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 account | 0.98 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 |
| 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 edges VT Markets on overall market access, offering 1,267 tradeable symbols versus VT Markets’ 1,000, and 49 forex pairs compared with 39. Reflecting this slightly wider selection, ActivTrades earns 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #32 out of 63 brokers, while VT Markets scores 3.5 stars and ranks #40. Both are suitable for forex traders, but number-focused investors may appreciate the extra symbols and pairs at ActivTrades.
Both brokers support forex trading via CFDs/spot, provide copy trading, and offer cryptocurrency CFDs while not supporting purchases of actual crypto. Neither lets you buy U.S.-listed shares directly, but both do offer access to exchange-traded securities on international exchanges. If you want more instruments and currency pairs, ActivTrades has the edge; if you need similar features with a slightly smaller lineup, VT Markets is a close alternative.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 39 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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.
ActivTrades and VT Markets both cover the essentials for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free paper trading (demo) account, a Windows desktop download, a web-based platform, copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. Both support MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). The key difference is that ActivTrades also provides its own proprietary platform, while VT Markets relies solely on third-party platforms like MetaTrader.
Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. However, in ForexBrokers.com’s 2025 rankings, ActivTrades places higher at #32 out of 63 brokers, compared with VT Markets at #48. Specific counts for built-in technical indicators and watch list fields weren’t provided. If you want an extra in-house platform option alongside MT4/MT5, ActivTrades may appeal; if you prefer sticking with MetaTrader alone, VT Markets fits the bill.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ActivTrades and VT Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts. Each mobile app includes 30 technical studies and supports drawing trendlines on charts. Neither broker syncs watchlists between the mobile app and the online account. One key difference: the ActivTrades mobile app auto-saves your chart drawings, while the VT Markets app does not.
Both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps. However, in ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps rankings, ActivTrades places #19 out of 63 brokers, while VT Markets ranks #45. If you want chart annotations to persist automatically, ActivTrades has the edge; if you just need iPhone and Android access with alerts and standard charting tools, either app can work.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
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 (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| 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 VT Markets for beginners: both brokers offer beginner-friendly video libraries with at least 10 lessons to help you learn core trading ideas in forex and CFDs. ActivTrades goes a step further with live client webinars held at least once a month, giving newcomers a chance to ask questions and learn in real time. It also provides 10+ advanced videos, so you can keep progressing as your skills grow, while VT Markets does not offer that deeper video track. VT Markets skips monthly educational webinars, making its experience more self-paced.
In our education ratings, ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #38 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while VT Markets earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #56. For most beginners seeking structured guidance and live learning, ActivTrades has the edge; VT Markets remains a solid pick if you prefer on-demand videos without webinars.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| 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 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
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 81 | 70 |
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In this ActivTrades vs VT Markets online broker comparison for cryptocurrency trading, neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
ActivTrades vs VT Markets deposit and withdrawal methods: neither supports ACH/SEPA; ActivTrades offers Skrill and bank wire but not PayPal, while VT Markets’ support for PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wire—and ActivTrades’ Visa/Mastercard—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 | 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) | No | Yes | |
| 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). | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 39 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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 | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| 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 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 | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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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