Forex Brokers
ActivTrades Review

ActivTrades

Rating: 83%

Min Deposit

$ 0

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Last Updated:Mar 15, 2024

ActivTrades Broker Review - Multiregulated Brand with a Great Deal of Experience

ActivTrades is an online retail broker offering trading facilities in forex and more than 1000 CFDs comprising indices, commodities, ETFs, shares, cryptocurrencies, and spread betting. The company started operations in 2001 in Switzerland, and it has a corporate office in London and offices across key cities in Italy, Bulgaria, and the Bahamas, where they have made significant inroads among the trading community.

With a strong focus on retail trading and to handhold inexperienced clients, ActivTrades broker organizes seminars, webinars, and one-on-one personalized training sessions, making it one of the most well-known brands among forex brokers. The company also offers a glossary of financial terminologies, instructional manuals, and videos of its products and platforms.

Over 20 years of experience
More than 100 active traders
Enhanced protection of funds
Negative balance protection
Fast execution of trades
Over 1000 CFDs

ActivTrades Broker Overview Parameters

Our review of ActivTrades covers all the key parameters, beginning with account types and regulations, before we head to the trading platforms, products offered, tools, spreads, and leverage, which together account for the high trading cost for clients. Our ActivTrades com review also includes awards and recognition received in various categories, quality of customer support, deposit and withdrawal methods, client privacy, and security of funds.

ActivTrades review summary

The ActivTrades broker review follows a comprehensive analysis to determine the offerings of the broker and the pros of cons of parking your funds with no hassles.

We have ensured we maintained a neutral bias in our evaluation approach and have also addressed the shortcomings wherever we found a lack in the services offered.

Licenses

ActivTrades is regulated by tier-1 agencies in the UK and the Bahamas. While the regulation caps the extent of leverage that can be offered by the broker, it ensures client protection in the event the broker winds up.

Platforms

Clients of activetrades.com have the option to choose from 3 trading platforms: ActivTrader, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. In addition to the Android and tablet versions, the platforms include the proprietary web and MetaTrader desktop applications.

Privacy and Protection

The client privacy policy offered by ActivTrades is nothing new to the FX industry. But, the presence of strong regulation helps protect client funds to the extent of $1,000,000 in the event that the broker shuts up shop.

Spreads/Fees

ActivTrades offers competitive spreads. The broker charges commissions only on equity CFDs, while the fees are limited to specific applications and services.

Mobile

One of the very few FX brokers that offer 2 different mobile trading applications to clients. The apps are available for both Android and iPhone users and can be downloaded from the respective app stores.

Customer Care

The broker provides customer support in fourteen languages, ranging from English to Bulgarian. Client support, which is open 24/5, is via email, phone, and live chat. We have provided a detailed analysis based on our interactions.

Regulation and Investor Protection at ActivTrades Broker

Activtrades.com has offices in multiple countries, and the broker is regulated by various agencies in the countries of operation. While this provides customers with a safe and secure environment for their funds, it guarantees the broker’s performance when it comes to the other aspects.

Listed below is the global network of entities regulating ActivTrades:

ActivTrades Plc holds a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) license in the United Kingdom. The registration number is FRN 434413. The company is mandated to follow the rules of the FCA laid out in the FCA handbook.
If you are living in the United Arab Emirates, the CFD broker comes under the regulation of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), registration number F003511.
ActivTrades Corp also operates in the Bahamas and is regulated by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB), registration number 199667 B.
ActivTrades is an ISO 27001 certified company, a globally recognized certificate for information security, and it is also the first broker to sign the HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 83% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

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ActivTrades’s Tradable Products

Clients of ActivTrades can access over 1000 tradable asset classes across its various platforms. The broad trading instruments comprise forex, cryptocurrencies including ActivTrades Bitcoin, spread betting, commodities, indices, and shares. However, a majority of them are CFDs in shares and are only available on the MetaTrader 5.

We have broken down the asset classes separately and have underlined some of the key trading instruments. When it comes to spot forex, the broker has a total mix of forty-nine major, minor, and exotic pairs. The breakdown is as follows:

Forex

Major FX pairs	Minor FX pairs	Exotic currencies	Total FX pairs
15	16	18	49

Metals

Gold

Silver

Copper

Platinium

Indices and financials

GER30

FRA40

UK100

USA500

USAIND

USATEC

EURO50

ESP35

Commodities

	Energy	Grains	Softs
Number traded	7	5	3

CFDs on Shares

ActivTrades offers a large number of equity CFDs for clients who wish to trade in shares listed across stock exchanges in Europe, the UK, the United States, and Italy. This broker also allows clients to trade in American Deposit Receipts (ADRs) and a whole bunch of ETFs comprising indices, municipal/corporate bonds, and funds across all the major US sectors.

The structured CFD products are cash-settled, and clients can access them only on the MetaTrader 5 platform.

Cryptocurrencies

The ActivTrades cryptocurrencies range includes Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ripple, and Ethereum. While the CFD broker introduced Bitcoin trading in 2009, trading in the other 3 digital currencies commenced in 2011, 2012, and 2015, respectively.

The trading symbols for the cryptocurrencies are highlighted below.

BTCUSD

LTCUSD

XRPUSD

ETHUSD

Spread betting

ActivTrades allows only UK customers the option to spread bet on a range of financial instruments comprising forex, commodities, indices, fixed-income instruments, and shares traded on the London Stock Exchange. The advantages include fully automated execution, commission-free trades, lower capital requirements, and tax benefit on profits.

Spread betting can be carried out from as low as 10 pence up to £100, and the option is available on all the ActivTrades platforms.

Founded in 2001 as a pioneer in online trading, the broker became a global organisation. Provider of services to retail and institutional traders via several trading platforms, including proprietary and popular MT4 and MT5.

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ActivTrades Broker – Seize Market Opportunities

ActivTrades Spreads, Fees, and Commisions for Specific Services

The spread charged by ActivTrades varies across asset classes, in line with what most brokers charge. The lowest average spread is 0.90 pips for the EUR/USD pair, which is more than the target spread of 0.50 pips. On the other hand, the spread increases sharply for CFDs, especially the EM indices. The average spread on ActivTrades crypto ranges from 0.01 for the XRPUSD, while ActivTrades Bitcoin comes with an average spread of $30.

ActivTrades does not charge a commission on most products except for CFDs in equities traded across Europe, the US, and the UK. Commissions are a percentage of the transaction value for shares traded in London and Europe, while for companies listed in the US, the broker charges a commission of $0.02 per share.

Listed below are the commission charges by ActivTrades.

When it comes to fees, ActivTrades charges for the following services:

Market data services for shares traded in the US markets, including ADRs and ETFs
Holding overnight long positions in equity CFDs
Inactive account fee of £10 per month if the account is inactive for more than a year

ActivTrades Broker Offers 4 Account Types

Unlike most other FX brokers, ActivTrades has only a couple of account types for individual traders in addition to the Islamic account. The forex and CFD broker used to have a prepaid card option for individuals to set up a new account, but this facility has been discontinued. Also, it is a non-dealing desk broker, so an ActivTrades ECN account is not offered.

Although the broker offers Islamic accounts, this is not featured on the company’s website. The other individual account type provided by ActivTrades broker is the Professional account, which comes with a few pre-conditions.

In this section, we have highlighted all the account types along with their features:

Individual Account

This ActivTrades account allows clients to access all tradable products across asset classes and on all 3 platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and ActivTrader. Clients can execute trades directly as non-dealing brokers and can fund the account in euros, US dollars, pounds sterling, and Swiss francs. No minimum deposit is required; this means that account can be opened with any amount of money.

We have illustrated some of the key features of the individual account below:

ActivTrades key features of the individual account

Professional Account

A Professional account has some of the features of the Individual account. However, it is not subject to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) product intervention measures concerning Contracts for Difference (CFD) trading. Investors are not subject to the leverage limits imposed by ESMA and do not need to worry about the standardized risk warnings applicable to individual accounts. A Professional account holder also receives incentives to trade in CFDs with ActivTrades. No minimum deposit is required for this account type.

If you intend to open a Professional account, you could be asked to meet at least 2 of the following eligibility criteria:

You should have carried out significantly large transactions in the relevant market, with an average of ten transactions per quarter in each of the last 4 quarters.
The size of your portfolio should be more than EUR500,000 including cash and financial assets.
Employed by a financial institution or minimum experience of a year in the financial sector in a position that has led you to gain sufficient knowledge about the services related to the industry.

While the ActivTrades Professional account has the added benefit of higher leverage and incentives, it also comes with the additional risk of not following the guidelines set by ESMA. In the event of a dispute with the broker, clients could face serious issues if they approach the regulator for grievance redressal.

Islamic accounts

Islamic account holders could be at an advantage when they trade with ActivTrades. The broker does not charge any interest on overnight positions, nor does it charge additional commissions to keep positions open beyond twenty-four hours. However, clients are required to maintain an initial ActivTrades minimum deposit at the time of opening the account.

Minimum deposit – (USD/GBP/EUR/CHF)500

While several forex brokers have a minimum deposit option, the minimum deposit program on all ActivTrades account types is quite modest, and first-time traders are likely to be attracted by these optional benefits.

How to Create an Account at ActivTrades

Follow these steps to complete your ActivTrades login process:

Step 1:

Begin by clicking on & Enter some basic information about yourself, and set your account password

Step 2:

Fill out your details and select one of the ActivTrades entities below where you wish to open your account:

ActivTrades Corp: Nassau- Regulated by SCB
ActivTrades Plc: Regulated by FCA

Step 3

Enter your financial and account information, trading preferences, and the trading platform

Step 4:

Update your trading experience & Accept the terms of the standard declaration

Step 5:

Finally, complete the KYC formalities by uploading your photograph along with proof of your identity and residence

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Available Deposit and Withdrawal Options

During our ActivTrades review, we found quite a few deposit/withdrawal methods, and clients can transact directly by logging in from the secure personal area. While the broker does not charge for most kinds of deposits, there are a few costs when it comes to withdrawing funds. Also, if you funded deposits using your credit/debit card, withdrawals to the card will be limited to the total value of the initial deposit, with any additional payout wired directly to your bank account.

Deposit Charges and Processing Time

Deposit method	Approx processing time	Charges
Debit/Credit card - UK and EEA	30 minutes	1.5%
Debit/ Credit card- Non EEA	30 minutes	1.5%
Bank transfer	Same working day	Free
SKRILL	30 minutes	Free
AstroPay	30 minutes	Free
NETELLER	30 minutes	Free

Withdrawal Charges and Processing Time

Withdrawal method	Withdrawal fee
Debit/ Credit card	Free	According to ActivTrades, all withdrawals will be processed the same day if requested by 12.30 pm, UK time.
Bank transfer	£9
Bank transfer	Free
Paypal	Free
SKRILL	Free
NETELLER	Free

ActivTrades Client Privacy and Capital Protection Policies

The client privacy policy emphasizes how the broker processes the client’s personal information via the legal or contractual framework and discloses it to its associated offices, third parties/service providers, government institutions, courts, and other regulatory agencies whenever required by law. The broker also uses the client’s personal information to determine eligibility for opening a trading account.

Under UK data protection laws, clients have the right to:

Access and rectify their personal information.
Withdraw or object to consent given to the broker to process your personal data.
Request the broker to erase all your personal information.
Raise a complaint with the supervisory authority if you find any breach in the way your data was processed.

Likewise, ActivTrades has listed its client privacy, security, data protection policies, and legal framework in Nassau, situated in the Bahamas.

When it comes to capital protection, ActivTrades has adopted the following measures to protect investors:

All client funds are in segregated accounts in tier-1 banks.
All client accounts come with negative balance protection with the ActivTrades Balance Protection Policy.
The broker offers additional insurance to the extent of $1,000,000, close to twelve times the £85,000 guaranteed under FSCS.
Automatic close-out of trades if the value of your account drops below seventy percent of the required margin for existing open positions.

Various Trading Platforms to Choose From

ActivTrades offers a range of web, desktop, and mobile trading platforms that can be accessed from the website’s personal area once you set up your demo account. The platforms include:

Web-based ActivTrader
MetaTrader 4
MetaTrader 5
ActivTrader, MT4, and MT5 for iOS and Android

We analyzed the MetaTrader 5 along with the ActivTrader for web and Android and have posted our review below.

Beginning with the web-based ActivTrader, the platform has a straightforward layout comprising a watchlist, chart, and an order panel. It connects easily without requiring active downloads and works seamlessly. You can trade multiple asset classes, open trades from the chart panel, create personalized watchlists, and access a vast number of trading tools, which can be pretty useful for beginners and experienced traders alike.

Also, you can change the appearance of the platform, choose from a list of eleven languages, instantly connect to the online chat line, and get an executive to call you back. On the flip side, there are a few drawbacks as well, all of which we have described in our review below.

Pros

One-click trading
Facility to place market, limit, and stop-loss orders. Additional order types: trailing stops and take profit orders
Progressive trailing stop feature to protect profits by setting up additional layers that modify the existing trailing stops
Facility to create multiple charts with time frames extending from 1 minute to 1 month
Option to create 2 opposing positions in the same underlying
Market sentiment indicator that illustrates the views of the other traders
Ease of accessing your account information, depositing/withdrawing cash, and connecting with the broker’s customer support via chat and the phone line

Cons

The drawing tools on the charts are very basic.
If you’re searching for fundamental data or real-time economic indicators, you’ll be disappointed.
There is no option to place price alerts.

ActivTrades is among a select few forex brokers to offer both the MT4 and the MT5 platforms. The platform comes loaded with more than 450 CFDs on individual stocks and includes other products that are available on MetaTrader 4. The latest version of MetaTrader also has quite a few additional features like direct access to the economic calendar, live news, articles and journals, more than twenty time frames, and 8 order types, which you will generally not find in the MetaTrader 4.

Furthermore, the platform comes heavily armed with tools like one-click trading, price alerts, trailing stops, advanced strategy tester, and the FIFO method of netting open positions on the same underlying. ActivTrades also permits clients to hold competing or hedged positions in FX on the MT4 and MT5 platforms, for which a margin of 10% must be maintained.

A Comparison of the MetaTrader 4 and the MetaTrader 5 Platforms Offered by ActivTrades

ActivTrades also offers MT4 and MT5 platforms for demo accounts and for clients who prefer to use them as their mobile trading application.

For traders using the mobile application, there are 3 options to choose from:

ActivTrader
MetaTrader 4
MetaTrader 5

Diverse Mobile Trading Tools at ActivTrades

All the mobile applications are accessible for iOS and Android users and are available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

We tested the ActivTrader for Android and found it to be a replica of the web version. The watchlist has 2 modes—the simple mode if you only want to monitor prices and place trades and the advanced mode if you also want to view the market sentiment indicator.

Android
iOS

By default, the minimum lot size is 0.01 for forex and cryptocurrencies and 0.25 for index CFDs. The app features multiple charts across different time frames, and clients can place trailing stops and take profit orders in addition to assigning progressive trailing stops and pullback entries. Users can trade across asset classes, view their account balance, deposit/withdraw funds, and get on the live chat with the broker’s customer support desk.

Since the mobile app replicates most of the features of the web application, the shortcomings are limited to the inability to set price alerts and the lack of fundamental news.

Trading Tools Available at ActivTrades Broker

When it comes to trading tools, ActivTrades has added more features to enhance the performance of its platforms. These tools help traders analyze the markets better, manage execution speed, automate trades, and manage positions. Some of the tools can also be used to identify the potential risk–reward ratio to help clients manage risk efficiently.

Some of the trading tools include:

SmartLines
SmartOrder 2
Smart Calculator ActivTrades
SmartTemplate
SmartForecast
SmartPattern
Pivot Points Indicator

The Smart Calculator ActivTrades is a remarkable tool that we find on ActivTrades. It helps you compute the margin, profit, loss, swap, and risk factor of your trades on different instruments, such as forex, indices, commodities, and shares. You can access it on the ActivTrader platform or on the website.

Since all the tools are only accessible by clients who have signed up for the live account, we are not able to offer our views on the potential influence of these additional trading features on risk management and client performance.

ActivTrades Leverage and Trade Execution

We placed a few trades on the ActivTrader and MT5 and found the execution speed to be extremely quick, with hardly any slippages. However, when it comes to trading margins, you might discover ActivTrades leverage exceptionally low. That’s because the broker’s license with tier-1 regulators in the UK and Europe caps the leverage that can be offered to clients.

On the other hand, if you are willing to take the additional risk of side-stepping some of the rules placed by the regulators, then you could opt for the Professional account, where the leverage restrictions do not apply. You could also be eligible for monetary benefits and incentives offered by the FX broker.

The leverage breakup for each asset class is listed below.

Forex

	Majors	Minors	Exotics
Max. leverage	1:30	1:20	1:20

Metals

	Gold	Silver	Copper
Max. leverage	1:20	1:20	1:10

Commodities

	GASOL	LCRUDE	NGAS	CORN	SOYBNS	WHEAT	COCOA	COFFEE	COTTON	OJ	SUGAR
Max. leverage	1:10	1:10	1:10	1:10	1:10	1:10	1:10	1:10	1:10	1:10	1:10

Indices and Financials

Index	GER30	FRA40	UK100	USA500	USAIND	USATEC	EURO50	ESP35
Max. leverage	1:20	1:20	1:20	1:20	1:20	1:20	1:20	1:10

ActivTrades Cryptocurrencies

	BTCUSD	LTCUSD	XRPUSD	ETHUSD
Max. leverage	1:2	1:2	1:2	1:2

Customer Support

ActivTrades caters to customers in fourteen languages, although only English language support is open 24/5. Help in other languages, such as German and Italian, is open from 08.00-23.00 CET, while for the rest of the languages, ActivTrades guarantees client support from 09.00-19.00 CET.

Clients can call/email or request a call back from the support desk. Customers can also opt to receive instant remote support through the LogMeIn Rescue. We tried the live chat and found the response time to be very, very fast, sometimes less than 2 minutes. The experience of the support team was evident in the time they took to reply to simple questions related to account types, trade execution, etc.

Тhe Key Support Credentials Provided by ActivTrades

Live Chat

24 hours – Monday to Friday

E-Mail

[email protected]

Phone

+44 (0) 207 6500 567

ActivTrades is available in the following languages:

Arabic

Bulgarian

English

French

German

Italian

Malay

Portuguese

Russian

Spanish

Vietnamese

Visit “FOREX BROKERS ACADEMY” for more information.

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ActivTrades’s Achievements and Awards

ActivTrades is a leading online broker recognized globally for its CFD offerings in forex, commodities, shares, and spread betting. In its pursuit of continued excellence, ActiveTrades has collected numerous awards, certifications, and recognitions along the way.

Here are some awards and accolades received by ActivTrades broker since its inception in 2001:

Named Best Forex Broker in 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2017 by Le Fonti.
Won the Best Non-Dealing Desk FX, CFD, and Futures Broker at the 8th International Investment & Finance Expo in China in 2012.
According to Investec Hot 100 UK’s fastest-growing private companies in 2013, ActivTrades was the sixth fastest company in terms of growth in the UK, third in London, and fourth overall in the financial sector.
ActivTrades won Outstanding Global FX Broker at the Quamnet Outstanding Enterprise Awards 2014, held in Hong Kong.
It was recognized as the Best Forex Broker by IAIR in the UK in 2016. It also received the Best Top10 Broker in the 7th International Investment & Finance Exhibition held in China.
ActivTrades was named Best Online Trading Services Provider by ADVFN 2017.
ActivTrades was the winner of the Best Online Trading Services from Shares Magazine in 2017.
Recognized for its Best Online Trading Services at the ADVFN International Financial Awards 2018.
Best UK Spread Betting Broker, International Investor Magazine 2023.
Forex Broker des Jahres, Brokewahl 2023.
Best Forex Broker, International Investor Magazine 2023.

Some of the Awards Recently Received by ActivTrades

Best Forex Broker 2023

International Investor Magazine

Safest Global Broker 2023

International Investor Magazine

FAQ

What Are the Trading Hours at ActivTrades?

If you are a client of ActivTrades, the market opens Sunday at midnight CET and closes Friday at 5:00 pm New York time.

To What Extent Is ActivTrades Insured, and Who Are the Underwriters?

ActivTrades has an aggregate insurance limit that exceeds the exposed capital outside the purview of FSCS up to $1,000,000 per client.
The insurance policy is underwritten by QBE Underwriting Limited in association with other participating syndicates at Lloyd’s of London.

Can I Open a Second Trading Account with ActivTrades?

Yes, you can. To open a second account, go to the client personal area on the website, log in using your MetaTrader 4 id and password and choose 'I would like to open a second account.'
The advantages include:
• Internal fund transfer between the accounts
• Simultaneous trading from both accounts

Are There Any Advantages of Trading Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies with ActivTrades?

There are a few advantages of trading with ActivTrades bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies offered by the forex and CFD broker.
• These are CFDs on cryptocurrencies, which are different from trading on the actual digital platform
• All positions are cash-settled
• Eliminates the risk of losses due to data theft
• Zero percent brokerage/commission
• Clients’ funds are safe in the event of forks

Final Thoughts

Our ActivTrades broker review shows that the broker has been in the industry for nearly 2 decades and is well known for its CFD offerings. ActivTrades stands out when it comes to its offerings on trading platforms and tools. Further, the broker is licensed by tier-1 regulators and offers competitive spreads, speedy execution, and a host of educational materials to assist clients in familiarizing themselves with the platforms and trading tools.

ActivTrades has received numerous awards in the past for its outstanding customer service. Our experience was also excellent. The response time of the support team to engage with clients on the live chat was fast, always within 2 minutes. They were polite and their abundance of knowledge regarding the products and services offered by the broker was evident.

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