Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of StoneX Trading 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.
StoneX Trading and ActivTrades are both non-bank online brokers, but they differ clearly in age, ownership, and regulation. StoneX Trading was founded in 1983 and is publicly traded, while ActivTrades was founded in 2001 and is not listed on a stock exchange. In terms of regulatory oversight, StoneX Trading holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, giving it a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, which falls in the highly trusted range. ActivTrades holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, with a Trust Score of 80 out of 99, placing it in the trusted range.
For traders comparing online broker safety and regulation, StoneX Trading has the stronger profile overall thanks to its longer track record, public listing, and wider set of top-tier licenses. ActivTrades still earns a solid trust rating, but it has fewer Tier-1 regulators behind it and a lower Trust Score than StoneX Trading.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
StoneX Trading and ActivTrades both offer commissions and fees that are fairly competitive, but StoneX Trading comes out slightly ahead on pricing. StoneX Trading’s costs for CFDs, forex, and spread betting are in line with the industry average, and its best pricing is usually available on its own platforms or MetaTrader. For EUR/USD, StoneX Trading showed an average spread of 0.74 pips in July 2023, which is close to the market average but not as low as the cheapest forex brokers. It also offers active trader rebates for eligible clients, including U.K. professional traders and high-volume traders in Australia. StoneX Trading is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #16 out of 36 for commissions and fees.
ActivTrades also keeps fees fairly reasonable, with spreads that are slightly better than the industry average overall, though still not among the lowest-cost options in the market. It offers an Individual Account, Professional Account, Islamic Account, and demo account, but it does not have a special pricing plan for high-volume traders, and there is no active trader rebate program. ActivTrades says spreads can vary by asset and platform, and its EUR/USD average spread was 0.98 pips in May 2024. ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #22 out of 36 for commissions and fees.
In simple terms, StoneX Trading has the edge for traders looking for lower average forex pricing and volume-based discounts, while ActivTrades may still appeal to people who want straightforward account choices and slightly better-than-average spreads. If commissions and fees are your main concern, StoneX Trading is the stronger pick between the two.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.4 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.9 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, StoneX Trading offers a wider choice than ActivTrades. StoneX Trading lists 13,500 tradeable symbols and 66 forex pairs, compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 tradeable symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, offer copy trading, and let clients trade cryptocurrency CFDs rather than buy actual crypto. Neither broker offers exchange-traded U.S. shares, but ActivTrades does provide access to exchange-traded securities on international markets, while StoneX Trading does not.
These differences are reflected in their ratings and rankings. StoneX Trading earns 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #8 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #26. For traders who want a larger selection of markets and instruments, StoneX Trading has the edge, while ActivTrades still offers a solid mix of forex, CFDs, copy trading, and international shares.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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). | 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.
StoneX Trading and ActivTrades both give traders a strong mix of platform choices and useful tools. Each broker offers a free demo account for paper trading, its own proprietary platform, a Windows desktop platform, a web-based platform, copy trading, and MetaTrader 4. Both also let users trade directly from a chart, which can make order entry faster and easier. In Trading Platforms and Tools, StoneX Trading is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #27.
The main difference is that ActivTrades also offers MetaTrader 5, while StoneX Trading does not. That gives ActivTrades an extra option for traders who want the newer MetaTrader version alongside its other platform choices. Even so, StoneX Trading still stands out for its higher category rating and better ranking overall, making it the stronger pick for platform and tools in this comparison.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
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) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
StoneX Trading and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each lets users set stock or forex price alerts. Both apps also support trendline drawing on charts and automatically save those drawings, which can make it easier to track trade ideas while on the go. For mobile convenience, StoneX Trading has an added edge with watchlist symbol syncing, so changes made in the app carry over to the online account, while ActivTrades does not offer this feature.
When it comes to charting tools, StoneX Trading stands out with 88 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with 30 at ActivTrades. That stronger feature set is reflected in its ratings as well: StoneX Trading is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks #21. If mobile charting and account syncing matter most, StoneX Trading is the stronger choice.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, both StoneX Trading and ActivTrades give traders helpful day-to-day information. Each broker offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, a sentiment tool that shows long versus short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking global events. Neither broker includes research from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
The main difference is that StoneX Trading adds Trading Central tools, such as Technical Analytics, while ActivTrades does not. That extra layer of chart-based insight helps StoneX Trading stand out in this area, which is reflected in its stronger research score of 4.5 out of 5 and its #10 ranking out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. ActivTrades earns 4 out of 5 and ranks #27, making StoneX Trading the better choice overall for market research.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | 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.
StoneX Trading and ActivTrades both give beginners plenty of learning support, including forex and CFD education with at least 10 relevant pieces of content, monthly educational webinars, and a solid library of beginner and advanced trading videos. That means new traders can find step-by-step material to help them understand the basics, while more experienced users can still access lessons on deeper trading topics. For anyone comparing the two on learning tools alone, both brokers cover the key essentials.
StoneX Trading stands out for education quality, though. It earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30. In simple terms, both brokers support beginners well, but StoneX Trading appears to offer the stronger overall educational experience.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
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 StoneX Trading is better than ActivTrades. StoneX Trading finished with an overall rank of #8, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
Backed by StoneX Group and formerly named City Index, StoneX Trading is a trusted brand known for its versatile trading platforms, excellent mobile app, diverse market research, and extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
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ActivTrades
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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Both StoneX Trading and ActivTrades let traders access cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither broker currently offers the ability to buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency.
StoneX Trading stands out for funding flexibility with ACH/SEPA transfers and PayPal available for deposits and withdrawals, while ActivTrades does not support those methods but does offer Skrill; both brokers support bank wire transfers, and Visa or 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 | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | StoneX Trading Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 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 | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | 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) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | 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 | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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). | 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 | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.4 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.9 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | StoneX Trading | 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) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | StoneX Trading | 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 | 88 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | StoneX Trading Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | StoneX Trading | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | StoneX Trading Review | ActivTrades Review |
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