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 |
When comparing commissions and fees, ActivTrades typically edges out Swissquote on pricing. ActivTrades’ EUR/USD averaged 0.98 pips in May 2024, which is slightly better than the industry average, while Swissquote’s pricing often runs higher unless you qualify for its lower-spread, commission-based tier in the U.K. Overall ratings reflect this: ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #21 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees at ForexBrokers.com, while Swissquote earns 3.5 stars and ranks #35 out of 63.
Swissquote’s costs vary by entity. In the U.K., there are four accounts: the commission-based Elite account (aimed at active traders with at least $10,000) charges $5 per round-turn and offers lower spreads; Standard starts at 1.3 pips on EUR/USD; Prime advertises minimum spreads from 0.6 pips (minimums, not averages); and Professional is similar to Elite with different margin rules. In Luxembourg, Standard ($1,000 min), Premium ($5,000), and Prime ($50,000) list minimum spreads from 1.5 to 0.8 pips. In Switzerland, Standard starts at 1.7 pips, Premium at 1.4 pips, and Prime at 1.1 pips on EUR/USD, with custom pricing negotiable for high-volume traders. Generally, Swissquote’s fees are higher than the lowest-cost forex brokers, though U.K. accounts are the most competitive within its lineup.
ActivTrades keeps things simple with one main Individual account, plus Professional and Islamic options. Spreads are the same across account types (the Professional designation mainly affects margin and leverage), and there’s no special active-trader pricing. Actual costs depend on what you trade and the platform in use, and spreads can widen during rollover like most brokers. With an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024, ActivTrades is priced a bit better than average, though not the absolute cheapest.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.92 |
| 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.
Comparing Swissquote and ActivTrades on range of investments: both support forex trading via CFD or spot and both offer copy trading. ActivTrades lists more total tradeable symbols (1,267 vs. Swissquote’s 472), but Swissquote carries more forex pairs (80 vs. 49). For Range of Investments, ForexBrokers.com rates Swissquote 5 stars (ranked #2 of 63) and ActivTrades 4 stars (ranked #25 of 63).
Swissquote lets clients buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while ActivTrades offers exchange-traded securities on international exchanges but not U.S. markets. For crypto, Swissquote provides access to both actual (delivered) coins and crypto CFDs; ActivTrades offers crypto CFDs only. In short, choose Swissquote if you value U.S. shares, more forex pairs, and real crypto, and consider ActivTrades if you prefer a larger overall list of symbols to trade.
| 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.
Comparing Swissquote vs ActivTrades for trading platforms and tools, both brokers deliver a full suite: free demo accounts for paper trading; in-house proprietary platforms alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5); Windows desktop downloads and web-based platforms; copy trading; and the ability to place orders directly from charts. That makes either choice convenient for testing strategies, placing trades from your browser or PC, and following other traders.
The standout difference is in third-party reviews: Swissquote earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #12 of 63 for Platforms and Tools at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades holds 4/5 stars and ranks #26. Both include charting indicators and customizable watch lists, though exact counts weren’t disclosed. If platform quality and independent rankings matter most, Swissquote has the edge; if you already prefer the ActivTrades experience, you’ll still find a capable toolset with MT4/MT5, web and desktop access, copy trading, and chart trading.
| 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.
Swissquote and ActivTrades both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, offers 30 technical studies for charting, lets you draw trendlines, and auto-saves your chart drawings. A key limitation is the same for both: watchlist symbol syncing is not available, so changes you make on mobile won’t sync with your online account and vice versa.
When it comes to quality ratings, Swissquote has the edge. Swissquote is rated 4.5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #12 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks #21. If you want a higher-rated mobile experience with strong charting tools and alerts, Swissquote is the better pick. If you simply need a capable app for on-the-go trading with price alerts and drawing tools, ActivTrades also fits the bill—just note that neither app supports watchlist syncing.
| 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.
Both Swissquote and ActivTrades deliver daily market commentary, real-time forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus an economic calendar to track key events. Where they differ is in research tools: Swissquote includes Autochartist for technical analysis and trade ideas, while ActivTrades does not. Neither broker offers Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. ActivTrades stands out with a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long vs. short positions across instruments, a feature Swissquote lacks.
In expert ratings, both earn 4 stars for research, but Swissquote ranks higher (#15 of 63) than ActivTrades (#26) on ForexBrokers.com. Choose Swissquote if you want built-in technical pattern scanning and automated ideas from Autochartist. Pick ActivTrades if crowd sentiment data is central to your strategy, alongside daily commentary, premium news, and a clear economic calendar at either broker.
| 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.
Swissquote and ActivTrades both deliver beginner-friendly forex and CFD education. Each meets the common baseline for this category by offering well over ten learning pieces focused on forex/CFDs, plus monthly client webinars. Both also go further with at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos, giving new traders a clear path from basics to more complex strategies. ForexBrokers.com rates their Education offerings equally at 4 out of 5 stars.
Where they differ is in category ranking: Swissquote places higher at 19th out of 63 brokers for Education, while ActivTrades is 30th. If you want a slightly higher-ranked learning hub, Swissquote has the edge. If you prefer ActivTrades’ platform but still want comprehensive education with frequent webinars and deep video libraries, you won’t be missing out on quality beginner resources.
| 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 #28.
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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| 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 |
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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 (FSA 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 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.92 | |
| 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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