Written by ForexBrokers.com
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.
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.
Pepperstone and ActivTrades are established online brokers with clear regulatory profiles. Pepperstone was founded in 2010 and ActivTrades in 2001; neither is publicly traded or a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, scores of 90–99 are highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted. Pepperstone’s Trust Score is 94 (highly trusted), while ActivTrades scores 80 (trusted).
On licensing, Pepperstone holds 3 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted). ActivTrades holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license. This means Pepperstone benefits from a wider set of top-tier regulators, whereas ActivTrades has fewer, yet still reputable, approvals.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
Pepperstone has the edge over ActivTrades when it comes to commissions and fees, especially for active forex traders. Pepperstone earns 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees, thanks to its low-cost Razor account and Active Trader program. The Razor account uses commission-based pricing and, as of July 2024, showed an average EUR/USD spread of 0.10 pips, or about 0.80 pips all-in after commission. Its Standard account is easier to use but more expensive, with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.1 pips. Pepperstone also offers volume-based rebates for eligible high-frequency traders in the UK, EU, and Australia.
ActivTrades is a decent low-cost option, but it is not as competitive as Pepperstone on pricing. It earns 4 stars and ranks #23 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees. ActivTrades mainly offers one standard account, plus Professional and Islamic account options, and it does not have a special pricing plan for high-volume traders. Its average EUR/USD spread was 0.98 pips in May 2024, which is slightly better than the industry average but still higher than Pepperstone’s Razor account on an all-in basis. Costs can also vary depending on the asset and the platform used.
In short, Pepperstone is usually the better pick for traders who want lower trading costs and rebates for bigger volumes, while ActivTrades may appeal more to traders who want straightforward account choices and competitive but not top-tier spreads. For fees and commissions alone, Pepperstone comes out ahead.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.1 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.8 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | 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.
Pepperstone and ActivTrades both give traders access to forex as CFDs or spot contracts, and both support copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. Each is rated 4 out of 5 stars for range of investments, but Pepperstone has the wider overall selection, with 2,631 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Pepperstone also stands out for offering actual, delivered cryptocurrency, while ActivTrades does not.
When it comes to share investing, neither broker offers exchange-traded U.S. stocks, but ActivTrades does let clients buy real shares on international exchanges such as the London Stock Exchange, while Pepperstone does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for range of investments, Pepperstone places higher at #23 out of 36 brokers, ahead of ActivTrades at #26, making Pepperstone the better choice overall if you want a broader market lineup.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2631 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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.
Pepperstone and ActivTrades are closely matched when it comes to trading platforms and tools, and both brokers give traders a wide range of options. Each offers a free demo account for practice, its own in-house platform, desktop software for Windows, a web-based platform, copy trading, and support for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both also let you place trades straight from a chart, which can make it easier to act quickly while watching price moves.
In overall ratings, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. Pepperstone has the edge in the ForexBrokers.com ranking, placing #21 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades comes in at #28. For traders who want familiar platform choices and simple access across desktop and browser, both brokers look strong, with Pepperstone holding a modest lead in this category.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
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) | 90 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Pepperstone and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, making it easy to trade on the go from either type of device. Each app also includes stock and forex price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, trendline drawing, and automatic saving of chart drawings. Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, so on the basics, they are closely matched.
The main difference is watchlist syncing. Pepperstone lets watchlists in its mobile app sync with a client’s online account, so updates carry over between devices, while ActivTrades does not offer this feature. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps ranking, Pepperstone places slightly higher at #19 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at #21, giving Pepperstone a small edge for mobile app convenience.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | 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.
Pepperstone and ActivTrades both give traders a solid set of market research tools. Each broker offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar to track upcoming global events. In both cases, you will not find research from Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
Where they differ is in overall research ratings and ranking. Pepperstone earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research and places #13 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #28. That makes Pepperstone the stronger choice for traders who want slightly more market research support, although ActivTrades still covers the main basics well.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | 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.
Pepperstone and ActivTrades both give beginners plenty of learning material, including forex and CFD education with at least 10 pieces of content, monthly online webinars, and more than 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos. That means new traders can find lessons on the basics, while more experienced users can still access content that goes deeper into trading topics. Both brokers also make it easy to learn through a mix of articles, videos, and webinars.
Where Pepperstone stands out is in outside reviews: it scores 4.5 out of 5 for Education and ranks #15 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 and ranks #32. For beginners who want a wider range of educational support and a stronger overall education score, Pepperstone has the edge, although ActivTrades still offers a solid set of learning tools.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
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 Pepperstone is better than ActivTrades. Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #17, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
Pepperstone offers a growing range of tradeable markets, good-quality research, and support for multiple social copy trading platforms.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 80 |
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Pepperstone and ActivTrades both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but only Pepperstone also allows clients to buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency, while ActivTrades does not provide access to physical crypto purchases.
Pepperstone vs ActivTrades: for deposits and withdrawals, Pepperstone supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires, while ActivTrades supports Skrill and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; 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 | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2631 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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 | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.1 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.8 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Pepperstone | 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 | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | 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 | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Pepperstone Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | Pepperstone | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review | ActivTrades Review |
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