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Pepperstone vs ActivTrades 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

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

Pepperstone
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 95
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 1726
ActivTrades
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 81
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 1267

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

Pepperstone and ActivTrades are two established online brokers, with Pepperstone founded in 2010 and ActivTrades in 2001. Neither company is publicly traded or operates as a bank, ensuring they focus entirely on providing quality trading services. Both brokers are licensed, adhering to strict international standards. Pepperstone holds three Tier-1 licenses, affirming a high level of trust, while ActivTrades holds two, signaling a strong compliance record as well.

When it comes to trustworthiness, Pepperstone scores an impressive 95 out of 99 on ForexBrokers.com's Trust Score, indicating it is highly trusted. ActivTrades also fares well with a Trust Score of 81, placing it in the trusted category. Additionally, Pepperstone has two Tier-2 licenses compared to ActivTrades' one, further showcasing its commitment to maintaining trusted regulatory practices. Both brokers are poised as reliable choices for those venturing into online trading.

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

Fees

Pepperstone and ActivTrades offer distinct experiences regarding commissions and fees, catering to different types of traders. Pepperstone, rated 4.5 stars and ranked #10 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, is particularly attractive for high-volume traders through its Razor account, which operates on a commission-based pricing structure. With an average spread of 0.10 pips for the EUR/USD (as of July 2024), costs with commissions reach around 0.80 pips, aligning with the industry average. For standard account users, the commission-free option yields higher costs, with an average spread of 1.1 pips. Pepperstone also provides an Active Trader program, allowing eligible UK, EU, and Australian professionals to receive rebates based on their trading volume.

In contrast, ActivTrades, earning a 4-star rating and positioned at #28, is known for competitive spreads slightly better than the industry average, as evidenced by a EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024. Primarily, ActivTrades provides an Individual Account with no special provisions like active trader pricing for frequent traders. Instead, it features other options such as Professional and Islamic Accounts, where the main variations lie in margin requirements rather than spread costs. Spreads can vary across assets, often widening during trading sessions, reflective of broader market dynamics and typical broker models.

Feature Pepperstone logoPepperstone
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Minimum Deposit info $0 $0
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 1.00 info 0.98 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.70 info N/A
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes 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

If you're comparing Pepperstone and ActivTrades in terms of their range of investments, both platforms provide forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. Pepperstone has a diverse offering with 1,726 tradeable symbols, standing out with 65 forex pairs. In comparison, ActivTrades offers 1,267 tradeable symbols with 49 forex pairs. While neither platform allows direct trading of exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, ActivTrades does provide access to international exchange-traded securities, such as shares on the London Stock Exchange, which Pepperstone currently does not.

Both Pepperstone and ActivTrades support copy trading and offer cryptocurrency derivatives rather than actual cryptocurrencies. When it comes to ratings, Pepperstone and ActivTrades each received a commendable four out of five stars for their range of investments. Furthermore, in the rankings by ForexBrokers.com, Pepperstone is positioned at #26 while ActivTrades is slightly lower at #31, indicating solid but not top-tier offerings in this category for both brokers.

Feature Pepperstone logoPepperstone
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 1726 1267
Forex Pairs (Total) info 65 49
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No Yes
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

Pepperstone and ActivTrades both provide comprehensive trading experiences, as each offers virtual demo accounts and employs proprietary trading platforms. On top of their own systems, both brokers extend access to popular platforms like MetaTrader 4 and 5, and each provides a Windows-based desktop platform alongside a web-based option. Both brokers also support copy trading, with Pepperstone offering DupliTrade while both lack support for ZuluTrade. When it comes to indicators, Pepperstone and ActivTrades are comparable in technical tools, though Pepperstone stands out with a wider array of 30 drawing tools compared to ActivTrades' 15.

For traders looking to customize their experience, watch lists are a notable feature. ActivTrades excels with 11 columns for fields compared to Pepperstone's seven, catering to those who want more data at their fingertips. Both brokers allow direct trading from stock charts, ensuring a seamless trading process. Rated four stars each for their platforms and tools, Pepperstone and ActivTrades are well-regarded, though in the ForexBrokers.com rankings, Pepperstone claims a higher position at #22 out of 63 compared to ActivTrades’ #30. Ultimately, both provide solid platforms and tools, though they differ slightly in their offerings and rank.

Feature Pepperstone logoPepperstone
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
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 Yes
DupliTrade info Yes No
ZuluTrade info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 15 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 30 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 7 11
View More

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

Forex trading apps

Pepperstone and ActivTrades both provide comprehensive mobile trading apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. Both platforms feature stock and forex price alerts, a selection of 30 technical studies for charting, support for multiple time frames, and trendline drawing tools. Additionally, they allow the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes. However, one notable difference is that Pepperstone offers syncing capabilities for watchlist symbols between its mobile app and online account, while ActivTrades does not.

While both apps auto save chart drawings and are well-regarded, with each earning 4 out of 5 stars for their mobile trading experiences, there is a slight variation in their ForexBrokers.com rankings. ActivTrades is ranked slightly higher at 19th, compared to Pepperstone’s 21st position out of 63 brokers. This highlights a minor preference for ActivTrades based on ForexBrokers.com's review, though both platforms remain strong choices for users looking for advanced mobile trading features.

Feature Pepperstone logoPepperstone
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes 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

Pepperstone and ActivTrades both offer strong market research features, providing daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Additionally, both brokers include a sentiment-based trading tool that displays the ratio of long or short positions across currency pairs and offer economic calendars showcasing global news events. However, Pepperstone holds an edge with its integration of Autochartist, a popular technical analysis and research tool, which ActivTrades does not provide.

In terms of research quality, Pepperstone slightly outshines ActivTrades, earning a 4.5-star rating compared to ActivTrades' 4-star rating. According to ForexBrokers.com rankings, Pepperstone is positioned at #12 out of 63 brokers, reflecting its comprehensive research offerings. Meanwhile, ActivTrades is ranked #30, indicating a solid performance but slightly less extensive than its competitor. Neither broker offers tools from Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading, which might be a consideration for more specialized research needs.

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

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Both Pepperstone and ActivTrades present an array of educational resources for those eager to dive into forex and CFD trading. For beginners, each platform provides over ten educational materials including articles, videos, and archived webinars. They also ensure continuous learning by hosting at least one webinar every month and maintaining a searchable archive of recorded sessions. Where Pepperstone makes a distinguishing mark is in its investor dictionary, delivering definitions for over 50 investing terms, a feature not matched by ActivTrades.

When it comes to video content, both brokers cater to different proficiency levels with more than ten beginner and advanced educational videos available. Pepperstone, however, edges out in educational value by earning a 4.5-star rating and securing the 17th position in the Education category as per ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, ActivTrades holds a 4-star rating and ranks 38th. For traders prioritizing educational tools to enhance their trading knowledge, both brokers provide strong offerings, with Pepperstone slightly leading in breadth and ranking.

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

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Pepperstone is better than ActivTrades. Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #16, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.

Pepperstone offers a growing range of tradeable markets, good-quality research, and support for multiple social copy trading platforms.

Feature Pepperstone logoPepperstone
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 95 81
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Pepperstone or ActivTrades?

Neither Pepperstone nor ActivTrades offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both provide options to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Pepperstone provides a versatile range of deposit and withdrawal options, including ACH, SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, whereas ActivTrades offers more limited options, supporting only Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, but lacks ACH, SEPA, and PayPal capabilities.




announcementPlease 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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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Pepperstone ActivTrades
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 95 81
Winner check_circle
Review Pepperstone Review ActivTrades Review
Broker Screenshots Pepperstone ActivTrades
Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) info
Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) info
Research Gallery (click to expand) info
Education Gallery (click to expand) info
Regulation Pepperstone ActivTrades
Trust Score info 95 81
Year Founded info 2010 2001
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No
Tier-1 Licenses info 3 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 2 2
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Pepperstone ActivTrades
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info No No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info No No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info No No
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Pepperstone ActivTrades
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info Yes No
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) info Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info No No
Investments Pepperstone ActivTrades
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 1726 1267
Forex Pairs (Total) info 65 49
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No Yes
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 Pepperstone ActivTrades
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 1.00 info 0.98 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.70 info N/A
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
Inactivity Fee info No Yes
Execution: Agency Broker info Yes No
Execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding Pepperstone ActivTrades
Minimum Deposit info $0 $0
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes 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 Yes No
Trading Platforms Pepperstone ActivTrades
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
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 Yes
cTrader info Yes No
DupliTrade info Yes No
ZuluTrade info No No
Trading Tools Pepperstone ActivTrades
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 7 11
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 15 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 30 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Pepperstone ActivTrades
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 Yes 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 Pepperstone ActivTrades
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info Yes No
Trading Central (Recognia) info No No
TipRanks info No No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Pepperstone ActivTrades
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes No
Major Forex Pairs Pepperstone ActivTrades
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 Pepperstone Review ActivTrades Review
Overall Pepperstone ActivTrades
Overall Rating info 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 95 81
Winner check_circle
Review Pepperstone Review ActivTrades Review
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