32, suggesting OANDA has a slight edge in this category. If you want broad platform choice with strong third-party integrations like MT4 and MT5 plus an easy way to test strategies on a demo account, either broker fits the bill, with OANDA taking a modest lead in industry ranking.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Comparing OANDA vs ActivTrades for mobile trading, both brokers check the key boxes. Each offers iPhone and Android apps, plus stock and forex price alerts. Charting is solid on both: you get 30 technical studies, the ability to draw trendlines, and drawings auto-save so your work isn’t lost. One thing missing from both apps is watchlist symbol syncing with the web platform, so changes made on mobile won’t mirror to your online account automatically.
Where they differ is ratings and rankings. OANDA’s mobile trading app earns 5 stars and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4 stars and ranks #19. If you want a higher-rated mobile experience with the same core features—alerts, indicators, and drawing tools—OANDA has the edge, though ActivTrades remains a capable choice for trading on the go.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
OANDA and ActivTrades both deliver daily market commentary, stream forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and include an economic calendar to track key events. Each also offers a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long and short positions. On the flip side, neither broker includes Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading research.
The main difference is tools: OANDA adds Autochartist for pattern recognition and trade ideas, while ActivTrades does not. That edge helps explain why OANDA earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades’ 4-star Research rating and #31 ranking. If you want more built-in analysis features, OANDA stands out; if you only need core commentary, news, and a calendar, both brokers cover the basics.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing OANDA vs ActivTrades for beginner education, both brokers make it easy to learn with monthly online webinars and large video libraries. Each offers at least 10 beginner videos to cover the basics of forex and CFD trading, plus at least 10 advanced videos for when you’re ready to dive deeper. This mix of live sessions and on-demand lessons helps new traders build confidence step by step.
For overall quality, OANDA has the edge: it earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #19 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #38. If you want a more polished learning path, OANDA is the stronger pick; if you prefer steady webinars and plenty of videos, ActivTrades still delivers solid value for beginners exploring forex and CFDs.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that OANDA is better than ActivTrades. OANDA finished with an overall rank of #12, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
A trusted global brand, OANDA stands out for its reputation and quality market research. Its regulatory track record is strong, and its support for third-party features bolsters its overall offering.
| Feature |
OANDA
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 93 | 81 |
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OANDA vs ActivTrades: OANDA lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas ActivTrades offers only cryptocurrency CFDs and does not support delivered crypto purchases.
Comparing online brokers OANDA vs ActivTrades for deposits and withdrawals: OANDA supports ACH/SEPA transfers and PayPal (both unavailable at ActivTrades); both brokers offer Skrill and bank wire transfers, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.69 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.69 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | OANDA Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | ActivTrades Review |
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