HYCM or ActivTrades – which is better for UK traders 2026? Compare HYCM and ActivTrades in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
HYCM, authorised by four global entities including the FCA, is an online broker. It provides short-term CFD trading on forex, shares, commodities, indices, ETFs, and Bitcoin. The broker supports MT4, MT5, and Trading Central analysis.
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
HYCM, established in 1977, has endured events like Black Wednesday, the 2008 financial crisis, the SNB shock, and various FCA regulatory changes that saw many rivals restructure or exit. While many brokers recently obtained FCA regulation, HYCM's longstanding compliance spans a full generation of retail traders. This signifies a uniquely established track record.
Instead of a fixed leverage cap, HYCM's model automatically decreases leverage as position volume grows, safeguarding traders from excessive exposure on large trades without manual margin adjustments. Typical retail brokers set a static leverage limit, leaving risk control entirely to traders. The dynamic model provides a structural risk safeguard, especially beneficial for novice traders gradually expanding positions.
While most retail CFD brokers offer gold, oil, and silver, HYCM goes further by providing agricultural soft commodities. This is available from a standard account without requiring a higher minimum deposit or professional status. For those seeking true commodity diversification beyond metals and energy, such access is unusually available at this level.
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
The limitation appears solely in HYCM's terms. Investors opening a Fixed or Classic account, creating a short-term strategy, and executing rapid trades risk having profits seized and accounts suspended without notice. The Raw account allows more precise trading, but the threshold between allowed and forbidden trading frequency is not clearly defined on hycm.com.
HYCM still uses the same MT4, MT5, and proprietary mobile app infrastructure from five years ago. There's no TradingView, cTrader, social trading, copy trading, or PAMM available. Despite having nearly 50 years of history and FCA regulation, the lack of platform development shows little focus on technology investment. This is crucial as rivals integrate TradingView and expand social trading to appeal to new retail traders.
Brokers such as eToro, Pepperstone, and IC Markets have created client acquisition channels centred on social and copy trading. HYCM lacks this approach. This leaves new traders wishing to invest in proven strategies and experienced traders aiming to profit from managing external capital without a platform. Consequently, HYCM fails to serve this segment of retail traders.
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
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
ActivTrades offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, including its own ActivTrader app, MT4, MT5, and TradingView. These provide real-time data, advanced charting, and customisable features. All apps enable intuitive trading and account management, but ActivTrader excels with its seamless experience, fast execution, and robust research tools.
iOS App Rating
3
4.9
Android App Rating
3.6
3.8
Margin Trading
Yes
Yes
Margin Rate
Variable upon regulation and jurisdiction
MetaTrader 4
Yes
Yes
MetaTrader 5
Yes
Yes
cTrader
No
No
AlgoTrader
No
No
OmniTrader
No
No
TradingView
No
Yes
Autochartist
No
No
eSignal
No
No
Trading Central
Yes
No
STP Account
No
Yes
ECN Account
Yes
No
DMA Account
No
No
MAM Account
No
No
PAMM Account
No
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
Yes
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
No
No
Tournaments
No
No
Demo Competitions
No
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
RUB
AED
USD
EUR
GBP
CHF
Commodities
Gold
Silver
Coffee
Oil
Cotton
Copper
Palladium
Platinum
Sugar
Gold
Oil
Natural Gas
Wheat
Copper
Cocoa
Coffee
Corn
Orange Juice
Palladium
Platinum
Silver
Soybeans
Sugar
CFD
HYCM offers traders the opportunity to engage in trading CFDs across various stocks, indices, commodities, and ETFs, all featuring floating spreads. Leverage limits differ depending on the specific instrument. Clients can select from two top-tier trading platforms.
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
1:301:500
1:30 (UK and EU), 1:400 (Global & Pro)
FTSE Spread
1.5
0.6
GBPUSD Spread<
0.1
0.8
Oil Spread
2.0
0.03
Stocks Spread
2.2%
Variable
Forex
HYCM provides over 40 forex pairs for trading on the MT4 or MT5 platforms. Leverage is capped at 1:30, compliant with regulatory standards. The Raw account features tight spreads starting at 0.2, while the commission-free Classic account offers spreads from 1.2.
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
40+
50+
GBPUSD Spread
0.4
0.8
EURUSD Spread
0.1
0.5
EURGBP Spread
0.4
0.8
Currency Indices
USD
Cryptocurrency
HYCM provides trading options exclusively on Bitcoin, available as CFDs paired with USD. Although this allows traders to engage with the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, offering a wider selection of digital currencies would align the broker more closely with its competitors.
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.
