Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs Spreadex, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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In this ActivTrades vs Spreadex comparison, both brokers are privately held and not banks. ActivTrades, founded in 2001, holds two Tier‑1 licenses and one Tier‑2 license, while Spreadex, founded in 1999, holds one Tier‑1 license and no Tier‑2 licenses. According to ForexBrokers.com, Tier‑1 licenses are considered highly trusted and Tier‑2 licenses are considered trusted.
Based on ForexBrokers.com’s 99‑point Trust Score, ActivTrades scores 80 (trusted), whereas Spreadex scores 70 (average risk). If regulatory coverage and third‑party trust ratings are priorities, ActivTrades has the edge in this matchup.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
When comparing commissions and fees, ActivTrades and Spreadex both earn 4 out of 5 stars, but ActivTrades ranks a bit higher overall in this category. ForexBrokers.com places ActivTrades at No. 21 out of 36 brokers, while Spreadex comes in at No. 25 out of 36. That makes ActivTrades the slightly stronger option on paper for pricing, even though both brokers are viewed as fairly competitive.
ActivTrades offers spreads that are a little better than the industry average, though not quite as low as the very cheapest forex brokers. Its EUR/USD average spread was 0.98 pips in May 2024, and spreads can vary based on market conditions and the assets being traded. The broker has one main Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic Account choices, but it does not offer special pricing for high-volume traders, and spreads are the same across account types.
Spreadex shows slightly tighter pricing on EUR/USD, with an average spread of 0.81 pips in January 2024 and a minimum spread of 0.6 pips available 60% of the time that month. For everyday traders, that can mean lower trading costs on that pair. In simple terms, Spreadex may be the better pick for tighter forex spreads, while ActivTrades has the better ranking overall for commissions and fees.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.08 | 0.81 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, both ActivTrades and Spreadex let clients trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts, and both also offer cryptocurrency CFDs rather than real crypto. Spreadex has the larger overall list of tradeable symbols, with about 10,000 compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267, and it also offers a slightly wider selection of forex pairs, at 52 versus 49. Neither broker offers exchange-traded U.S. shares that you can buy outright, such as Apple stock.
ActivTrades has an edge for investors who want access to international exchange-traded shares, since it offers these while Spreadex does not. ActivTrades also supports copy trading, which Spreadex does not. Even so, Spreadex earns a higher Range of Investments score, with 5 stars and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of 13th out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades’ 4 stars and 25th place.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 10000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 52 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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). | 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 ActivTrades and Spreadex for trading platforms and tools, both brokers give traders a free demo account, a web-based platform, a proprietary platform, and the ability to trade directly from charts. Each also earns a 4-star rating for this category from ForexBrokers.com, so both offer a solid starting point for everyday trading. That said, ActivTrades has more platform choices overall, including a Windows desktop app, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and copy trading, which may appeal to traders who want more ways to place trades and manage their setup.
Spreadex is simpler on the platform side, since it does not offer a Windows desktop download, MT4, MT5, or copy trading. For traders who mainly want browser-based access and chart trading, it still covers the basics well. In the ForexBrokers.com rankings for trading platforms and tools, ActivTrades places higher at #26 out of 36 brokers, while Spreadex comes in at #34, which reflects ActivTrades’ broader toolset and platform range.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 58 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing ActivTrades and Spreadex for mobile trading, both brokers give iPhone and Android users access to their apps, along with stock or forex price alerts. Each also lets traders draw trendlines on charts, and neither one offers watchlist symbol syncing between the mobile app and the online account. In other words, both apps cover the basics well for traders who want to monitor markets and make quick chart updates on the go.
Where ActivTrades pulls ahead is in charting detail and convenience. Its mobile app includes 30 technical studies and automatically saves chart drawings, while Spreadex does not list technical studies and does not auto save drawings. Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, but ActivTrades is ranked higher by ForexBrokers.com at #21 out of 36 brokers, compared with Spreadex at #33. For traders who care more about mobile chart tools, ActivTrades has the edge.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
ActivTrades and Spreadex both give traders a similar range of market research tools. Each broker offers daily market commentary, forex news from major providers like Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking upcoming events. Both are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for Research, which puts them in a strong middle tier for this area.
The main difference is that Spreadex includes Autochartist, while ActivTrades does not. Neither broker offers Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools. In ForexBrokers.com’s Research ranking, ActivTrades edges ahead slightly at #26 out of 36 brokers, compared with Spreadex at #27, so ActivTrades has a small lead overall even though the two platforms are closely matched.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| 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.
For beginners looking for help learning how to trade, ActivTrades has a clear edge over Spreadex. ActivTrades offers forex and CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces, runs online educational client webinars at least once a month, and provides 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos. Spreadex also offers at least 10 beginner videos, but it does not appear to provide monthly educational webinars, and it falls short on advanced video content and the same level of forex or CFD-focused learning material.
Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education, but ActivTrades is ranked higher by ForexBrokers.com at #30 out of 36 brokers, compared with Spreadex at #33. In simple terms, both brokers give beginners some useful learning tools, but ActivTrades offers a wider mix of educational content and more support for traders who want to keep learning beyond the basics.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ActivTrades is better than Spreadex. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28, while Spreadex finished with an overall rank of #32.
ActivTrades is a long-standing brand that offers a proprietary trading platform, ActivTrader, and support for the award-winning TradingView and MetaTrader (MT4 and MT5) platforms. ActivTrades also delivers a selection of custom add-ons, indicators, and trading tools for traders who prefer to use MetaTrader. Drawbacks for trading with ActivTrades include a smaller selection of tradeable symbols and fewer educational resources than what’s available from the best forex brokers.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 70 |
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Online brokers ActivTrades and Spreadex do not allow buying actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
In the ActivTrades vs Spreadex comparison of deposit and withdrawal methods, both support bank wire transfers but neither supports ACH/SEPA or PayPal; only ActivTrades offers Skrill, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Spreadex Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 80 | 70 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | 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). | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 10000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 52 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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). | 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 | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.08 | 0.81 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 58 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Spreadex Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Spreadex Review |
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