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 |
When comparing the commission and fee structures of online brokers OANDA and ActivTrades, both brokers hold a four-star rating for commissions and fees, reflecting their competitive yet distinct offerings. OANDA ranks #34 out of 63 brokers evaluated by ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades ranks slightly higher at #28. OANDA’s forex trading expenses are relatively high due to its effective spreads, which are notably wider than those of leading brokers. However, OANDA offers automated execution across its accounts, which can be advantageous for some traders. Its core pricing structure, requiring a $10,000 minimum deposit, is designed to offer lower spreads—around 0.4 pips on the EUR/USD pair—paired with a $5 per-side commission per $100,000 worth of currency traded. This results in a total cost slightly under its default pricing structure.
ActivTrades, on the other hand, offers marginally better spreads than the overall industry average though not as competitive as the top low-cost forex brokers. With a primary account called the "Individual Account," along with Professional and Islamic account options, ActivTrades doesn't cater to high-volume traders specifically, nor does it provide active trader pricing. Spreads are generally consistent across its account types, with the EUR/USD pair averaging at 0.98 pips in May 2024. Conversely, OANDA also provides enhanced pricing transparency by publishing trailing average spreads, though it doesn't offer fixed-period average spread data, which can complicate precise comparisons.
Both OANDA and ActivTrades feature unique aspects; OANDA’s flexibility stands out with its ability to trade in much smaller lots than typical micro lots, extending down to 1 unit. Additionally, its Elite Trader program offers rebates and TradingView subscription perks for high-volume traders. Meanwhile, ActivTrades caters to its diverse clientele with Islamic Account options and a demo account for practice. Ultimately, your choice might hinge on specific trading requirements and the importance of automated execution versus slightly tighter spreads.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.61 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.61 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the range of investments available from OANDA and ActivTrades, both platforms offer diverse options for traders. OANDA provides 3928 tradeable symbols and 68 forex pairs, allowing investors to explore numerous markets. Forex trading is available as either CFDs or spot contracts on both platforms. However, OANDA stands out by offering the ability to buy actual cryptocurrencies, alongside cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas ActivTrades only offers derivatives.
Although neither broker facilitates buying exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, ActivTrades enables investors to access international markets, unlike OANDA. Both brokers support copy trading, broadening strategies for experienced and novice traders. Despite these differences, both OANDA and ActivTrades received a solid four-star rating for their range of investments. According to ForexBrokers.com, OANDA ranks 27th and ActivTrades 31st out of 63 brokers, highlighting their competitive standing in the market.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3928 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 68 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools offered by OANDA and ActivTrades, both provide comprehensive options for traders. They each offer a free virtual demo account, which is perfect for practicing strategies without risking real money. Both brokers feature proprietary platforms developed in-house, as well as Windows-based desktop platforms for a more traditional trading experience. For convenience, both also provide web-based platforms accessible via any browser, and include the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platforms. Copy trading is well supported, but neither offers DupliTrade or ZuluTrade as options. One area where they differ is in the range of drawing tools available: OANDA provides a whopping 431 tools compared to ActivTrades' 15.
When it comes to functionality, both OANDA and ActivTrades allow traders to execute trades directly from stock charts, offering an efficient trading process. Their platforms also support watch lists, with ActivTrades leading by offering 11 fields over OANDA's 6. Both brokers are rated four stars out of five for their trading platforms and tools, with OANDA ranked slightly higher at 15th place compared to ActivTrades at 30th in the category by ForexBrokers.com. These brokers cater well to traders seeking diverse and powerful trading tools, though OANDA's broader selection in certain areas may give it a slight edge for more detail-oriented traders.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 81 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 431 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of OANDA and ActivTrades, both brokers offer a compatible app for iPhone and Android users. They each provide essential features such as stock and forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines, and view multiple time frames on charts. Users can create watchlists with real-time quotes on both platforms, although neither broker supports syncing changes made on mobile apps with their online accounts. Additionally, both apps allow access to 30 technical studies for chart analysis and auto-save chart drawings efficiently.
However, there are notable differences. OANDA’s mobile app stands out with its prestigious five-star rating and top-ten ranking, at number seven, among 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, ActivTrades receives four stars and is ranked 19th. This suggests that while both apps are feature-rich, OANDA users might enjoy a slightly more refined or user-friendly mobile trading experience.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing OANDA and ActivTrades for market research, both platforms provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. Both brokers also offer sentiment-based trading tools and maintain an economic calendar to keep users informed about global events. However, OANDA stands out by offering technical analysis tools from Autochartist, whereas ActivTrades does not. Neither broker integrates research tools from Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
OANDA outshines ActivTrades in ratings and rankings, receiving 5 stars for research and securing the fifth spot among 63 brokers in the Research category according to ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, ActivTrades is given 4 stars and ranks 30th. These differences make OANDA a more robust choice for those placing a high value on research options.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both OANDA and ActivTrades offer a range of supportive materials aimed at helping new traders gain confidence in forex and CFD markets. Each platform provides at least 10 educational pieces, which include articles, videos, and archived webinars focused on these financial topics. They both also host regular, monthly live educational webinars, and maintain searchable archives of these sessions for convenient access. Beyond basic instruction, each broker features beginner-friendly videos to guide newcomers, as well as advanced educational content for those looking to deepen their knowledge.
However, there are some differences that set OANDA and ActivTrades apart. Notably, OANDA has an edge with a comprehensive investor dictionary containing over 50 investing term definitions, a feature absent from ActivTrades. This distinction may contribute to OANDA's higher rating of 5 stars for educational offerings, compared to ActivTrades' 4-star rating. Accordingly, in a ranked list by ForexBrokers.com among 63 brokers, OANDA is placed at #22 while ActivTrades sits at #38. This indicates a slightly stronger emphasis on educational support at OANDA, offering beginners a more thorough grounding in trading concepts and terminology.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
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
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 81 |
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When comparing online brokers, OANDA allows users to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas ActivTrades only offers the ability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives and not actual delivered cryptocurrency.
In comparing online brokers OANDA and ActivTrades, OANDA supports a wider range of deposit and withdrawal options including ACH, SEPA transfers, and PayPal, which ActivTrades does not offer, while both brokers provide options for Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires.
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 |
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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 | No | |
| 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 | 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3928 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 68 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | 1.61 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.61 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 81 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 431 | 15 | |
| 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 Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | OANDA | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| 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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