ActivTrades Broker Review

Written by Zornitsa Stefanova

Zornitsa Stefanova

Zornitsa Stefanova is experienced forex and crypto analyst. She also covers various financial topics such as stocks trading and retirement investments.

, | Updated: April 17, 2025

ActivTrades is an award-winning online broker with over two decades of experience, having launched in 2001. The broker services over 100,000 customers from 170 jurisdictions with licenses from the FCA, CMVM, FCB, and FSC. It offers tight spreads and competitive trading conditions for over 1,000 financial markets across major asset classes like forex, shares, indices, commodities, bonds, cryptocurrencies, and exchange-traded funds.

Customers have access to an intuitive proprietary platform (ActivTrader), alongside trader-favorites like MT4, MT5, and TradingView. The broker has earned a solid 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot, with over 70% of all reviewers giving it a 5-star score. Continue reading to determine whether ActivTrades is the right fit for you. We explore all vital aspects of the broker’s operations, including spreads and trading costs, available market range, platform features, and more.

Key Pros and Cons

Before we proceed, here is a brief overview of the main advantages and disadvantages of doing business with ActivTrades.

Company Information

ActivTrades was established 24 years ago in Switzerland. The company has greatly expanded its operations since launching in 2001 and currently reaches over 100,000 customers from 170 countries, including the UK, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Portugal, Australia, and China. The excellence of its services has earned it over 60 prestigious international accolades.

The company’s latest achievements include being voted Best Forex Broker and Safest Global Broker in 2023 by the International Investor Magazine. The broker currently has offices in London, Nassau, Milan, Sofia, Lisbon, Port Louis, and Florianopolis. It services its global customer base under the following entities:

• ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento S.A., licensed and overseen by the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM) under registration number 516 929 291. The Portuguese entity has set up shop at Rua Duque de Palmela, No. 37, 1A-1250-097, Lisbon.
• ActivTrades Markets, authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Mauritius under registration number GB24203277. The registered offices of the Mauritius entity are located at 1st Floor River Court, 6 St Denis Street, 11328, Port Louis.
• ActivTrades Corp, licensed and authorized by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB) under license number 199667(B). The entity’s official address is 209 & 210 Church Street Sandyport, 1 P.O. Box SP 64388 Nassau, Bahamas.
• ActivTrades Plc, licensed and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the UK under license number 434413, with offices registered at the Loom, Office 2.5, 14 Gowers Walk, London, Tower Hamlets E1 8PY.
• ActivTrades CCTVM, authorized and overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) of Brazil, with а registered address at Rua Ângelo La Porta, 53, Ático 1 e 2, Florianópolis.

Given its numerous registrations and licenses, it is unsurprising ActivTrades upholds high levels of security, transparency, and regulatory compliance. The company was founded by Alex Pusco, who is also responsible for the launch of the Wales-based StreamBank in 2021. In late 2024, Matteo Paganini landed the role of chief executive officer of the company’s Mauritius-regulated division.

Why Trade with ActivTrades?

Our reviewers compiled a list of the most compelling reasons why you should try ActivTrades after conducting extensive research into the broker and testing its services with live accounts. We summarize our key findings in the table below.

Regulation

As a truly global online broker, ActivTrades holds licenses from 5 different regulators. The company onboards customers from the United Kingdom with a license granted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), one of the strictest watchdogs in the world. The broker’s UK division, ActivTrades Plc, obtained authorization from the British regulator in July 2009 and has suffered disciplinary action only once in the past 16 years.

The company also operates divisions in the island nations of Mauritius and the Bahamas under licenses granted by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB). These offshore licenses enable the broker to do business with customers from most regions worldwide, including Asia, Oceania, Africa, and Latin America.

The London-headquartered broker further bolstered its operations in Latin America after receiving authorization from the Brazilian Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) in late 2021. According to the regulator’s database, the Brazilian subsidiary has its headquarters in Florianopolis, the capital of Santa Catarina. Services under the Brazilian license began sometime in 2023.

The company opened a branch in Lisbon roughly at the same time after receiving a license from the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM). Since Portugal is part of the European Union, the CMVM license enables ActivTrades to onboard customers from other EU member states through passporting without necessarily obtaining authorization in each European country. For example, the broker has a registration with the Italian regulator CONSOB but CMVM effectively oversees its operations in Italy.

As a multi-licensed broker, ActivTrades upholds high security standards and consistently invests in its infrastructure to ensure a safe trading environment for all customers. The company safeguards traders with negative balance protection and stores their funds in segregated accounts at first-tier banks like Lloyd’s and Barclays. The broker provides enhanced investor compensation at no additional expense to clients.

KYC Procedure for Account Creation and Depositing

KYC requirements largely depend on which ActivTrades entity clients register from. The account opening process takes roughly 5 minutes if you have all the necessary documents close-by. The relevant department evaluates verification documents within one business day. To initiate the registration process, you must load the broker’s website in your mobile or desktop browser, click the blue Sign Up button in the top right corner of the screen, and complete the steps below.

1. Provide your personal information: Complete the form by selecting your country of residence and filling in your name, email address, and preferred password.
2. Enter your phone number: Provide a current number so that the broker can contact you easily about urgent matters.
3. Fill in more personal details: Enter your birth date, country of birth, and nationality. Customers from certain countries must also provide a tax identification number (TIN).
4. Provide your full residential address: Fill in your current residential address, postcode, town, or city.
5. Provide employment information: Specify your current employment status and enter your employment details such as company name, industry, and job title.
6. Enter your financial information: This includes specifying the value of your savings and annual income. The broker will also prompt you to enter the amount you intend to deposit initially.
7. Specify your source of funds: Specify how you have obtained the deposited funds, for example, through employment, investments, savings, or inheritance.
8. Verify your identity and address: Upload photos of your documents to complete the account verification process. The broker accepts copies of national identity cards, residence permits, passports, and recent utility bills as proof of address.
9. Complete the questionnaire: Answer the questions so that ActivTrades can evaluate your experience and eligibility to trade derivatives.
10. Select your preferred trading platform: You can pick from the proprietary ActivTrader, MT4, or MT5. Choose your base account currency and accept the terms and conditions.

Registering a live account is a streamlined process that requires no more than several minutes to complete if you have prepared all verification documents beforehand. Verification usually takes several hours to one business day, depending on the relevant department’s workload. Verified customers can register up to 10 live accounts. Once the broker confirms your identity, you can add funds to your live balance via bank transfer, card, or a supported e-wallet. There are no minimum initial deposit requirements for clients registering through the EU, UK, FCB, and FSC entities.

Account types

ActivTrades caters to its global client base with three main account options, providing individual, swap-free, and demo accounts. European customers can additionally register professional accounts provided they meet the eligibility criteria. From what we see, this option is unavailable to traders under the Bahamas and Mauritius entities. The broker supports the following base account currencies:

• Main account currencies: EUR, GBP, USD
• Additional account currencies: INR, KWD, AED, ARS, QAR, BRL, CHF, SEK

Demo Accounts at ActivTrades

ActivTrades enables onboarding customers to test the waters risk-free by opening demo accounts that closely replicate conditions in the live trading environment. The accounts are suitable for beginner and seasoned traders, allowing them to acquaint themselves with the software and test new strategies without limitations. Setting up a demo account is hassle-free, as you must select your preferred platform, base currency, virtual balance, and leverage ratio.

Customers can fund their demo balance with 250 to 200,000 in virtual credits. The broker claims demo accounts are available for unlimited time, but after opening one, we noticed it expires after 30 days. The good news is you can always set up another demo account from your Personal Area. We should also warn you there is a 15-minute delay in demo account price quotes. Demo accounts are available for MT4, MT5, and ActivTrader.

Individual (Retail) Accounts

ActivTrades offers a single individual account tailored to the needs of retail customers. Registering a joint account with a spouse or another relative is also an option as long as both parties have created individual retail accounts first. Individual retail accounts incur no commissions on forex positions and facilitate trading in micro lots across all supported platforms (MT4, MT5, ActivTrader).

Account holders can implement various trading strategies, including algorithmic trading, hedging, and scalping. The broker charges no commissions as all CFD trading costs are covered by the spreads. Stock CFDs are the only exception. Besides the standard market, limit, and stop loss orders, account users will benefit from advanced order types like Fill or Kill and Immediate or Cancel.

Islamic Accounts

Customers looking to avoid paying or receiving interest can conveniently apply for Islamic accounts at ActivTrades. This account type complies with Shariah laws and facilitates swap-free trading whereby positions that remain open overnight do not incur rollover fees, also known as swaps. Instead, customers pay administrative fees on their overnight trades after a certain grace period, which is not explicitly stated on the ActivTrades website.

Clients interested in learning more about the eligibility criteria can email their queries at middleeastdesk@activtrades.com. The accounts are compatible with all supported trading platforms, offer negative balance protection, and enjoy enhanced deposit insurance. Islamic accounts are available only to customers onboarding from 13 countries.

Professional Accounts

As we previously mentioned, customers registering through the CMVM and FCA-licensed entities can apply for professional accounts. This account type is currently unavailable to traders onboarding from the Bahamas and Mauritius-regulated divisions of ActivTrades. Retail clients with verified live accounts can also upgrade to professional status if they satisfy the eligibility criteria.

Professional traders enjoy various perks, starting with a considerably higher leverage of 1:400 for forex CFDs with a close-out level of up to 30%. In contrast, retail clients from the UK and the EU can use maximum leverage of 1:30 only. Account holders benefit from the services of dedicated account managers and are eligible for invitation-only seminars hosted by the broker. They can further broaden their knowledge by signing up for one-to-one training sessions with industry experts.

Customers with professional accounts can additionally participate in the broker’s cashback program and earn referral bonuses for every new client they introduce to ActivTrades. The broker does not exclude them from negative balance protection and investor compensation, a rarity in the industry. Customers can apply for pro accounts by downloading and filling out the PDF application form on the website. Below, we outline the criteria for upgrading to a professional account below. You must meet at least two conditions to become eligible.

• An average of 10 large-volume transactions in the relevant market per quarter over the previous year. Applicants must provide print-outs of their trading activities as proof.
• A financial portfolio exceeding $/€500,000, including financial assets and cash deposits. Eligible traders must upload account statements as evidence.
• One or more years of professional experience in the financial industry at a relevant position. ActivTrades may contact your current or former employer to confirm this.

Which Account Types Are Unavailable at ActivTrades

While opening a joint account is an option at ActivTrades, the broker currently does not offer Percentage Allocation Management Module (PAMM) accounts. Their absence may deter potential clients seeking a more hands-on approach to forex trading and passive portfolio diversification. There are no commission-based accounts, either, but this is hardly a setback considering the tight spreads available to ActivTrades customers.

Trading Fees and Other Costs

ActivTrades is renowned for its attractive pricing structure, where trading expenses result solely from spreads and swap rates for overnight positions. According to the broker’s order execution statement, ActivTrades acts as a counterparty and deals on its own account. The broker sources liquidity from third-party providers to determine its price quotes and manage risk. ActivTrades proceeds to explain in its execution statement that it relies on external liquidity providers to minimize its risk exposure through hedging. All these factors lead us to conclude that ActivTrades is a market maker. Now, let’s examine the broker’s fees and pricing structure more closely.

• Trading fees – Customers can anticipate narrow average spreads and swap fees on overnight positions.
• Non-trading expenses – These result from transacting with some payment methods, currency conversion charges, and inactivity fees.

Spreads

From what we gather, average spreads at ActivTrades overlap across all available account types. Customers pay no commissions across all asset classes except stocks. Stock traders incur commissions of $0.02 per share ($1 min) for US shares, 0.05% (€1 min) or 0.05% (€5 min) for European shares, and 0.10% (£1 min) for UK shares. The broker’s tight spreads give it a competitive advantage over some of its closest competitors. Spreads average 0.50 pips for major currency pairs like EUR/USD. ActivTrades is quite transparent about its pricing, providing detailed information about the average spreads and swap rates of all available trading symbols.

The broker is a counterparty in all transactions and profits solely from the spreads. Customers can calculate their trading expenses by multiplying their position size by the current spread while considering the pip value. Respectively, their trading expenses increase proportionally to their position size. The larger your position, the higher your trading costs.

ActivTrades provides five-digit price quotes for most available forex pairs. Let’s see how much a standard, mini, and micro lot of EUR/USD will cost you at ActivTrades. The examples below assume you open and close your positions within the same day, whereby you will incur no swap fees.

Example 1 – One Standard Lot

Currency pair: EUR/USD
Position size: 100,000 units
Average spread: 0.00005
Pip value: $10 per pip (0.0001)
Average spread cost: 100,000 x 0.00005 = $5

We should make several clarifications here. One standard lot in forex equals 100,000 units in the base currency (the euro). You derive the pip value by multiplying the number of base currency units by the minimum ticker size. Respectively, every price movement of one pip corresponds to 100,000 x 0.0001 = $10. Another way to calculate your spread costs is by multiplying the spread in pips by the pip value like this: 0.5 x $10 = $5. Let’s see how much a mini and micro lot cost you on average with the same spread.

Example 2 – One Mini Lot

Currency pair: EUR/USD
Position size: 10,000 units
Average spread: 0.00005
Pip value: $1 per pip
Average spread cost: 10,000 x 0.00005 = $0.50

Example 3 – One Micro Lot

Currency pair: EUR/USD
Position size: 1,000 units
Average spread: 0.00005
Pip value: $0.10 per pip
Average spread cost: 1,000 x 0.00005 = $0.05

As the table above shows, ActivTrades spreads largely align with the industry average, although the broker outperforms several of its closest competitors. Some of the featured brokers offer commission-based accounts where overall trading expenses are lower due to significantly reduced spreads. However, we have compared the costs across standard accounts since ActivTrades has no commission-based accounts.

Financing Charges

Positions held overnight are subject to financing charges, with swap rates fluctuating based on the interest rate differentials of the two currencies comprising the respective forex pair. Swap rates are either positive or negative, largely depending on position direction (long or short). Negative swaps apply when the currencies you are buying have lower interest rates than those you are selling, whereby you pay interest.

Conversely, swap rates are positive (you earn interest) when the interest rate of the bought currency is higher than that of the sold currency. ActivTrades currently has swap rates of -0.71 pips for long positions in EUR/USD and 0.13 pips for short positions. Long positions incur swap fees of $7.10 per standard lot, whereas short positions earn interest of $1.30 per night. ActivTrades charges or debits swaps at midnight platform time. Positions in currency pairs and precious metals incur triple swap rates on Wednesdays.

Deposit Fees

ActiveTrades customers can fund their live accounts free of charge when depositing with digital wallets like Skrill, PayPal, and Neteller. Traders registered under the offshore divisions can top up their balance for free using cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, Bitcoin, or Ripple. Credit and debit card deposits under the CMVM entity may incur additional fees of 0.5% or 1.5%. The exact rates depend on whether the card issuer is based in the UK/EEA or not.

Withdrawal Fees

E-wallet and card withdrawals are generally free at ActivTrades. European customers enjoy free bank transfer withdrawals in euros and Swiss francs but incur a $12.50 fee when cashing out US dollars. UK clients registered under the global division pay £9 for bank transfer withdrawals.

Inactivity fees

As previously mentioned, ActivTrades penalizes customers for trading inactivity by deducting a $/€10 monthly fee from the balances available in dormant accounts. The broker levies these charges after 50 weeks of inactivity, as a customer support agent kindly informed us. We recommend you access your account and place orders occasionally to avoid unnecessary expenses.

Overall on Fees

ActivTrades positions itself as an ideal broker for casual and low-volume traders as it offers exceptionally low average spreads and imposes no commissions on CFD positions across all available asset classes except for stocks. The broker’s swap rates largely align with those of the competition. On the downside, customers can anticipate a range of non-trading costs, including inactivity fees, currency conversion charges, and additional fees for transacting with specific payment methods.

Desktop Trading Platforms

Here is a brief overview of the supported platforms at ActivTrades before we take a closer look at their features:

• MetaTrader 4 – MT4 is easily the most popular platform among ActivTrades customers and beyond.
• MetaTrader 5 – The improved version of MT4 offers additional features, technical indicators, graphical objects, and more.
• ActivTrader – The broker’s proprietary software runs seamlessly in most mobile and desktop browsers.
• TradingView – Customers can connect their ActivTrader accounts to TradingView and harness the powerful capabilities of the third-party platform.

MetaTrader 4

Trusted by millions of users worldwide, MT4 facilitates trading forex, indices, precious metals, and other commodities in a user-friendly environment. Trading stock CFDs with MT4 is currently unavailable at ActivTrades, however. Renowned for its richness of features, the platform offers a set of unique trading tools for advanced technical analysis, allowing users to create custom technical indicators. The platform is compatible with mobile and desktop browsers, although installing the downloadable version is also an option. Here are some of the most distinctive features available to MT4 users at ActivTrades.

1. Dozens of preinstalled technical indicators: MT4 users have access to over 50 ready-made technical indicators, which provide them with valuable insights into market volatility, momentum, and trends. Popular examples include Simple and Exponential Moving Averages, Ichimoku Kinko Hyo, Stochastic Oscillators, and Bollinger Bands.
2. Algorithmic trading with Expert Advisors: MT4 enables algorithmic trading through Expert Advisors (EAs). Programmed in the MQL4 language, these trading bots can execute orders on your behalf, enabling you to fully automate your trading strategies.
3. Multiple customization options: This highly customizable platform enables users to create custom charts, technical indicators, and scripts for automated trading. Traders can thus tailor their experience to their unique needs.
4. Multilingual interface: MT4 is available in 21 languages, including Spanish, English, French, German, and Portuguese. The abundance of language options renders the platform accessible for all ActivTrades customers no matter their country of origin.
5. Simple strategy-tester: The platform facilitates retrospective market analysis via a single-threaded backtester that processes historical data and simulates trades one at a time. While limiting speed, single-threaded backtesting makes it easier to identify errors in new strategies.

MetaTrader 5

MetaTrader 5 is the improved version of MT4, allowing you to trade CFDs on shares, forex, cryptocurrencies, indices, exchange-traded funds, and other major asset classes. It has better capabilities than its predecessor, offering more technical indicators, timeframes, and graphical objects. MT5 additionally supports advanced order types like the trailing stop. Hedging mode is available upon request. Like its earlier version, MT5 is compatible with most desktop and portable devices. Users can place orders in their browsers or install the downloadable desktop client on their Mac and Windows-based computers. Some of the other key features of MetaTrader 5 include:

1. Advanced order types: MT5 is perfect for well-versed traders as it features advanced order types, ensuring greater flexibility and control over order execution.
2. An integrated economic calendar: Users can keep track of all important events from the world of finance via an integrated economic calendar that provides a real-time newsfeed.
3. Multi-threaded strategy tester: This is another upgrade over MT4, allowing for faster and more efficient strategy backtesting. The multi-threaded tester essentially uses several cores of your CPU, which improves efficiency and reduces the time required to evaluate the performance of complex strategies.
4. Additional timeframes: MT5 users at ActivTrades have access to 21 timeframes compared to 9 timeframes in MT4, allowing for a more thorough market analysis.
5. Level II pricing: Traders will benefit from a Depth of Market (DOM) feature, which enables them to see order flow and trading volume. This gives them valuable insights into market liquidity. The feature is particularly useful for ActivTrades customers who rely on order flow analysis.

ActivTrader

ActivTrader is the browser-based proprietary platform of the broker that requires no additional software downloads on desktop. It accommodates both beginners and seasoned traders with a user-friendly interface and a rich selection of powerful features, including bulk position management, pullback entries, progressive trailing stops, and market sentiment indicators. The absence of a strategy tester is among the very few shortcomings of ActivTrader. Here is what makes this intuitive proprietary platform stand out from the crowd.

1. Advanced order types: ActivTrader features advanced order types like the progressive trailing stop, which enables users to select two price tiers. The dynamic stop changes its position incrementally as asset prices move against you or in your favor, giving you greater control over your profits and losses.
2. Support for hedging: ActivTrader is ideal for customers looking to implement hedging in their strategies. This approach essentially helps minimize the impact of adverse price fluctuations by opening long and short positions in the same symbol.
3. Market sentiment functionalities: The proprietary platform provides valuable insights into the attitude of other traders toward particular markets and asset classes. It enables customers to harness the wisdom of the crowd and use it to their advantage.
4. Bulk position management: ActivTrader users can adjust and close multiple open positions simultaneously, improving efficiency and risk management.
5. Multilingual interface: The broker’s proprietary software is available in several languages to accommodate traders who are not fluent in English. Customers from non-English-speaking countries can load the platform in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Bulgarian, and Portuguese.

TradingView

Customers can integrate the proprietary ActivTrader into TradingView to harness the capabilities of both platforms. The outstanding feature of this platform is chart trading, with support for 12 chart types and the option to view up to 8 charts in a single tab. Below, we outline the main benefits of connecting your account to TradingView.

1. Multiple chart types: TradingView provides a choice of 12 chart types, including Point and Figure, Renko, and Kagi.
2. Multiple charts per tab: Platform users can load up to 8 charts in one tab and synchronize drawings, timeframes, and symbols.
3. Various timeframes: The platform offers a broad range of timeframes, including range bars and seconds.

Copy Trading at ActivTrades

ActivTrades presently does not provide built-in copy trading services, which could turn off beginners looking to leverage the expertise of seasoned traders and customers seeking passive income options. However, the broker supports the MetaTrader suite of platforms that enable the use of Expert Advisors. This makes it possible for clients to implement third-party EAs for automated trading, which is not entirely dissimilar to how copy trading works.

Mobile Trading Platforms

ActivTrades customers can monitor the markets regardless of time and place since all supported platforms are compatible with mobile devices. The dedicated ActivTrader app is quite appealing with its intuitive interface and abundant features. The native app delivers an equally robust trading experience as the desktop version. It works superbly on Android and iOS devices and offers a plethora of advanced functionalities, including market sentiments, Trailing Stop orders, and personalized watchlists. You can use it in dark or light mode. Consult the table below for further information on the native ActivTrader app.

Trading Instruments

ActivTrades delivers plenty of options for portfolio diversification, with over 1,000 CFDs across popular asset classes like foreign exchange, stocks, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies. It is worth highlighting that market availability varies based on region. For example, customers onboarding through the FCA-regulated entity have no access to cryptocurrency CFDs. Brazilians can trade non-deliverable forwards that are otherwise unavailable at the EU, UK, and offshore entities.

The broker offers a versatile enough selection of forex markets, quoting prices for 54 currency pairs. Stocks account for the most substantial portion of the ActivTrades product lineup as the broker provides hundreds of share CFDs. More sophisticated instruments like bonds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are available to traders from most accepted countries. The selection of cryptocurrencies is modest, covering a dozen or so of the most popular digital coins. Here is a more detailed breakdown.

*The EU-based division of ActivTrades offers 82 ETFs.

Forex

ActivTrades provides a pretty standard selection of 54 forex markets, offering 15 major, 16 minor, and 23 exotic currency pairs. Spot markets are currently off-limits to ActivTrades customers. All available forex markets are currently tradable through contracts for difference. The EU and UK-regulated divisions of ActivTrades cap retail leverage at 1:30 for major and 1:20 for minor and exotic pairs. Margin requirements range from 3.33% to 5%, respectively. Clients registered under the Mauritius entity have access to higher leverage, with ratios ranging from 1:6.25 to 1:1000.

Forex traders who sign up via the Bahamas-licensed website can use maximum forex leverage of 1:200. Another aspect we should bring to your attention is that the maximum available leverage at the offshore entities depends on the position size in lots. The larger your positions, the lower the leverage ratios you can use. Below is an example with USD/CHF. From what we see, these dynamic leverage caps overlap across all major pairs.

The broker provides its contract specifications in standard lots but traders on a budget can place orders in micro lots as well. The minimum amount you can trade is 0.01 lots, which corresponds to 1,000 units in a base currency. Maximum position size reaches 100 lots. These flexible contract specifications render the broker a compelling option for small and large-volume traders alike.

Indices

Traders can speculate on the price fluctuations of 33 indices measuring the performance of the largest companies in Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Europe, and the United States. The most prominent examples are DAX 40, China A50, S&P ASX 200, EuroStoxx 50, Nikkei 225, and S&P 500. Customers can gain exposure to the index market through cash indices and futures.

Leverage is capped at 1:20 for major and 1:10 for minor indices at the CMVM entity. The Mauritius division provides maximum leverage of 1:1000, while clients onboarding through the Bahamas version of the website can bolster their positions with leverage of up to 1:200. Trades generally start from 0.1 lots, although the exact minimums are index-specific.

Stocks

Stocks account for a whopping 80% of the entire ActivTrades product lineup. The broker provides a choice of 913 share CFDs of companies across the UK, US, Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and more. While this still ensures sufficient diversity for stock traders, the selection is less extensive than those offered by the broker’s closest competitors. For comparison, OANDA offers over 1,600 share CFDs and 2,200+ shares for direct investment.

ActivTrades clients can browse the available shares by country and use maximum leverage of 1:5 if based in the EU or the UK. Stock traders under the FSC and SCB entities can access higher leverage of 1:50. The broker imposes a minimum margin requirement of 10% on hedge stock positions. The minimum trading volume for shares is 0.01 lots. The maximum varies based on what you trade.

Commodities

ActivTrades offers 28 spot and futures markets for hard and soft commodities, including gold, silver, platinum, crude oil, cocoa, copper, and sugar. Less common markets like oats, cotton, and carbon emissions are also on offer. The availability of commodity futures earns ActivTrades some extra points, considering many rival brokers do not provide this option to their customers.

UK and EU clients can use leverage of up to 1:20 for gold and 1:10 for other commodities. Traders at the Mauritius entity benefit from higher ratios of 1:1000 for gold and 1:500 for corn, copper, and cotton, among other soft commodities. The Bahamas division has lower leverage caps of 1:200 for gold. The minimum order size is 0.01 lots for most commodities.

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency traders face a modest selection of 15 digital coins, including BTC, BCH, ADA, ETH, DOT, XRP, LTC, DOGE, SOL, XLM, and UNI. These are tradable against the US dollar through contracts for difference, sparing you the hassles of setting up a crypto wallet. By way of comparison, contenders like Global Prime provide a choice of 40 cryptocurrencies. Customers can boost their crypto market exposure with maximum leverage of 1:2 (EU) or 1:20 (FSC, SCB). The minimum order size is 0.01 lots for BTC/USD and ETH/USD, 0.1 lots for DOT/USD and ADA/USD, and 1 lot for DOGE/USD.

ETFs

More experienced traders get the chance to diversify their portfolios with 88 exchange-traded funds neatly grouped by region (Europe, UK, US). The broker offers ETFs for gold, silver, energies, carbon emissions, treasury bonds, and indices like the Dow Jones Industrial Average. ActivTrades features a category for crypto ETFs on its website, though it is currently empty, suggesting the broker has not yet added these markets to its portfolio. As for leverage, the maximum ratios reach 1:5 and 1:50 based on jurisdiction.

Bonds

As many as 6 bond CFDs are on offer, allowing seasoned traders to speculate on the movements of debt securities. The options include Euro Bobl, Euro BTP, Euro Bund, Euro Schatz, USD vs BRL Futures, and US T-Bond. Leverage is capped at 1:5 in Europe and the UK, 1:500 under the Mauritius entity, and 1:200 for customers trading through the Bahamas-regulated division.

Instruments Unavailable at ActivTrades

To wrap this section up, ActivTrades provides a well-balanced selection of tradable instruments with decent enough coverage of all major asset classes. The presence of futures contracts for indices and commodities is a definitive plus that surely works in favor of the broker. The same goes for bonds and ETFs, which are unavailable at certain rival brokerages. Here is what’s missing from the ActivTrades portfolio, though:

• No Options – Options pose a great hedge against market downturns but are presently unavailable at ActivTrades.
• No NDFs – Non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) are available only to Brazilian customers registered under the CVM entity.

Trade Execution

As previously explained, ActivTrades is the sole execution venue for customer trades, acting as a counterparty and dealing on its own account. The broker sources and compares prices across multiple liquidity providers to deliver the best quotes possible to customers. The company’s order execution statement additionally reveals that ActivTrades relies on its liquidity providers for hedging as a means of reducing its risk exposure.

ActivTrades has built a highly scalable proprietary trading infrastructure on the IBM Cloud, which enables it to deliver lightning-fast order execution with low latency. Customers can anticipate very few requotes and minimal risk of slippage. The broker also claims in its order execution statement that it passes positive slippage onto customers. Market execution is available to clients trading through MT5, MT4, and ActivTrader. Here are several key facts about the order execution quality at ActivTrades.

1. Average execution speed – ActivTrades advertises average order execution speeds of 0.004 seconds. While we cannot confirm this with absolute certainty, the figure is beyond impressive considering most rival brokers advertise average speeds between 20 and 100 milliseconds.
2. Number of trades per second – The broker’s trading infrastructure has the capacity to process over 100,000 orders per second. This throughput indicates that ActivTrades can handle a large volume of orders without experiencing significant delays or bottlenecks. It reduces the risk of slippage resulting from system overloads. Active customers and high-volume traders greatly benefit from these high processing speeds.
3. Minimal risk of receiving requotes – According to ActivTrades, its trading system executes 93.60% of all orders at the exact price clients have requested. The reduced risk of requotes allows for more accurate risk management and improves profitability (in the case of negative slippage).

Deposits

The broker caters to its global clientele with a balanced selection of deposit methods encompassing popular options like debit and credit cards, bank transfers, cryptocurrencies, and e-wallets. The available methods vary based on region. For example, depositing with digital coins is an option only for customers registered at the Bahamas and Mauritius-licensed divisions of ActivTrades.

There is no minimum deposit amount under the FCA, FSC, FCB, and CMVM entities. The minimum deposit requirement for customers from Brazil is R$100,000. Chinese customers must start with at least $500 in their accounts. Deposits with debit or credit cards incur additional charges of up to 1.5%. E-wallet and crypto transactions do not incur additional fees. The broker supports 11 base account currencies.

• Euro (EUR)
• US dollar (USD)
• Pound sterling (GBP)
• Indian rupee (INR)
• Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
• UAE dirham (AED)
• Argentine peso (ARS)
• Qatari riyal (QAR)
• Brazilian real (BRL)
• Swiss franc (CHF)
• Swedish krona (SEK)

The deposited amount generally reflects in your live trading balance within half an hour or less. We recommend you register a live account in your native currency, if supported, to avoid the 0.5% conversion fee. Here is a complete breakdown of the deposit methods available at ActivTrades.

* ActivTrades accepts deposits with 10 cryptocurrencies – Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Chainlink, Litecoin, Ethereum, US Coin, Tether, Stellar, Ripple, and Dash.

Withdrawals

Withdrawing from your live balance is a hassle-free process at ActivTrades as most payment go through within the same working day. The supported withdrawal methods overlap with those available for deposits. You can cash out from your account with Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, and bank transfers. Customers at the offshore divisions can withdraw their profits to a cryptocurrency wallet.

Most accepted withdrawal methods do not attract additional fees. Bank transfers in US dollars are the sole exception to this rule as they incur a $12.50 fee at the EU-facing version of the website. Requesting a bank transfer withdrawal under the Bahamas and Mauritius entities will cost you £9. There is no minimum withdrawal amount for fiat-based methods, but cryptocurrency users must cash out at least $25.

Customer Support Contacts

Providing timely and efficient customer support is one of the biggest strengths of ActivTrades. The support department is at customers’ disposal round-the-clock, delivering quick assistance via multiple communication channels. On the downside, the staff is on duty on weekdays only. The broker compensates with multilingual support.

The service is available in 14 languages according to ActivTrades. We can confirm the availability of English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Russian, Bulgarian, and Arabic. Traders can contact a support rep via one of the following channels.

1. Live chat – Undoubtedly, this is the quickest way to receive assistance as the agents respond within no more than a couple of minutes, depending on their workload.
2. WhatsApp – You can contact a representative instantly via WhatsApp on your mobile device or desktop computer.
3. Messaging – The broker provides an online contact form for less urgent issues and queries.
4. Free call – Alternatively, clients seeking assistance can request a free callback. Calling the representatives directly is another option.
5. Email – Emailing your queries is also possible. Clients can anticipate a response within several hours to one working day.

Research and Educational Materials

ActivTrades excels in the research and education department, providing customers with a broad range of materials to help them hone their skills and advance their knowledge. The educational content is freely available and will cost you nothing. Here is a closer look at what traders can anticipate in terms of research and learning materials.

Research

The broker provides a nice range of tools for market research and analysis, including a dedicated news section and an economic calendar. All tools are free to use and require no subscription.

1. Market news – Traders will find detailed weekly outlooks and news pieces in the Analysis section of the website. Macro market analysis is available as well.
2. Economic calendar – The economic calendar enables you to filter events by type, importance, and country.
3. Market Buzz – The feature provides market insights and analysis in real-time and is free to use for clients whose deposits exceed $1,000.
4. Trading Central – The research portal is free to use, providing economic insights, crowd insights, and more.

Education

ActivTrades has dedicated an entire section of its website to learning and education, demonstrating a strong focus on helping clients improve their financial knowledge. Here is what you can anticipate when it comes to educational materials.

1. Comprehensive Guides – The broker boasts an extensive library of guides to help customers acquaint themselves with the available trading platforms and tools.
2. Seminars – Customers can advance their knowledge by participating in live seminars hosted by industry experts from around the world.
3. Free Webinars – Alternatively, traders can join regular expert-led webinars available in multiple languages, including English, Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. You can find past events in the Webinar Archives.

Security and Money Guarantees

Given the multiple licenses it holds, it is no surprise that ActivTrades upholds exceptionally high standards for security, compliance, and reliability. The broker enjoys an excellent reputation in the industry and receives heaps of praise from customers on Trustpilot, where it has achieved a 4.6-star rating.

Customers are safeguarded from running up debt with negative balance protection, which is available to traders across all entities. Even professionals are eligible, the broker claims. Additionally, ActivTrades regularly audits its trading infrastructure to detect and eliminate vulnerabilities if necessary. Client funds are ring-fenced from the broker’s operational capital and kept in segregated accounts at tier-one banks like Barclays, Lloyd’s, Citibank, and RBS.

ActivTrades is fully compliant with the regulatory standards of some of the world’s toughest financial watchdogs. In accordance with their requirements, the broker undergoes regular financial audits by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). PwC, along with Deloitte, KPMG, and Ernst & Young, is one of the Big Four auditing firms that reviews major public and private companies globally.

Apart from negative balance protection, clients are eligible for investor compensation of up to €25,000 under the Investor Compensation System (ICS). On top of that, the broker offers enhanced compensation of up to €1 million per client. All these factors combine to make ActivTrades an incredibly appealing option for traders who prioritize security.

Conclusion

To wrap things up, ActivTrades is a solid online brokerage that is likely to appeal to a broad range of traders. Its competitive spreads, diverse platform options, and strong regulatory oversight attract both retail and professional traders. The broker’s commitment to transparency and compliance, coupled with its varied range of trading tools, position it as a viable option for those seeking a reliable online trading partner.

Written by Z. Stefanova