Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs VT Markets, 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 VT Markets, founded in 2016, are both well-regarded online brokers, though they differ significantly in regulatory strength and trustworthiness according to ForexBrokers.com. Neither company is publicly traded or operates as a bank. ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 licenses, which are highly trusted, and one Tier-2 license, earning it a trust score of 81, placing it in the 'trusted' category. In contrast, VT Markets has one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license, with a lower trust score of 70, indicating an average risk broker.
When deciding between these brokers, potential users should note the difference in their regulatory standings and trust scores. ActivTrades' long-standing presence since 2001 and higher regulatory ranking may appeal to those seeking a slightly more trusted environment, while VT Markets, with its average risk rating, might attract users comfortable with a moderate level of trust in exchange for potentially different offerings or services. Overall, understanding these distinctions can help investors make informed decisions that align with their risk tolerance and trading preferences.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
Comparing commissions and fees, VT Markets generally edges out ActivTrades on headline pricing for frequent traders, while ActivTrades stays slightly better than the industry average without being the cheapest. Ratings and ranks back this up: ActivTrades earns 4/5 stars and ranks #29 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees, whereas VT Markets scores 4.5/5 stars and ranks #21 out of 63.
ActivTrades centers on a single Individual Account, with Professional and Islamic options available. Spreads are the same across these account types; the Professional tier mainly changes margin requirements, not pricing. There’s no dedicated high‑volume plan or active‑trader pricing. Actual costs depend on the assets and platform you choose, and spreads can widen during rollover. For reference, ActivTrades reported an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024.
VT Markets offers two clear choices: a commission‑free Standard STP account with wider spreads (typical EUR/USD 1.2 pips), and a Raw ECN account with tighter pricing plus commission. The Raw ECN’s effective EUR/USD spread was 0.83 pips (0.23 average spread plus a 0.6 round‑turn commission, as of September 2021). Both accounts require only a $100 minimum deposit. The Raw ECN pricing is in line with industry norms, while the Standard STP is less attractive for cost‑conscious traders.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 |
| 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.
Comparing ActivTrades vs VT Markets on range of investments, ActivTrades offers the wider catalog with 1,267 tradeable symbols and 49 forex pairs, versus VT Markets’ 1,000 symbols and 39 pairs. Both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts, and both support international exchange-traded securities (but not U.S.-listed shares). You can use copy trading with either, and while neither broker lets you buy actual cryptocurrency, both offer crypto derivatives for trading.
These differences show up in third-party ratings: ActivTrades earns 4 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #32 out of 63 brokers, while VT Markets scores 3.5 stars and ranks #40. If having more symbols and forex pairs matters to you, ActivTrades has the edge; if your needs are simpler, VT Markets still covers the key asset types many traders use.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 39 |
| 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.
ActivTrades and VT Markets both provide free demo accounts for simulated trading. ActivTrades also offers a proprietary, in-house platform, while VT Markets does not. Each broker supports a Windows desktop platform and a web-based platform, along with MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Copy trading is available at both, though neither supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
For charting, both let you place trades directly from charts. ActivTrades lists 15 drawing tools, while VT Markets lists 30; indicator counts were not specified for either. Watchlists are more detailed at ActivTrades with 11 fields versus 7 at VT Markets. According to ForexBrokers.com, both brokers earned 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, with ActivTrades ranked 32nd of 63 and VT Markets 48th of 63.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 | 15 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ActivTrades and VT Markets both deliver mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, complete with price alerts and the ability to build watchlists with real-time quotes. Neither app syncs watchlist symbols between mobile and your online account, so changes you make on one won’t appear on the other. Each app earns a 4-star Mobile Trading Apps rating, giving them similar scores for on-the-go trading.
For charting, both apps offer 30 technical studies, let you draw trendlines, and switch among multiple time frames for forex and stock charts. The key difference is that ActivTrades automatically saves your chart drawings, while VT Markets does not. In independent rankings by ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades places #19 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, compared with VT Markets at #45. If you want drawings to persist and value a higher industry ranking, ActivTrades is the stronger pick; otherwise, both cover the core features most traders need.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
ActivTrades vs VT Markets: both brokers deliver daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier outlets (think Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones), sentiment tools showing long/short ratios, and an economic calendar. Neither firm includes Autochartist. A key difference is Trading Central: VT Markets offers Trading Central’s analysis, while ActivTrades does not.
For add-on research brands, ActivTrades does not provide TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools; VT Markets’ access to TipRanks and Acuity isn’t clearly stated. In independent ratings, ActivTrades earns 4 stars for Research and ranks #31 of 63 brokers, while VT Markets scores 3.5 stars and ranks #37. If you want Trading Central, VT Markets has the edge; if overall research quality and ranking matter more, ActivTrades slightly leads.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners seeking forex and CFD education, both ActivTrades and VT Markets provide a solid starting point with at least 10 educational pieces and 10+ beginner-friendly videos. The big difference is live learning: ActivTrades hosts monthly client webinars and offers a searchable archive of past sessions, making it easier to follow along in real time or catch up later. VT Markets does not offer ongoing webinars or a recordings archive.
When it comes to deeper learning, ActivTrades supplies at least 10 advanced trading videos, while VT Markets does not. On the flip side, VT Markets includes an investor dictionary with 50+ terms, which ActivTrades lacks—handy for quick definitions. Overall, ActivTrades earns 4 stars for Education and ranks #38 out of 63 brokers, while VT Markets scores 3.5 stars and ranks #56. If you prefer live classes and recorded lessons, ActivTrades is the stronger pick; if you want simple term lookups, VT Markets has that covered.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| 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 VT Markets. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while VT Markets finished with an overall rank of #44.
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
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VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 70 |
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Both ActivTrades and VT Markets provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives, yet neither platform offers the ability to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency.
Both ActivTrades and VT Markets provide Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire options for depositing or withdrawing funds, yet neither supports ACH, SEPA transfers, nor PayPal for these 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 | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | VT Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 70 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | ||
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | ||
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | ||
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 39 | |
| 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 | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| 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 | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | VT Markets Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | VT Markets Review |
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