Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Swissquote 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.
When comparing the online brokers Swissquote and ActivTrades, several key differences emerge in terms of reliability and regulatory oversight. Swissquote, founded in 1996 and publicly traded, also operates as a bank. It holds a stellar ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, indicating it is highly trusted. Swissquote boasts 5 Tier-1 licenses, which signify the highest level of trust, alongside 2 Tier-2 licenses that further bolster its reliable status.
On the other hand, ActivTrades, established in 2001, is a private entity and not a bank. It carries a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 81, categorizing it as a trusted broker but with a slightly lower trust level than Swissquote. ActivTrades holds 2 Tier-1 licenses, suggesting a high degree of trust, and 1 Tier-2 license. While both brokers offer a secure experience, Swissquote's higher trust score and additional licenses highlight its reputation for reliability.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, ActivTrades generally comes out cheaper, with a 4 stars rating and a #29 rank out of 63 brokers for this category. Swissquote is pricier overall, earning 3.5 stars and ranking #54 out of 63. For a popular pair like EUR/USD, ActivTrades reported a 0.98-pip average spread in May 2024, while Swissquote’s spreads vary by entity and account type and tend to be higher.
Swissquote’s pricing depends on whether you open an account with its U.K., Luxembourg, or Swiss entity. In the U.K., active traders who can deposit at least $10,000 may prefer the commission-based Elite account, which pairs lower spreads with a $5 round-turn commission; the Standard account starts from 1.3 pips on EUR/USD, and Prime lists a 0.6-pip minimum (not an average). In Luxembourg, minimum spreads range from 1.5 pips (Standard, $1,000 minimum) to 0.8 pips (Prime, $50,000). In Switzerland, the Standard account starts from 1.7 pips on EUR/USD ($1,000 minimum), Premium from 1.4 pips ($10,000), and Prime from 1.1 pips ($50,000). Custom pricing can be negotiated for high volumes.
ActivTrades keeps things simpler with one main Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic options; spreads are the same across these account types and there’s no separate high-volume or active trader pricing. Actual costs depend on the assets you trade and the platform you choose, and spreads can widen during quieter periods like rollover—common across brokers. Overall, ActivTrades’ spreads are slightly better than the industry average but not the lowest available, while Swissquote typically carries a premium unless you qualify for its U.K. Elite setup.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Looking at the range of investments, ActivTrades offers more total instruments (1,267 tradeable symbols) than Swissquote (472). If you focus on forex, though, Swissquote lists more currency pairs (80 vs 49). Both brokers support forex trading, whether as CFDs or spot contracts, and both offer copy trading.
For exchange-traded securities, Swissquote stands out: you can buy and own U.S.-listed shares (such as Apple on NASDAQ) and stocks on international exchanges. ActivTrades provides access to international exchanges but not U.S.-listed shares as actual stocks. In crypto, Swissquote lets you buy both real cryptocurrencies and crypto CFDs, while ActivTrades offers crypto CFDs only. Reflecting this breadth, ForexBrokers.com rates Swissquote 5/5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked #2 of 63) and ActivTrades 4/5 stars (ranked #32 of 63).
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
Swissquote and ActivTrades both check key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each broker provides a free demo (paper) account, an in-house platform, Windows desktop software, and a web-based platform. They also support MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), offer copy trading, and let you place trades directly from price charts. That means you can test strategies, switch between web and desktop, and use popular third-party tools at either broker.
Where they differ is in independent ratings: Swissquote scores 4.5/5 for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks #12 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4/5 and ranks #32. Details for the number of built-in technical indicators and watchlist columns were not disclosed. If you want higher-rated platform features, Swissquote edges ahead; if you prefer ActivTrades for other reasons, you’ll still get a complete, modern platform lineup.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
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) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Comparing Swissquote and ActivTrades for mobile trading, both brokers check the core boxes: each offers an iPhone app and an Android app, price alerts for stocks and forex, and rich charting with 30 technical studies. You can draw trendlines in both apps, and drawings auto-save so your annotations are preserved the next time you open a chart. One notable limitation for both is watchlist syncing: changes you make in the mobile app don’t sync with your online account’s watchlists.
Where they differ is in ratings and rankings. Swissquote’s mobile trading apps earn 4.5 out of 5 stars and rank #12 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #19. If you want top-tier chart tools with alerts on either iPhone or Android, both apps deliver a similar feature set; if you value third-party evaluations, Swissquote holds the edge in both score and placement.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Swissquote vs ActivTrades: both brokers deliver daily market commentary, stream forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and include an economic calendar to track key events. Where they differ is in extra tools. Swissquote offers Autochartist for technical pattern scanning, while ActivTrades does not. ActivTrades counters with a built-in sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long and short positions; Swissquote lacks this. Neither broker provides Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading integrations.
In overall research quality, both earn 4 out of 5 stars, but Swissquote holds a higher position in ForexBrokers.com’s rankings—16th out of 63 brokers—compared with ActivTrades at 31st. If you value automated chart pattern insights, Swissquote has the edge. If you prefer sentiment data to gauge market positioning, ActivTrades may suit you better.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners comparing Swissquote vs ActivTrades on education, both brokers deliver strong forex and CFD learning hubs. Each offers plenty of beginner-friendly content, including at least 10 videos that explain core trading concepts in plain language. You’ll also find ongoing online client webinars every month to help you practice what you learn, plus a wide library that includes advanced videos (10 or more) for when you’re ready to level up.
In expert evaluations, both Swissquote and ActivTrades earn 4 out of 5 stars for Education. However, Swissquote ranks higher overall, coming in at #20 out of 63 brokers for the Education category, while ActivTrades ranks #38. If you’re just getting started, you’ll be well served by either broker’s videos and monthly webinars; Swissquote earns a slight edge based on its higher ranking.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
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 Swissquote is better than ActivTrades. Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #11, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
Traders choose Swissquote for its quality research and vast multi-asset offering – as long as they are willing to pay a premium to have their brokerage account held with a Swiss bank.
| Feature |
Swissquote
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ActivTrades
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 |
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In the Swissquote vs ActivTrades online broker comparison for crypto, Swissquote allows buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trading cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas ActivTrades offers cryptocurrency CFDs only and does not provide delivered coins.
Swissquote vs ActivTrades: For deposits and withdrawals, Swissquote supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, while ActivTrades supports Skrill and bank wire but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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 | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | 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 | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Swissquote | 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Swissquote Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | Swissquote | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | ActivTrades Review |
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