Forex.com vs ActivTrades

Forex.com or ActivTrades – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare Forex.com and ActivTrades in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

Forex.com vs ActivTrades Comparison Table 2025
Forex.com ActivTrades
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4.4
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4
Forex.com is ranked #10 among CFD brokers. ActivTrades is ranked #57 among CFD brokers.
Review
Review
Established in 1999, FOREX.com is now integrated into StoneX, a prominent financial services entity catering to more than one million clients globally. The broker is regulated in numerous jurisdictions, including the US, UK, EU, and Australia. It offers a vast array of markets beyond forex, delivering competitive pricing on state-of-the-art trading platforms. 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.
Pros
  • With more than two decades of expertise, strong regulatory governance, and numerous accolades, including a second-place finish in our 'Best Forex Broker' awards, FOREX.com is globally renowned as a reliable trading platform.
  • The in-house Web Trader remains a standout platform, excellently crafted for budding traders. It features a sleek design and offers more than 80 technical indicators for thorough market analysis.
  • In addition to top-tier platforms, FOREX.com provides an excellent range of additional tools such as Trading Central research, a SMART Signals pattern scanner, trading signals, and strategy builders.
  • FOREX.com provides top-tier forex rates beginning at 0.0 pips, along with attractive cashback rebates up to 15% for dedicated traders.
  • An abundance of educational resources is available, such as tutorials, webinars, and an extensive YouTube channel, designed to enhance your understanding of financial markets.
  • 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
  • Although FOREX.com has expanded its range of instruments, its product offering is confined to forex and CFDs. Consequently, there are no investment options for actual stocks, ETFs, or cryptocurrencies.
  • FOREX.com's MT4 platform provides around 600 instruments, a notable reduction compared to the more than 5,500 options on its other platforms.
  • Funding choices are restricted when compared to top options such as IC Markets. Many popular e-wallets, including UnionPay and POLi, are noticeably absent.
  • US clients are not protected against negative balances, which means you could end up owing more than your initial deposit.
  • Demo accounts are typically limited to 90 days, hindering effective strategy testing.
  • 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 CFD Broker 2022 - Rankia
  • Best HNW Service 2022 - Dubai Forex Expo
  • Best US Broker 2020 - DayTrading.com
  • Best US Broker 2019 - DayTrading.com
  • Runner-Up - Best Forex Broker 2019 - DayTrading.com
  • 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
  • Best FX Broker 2021 - Le Fonti Award
FCA Regulated
Yes Yes
Instruments
Forex, CFDs, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Options, Crypto CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, ETFs, Futures, Cryptos (location dependent)
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$100 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
NFA, CFTC, CIRO, FCA, CYSEC, ASIC, SFC, FSA, MAS, CIMA FCA, CMVM, CSSF, SCB
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

Running alongside the MT4 and Web Trader platforms, the FOREX.com app offers full trading capabilities on a user-friendly, compact platform. Integrated news and analysis, plus real time trade alerts, are two mobile specific features that set this app above the crowd. Additionally, it beats out MT4 when it comes to mobile charting tools, with over 80 indicators and 11 chart types, not to mention a slicker design that we love.

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
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3.6
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4.9
Android App Rating
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3.8
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3.8
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5
Yes Yes
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
Yes Yes
Autochartist
Yes No
eSignal
Yes No
Trading Central
Yes No
STP Account
Yes Yes
ECN Account
Yes No
DMA Account
Yes No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
Yes 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 Yes (APIs), Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$15 €/£10
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • CHF
  • PLN
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CHF
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Silver
  • Cotton
  • Livestock
  • Soybeans
  • Coffee
  • Natural Gas
  • Sugar
  • Wheat
  • Orange Juice
  • Lean Hogs
  • Cattle
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Natural Gas
  • Wheat
  • Copper
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee
  • Corn
  • Orange Juice
  • Palladium
  • Platinum
  • Silver
  • Soybeans
  • Sugar
CFD
With options for both long and short positions on over 5,500 CFDs in forex, stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies, FOREX.com stands out. The platform's unique Web Trader delivers an outstanding experience, featuring more than 80 technical indicators and average execution speeds of merely 20 milliseconds, providing an ideal setting for dedicated traders. 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<
1.3 0.8
Oil Spread
2.5 0.03
Stocks Spread
0.14 Variable
Forex
FOREX.com maintains its status as a leading foreign exchange broker, providing access to more than 80 currency pairs at highly competitive rates. Standout features include EUR/USD spreads starting at 0.0 and a $5 commission per $100k traded. Additionally, its SMART Signals feature aids traders by pinpointing price trends in major global markets. 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
80+ 50+
GBPUSD Spread
1.3 0.8
EURUSD Spread
1.2 0.5
EURGBP Spread
1.4 0.8
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
You can trade over 8 cryptocurrencies against USD, EUR, GBP, and AUD with tight spreads, without needing a virtual wallet. Traders can automate their crypto transactions using Expert Advisors (EAs). 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.
Spread
BTC 1.4%, ETH 2% Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XRP
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • BCH
  • DOT
  • EOS
  • LINK
  • XLM
  • NEO
  • ADA
  • SOL
  • XRP
  • BNB
  • XMR
  • AVAX
  • DOGE
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
Forex.com ActivTrades
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