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.
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.
Choosing the right online broker can be a complex task, especially when comparing companies like ActivTrades and Spreadex. Founded in 2001, ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 licenses and boasts a Trust Score of 81 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, categorizing it as a trusted broker. Meanwhile, Spreadex, established in 1999, holds one Tier-1 license and has a Trust Score of 71, marking it as posing average risk. These scores reflect their financial soundness and regulatory compliance, crucial factors for those venturing into online trading.
Neither ActivTrades nor Spreadex are publicly traded nor operate as banks, which investors should take into account when evaluating them for trading purposes. Additionally, ActivTrades offers a Tier-2 license for further reassurance, while Spreadex does not hold any Tier-2 licenses. Overall, ActivTrades emerges as a reliable option with slightly stronger regulatory backing than Spreadex, offering peace of mind for those prioritizing security and trustworthiness in their trading journey.
| 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 |
Looking at ActivTrades vs Spreadex for commissions and fees, Spreadex comes out cheaper on the popular EUR/USD pair based on the latest snapshots. ActivTrades averaged 0.98 pips in May 2024, while Spreadex averaged 0.81 pips in January 2024 and hit a 0.6-pip minimum 60% of the time that month. Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, Spreadex is #28 of 63 and ActivTrades is #29 of 63.
ActivTrades’ pricing is slightly better than the industry average, though not quite among the very lowest-cost forex brokers. It offers one main Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic Account options, and a demo account for practice. Spreads are the same across account types; the Professional tier mainly changes margin requirements (and thus leverage), not pricing. There’s no dedicated high-volume account and no active trader pricing. Actual costs depend on the assets you trade and the platform, and spreads can widen during quieter periods such as rollover.
Spreadex’s recent EUR/USD figures suggest leaner spreads on that pair versus ActivTrades, but—just like with any broker—your real trading costs will vary by instrument, platform, and market conditions throughout the day. If you mostly trade EUR/USD, Spreadex may offer a small edge on spread-only pricing, while ActivTrades remains competitive across a broad range of markets.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | 0.81 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 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.
ActivTrades and Spreadex both let you trade forex as CFDs or spot, and each supports crypto CFDs (neither offers actual, delivered crypto). Spreadex stands out on sheer variety with about 10,000 tradeable instruments and 52 forex pairs, compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 symbols and 49 pairs.
For exchange-traded shares, neither broker lets you buy U.S. stocks directly, but ActivTrades does offer some international exchange-traded shares, while Spreadex does not. ActivTrades also supports copy trading; Spreadex does not. For Range of Investments, Spreadex is rated 5 stars and ranks 14th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks 32nd—making Spreadex a better fit if you want a very wide CFD lineup, and ActivTrades appealing if you value international share access and copy trading.
| 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.
ActivTrades and Spreadex both offer free demo (paper) accounts and their own in-house trading platforms. ActivTrades stands out if you want more platform choice: it supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and provides a downloadable Windows desktop platform, along with a web platform. Spreadex offers a proprietary web platform but does not provide a Windows desktop download and does not support MT4 or MT5. Both brokers let you place trades directly from charts. For social features, ActivTrades offers copy trading, while Spreadex does not.
Both brokers earned 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools from ForexBrokers.com. In the category rankings, ActivTrades placed #32 out of 63 brokers, while Spreadex ranked #47. In short, choose ActivTrades if you want MT4/MT5, a Windows desktop option, and copy trading; pick Spreadex if you prefer a streamlined, browser-based, proprietary platform experience.
| 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.
Both ActivTrades and Spreadex offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and both support price alerts to help you react quickly to market moves. Each app earned 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, according to ForexBrokers.com. That said, ActivTrades ranks higher overall in this category (#19 of 63 brokers) compared with Spreadex (#47 of 63), which may matter if you’re comparing depth and polish across the broader field.
If charting tools are important, ActivTrades stands out with 30 built-in technical studies, the ability to draw trendlines, and automatic saving of your chart drawings. Spreadex also lets you draw trendlines, but it does not auto-save drawings, and it doesn’t publish a count for its technical studies. Neither broker syncs mobile watchlists with the web platform, so changes made on one device won’t carry over to the other. In short, both apps handle the basics well, but ActivTrades offers more advanced charting and a stronger category ranking.
| 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 deliver daily market commentary, real-time forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and handy economic calendars to track upcoming events. Each broker also includes sentiment tools that show the balance of long and short positions. Neither platform integrates Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading, so their research lineups are broadly similar in these areas.
The standout difference is Autochartist: Spreadex includes this pattern-recognition tool, while ActivTrades does not. In independent testing, both brokers earned 4 out of 5 stars for research, with ActivTrades ranked 31st out of 63 brokers and Spreadex close behind at 32nd. If you want built-in Autochartist screening, Spreadex has the edge; otherwise, the two are closely matched for everyday research and market news.
| 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 beginner traders comparing ActivTrades and Spreadex, both brokers offer at least 10 beginner-focused videos that explain trading basics for forex and CFDs. ActivTrades stands out by running monthly educational webinars and providing a larger library of advanced videos, which can help you progress from entry-level topics to more in-depth strategies. Spreadex, while offering plenty of beginner videos, does not host ongoing webinars and does not match ActivTrades on advanced video content.
Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for education, but ForexBrokers.com ranks ActivTrades slightly higher at #38 out of 63 brokers versus Spreadex at #45. If you value live, ongoing coaching and a clearer path from beginner to advanced learning, ActivTrades is the stronger pick. If you mainly want a set of beginner videos to get started, Spreadex can still meet that need.
| 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 #33, while Spreadex finished with an overall rank of #39.
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
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Spreadex
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 |
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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 | 81 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Spreadex Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| 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 | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | ||
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| 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 | 0.98 | 0.81 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 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 | 81 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Spreadex Review |
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