Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Tickmill 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.
Tickmill (founded 2014) and ActivTrades (founded 2001) are not publicly traded and are not banks. ForexBrokers.com rates Tickmill at 85/99 and ActivTrades at 80/99—both in the “trusted” range (90–99 highly trusted; 80–89 trusted; 70–79 average risk; 60–69 high risk; 59 or lower not trusted).
Both brokers hold two Tier-1 licenses, which ForexBrokers.com considers highly trusted. Tickmill also holds two Tier-2 licenses versus one for ActivTrades, giving Tickmill a slightly broader set of trusted regulatory approvals.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Tickmill comes out ahead of ActivTrades for most cost-focused traders. Tickmill earns 4.5 stars and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees. It offers a commission-free Classic account, but its low-cost Raw account is the better pick for active traders. On the Raw account, Tickmill charges $3 per side per standard lot, and while that is higher than before, its spreads are still very competitive. For example, Tickmill listed a typical EUR/USD spread of 0.11 pips, with an estimated all-in cost of about 0.71 pips after commission.
ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #23 out of 36 in the same category. It offers an Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic account options, but it does not have a special pricing plan for high-volume traders. In general, ActivTrades’ fees are mainly spread-based, and its average EUR/USD spread was 0.98 pips. That puts it in a reasonable spot versus the industry average, but not as cheap as the lowest-cost forex brokers.
In simple terms, Tickmill is usually the better choice if keeping trading costs low is your main goal, especially on its Raw account. ActivTrades is still a solid option, but its pricing is less competitive overall. If you want the broker with the better mix of spreads and trading costs, Tickmill has the edge.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.70 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.70 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Tickmill and ActivTrades both give traders access to forex as CFDs or spot contracts, plus copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. Neither broker lets you buy actual, delivered crypto, and neither offers exchange-traded U.S. shares. For forex traders, Tickmill lists 62 currency pairs, while ActivTrades offers 49, giving Tickmill a slight edge in forex variety.
When it comes to the wider range of investments, ActivTrades has the bigger overall selection with 1,267 tradeable symbols compared with Tickmill’s 637. ActivTrades also stands out by offering exchange-traded securities on international exchanges, such as shares listed in London, while Tickmill does not. Reflecting this wider lineup, ActivTrades is rated 4 stars for Range of Investments and ranks 26th out of 36 brokers, ahead of Tickmill’s 3.5 stars and 32nd place ranking.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 637 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 62 | 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.
Tickmill and ActivTrades both give traders a good mix of platform choices, including free demo accounts, web-based access, Windows desktop downloads, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. For traders who want familiar third-party tools, the two brokers look very similar on paper, and both earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools.
The main difference is that ActivTrades also offers its own in-house platform, while Tickmill does not. That extra choice may appeal to traders who want something beyond MetaTrader. Even so, Tickmill places slightly higher in ForexBrokers.com’s category ranking, coming in at #24 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at #28, which suggests Tickmill has a small edge overall in this area.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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) | 97 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Tickmill and ActivTrades both make it easy to trade on the go with iPhone and Android apps, and each earns a 4-star rating for mobile trading apps. ActivTrades has a slight edge for traders who want price alerts and automatic saving of chart drawings, while Tickmill stands out for watchlist syncing between its mobile app and online account. That means changes you make to a watchlist on Tickmill will carry over across devices, which can be handy if you move between your phone and desktop.
When it comes to chart tools, Tickmill offers 97 technical studies in its mobile app, far more than ActivTrades’ 30. Both brokers let you draw trendlines on charts, but Tickmill does not auto-save those drawings, while ActivTrades does. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps ranking, ActivTrades places higher at #21 out of 36 brokers, compared with Tickmill at #25, so the better choice may depend on whether you value more chart options or more built-in mobile features like alerts and saved drawings.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Tickmill and ActivTrades both provide daily market commentary and an economic calendar, so traders can keep up with major events and short-term market moves on either platform. Each broker also earns a 4-star rating for research, which puts them on solid footing for everyday market tracking. That said, Tickmill stands out for offering Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre, while ActivTrades does not include those tools.
ActivTrades has the edge when it comes to market news and sentiment tools. It offers forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus a sentiment tool that shows the balance of long and short positions across instruments. Tickmill does not offer those features, and neither broker provides Autochartist, Trading Central, or TipRanks research. In ForexBrokers.com’s research ranking, Tickmill places higher at #19 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at #28.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for trading education, both Tickmill and ActivTrades offer a solid range of learning materials focused on forex and CFDs. Each broker provides at least 10 educational pieces on these topics, plus monthly client webinars, along with 10 or more beginner videos and 10 or more advanced videos. This means new traders can find help at both brokers whether they want to learn the basics or build on existing knowledge.
That said, Tickmill has the edge in overall education quality and recognition. Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education, but Tickmill is ranked higher by ForexBrokers.com at #14 out of 36, while ActivTrades sits at #32. For beginners comparing the two, both are useful, but Tickmill appears to offer a stronger educational experience overall.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
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 Tickmill is better than ActivTrades. Tickmill finished with an overall rank of #23, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
Tickmill is a run-of-the-mill MetaTrader broker that offers a limited selection of tradeable securities. The broker does offer very competitive commission-based pricing for professionals through its VIP and Pro accounts.
| Feature |
Tickmill
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 80 |
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Comparing online brokers Tickmill vs ActivTrades for crypto trading: neither offers buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both provide cryptocurrency CFDs for speculative trading.
Tickmill vs ActivTrades: for deposits and withdrawals, neither supports ACH or SEPA transfers, both provide Skrill and bank wire, Tickmill adds PayPal while ActivTrades does not, and 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 | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 85 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | 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) | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 637 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 62 | 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 | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.70 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.70 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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 | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Tickmill Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | Tickmill | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review | ActivTrades Review |
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