Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Vantage 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.
Vantage (founded 2009) and ActivTrades (founded 2001) are online brokers that are not publicly traded and are not banks. Each holds two Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and one Tier-2 license (considered trusted), signaling solid regulatory oversight for both.
Vantage has a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 91/99, placing it in the highly trusted range (90–99). ActivTrades scores 80/99, which is in the trusted range (80–89). For context, ForexBrokers.com classifies 70–79 as average risk, 60–69 high risk, and 59 or below not trusted. If you want the highest trust tier, Vantage edges ahead; if a trusted rating suffices, ActivTrades fits the bill.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2001 |
| 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 | 3 | 2 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Vantage has a bit more variety than ActivTrades because its costs depend on the account type you choose. Vantage offers a spread-only Standard STP account plus commission-based RAW ECN and PRO ECN accounts. Its pricing is generally close to the industry average, though it does not match the lowest-cost brokers. On ForexBrokers.com, Vantage is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #12 out of 36 for commissions and fees.
ActivTrades keeps things simpler with one main Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic account options. There are no special pricing tiers for active traders, and spreads are mostly the same across account types. Its spreads are slightly better than average overall, but not as low as the best discount forex brokers. For commissions and fees, ActivTrades is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars and ranked #22 out of 36.
Looking at sample pricing, Vantage’s Standard account showed a typical EUR/USD spread of 1.30 pips, while its Raw account averaged 0.15 pips plus a $3 commission per side. Vantage’s PRO account is its cheapest option, with a $2 commission per side, but it has higher opening requirements. ActivTrades reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips, and its costs vary by the asset traded. In short, Vantage offers more pricing choices and stronger value for active traders who can qualify for better tiers, while ActivTrades is simpler but usually less competitive on total trading costs.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.32 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.72 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | 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.
When it comes to range of investments, both Vantage and ActivTrades let you trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts, offer copy trading, and provide cryptocurrency CFDs rather than actual crypto coins. Neither broker lets clients buy real U.S.-listed shares directly, so if you want to own stocks like Apple outside of a CFD, neither platform supports that. Vantage offers 1,000 tradeable symbols and 61 forex pairs, while ActivTrades gives access to a slightly larger overall market with 1,267 tradeable symbols but fewer forex pairs, at 49.
One key difference is that ActivTrades also offers exchange-traded securities on international exchanges, such as shares listed in London, while Vantage does not. That extra access helps ActivTrades score better for investment choice, with a 4-star rating and a #26 ranking out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Vantage is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #33, making ActivTrades the broader option overall for investors looking for more market variety.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1000 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 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.
Vantage and ActivTrades both give traders a wide choice of platforms and tools, including free demo accounts for practice, their own in-house platforms, Windows desktop downloads, web-based trading, copy trading, and support for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Each also lets users trade directly from charts, making it easier to place trades while watching price movement. For everyday traders, the two brokers are very similar in the basics, so the main differences are less about platform availability and more about how each one is presented and rated.
Where they separate is in industry ranking. Both Vantage and ActivTrades earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, but Vantage places higher at #20 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades ranks #27 out of 36 according to ForexBrokers.com. That suggests Vantage has a slight edge in this category overall, even though both brokers offer the same core trading platform features.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
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) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Vantage and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, making it easy to trade on the go. Each app includes price alerts for stocks and forex, 30 technical studies for chart analysis, trendline drawing tools, and auto-saving for chart drawings. One shared drawback is that neither broker syncs watchlists between the mobile app and the online account, so updates do not carry over automatically between devices.
In terms of overall mobile trading app quality, both Vantage and ActivTrades are rated 4 out of 5 stars. However, ActivTrades has a slight edge in ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for the mobile trading apps category, placing #21 out of 36 brokers compared with Vantage at #24. For traders who want similar app features and a simple mobile trading experience, the two brokers are closely matched.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
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.
When it comes to market research, Vantage and ActivTrades both give traders useful day-to-day support. Each broker offers daily market commentary, news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, a sentiment tool showing long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking upcoming global events. Both are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for research, which puts them in the same general range for market insight.
The main difference is in the extra research tools. Vantage stands out by including Autochartist and Trading Central, which can help traders spot chart patterns and market ideas more easily, while ActivTrades does not offer these tools. That edge likely helps explain why Vantage is ranked higher for research by ForexBrokers.com, coming in at #20 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at #27.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing Vantage and ActivTrades for beginner education, both brokers give new traders a solid starting point. Each offers forex and CFD learning materials with at least 10 education pieces, plus monthly client webinars and 10 or more beginner videos. They also both provide at least 10 advanced videos, so there is content for traders who want to keep learning after the basics.
In terms of overall education quality, both Vantage and ActivTrades are rated 4 out of 5 stars. The main difference is their ForexBrokers.com ranking: Vantage places #23 out of 36 brokers for Education, while ActivTrades ranks #30. For beginners, that makes Vantage the slightly stronger choice, although both brokers offer useful learning resources.
| Feature |
Vantage
|
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 Vantage is better than ActivTrades. Vantage finished with an overall rank of #24, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
Vantage rounds out its MetaTrader platform suite offering with support for multiple social trading platforms, content powered by Trading Central and a proprietary mobile app. However, Vantage trails industry leaders in key areas such as research and education.
| Feature |
Vantage
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ActivTrades
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 91 | 80 |
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Vantage vs ActivTrades: neither broker supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading for investors seeking crypto exposure without owning the underlying asset.
Comparing online brokers Vantage and ActivTrades for deposit and withdrawal methods: neither supports ACH/SEPA, both support bank wires and Skrill, only Vantage offers PayPal, and Visa/Mastercard availability 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.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 91 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Vantage Review | ActivTrades Review |
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| Regulation | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 91 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | 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). | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1000 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 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 | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.32 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.72 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Vantage | 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 | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Vantage | 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 | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Vantage Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | Vantage | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 91 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Vantage Review | ActivTrades Review |
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