InstaForex vs ActivTrades

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

InstaForex vs ActivTrades Comparison Table 2025
InstaForex ActivTrades
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3.2
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4
InstaForex is ranked #40 among CFD brokers. ActivTrades is ranked #57 among CFD brokers.
Review
Review
InstaForex, established in 2007, is a forex and CFD brokerage. It provides extensive market access to millions of traders, featuring traditional assets such as currencies and shares. The broker also offers intriguing options like IPO investments. 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.
All investments involve a degree of risk of some kind. Trading financial derivative products comes with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should not engage in trading these instruments unless you fully understand the nature of the transactions you are entering into, and the true extent of your exposure. These types of investments may be suitable for some investors, but they are not for everyone.
Pros
  • InstaForex provides an excellent trading environment, utilising the robust MT4 and MT5 platforms. These platforms come equipped with numerous technical analysis tools, automation features, and various order types.
  • The broker is an excellent choice for dedicated forex traders, offering over 100 currency pairs and competitive spreads starting at 0.0 pips. Additionally, it provides a top-tier collection of forex market resources.
  • The broker is beginner-friendly, offering low minimum deposits and commission-free trading.
  • 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
  • Customer support is offered exclusively in English, Czech, Polish, and Slovak.
  • The broker exclusively offers trading instruments as CFDs.
  • The broker's website and client portal seem outdated, making navigation challenging for beginners.
  • 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
  • Best FX Broker 2021 - Le Fonti Award
FCA Regulated
No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Yes
Instruments
Currencies, Cryptocurrencies, Stocks, Indices, Metals, Oil and Gas, Commodity Futures and InstaFutures CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, ETFs, Futures, Cryptos (location dependent)
Bonus
Choose between: Club Bonus, 30 %, 55 % and 100 % bonuses
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$1 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.10 of the lot (0.0001 of market lot for Cent.Standard and Cent.Eurica) 0.01 Lots
Regulator
BVI FSC FCA, CMVM, CSSF, SCB
Mobile Apps
iOS and Android + browser based platform iOS & Android
Trading App

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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3.6
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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
No Yes
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No No
STP Account
No Yes
ECN Account
Yes No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No 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
No No
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Yes (APIs), Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Copy Trading Platform
The Copy Trading feature at Instaforex is gaining popularity thanks to its user-friendly design and expanding roster of expert traders and markets.
Social Trading
Yes 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
€5 €/£10
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • PLN
  • CZK
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CHF
Commodities
  • Oil
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Palladium
  • Natural Gas
  • Copper
  • Gasoline
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee
  • Cotton
  • Soybeans
  • Livestock
  • Wheat
  • Orange Juice
  • Platinum
  • Sugar
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Natural Gas
  • Wheat
  • Copper
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee
  • Corn
  • Orange Juice
  • Palladium
  • Platinum
  • Silver
  • Soybeans
  • Sugar
CFD
Trade CFDs across diverse markets with flexible accounts and up to 1:1000 leverage. Access MT4 and MT5 platforms for executing a variety of short-term trading strategies. Utilise numerous pre-integrated technical indicators and graphical tools to enhance your trading. 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 for retail clients, 1:500 for professional 1:30 (UK and EU), 1:400 (Global & Pro)
FTSE Spread
Fixed 0.6
GBPUSD Spread<
Av. Floating 0.6 pips 0.8
Oil Spread
Fixed 0.03
Stocks Spread
0.1% Variable
Forex
InstaForex offers an extensive selection of over 100 currency pairs, a notable range in the industry. Enjoy ECN spreads starting at 0.0 pips with no commission fees. With a minimum deposit of just $1, the broker is ideal for novices. Traders also benefit from top-tier forex analysis and insights. 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
1000+ 50+
GBPUSD Spread
0.6 0.8
EURUSD Spread
0.2 0.5
EURGBP Spread
0.5 0.8
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
A variety of over 10 crypto tokens can be traded against USD, with fees of 0.1% and leverage up to 1:5. Bitcoin trading is available with spreads near 25, comparable to other brokers. 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
0.1% Variable
Coins
  • BCH
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XRP
  • and50+more
  • 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
InstaForex ActivTrades
Review
Review
All investments involve a degree of risk of some kind. Trading financial derivative products comes with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should not engage in trading these instruments unless you fully understand the nature of the transactions you are entering into, and the true extent of your exposure. These types of investments may be suitable for some investors, but they are not for everyone.
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InstaForex
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