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.
Plus500 and ActivTrades are well-known online brokers with different profiles. Plus500, founded in 2008, is publicly traded, while ActivTrades, founded in 2001, is privately held. Neither company is a bank.
Safety and regulation: ForexBrokers.com gives Plus500 a Trust Score of 99 (90–99 = highly trusted) and ActivTrades a Trust Score of 80 (80–89 = trusted). Plus500 holds 7 Tier-1 (top-tier) licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses, while ActivTrades holds 2 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 licenses. Based on these independent ratings, Plus500 carries the higher trust designation, though both are regulated across multiple regions.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
When comparing commissions and fees, Plus500 is priced slightly above the industry average and sits behind top low-cost forex brokers for active trader pricing. It does not offer discounts for regular retail clients, though eligible Professional clients may receive cash rebates. For EUR/USD, Plus500’s average spread was 1.5 pips in April 2024, which is higher than the market average. Plus500 is rated 4.0 stars and ranked #24 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
ActivTrades has spreads that are a bit better than the industry average, but it still does not match the cheapest brokers in the market. It offers an Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic account options, but there is no special account for high-volume traders and no active trader pricing. In practice, fees depend on the assets you trade, and average spreads can vary during the trading day. ActivTrades reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024. ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranked #21 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
Overall, ActivTrades comes out slightly ahead of Plus500 on pricing, mainly because its spreads are lower on average. That said, neither broker is the cheapest choice available, so traders focused on low costs may still want to compare both against other forex brokers before opening an account.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | 0.92 |
| 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.
When it comes to range of investments, Plus500 offers a wider selection than ActivTrades. Plus500 lists 5,500 tradeable symbols compared with 1,267 at ActivTrades, and it also offers more forex pairs, with 65 versus 49. Both brokers support forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, and both let clients trade cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither offers the option to buy actual cryptocurrency. In addition, both provide access to international exchange-traded securities, such as shares listed on overseas markets.
Plus500 also stands out for U.S.-listed exchange-traded securities, allowing clients to buy real shares like Apple, while ActivTrades does not offer this. On the other hand, ActivTrades includes copy trading, which Plus500 does not. Based on ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 36 for Range of Investments, while ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #25, making Plus500 the stronger choice overall for investors looking for more market options.
| 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 and ActivTrades both give traders a free demo account, a proprietary platform, and a web-based trading option, so each offers a simple way to test strategies online. That said, ActivTrades has the edge for platform choice and trading features because it also supports a Windows desktop download, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and the ability to place trades directly from a chart. Plus500 keeps things more streamlined, but it does not offer these extra tools.
In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, Plus500 is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #14 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #26 out of 36. For traders who want a broader set of platform options and more hands-on tools, ActivTrades may be the better fit; for those who prefer a simpler setup with a strong overall platform score, Plus500 stands out.
| 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 give traders easy access to mobile trading on iPhone and Android, and both apps include price alerts plus the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Where Plus500 stands out is charting depth and convenience: its mobile app offers 115 technical studies, compared with 30 for ActivTrades, and it also syncs watchlists between the app and online account so updates carry across devices. Plus500 is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps and ranks #14 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com.
ActivTrades still offers a solid mobile trading experience, especially for traders who value simple chart use and saved work. Its app also supports iPhone and Android, price alerts, and trendline drawing, and it does automatically save chart drawings, which Plus500 does not. However, ActivTrades does not sync watchlists between mobile and web, and its mobile app is rated 4 out of 5 stars with a ranking of #21 out of 36, placing it behind Plus500 overall for mobile trading.
| 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.
Plus500 and ActivTrades both give traders useful market research features, including daily market commentary, a sentiment tool showing long and short positions, and an economic calendar for tracking important global events. Neither broker offers Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools, but Plus500 does stand out with Trading Central research, which ActivTrades does not provide.
ActivTrades has an edge for news coverage because it includes forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, while Plus500 does not. Even so, Plus500 scores higher overall for research, with a 4.5-star rating and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of 16th out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at 4 stars and 26th place.
| 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.
When it comes to learning support for beginners, both Plus500 and ActivTrades give new traders plenty to work with. Each broker offers forex or CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces, monthly online educational webinars, and at least 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos. That means beginners at either platform can find a mix of videos, articles, and live sessions to help them understand trading basics and more advanced topics.
Even so, Plus500 has the edge overall for education. It scores 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #26 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30. For beginners deciding between the two, both are a solid choice for learning, but Plus500 appears to offer the slightly stronger educational experience.
| 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 #28.
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 | 80 |
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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 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| 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 | 7 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA 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 CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | 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 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | 0.92 | |
| 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 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | ActivTrades Review |
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