Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs Trade Nation, 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, established in 2001, and Trade Nation, founded in 2014, are both online brokers that prioritize client protection and regulatory compliance. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank. Both firms hold two Tier-1 licenses, which indicates a highly trustworthy status according to ForexBrokers.com standards. They also each possess one Tier-2 license, reflecting a trusted level of security and operations.
While both brokers demonstrate a commitment to safety through their regulatory credentials, Trade Nation edges out slightly in reliability with a Trust Score of 85 out of 99, compared to ActivTrades' Trust Score of 81. This places both brokers in the "trusted" category, offering customers confidence in their service integrity while providing a secure environment for trading activities.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
When comparing ActivTrades and Trade Nation in terms of commissions and fees, each broker brings distinct features to the table. ActivTrades offers an individual account type with spreads slightly better than industry averages, but not as competitive as top-tier low-cost forex brokers. The absence of accounts specifically tailored for high-volume traders or special active trader pricing may limit options for frequent traders. A notable aspect is the spreads, which vary throughout the trading day, including the rollover period. The average spread for the EUR/USD pair, for example, stood at 0.98 pips in May 2024. ActivTrades earns a 4-star rating for commissions and fees and is ranked #28 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Trade Nation differentiates itself by offering competitive fixed-spread pricing across all tradeable symbols on its proprietary platform, alongside variable-spread pricing on the MetaTrader platform. This fixed-spread approach simplifies pricing for traders, minimizing the need for recalculations, except during a one-hour rollover period when spreads briefly widen. For the EUR/USD pair, Trade Nation lists a consistent fixed spread of 0.6 pips, with an occasional increase to 1.4 pips during rollovers, resulting in an average closer to 1 pip overall. With available account types, including a commission-based Raw Spread account and a commission-free account, Trade Nation caters well to diverse trading preferences, earning it a 5-star rating and a #7 ranking for commissions and fees among 63 brokers.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | 0.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.6 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | 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.
When comparing ActivTrades and Trade Nation for their range of investments, both platforms allow forex trading as a CFD or spot contract. However, ActivTrades offers a greater selection of tradeable symbols, with 1,267 options compared to Trade Nation's 1,000. When it comes to forex pairs, ActivTrades also holds a slight edge with 49 pairs available, while Trade Nation offers 46. Neither platform provides access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, but ActivTrades does allow trading in international exchange-listed stocks, like Vodafone, which Trade Nation does not. Both brokers offer copy trading, expanding investment strategies for users.
In terms of cryptocurrency, neither ActivTrades nor Trade Nation enables the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies. However, both do offer cryptocurrency derivatives. In expert ratings, ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars for its investment range, placing 31st out of 63 brokers as per ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, Trade Nation garners a 3.5-star rating and is ranked 38th in the same category. Overall, ActivTrades offers a slightly more comprehensive range of investments, making it a more favorable choice for those seeking diverse trading opportunities.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 46 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| 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.
ActivTrades and Trade Nation both offer traders a range of practical tools and platforms, including free virtual demo accounts and proprietary platforms developed in-house. They each support both Windows-based desktop downloads and web-based trading platforms, catering to different user preferences. Both brokers integrate popular trading platforms like MetaTrader 4, but ActivTrades extends its portfolio with MetaTrader 5, whereas Trade Nation does not. Despite neither offering DupliTrade or ZuluTrade, they both include copy trading features, catering to traders interested in mirroring the strategies of others.
When it comes to charting and watch list features, Trade Nation stands out with a more extensive selection of 39 drawing tools compared to ActivTrades' 15. However, ActivTrades allows users to trade directly from stock charts, a feature absent in Trade Nation. For creating watch lists, Trade Nation offers 14 fields, slightly more than ActivTrades’ 11. Both brokers received a 4-star rating for their trading platforms and tools, though ActivTrades ranks higher at #30 compared to Trade Nation at #44 out of 63 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 115 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 39 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 14 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of ActivTrades and Trade Nation, both platforms offer seamless experiences for iPhone and Android users. Each app supports essential trading functionalities such as receiving price alerts, drawing trendlines, viewing multiple time frames, and creating watchlists with real-time quotes. However, a key difference lies in the watchlist sync feature; ActivTrades does not sync watchlists between desktop and mobile, while Trade Nation excels with this capability, allowing changes made on one platform to reflect on the other.
Chart enthusiasts might find Trade Nation more appealing due to its offering of 99 technical studies, far surpassing the 30 studies available on ActivTrades' app. Despite this, both apps have an auto-save feature for chart drawings, ensuring consistent data visualization. User ratings indicate an equal mobile app experience with both platforms receiving four out of five stars. However, ActivTrades scores a higher rank, placing 19th in the mobile trading category by ForexBrokers.com, compared to Trade Nation's 45th position.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 99 |
| 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.
ActivTrades and Trade Nation both provide daily market commentary and access to top-tier forex news sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, which can greatly aid traders who need timely information. They each offer a sentiment-based trading tool that shows the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments, enhancing traders' insights into market trends. However, neither broker provides technical analysis tools from companies like Autochartist or Trading Central, and neither features market research from TipRanks. Trade Nation does stand out with its research tools from Acuity Trading, such as Signal Centre, whereas ActivTrades does not offer this feature. On the other hand, ActivTrades provides an economic calendar that displays vital global news events, a feature not available with Trade Nation.
In terms of overall research ratings, ActivTrades receives 4 out of 5 stars, while Trade Nation holds a slightly lower rating of 3.5 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades is ranked higher for research at #30 out of 63 brokers, whereas Trade Nation is placed at #42. This suggests that while both brokers have comprehensive offerings in market research, ActivTrades slightly edges out Trade Nation by providing more tools and resources to support informed trading decisions.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both ActivTrades and Trade Nation have valuable offerings, but they differ in certain key areas. ActivTrades delivers a rich collection of resources, featuring more than 10 educational pieces focused on forex and CFDs, and followed up by monthly online webinars that newcomers can count on for up-to-date insights. The platform also maintains a searchable archive of past webinars, enhancing accessibility to knowledge anytime. Additionally, ActivTrades presents a range of video content catering to both beginner and advanced traders, though it lacks a comprehensive investor dictionary. These efforts have earned ActivTrades a commendable four-star education rating, placing it 38th overall in the education category among 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
Trade Nation, on the other hand, keeps pace with over 10 educational pieces emphasizing forex and CFDs, complemented by beginner and advanced trading videos. However, it does not schedule regular monthly webinars nor maintain a searchable library of past sessions, which might limit ongoing learning opportunities for traders. Trade Nation compensates with an extensive investor dictionary featuring over 50 investing terms, offering newcomers a staple resource for understanding trader jargon. Despite these assets, Trade Nation earns a slightly lower 3.5-star education rating and holds a 41st place in the ForexBrokers.com education ranking.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
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 Trade Nation. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while Trade Nation finished with an overall rank of #34.
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
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 85 |
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Both ActivTrades and Trade Nation do not provide the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do offer the ability to invest in cryptocurrency derivatives, rather than the actual cryptocurrency itself.
Both ActivTrades and Trade Nation offer Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires for depositing or withdrawing account funds, but neither broker provides ACH, SEPA, or PayPal as options.
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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| Trust Score | 81 | 85 | |
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| Review | ActivTrades Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
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