Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ThinkMarkets 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 ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades, both firms show impressive regulatory credentials, yet some differences stand out. ThinkMarkets, established in 2010, has a higher Trust Score of 92 according to ForexBrokers.com, categorizing it as highly trusted. This company holds 5 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, reflecting strong global regulatory recognition. In contrast, ActivTrades, founded in 2001, holds a Trust Score of 81, marking it as trusted by industry standards. This broker has secured 2 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, which also demonstrate a firm regulatory standing, albeit less extensive than ThinkMarkets.
Both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades are not publicly traded and do not operate as banks, maintaining a similar business model in providing online trading services. Their regulatory profiles indicate both brokers have built a foundation of trust within the financial sector, yet ThinkMarkets edges ahead with additional licensing and a higher trust rating, offering traders an attractive layer of security and confidence to consider when choosing a broker.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades both earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, but their rankings differ: ThinkMarkets is #48 of 63 and ActivTrades is #29 of 63 in ForexBrokers.com’s Commissions and Fees category. Average spread data for ThinkMarkets isn’t available, which makes direct cost comparisons harder. ActivTrades publishes target spreads and reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips for May 2024—slightly better than the industry average, though not the lowest available.
ActivTrades’ pricing is centered on spreads that are the same across its account types: an Individual Account, a Professional Account (with lower margin requirements but identical spreads), and an Islamic Account; there’s also a demo account. There’s no specific plan for high-volume traders and no active trader pricing. Actual costs vary by asset and can differ by platform, and spreads can widen during quieter periods such as the rollover window.
If you want clearer, broker-sourced spread guidance, ActivTrades provides more transparency and holds the higher ranking (#29 vs. #48). ThinkMarkets’ 4-star rating suggests it’s competitive on costs, but the lack of average spread data limits apples-to-apples comparisons. In either case, check live spreads, overnight financing (swaps), and any platform-related fees on the instruments you plan to trade.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades both support forex trading (CFD/spot), copy trading, and crypto exposure via derivatives, but neither lets you buy actual cryptocurrency. For shares, neither broker offers real U.S.-listed stocks, while both provide access to certain international exchange-traded securities (not CFDs). In overall market coverage, ThinkMarkets stands out with about 4,000 tradeable symbols compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267, though ActivTrades offers a slightly higher number of forex pairs (49 vs. 46).
Independent ratings reflect this spread: ForexBrokers.com scores ThinkMarkets at 4.5/5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks it 24th out of 63 brokers, while ActivTrades earns 4/5 stars and ranks 32nd. Bottom line: ThinkMarkets delivers a broader overall selection, whereas ActivTrades edges ahead on the count of forex pairs.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades both check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each broker offers a free demo (paper) trading account, a proprietary platform, and access to Windows desktop and web platforms. You’ll also find copy trading plus MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) at both brokers, and neither supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. For charting, both let you place trades directly from the chart and include 15 drawing tools; the number of built-in technical indicators wasn’t specified.
When it comes to convenience and usability, ThinkMarkets offers 15 watch list columns versus 11 at ActivTrades, which may matter if you like more fields on your screen. Both brokers earned 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings out of 63 brokers, ThinkMarkets placed #28 while ActivTrades came in at #32. If you want more watch list flexibility, ThinkMarkets has a slight edge; otherwise, both deliver similar platform coverage, including MT4/MT5 and their own in-house platforms.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 15 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades both offer fully functional mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android devices, allowing traders to stay connected and manage their trades on the go. Users can set stock or forex price alerts with ease, providing timely notifications regardless of where they are. While both brokers enable the drawing of trendlines and viewing multiple time frames on charts, ThinkMarkets takes a lead with 94 technical studies available for its charting tools compared to ActivTrades' 30. However, neither app currently supports watchlist symbol syncing, which means changes made to watchlists on mobile do not automatically update on the online account.
Creating watchlists with real-time quotes is straightforward on both platforms, ensuring that traders have access to up-to-date information. Despite these comprehensive offerings, both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades fell just shy of the top rankings in the mobile app category according to ForexBrokers.com, with ThinkMarkets holding the 20th position and ActivTrades slightly ahead at 19th out of 63 brokers. Both brokers have earned commendable four-star ratings for their mobile trading apps, reflecting strong user satisfaction and solid toolsets for mobile trading enthusiasts.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades both deliver daily market commentary, streaming forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, sentiment tools that show long vs. short positioning, and an economic calendar to track key events. Neither broker includes Autochartist, Trading Central, or TipRanks in their research lineup. One notable difference: ThinkMarkets adds Acuity Trading tools (such as Signal Centre), while ActivTrades does not.
For overall research quality, ActivTrades holds the edge with a 4 out of 5 rating and a #31 ranking out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. ThinkMarkets earns 3.5 out of 5 and ranks #51. If you want Acuity-powered signals within your platform, ThinkMarkets is appealing. If you’re after a higher-rated research experience based on third-party evaluations, ActivTrades is the stronger pick.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources offered by ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades, both platforms provide a solid foundation for beginners interested in forex and CFDs. Each broker offers a comprehensive selection of educational pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars, exceeding the minimum threshold of ten items dedicated to forex or CFDs. They also maintain an impressive schedule of online educational webinars, ensuring at least one is hosted each month, and offer a searchable archive of these sessions, which can be invaluable for those unable to attend live events.
For beginners looking for video content, both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades deliver with over ten beginner-focused videos exploring various trading topics. They also cater to more advanced traders, offering more than ten in-depth videos suited for experienced investors. One key difference is that ThinkMarkets includes an extensive investor dictionary with definitions for over 50 investing terms, a resource ActivTrades lacks. Despite ThinkMarkets providing a wide range of educational resources, ActivTrades edges slightly ahead in overall educational ratings, earning four out of five stars compared to ThinkMarkets’ 3.5 stars, and securing a higher rank (#38) among 63 brokers as opposed to ThinkMarkets’ (#52) ranking according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ThinkMarkets is better than ActivTrades. ThinkMarkets finished with an overall rank of #27, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
ThinkMarkets has multiple regulatory license and offers a proprietary trading platform, as well as the entire MetaTrader suite. The broker has made progress in key areas, such as research and education, and the range of markets available, although trails behind the best brokers in these categories.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 81 |
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Both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades do not offer actual (delivered) cryptocurrency purchases but provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades both provide options for depositing and withdrawing funds via Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but neither supports ACH, SEPA, or PayPal transactions.
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 | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Regulation | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 15 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
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