Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs TopFX, 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.
ActivTrades and TopFX are both reputable online brokers, but they differ in their regulatory credentials and trust scores. Established in 2001, ActivTrades has built a solid regulatory reputation and holds two Tier-1 licenses, which are highly trusted. Additionally, they possess a Tier-2 license, making them a trusted broker with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 81, placing them in the "trusted" category. In contrast, TopFX, which was set up in 2010, holds one Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. Their Trust Score of 67 categorizes them as "high risk," indicating a less favorable trust rating compared to ActivTrades.
Neither ActivTrades nor TopFX is publicly traded or operates as a bank, offering potential investors similar levels of corporate independence. While both brokers are dedicated to providing services to their clients, potential users may prioritize their decision based on the regulatory standings and trust scores that highlight how each broker navigates financial regulations. These scores and licenses serve as a quick comparison point for traders concerned with security and compliance when selecting an online broker.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
TopFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
ActivTrades and TopFX both earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s 2024 rankings, ActivTrades is #29 of 63, while TopFX is #41 of 63. On EUR/USD, ActivTrades reported an average spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024, which is slightly better than the industry average but not the lowest available. TopFX’s RAW account posted an all-in cost of about 0.88 pips in July 2024 (0.33-pip average spread plus the commission equivalent of 0.55 pips per round turn), roughly in line with the industry average, while its ZERO account averaged 1.03 pips with no commission. Actual costs can vary by market conditions and trading platform.
ActivTrades keeps pricing straightforward with one main Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic options. The Pro account mainly changes margin requirements (and therefore potential leverage); spreads are the same across account types. There’s no special high-volume or active trader pricing. Fees depend on the asset you trade, and spreads can widen during quieter periods such as rollover.
TopFX offers two clear choices: the spread-only ZERO account, and the commission-based RAW account on MetaTrader and cTrader. The RAW account charges 2.75 EUR per side (5.50 EUR per standard lot round turn) and, paired with its low average spreads, can deliver competitive all-in costs on major pairs. The ZERO account removes commission but uses wider spreads. Minimum deposit depends on your chosen payment method.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
TopFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | Depends on payment method |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | 1.03 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.88 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
ActivTrades vs TopFX: Both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot. ActivTrades lists 1,267 tradeable symbols, nearly double TopFX’s 655. TopFX counters with 60 currency pairs versus ActivTrades’ 49. Neither broker offers exchange-traded U.S. shares, but ActivTrades does provide access to certain international exchange-traded securities (not CFDs), while TopFX does not. Each supports copy trading. For crypto, both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but you can’t buy actual coins through either broker.
For range of investments, ForexBrokers.com rates ActivTrades 4 stars and ranks it 32nd of 63, while TopFX earns 3.5 stars and ranks 47th. In short, choose ActivTrades if you want more total instruments and access to international shares, or pick TopFX if having more forex pairs is your priority.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
TopFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 655 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 60 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| 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.
Online brokers ActivTrades and TopFX both make it easy to start with a free demo account. Each provides Windows desktop and web-based trading, copy trading, and the ability to place orders directly from charts. Both support MetaTrader 4 (MT4). ActivTrades adds two key options: a proprietary in-house platform and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). TopFX does not offer its own platform and does not support MT5. Exact counts for built-in technical indicators and watchlist fields are not provided here.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, both brokers earn 4 stars from ForexBrokers.com, but ActivTrades ranks higher (#32 of 63) than TopFX (#46 of 63). If you want MT5 access or the choice to use a broker’s own platform, ActivTrades has the edge. If MT4 plus web and desktop access and copy trading cover your needs, TopFX keeps pace. In either case, their free demo accounts let you test the platforms before you commit.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
TopFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ActivTrades and TopFX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, includes 30 technical studies for charting, and lets you draw trendlines that auto-save—handy when you switch between charts. One shared limitation: watchlist symbol syncing is not available, so changes you make on mobile won’t sync with your online account.
Both apps earn 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps. However, ForexBrokers.com ranks ActivTrades higher at #19 out of 63 brokers, while TopFX sits at #52. If you want similar features like alerts and solid charting on iOS or Android, either app works; if third-party rankings matter to you, ActivTrades has the edge.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
TopFX
|
|---|---|---|
| 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.
When it comes to market research, ActivTrades stands out for delivering daily market commentary, alongside top-tier forex news and a handy economic calendar. Both ActivTrades and TopFX provide forex news from sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, plus sentiment tools that show the ratio of long and short positions, and an economic calendar for upcoming events. Independent ratings reflect the gap: ActivTrades earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #31 out of 63 brokers for Research on ForexBrokers.com, while TopFX holds 3 out of 5 stars and ranks #61.
The biggest difference is in third‑party research tools. TopFX includes Autochartist and Trading Central for technical and fundamental insights, while ActivTrades does not offer either. ActivTrades also does not include TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools; for TopFX, availability of TipRanks and Acuity Trading isn’t clearly stated. If you value daily commentary and news coverage, ActivTrades is appealing. If you prefer built-in scanning and analyst tools like Autochartist and Trading Central, TopFX has the edge.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
TopFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
ActivTrades vs TopFX: For beginner-friendly forex and CFD education, ActivTrades pulls ahead. It runs ongoing client webinars (at least one per month) and provides at least 10 beginner videos plus at least 10 advanced videos, giving new traders a clear learning path from basics to more complex topics. TopFX does not offer monthly educational webinars, and it does not meet the bar of 10+ beginner or 10+ advanced videos, which may make it harder for newcomers to find structured learning.
These gaps show up in third-party evaluations: ActivTrades earns 4 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #38 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while TopFX holds 3 out of 5 stars and ranks #62. If you’re a beginner looking for regular webinars and a deeper video library, ActivTrades is the stronger choice; if you only need light reading or a few resources, TopFX may still suffice.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
TopFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ActivTrades is better than TopFX. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while TopFX finished with an overall rank of #62.
ActivTrades is a long-standing brand that offers a proprietary trading platform, ActivTrader, and support for the award-winning TradingView and MetaTrader (MT4 and MT5) platforms. ActivTrades also delivers a selection of custom add-ons, indicators, and trading tools for traders who prefer to use MetaTrader. Drawbacks for trading with ActivTrades include a smaller selection of tradeable symbols and fewer educational resources than what’s available from the best forex brokers.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
TopFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 81 | 67 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
In an ActivTrades vs TopFX comparison, neither online broker allows buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing deposit and withdrawal options for ActivTrades and TopFX: both do not support ACH/SEPA; ActivTrades does not support PayPal but does support Skrill and bank wire transfers (Visa/Mastercard not specified), while TopFX’s support for PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires is not specified.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 81 | 67 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | TopFX Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 67 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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) | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 655 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 60 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | 1.03 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.88 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | Depends on payment method | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | TopFX Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | TopFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 81 | 67 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | TopFX Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill