Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XM Group 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.
XM Group vs ActivTrades: XM Group launched in 2009, while ActivTrades began in 2001. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank. Using ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale—90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted—XM Group scores 93 (highly trusted) and ActivTrades scores 80 (trusted).
On regulation, XM Group holds 4 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted regulators) and 3 Tier-2 licenses (trusted regulators). ActivTrades holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license. In simple terms, XM Group carries a broader top-tier regulatory footprint, while ActivTrades remains well-regulated but with fewer high-tier licenses.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When comparing XM Group and ActivTrades on commissions and fees, ActivTrades comes out ahead for most cost-conscious traders. ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #23 out of 36 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category at ForexBrokers.com. Its spreads are slightly better than the industry average, though they are still not as low as the best low-cost forex brokers. ActivTrades also offers an Individual Account, Professional Account, and Islamic Account, plus a demo account for practice. Spreads are generally the same across account types, and costs will vary depending on the assets you trade.
XM Group, by contrast, is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #36 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees. Its standard account spreads are considered expensive, and average spread data is not published for the commission-based XM Zero account, which makes it harder to judge pricing in detail. For traders who care most about keeping costs down, XM Group appears less competitive than ActivTrades.
In simple terms, ActivTrades offers the better value on fees and spreads overall, while XM Group lags behind on pricing transparency and cost efficiency. If low trading costs are a priority, ActivTrades is the stronger choice between the two.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.1 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.7+ | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
XM Group has a wider range of investments than ActivTrades, making it the stronger choice for traders who want more variety. XM Group offers 1,583 tradeable symbols and 54 forex pairs, compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, offer copy trading, and let clients trade cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither allows the purchase of actual delivered crypto.
When it comes to share trading, both brokers provide access to exchange traded securities on international markets, but only XM Group also offers U.S.-listed shares such as Apple. This broader mix helps explain XM Group’s better range of investments score of 4.5 out of 5 and its higher ForexBrokers.com ranking of #19 out of 36, versus ActivTrades’ 4 out of 5 and #26 ranking.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1583 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 54 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | 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.
XM Group and ActivTrades both give traders a wide range of platform choices, including free demo accounts, Windows desktop downloads, web-based platforms, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, copy trading, and the ability to place trades straight from a chart. For traders who want familiar tools and flexible access across devices, the two brokers are closely matched on the core basics. Both also earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, showing solid overall offerings for everyday trading needs.
The biggest difference is that ActivTrades offers its own in-house proprietary platform, while XM Group does not. That may matter for traders looking for a broker-built option in addition to third-party platforms. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools ranking, ActivTrades places slightly higher at #28 out of 36 brokers, compared with XM Group at #29. Overall, ActivTrades has a small edge, but both brokers provide a similar and easy-to-use platform lineup.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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) | 100 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XM Group and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Each broker also earns a 4-star rating for mobile trading apps, so both provide a solid trading experience on the go. In addition, XM Group stands out with watchlist symbol syncing, which lets changes made in the app and online account stay in step, while ActivTrades does not offer this feature.
When it comes to charting tools, XM Group gives mobile users access to 100 technical studies, compared with 30 at ActivTrades, making XM Group the better choice for traders who want more chart analysis options. On the other hand, ActivTrades has an edge with auto-saving chart drawings in its app, while XM Group does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps ranking, ActivTrades places higher at #21 out of 36 brokers, ahead of XM Group at #26.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 100 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
XM Group and ActivTrades both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, a sentiment tool showing long and short positions, and an economic calendar with global events. Neither broker offers research from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading, so their research lineups are similar in several key areas.
The main difference is that XM Group adds Trading Central tools, such as technical analytics, while ActivTrades does not. This extra feature helps give XM Group the edge for research, which is reflected in its 5-star rating and #8 ranking out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades’ 4-star rating and #28 ranking.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | 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 XM Group and ActivTrades for beginner education, both brokers give new traders plenty of learning support. Each offers at least 10 pieces of forex or CFD-focused education, runs online client webinars at least once a month, and provides 10 or more beginner videos plus 10 or more advanced videos. That means either broker can be a useful starting point for someone who wants to learn the basics and keep building skills over time.
That said, XM Group stands out more clearly in this area. It earns a 5-star education rating and ranks #5 out of 36 brokers for education at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades holds a 4-star rating and ranks #32. So while both brokers are well equipped for beginners, XM Group appears to offer the stronger overall learning experience.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
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 XM Group is better than ActivTrades. XM Group finished with an overall rank of #16, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
XM Group is a multi-regulated forex and CFD broker offering 1,583 tradeable symbols across MetaTrader 4 and 5 and a new proprietary web and mobile platform. Its live trading rooms and integrated Trading Central research are among the best in the industry. Standard account spreads are expensive, though the Ultra Low and Zero accounts are competitive.
| Feature |
XM Group
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ActivTrades
|
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| Trust Score | 93 | 80 |
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XM Group vs ActivTrades: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both provide access to cryptocurrency CFDs.
Online brokers XM Group and ActivTrades both do not support ACH or SEPA transfers or PayPal, but they do offer Skrill and bank wire deposits and withdrawals; availability of Visa or 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 | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XM Group | 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) | No | Yes | |
| 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) | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1583 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 54 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | 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 | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.1 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.7+ | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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 | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 100 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 100 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | XM Group Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | ActivTrades Review |
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