Trade Nation vs ActivTrades

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

Trade Nation vs ActivTrades Comparison Table 2025
Trade Nation ActivTrades
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4.4
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4
Trade Nation is ranked #13 among CFD brokers. ActivTrades is ranked #56 among CFD brokers.
Trade Nation is a leading FX and CFD broker regulated in the UK and Australia, among other places. The company provides competitively priced fixed and variable spreads on over 1,000 assets. Traders benefit from advanced platforms and comprehensive training materials. Additionally, the Signal Centre offers valuable trade ideas. 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.
67.3% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Pros
  • A variety of trading platforms and apps, such as MT4, make the brand suitable for experienced traders.
  • Trade Nation, a highly regarded and well-regulated broker, was formerly known as Core Spreads.
  • Access a comprehensive selection of investments through leveraged CFDs, enabling both long and short strategies.
  • The trading firm provides narrow spreads and a clear pricing structure.
  • Global traders can use accounts in various currencies.
  • Beginners benefit from a modest initial deposit.
  • 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
  • Reduced legal safeguards with an offshore entity.
  • 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
Yes Yes
Instruments
Forex, CFDs, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Futures, Bonds, Spread Betting, Cryptos (Bahamas Entity Only) CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, ETFs, Futures, Cryptos (location dependent)
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.1 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, FSCA, SCB, FSA FCA, CMVM, CSSF, SCB
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App
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
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4.1
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4.9
Android App Rating
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3.5
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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
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No No
STP Account
Yes Yes
ECN Account
No 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
Yes 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
Yes No
Copy Trading Platform
Trade Nation Seychelles provides signals and copy trading, appealing to novices and those preferring a passive trading strategy. Capitalise on experienced traders' insights to engage in popular financial markets like forex, stocks, and commodities.
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes 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
$0 €/£10
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • AUD
  • ZAR
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • DKK
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CHF
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Aluminium
  • Copper
  • Zinc
  • Oil
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Natural Gas
  • Wheat
  • Copper
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee
  • Corn
  • Orange Juice
  • Palladium
  • Platinum
  • Silver
  • Soybeans
  • Sugar
CFD
Trade leveraged CFDs on 1,000+ assets, benefiting from competitive spreads. Utilise the broker's integrated signals to decide optimal entry and exit points. 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
1:500 (entity dependent) 1:30 (UK and EU), 1:400 (Global & Pro)
FTSE Spread
From 0.4 0.6
GBPUSD Spread<
From 0.6 0.8
Oil Spread
From 3.0 0.03
Stocks Spread
Variable Variable
Forex
Trade Nation provides more than 30 popular forex pairs with variable spreads. Traders can choose between a user-friendly proprietary platform and MetaTrader 4. Real-time forex market updates and insights are available through 'Smart News'. 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
33 50+
GBPUSD Spread
Variable 0.8
EURUSD Spread
Variable 0.5
EURGBP Spread
Variable 0.8
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
The broker’s Bahamas entity facilitates access to cryptocurrencies. Traders can utilise a vast array of indicators to customise their strategies, with transparent pricing and no hidden fees. 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
Fixed Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • 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
Trade Nation ActivTrades
67.3% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
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