Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 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 2008, Plus500 is a well-established online broker recognized for its high trustworthiness. With a Trust Score of 99 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 stands out in the industry. The company holds six Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, signaling compliance with stringent regulatory standards. Notably, Plus500 is publicly traded, adding an extra layer of transparency to its operations.
In comparison, ActivTrades has been in the market since 2001 and holds a respectable Trust Score of 81, placing it in the trusted category. Although it is not publicly traded, ActivTrades manages to maintain credibility with two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license. Like Plus500, ActivTrades operates without banking status, focusing purely on brokerage services. Both brokers offer investors different strengths, with Plus500 offering higher trust ratings and broader regulatory approvals.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, ActivTrades generally comes out cheaper on spreads, while Plus500 tends to be a bit pricier. Plus500 is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars and ranks 24th out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees, whereas ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 29th out of 63. If keeping your spread costs low is your priority, ActivTrades usually has the edge; if you’re considering Professional client status with cash rebates, Plus500 may appeal.
Plus500’s pricing sits slightly above the industry average and trails the best rates available for active traders. There are no retail discounts, but Professional clients can qualify for cash rebates (similar to an active trader program). For context, the average EUR/USD spread at Plus500 was 1.5 pips in April 2024, which is higher than the industry average.
ActivTrades’ spreads are slightly better than the industry average, though not the lowest in the market. The broker’s average EUR/USD spread was 0.98 pips in May 2024. ActivTrades has one main Individual Account (plus Professional and Islamic options), but there’s no pricing tier designed for high-volume traders and no active trader discounts; spreads are the same across account types. Actual costs vary by asset and platform, and spreads can widen during quieter periods such as rollover.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Plus500 vs ActivTrades: for range of investments, Plus500 offers a wider lineup. You get about 5,500 tradeable symbols at Plus500 compared with 1,267 at ActivTrades, and 65 forex pairs versus 49. Both brokers support forex trading with access via CFDs or spot contracts. For crypto, neither broker lets you buy actual coins, but both provide cryptocurrency CFDs.
Plus500 also lets you buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. and international exchanges, while ActivTrades offers international shares but not U.S. stocks. ActivTrades includes copy trading, which Plus500 does not. Reflecting this breadth, ForexBrokers.com rates Plus500 4.5/5 for Range of Investments (ranked 22 of 63), while ActivTrades earns 4/5 (ranked 32 of 63).
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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.
Plus500 vs ActivTrades: both brokers make it easy to test the waters with a free demo (paper trading) account and each offers its own proprietary platform alongside a convenient web-based platform. Key differences emerge with platform types and tools. ActivTrades provides a Windows desktop platform, supports copy trading, and lets you place orders directly from charts, while Plus500 lacks a Windows download, doesn’t offer copy trading, and doesn’t support trading from charts.
Third‑party platform support is another divider: Plus500 does not offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5), whereas ActivTrades supports both MT4 and MT5. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools ratings, Plus500 scores 4.5/5 stars and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers, while ActivTrades scores 4/5 stars and ranks #32 out of 63. If you want MT4/MT5, copy trading, and a desktop app, ActivTrades fits the bill; if you prefer a streamlined, web-first experience with a high platforms-and-tools rating, Plus500 is a strong contender.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Plus500 and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each supports price alerts to help you track market moves. A key difference is watchlist syncing: Plus500 syncs watchlists between the app and your online account, while ActivTrades does not. In overall user feedback, Plus500 earns 4.5 stars and is ranked #14 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for Mobile Trading Apps, compared with ActivTrades at 4 stars and a #19 ranking.
For charting, Plus500 provides 115 technical indicators (studies) versus 30 on ActivTrades. Both apps let you draw trendlines, but only ActivTrades auto-saves your chart drawings; Plus500 does not. If you value a larger set of indicators and synced watchlists, Plus500 may fit better. If keeping your chart annotations saved automatically is more important, ActivTrades has the edge.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
For market research, both Plus500 and ActivTrades deliver daily market commentary, an economic calendar of key events, and a sentiment tool that shows the long vs. short split across instruments. The biggest differences are in news and analytics: ActivTrades streams forex headlines from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, while Plus500 does not. In turn, Plus500 includes Trading Central’s technical analysis tools, which ActivTrades does not offer. Neither broker provides research from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
Overall standings reflect these trade-offs: Plus500 is rated 4.0 out of 5 for research and ranks 19th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 and ranks 31st. Choose ActivTrades if you prioritize premium real-time news; pick Plus500 if you value built-in Trading Central analysis alongside sentiment data and daily commentary.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Plus500 and ActivTrades both make it easy for newcomers to learn the basics of forex and CFD trading. Each broker offers a dedicated education library focused on forex and CFDs, monthly client webinars, and at least 10 beginner-friendly videos that explain core trading topics in plain terms. When you’re ready to go further, both also provide 10+ advanced videos to help you build on your skills.
In independent reviews, both brokers earn 4.0 stars for Education, with Plus500 ranked #31 out of 63 brokers and ActivTrades ranked #38 by ForexBrokers.com. That gives Plus500 a slight edge for overall education, while ActivTrades delivers a very similar experience with regular webinars and a wide range of learning materials.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
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 Plus500 is better than ActivTrades. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to a thorough selection of CFDs. Share trading is available, but only via its Plus500 Invest product offering.
| Feature |
Plus500
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 |
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In the Plus500 vs ActivTrades comparison, neither broker offers actual (delivered) cryptocurrency purchases, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
Comparing online brokers Plus500 and ActivTrades for deposit and withdrawal methods: neither supports ACH or SEPA transfers; Plus500 accepts PayPal while ActivTrades does not; both support Skrill and bank wire transfers; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
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 | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | 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) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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 | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Plus500 Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | ActivTrades Review |
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