Axi or ActivTrades – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare Axi and ActivTrades in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
Founded in 2007, Axi is a forex and CFD broker operating under multiple regulations. Over the years, it has enhanced the trading experience by broadening its stock offerings, upgrading the Axi Academy, and launching a proprietary copy trading app.
ActivTrades, a UK-based CFD and forex broker since 2001, is renowned for its award-winning services. It holds licences from esteemed regulators, including the UK’s FCA. The firm offers trading on more than 1,000 instruments across seven asset classes, with an impressive 93.60% of trades executed at the desired price.
72.4% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider
Pros
Axi provides an excellent MT4 experience, enhanced by the NextGen plug-in for sophisticated order management and analytics, with low execution latency around 30ms.
Axi Academy offers a wealth of educational resources, from free eBooks and video tutorials to interactive quizzes. These are particularly beneficial for novice traders.
Based on our tests, Axi's new trading app is highly intuitive. It offers practical filtering options to align strategies with individual risk preferences.
Experienced traders are invited to join the Axi Select funded trader programme via the broker's international branch. This scheme offers up to $1 million in capital with the benefit of a 90% profit share.
ActivTrades provides competitive spreads, especially for forex trading, starting at 0.5 pips on major currency pairs without extra commissions. Additionally, the €/£10 inactivity fee is only applied after 52 weeks, benefiting active traders.
While cTrader isn't supported, MT4, MT5, TradingView, and the broker's ActivTrader platform accommodate various trading requirements. The firm's web-based platform has proven user-friendly and visually appealing for novices during testing.
ActivTrades is a reputable firm with over 20 years in the financial sector. It holds authorizations from three top-tier regulatory bodies, according to DayTrading.com's Regulation & Trust Rating. For UK traders, it offers enhanced protection with £1 million in investor compensation, surpassing the £85,000 provided by the FSCS, should the firm face insolvency.
Based on our tests, ActivTrades offers swift and reliable support via live chat, email, and phone in multiple languages. This makes it an excellent choice for both traders and newcomers seeking quality assistance.
With execution speeds averaging 4ms and an order completion rate of 93.6%, ActivTrades provides an outstanding platform for traders. It supports rapid strategies without imposing limits on short-term approaches.
Cons
Axi lags by solely providing MT4, while competitors have upgraded to MT5, cTrader, TradingView, and bespoke platforms, delivering a smoother user experience with enhanced tools.
Even with the expansion of stock CFDs in the US, UK, and EU markets, its range still falls short compared to companies like BlackBull, which provide thousands of equities for varied trading opportunities.
Axi retains our confidence. However, recent issues with ASIC and FMA require it to maintain a secure environment and comply with licensing standards.
Although Axi delivers excellent performance, its support is not available 24/7. This unavailability can be inconvenient for traders operating in different time zones or requiring help beyond regular trading hours.
The platform lacks features for copy or social trading, which is a disadvantage for traders interested in passive investing or replicating the trades of seasoned traders. This is particularly evident when compared to eToro and Vantage.
The selection of over 1,000 markets includes forex, commodities, indices, and ETFs. However, the overall choice of asset classes is limited, with no stocks available outside the US, UK, and Europe. In comparison, BlackBull provides access to more than 26,000 markets.
Its research tools are decent, although somewhat lacking. The expanding 'Analysis' hub is useful, but the absence of Trading Central or Autochartist means advanced technical insights are missing. This limitation may hinder traders seeking to spot opportunities in volatile markets.
ActivTrades needs improvement in educational resources to compete with firms like XTB and CMC Markets. While it offers well-presented and informative webinars, the selection of courses and quizzes remains limited, hindering a more comprehensive and engaging learning experience for traders.
Awards
Best Forex Provider 2023 – Online Money Awards
Best MT4 Provider UK 2022 – International Business Magazine Awards
Best CFD Provider 2022 – Shares Awards
Best CFD Provider 2021 – Shares Awards
Most Transparent Forex Broker (Middle East) 2021 - Global Forex Awards
Best EMEA Region Broker 2020 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
Safest Global Broker 2023 - International Investor Magazine
Best Online Trading Services 2023 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
Best Forex Broker Europe 2022 - Forex-Awards.com
Most Trusted Global FX Broker 2022 - International Investor Magazine
Best CFD Broker 2021 - Rankia
Safest Global Broker 2021 - International Investor Award Winners
Axi’s app delivers a smooth, efficient trading experience, integrating all the tools needed for active trading in global markets right from your palm. Benefiting from upgrades to fix bugs and improve speed, it now features push notifications, personalized watchlists, and educational videos, all within a user-friendly interface that really impresses.
ActivTrades provides a choice of mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. The proprietary ActivTrader app and support for MT4, MT5, and TradingView give access to real-time market data, advanced charting tools, and customizable trading features. All four apps let you trade and manage you accounts intuitively, but ActivTrades boasts the most seamless trading experience, combining the broker’s ultra-fast execution speeds with dynamic charting and research tools.
iOS App Rating
3.6
4.9
Android App Rating
4.2
3.8
Margin Trading
Yes
Yes
MetaTrader 4
Yes
Yes
MetaTrader 5
No
Yes
cTrader
No
No
AlgoTrader
No
No
OmniTrader
No
No
TradingView
No
Yes
Autochartist
Yes
No
eSignal
No
No
Trading Central
No
No
STP Account
Yes
Yes
ECN Account
No
No
DMA Account
No
No
MAM Account
Yes
No
PAMM Account
Yes
No
LAMM Account
No
No
Demat Account
No
No
AI / Machine Learning
No
No
Robo Advisor
No
No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes
Yes
Market Maker
No
Yes
P2P Trading
No
No
Spot Trading
Yes
No
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, Myfxbook
Yes (APIs), Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
Yes
No
Social Trading
Yes
No
Trade Signals
MT4, Autochartist
Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes
No
Tournaments
No
No
Demo Competitions
Yes
No
Ethical Investing
No
No
Custodial Account
No
No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No
No
Inactivity Fee
$10
€/£10
Islamic Account
Yes
Yes
Account Currencies
USD
EUR
GBP
CHF
PLN
USD
EUR
GBP
CHF
Commodities
Copper
Oil
Gold
Silver
Platinum
Cocoa
Coffee
Gasoline
Natural Gas
Precious Metals
Gold
Oil
Natural Gas
Wheat
Copper
Cocoa
Coffee
Corn
Orange Juice
Palladium
Platinum
Silver
Soybeans
Sugar
CFD
Axi provides an expanding range of CFDs on currencies, shares, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies, subject to location. Designed for active traders, it imposes no limits on scalping or algorithmic strategies, offers significant leverage, and ensures rapid execution with latency below 100ms.
ActivTrades specialises in CFD trading, providing access to over 1,000 instruments, including currencies, shares, indices, and commodities. Renowned for its award-winning trading environment, the broker ensures swift and dependable order execution, coupled with clear margin requirements for traders.
Leverage
1:30
1:30 (UK and EU), 1:400 (Global & Pro)
FTSE Spread
1.0
0.6
GBPUSD Spread<
0.6
0.8
Oil Spread
0.03
0.03
Stocks Spread
0.07
Variable
Forex
Axi excels with over 70 currency pairs, outpacing competitors such as AvaTrade, which provides just over 50. Coupled with the enhanced MT4 platform via the NextGen add-on, Axi stands out as a top choice for forex traders.
ActivTrades provides competitive fees in forex, offering excellent spreads on major pairs like EUR/USD starting from 0.5 pips, with no commission charges. The enhanced ActivTrades platform, along with the renowned MetaTrader 4, equips traders with essential tools to navigate the FX market with confidence.
Assets
70+
50+
GBPUSD Spread
0.5
0.8
EURUSD Spread
0.2
0.5
EURGBP Spread
0.5
0.8
Currency Indices
USD
Cryptocurrency
Axi offers round-the-clock short-term trading on 30 popular cryptocurrencies paired with fiat currencies, other tokens, and metals. It distinguishes itself with leverage options up to 1:200 for experienced crypto traders, enhancing both potential gains and risks.
Trade over 15 popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Engage in trading these digital assets 24/7, with transparent fees. Access up to 1:10 leverage on leading tokens like BTC.
