ActivTrades Review: Pros, Cons, Features, Opinions (2026)

Yes, ActivTrades is a legitimate brokerage firm. Its companies are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK, the CMVM in Portugal and the SCB in the Bahamas. The parent company, ActivTrades PLC, is registered in England & Wales (company number 05367727); the group was founded in 2001 in Switzerland and moved its headquarters to London in 2005. The privately held group had revenues of $37.6 million and a profit of $4.6 million in 2024. ActivTrades has operated continuously since 2001, serves clients in over 140 countries, and has more than 300,000 clients worldwide.

The advantages of ActivTrades are listed below.

• Regulation and Client Protection: ActivTrades’ companies are authorised by the FCA, the CMVM and the SCB, hold client funds in segregated accounts, and provide additional insurance cover up to $1 million. Clients of ActivTrades PLC are also covered by the FSCS up to £85,000 per eligible person, and clients of ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. by an investor compensation scheme up to €20,000.
• Platform Variety and Tools: Supports MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, proprietary ActivTrader platform, and TradingView integration, plus custom add-ons like SmartOrder and SmartPatterns for enhanced charting and trade management.
• Low Index Spreads and Fast Execution: The S&P 500 spread is about 0.23 points, and order execution averages about 4 milliseconds.
• Broad Market Access: Trade 1,100+ instruments across forex, commodities, indices, shares, ETFs, and bonds from one brokerage account for portfolio diversification.
• Account Flexibility: Offers retail and Islamic (swap-free) accounts, plus professional accounts at its companies regulated in the UK and the EU, to accommodate different trading needs and Sharia-compliant requirements.

The disadvantages of ActivTrades are listed below.

• Limited Product Range: ActivTrades is primarily a CFD and Forex broker, meaning it does not offer direct ownership of shares or ETFs. Compared to top multi-asset competitors, it offers a smaller selection of tradeable instruments.
• Currency Conversion Fees: A 0.5% fee is applied to the conversion of profits and losses if they differ from the account base currency.
• Mediocre Educational Resources: While they provide webinars, the educational content is considered less comprehensive, less structured, and more dated than that of major competitors.
• High EUR/USD Spreads: The average EUR/USD spread is about 1.03 pips, while spreads on indices and gold are lower.

Yes, ActivTrades is legal in the countries it accepts, through the ActivTrades company that serves each area. Residents of the UK open their account with ActivTrades PLC, authorised by the FCA (FRN 434413). Residents of the EU and the EEA open their account with ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A., authorised by the CMVM (licence 433), which does not market derivatives to residents of Belgium. Residents of the other accepted countries open their account on the global site, with ActivTrades Corp, authorised by the SCB in the Bahamas (company No. 199667 (B)), or with ActivTrades Markets Ltd, authorised by the FSC in Mauritius (licence GB24203277). In Brazil the group operates through ActivTrades CCTVM. ActivTrades doesn’t accept residents of Canada, Japan and the United States. CFDs on forex, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs and bonds are offered by ActivTrades PLC, ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. and ActivTrades Corp; crypto CFDs are offered by ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. and ActivTrades Corp, and not to retail clients of ActivTrades PLC. ActivTrades PLC and ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. also offer spread betting. Share dealing outside CFDs and listed options are not offered. The companies regulated in the UK and the EU apply the leverage caps set by their regulators, such as 30:1 on major forex pairs for retail clients. Each licence can be verified on the register of its regulator, using the company name or the number above.

No. ActivTrades has no company registered in the United States and does not accept US residents. Learn more about the best Forex brokers in US.

The risks with ActivTrades are listed below.

• Leverage risk: Retail leverage on major forex pairs reaches 200:1 at ActivTrades Corp (SCB). Higher leverage magnifies both gains and losses; at the companies regulated in the UK and the EU retail leverage is capped at 30:1. Small adverse moves can wipe out the margin of a position, especially at higher ratios.
• CFD trading risk: ActivTrades mainly offers CFDs, which are complex derivatives where clients don’t own the underlying asset. CFDs carry high risk of rapid loss; 75.7–84% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with ActivTrades, depending on the ActivTrades company.
• Margin call risk: ActivTrades uses margin-based trading. If equity falls below maintenance levels, positions may auto-close without warning during volatility, locking in losses at unfavourable prices before clients can add funds.
• Overnight financing costs: Positions held overnight incur daily swap or financing charges that erode profitability on longer-term trades. Costs vary by instrument, size, and interest rate differentials.
• Market volatility risk: High volatility (news, geopolitical events) causes rapid price moves and wider spreads. Execution prices may differ substantially from expected levels during turbulent periods.
• Slippage risk: Orders may fill at different prices than requested, especially in fast or illiquid markets. Market orders are particularly susceptible, resulting in worse entry or exit prices.

The trading products not offered by ActivTrades are listed below.

• Copy trading at ActivTrades PLC and ActivTrades Corp
• Non-deliverable forwards (NDFs)
• Options

No, you can’t buy real crypto on ActivTrades. The platform offers cryptocurrency exposure exclusively through contracts for difference (CFDs), not underlying asset ownership, at ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. and ActivTrades Corp; crypto CFDs are not offered to retail clients of ActivTrades PLC. Clients trade crypto CFDs referencing assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, but do not hold actual coins in a wallet.

No, you can’t trade real shares on ActivTrades. ActivTrades offers only CFDs on equities, not direct ownership of shares.

Yes, ActivTrades offers fractional share CFDs for position sizing, but it does not offer fractional ownership of real shares.

The fees with ActivTrades are listed below.

• Spreads: EUR/USD from 0.5 pips, about 1.03 pips on average; GBP/USD ~0.8 to 1.6 pips.
• Commissions: $0 on forex, commodities, indices and share CFDs (costs in the spread).
• Currency conversion: 0.5% when deposit/withdrawal currency differs from account base currency.
• Inactivity: $10/month after 12 months with balance remaining.
• Deposits: $0.
• Withdrawals: $0 at ActivTrades PLC and ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A.; ActivTrades Corp charges a withdrawal fee.

Broker
Overnight fees	Yes	Yes	Yes
Inactivity fee	Yes	No	No
Deposit fees	No	No	No
Withdrawal fees	No	No	No
Currency conversion fee	Yes	Yes	Yes

No, ActivTrades does not charge raw spread commissions. ActivTrades trading costs are effectively embedded in the spread.

Broker
Avg. EUR/USD spread (markup)	1.03 pips	1.10 pips	0.85 pips
Avg. EUR/USD spread (raw)	N/A	0.10 pips	N/A
Commission/lot	N/A	$7.00 Round Turn	N/A
All-in FX cost	$10.30	$8.00	$8.50

ActivTrades’ overnight swaps for EUR/USD are High, with a USD 7.10 charge for long and USD 1.30 credit for short on a 100,000-unit contract, implying an annualised financing cost above 2.5% p.a. on the long side.

Triple swaps apply on Wednesday nights for forex (and precious metals). Swap fees don’t vary across basic retail account types in the standard offering, while an Islamic (swap-free) account removes overnight interest and uses an alternative fee model instead.

ActivTrades charges no commission on share CFDs on US, UK and European shares: the cost is included in the spread. If the share currency differs from your account base currency, ActivTrades applies an FX conversion fee of 0.5% at execution.

ActivTrades’ crypto CFD commissions are included in the spread at ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. and ActivTrades Corp; crypto CFDs are not offered to retail clients of ActivTrades PLC. The BTC/USD average trading cost is about $55 (spread). No spot/real-crypto ownership is offered.

ActivTrades is not a good fit for investing because it does not offer real underlying assets that clients own. The broker provides exposure to stocks and ETFs exclusively through CFDs (contracts for difference), which are derivative instruments designed for short-term speculation rather than long-term wealth building. Clients do not receive shareholder rights, dividend ownership, or custody of actual securities.

ActivTrades is excellent for demo trading because it provides comprehensive platform parity with live accounts, full instrument coverage across all asset classes, flexible virtual balance settings, and real market prices. ActivTrades demo accounts closely replicate the live trading environment with access to the same trading platforms, order types, and features available to real account holders, although market prices are delayed by approximately 15 minutes rather than delivered in real-time. The demo provides access to the complete range of tradable instruments including forex pairs, indices, commodities, and stock CFDs, matching what is available on live accounts. Users can customize their virtual balance when opening a demo account, selecting amounts ranging from around $250 to $200,000. The main limitation is that demo accounts expire after approximately 30 days, although traders can create new demo accounts after expiration without restriction.

Good alternatives to ActivTrades for Forex traders looking for a demo account are eToro, XTB, IC Markets and XM, as listed in the best Forex demo accounts listicle.

ActivTrades is a great broker for algo trading because it supports MetaTrader 4 with MQL4, MetaTrader 5 with MQL5 and TradingView with Pine Script integration, and offers an API for algorithmic traders and app developers. ActivTrades is great and not excellent for algo trading because it does not support cTrader/cAlgo, prohibits latency arbitrage strategies, and does not allow price scraping with algorithms.

ActivTrades provides comprehensive infrastructure for algorithmic traders through multiple platform options and professional-grade connectivity. The broker offers both MT4 and MT5 with their respective scripting languages MQL4 and MQL5, along with TradingView integration for Pine Script users. Expert Advisors are allowed on MT4 and MT5, and ActivTrades lets clients use a VPS with them. ActivTrades uses Equinix LD4 servers for reduced latency. Algorithmic traders can execute scalping, hedging, shorting, and legitimate high-frequency trading strategies on the platform. However, the broker explicitly prohibits abusive or latency arbitrage strategies and does not allow price scraping activities. The absence of cTrader/cAlgo support may limit options for traders who prefer that platform ecosystem.

Pepperstone, FP Markets, IC Markets, and Roboforex are some good alternatives to ActivTrades as automated trading Forex brokers. Learn more about the best brokers for algo trading.

ActivTrades is excellent for Forex trading because it offers EUR/USD spreads from 0.5 pips, about 1.03 pips on average, operates under top-tier regulation from the FCA in the UK and the CMVM in Portugal, provides full trading freedom including scalping and hedging, supports multiple platforms including MT4, MT5, and its proprietary ActivTrader, and includes comprehensive analysis tools such as traders’ sentiment, drawing tools, indicators, and an economic calendar.

ActivTrades provides trading conditions with an average EUR/USD spread of about 1.03 pips and allows traders to start with micro-lot positions of 0.01 lots. The broker offers 56 forex pairs and permits scalping, hedging, and algorithmic trading through Expert Advisors on the MetaTrader platforms, API access, and VPS use. Traders can choose between the industry-standard MT4 and MT5 platforms or the broker’s proprietary ActivTrader platform. The analysis toolkit includes traders’ sentiment data, drawing tools, technical indicators, and an economic calendar to support trading decisions. The main limitation is the forex pair selection of 56 pairs, which falls short of brokers offering more than 60 currency pairs, although this still covers all major, minor, and many exotic pairs for most trading strategies.

Pepperstone, XM, AvaTrade and FP Markets are some good alternatives to ActivTrades as best overall Forex brokers.

Explore the best Forex brokers.

ActivTrades is excellent for CFD stock trading because it offers zero commission on share CFDs, with the cost included in the spread, provides access to US stock CFDs across more than 10 exchanges with real-time streaming quotes, supports fractional share CFDs on MT5 and ActivTrader platforms, and operates under Tier-1 regulation by the FCA and the CMVM.

ActivTrades provides comprehensive trading freedom for stock CFD traders, allowing scalping, hedging, algorithmic trading, and short selling without restrictions. The broker delivers a robust platform offering through MetaTrader 5, TradingView integration, and its proprietary ActivTrader platform, giving traders multiple professional-grade execution environments. Share CFDs carry no commission, with the cost included in the spread. Fractional share CFDs enable precise position sizing across individual stocks from approximately 10 to 12 global exchanges. However, ActivTrades lacks built-in analytical tools such as a stock screener and dedicated earnings calendar, and it offers only news feeds from Trading Central and FxStreet alongside trader sentiment indicators to support trading decisions.

Good alternatives to ActivTrades for CFD stock trading are IG Markets, Pepperstone, eToro and AvaTrade, as listed in the CFD brokers for stocks listicle. See the complete best CFD brokers guide.

ActivTrades does not offer real stock trading: the broker does not offer direct share-dealing or physical stock ownership. All equity instruments at ActivTrades are available exclusively as Contracts for Difference (CFDs), meaning clients trade on price movements without purchasing the underlying shares. This structure prevents investors from building a traditional stock portfolio, receiving dividends as shareholders, or benefiting from long-term capital gains treatment that physical stock ownership provides.

ActivTrades’ companies hold Tier-1 regulatory authorisation from the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Portugal’s CMVM, ensuring strong investor protections for its CFD services. However, the absence of any real stock trading infrastructure means the broker provides no stock commissions, no access to US or international stock exchanges for physical shares, no real-time equity market data for direct trading, and ActivTrades offers fractional share CFDs for position sizing, but it does not offer fractional ownership of real shares. These tools serve derivative contracts rather than direct equity brokerage, while the broker’s platforms ActivTrader, MetaTrader 5 and TradingView integration support sophisticated CFD trading, including algorithmic strategies. Investors seeking to own actual company shares, vote as shareholders, or hold stocks in tax-advantaged accounts will need to use a different broker that offers traditional stock-dealing services.

DEGIRO, eToro, XTB and Trading 212 are some good alternatives to ActivTrades as best brokers for stocks. Explore the best stock brokers.

ActivTrades is a good choice for CFD crypto trading. Crypto CFDs are offered by ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. and ActivTrades Corp, and are not offered to retail clients of ActivTrades PLC. It offers commission-free trading with costs incorporated into the spread, provides real-time streaming quotes without intentional delays, and operates under proper CFD brokerage licenses.

ActivTrades is good and not excellent for CFD crypto trading. It offers only approximately 15 tradable CFD cryptocurrencies, with a minimum trade size of 0.01 lots.

ActivTrades provides a limited but functional CFD cryptocurrency trading offering with approximately 15 digital assets available for trading. The broker employs a commission-free trading model where all costs are embedded in the spread, making the fee structure transparent and straightforward for traders. Real-time streaming quotes are provided without intentional delays, ensuring traders have access to current market data for informed decision-making. The minimum trade size is 0.01 lots. ActivTrades operates under established CFD brokerage licenses, providing regulatory oversight for its crypto CFD trading services, though it does not hold crypto-specific regulatory authorizations. The primary limitation remains the restricted selection of approximately 15 cryptocurrencies, which falls short compared to brokers offering broader digital asset portfolios.

eToro (crypto CFDs not offered to retail clients of its UK company), NAGA, Pepperstone, and AvaTrade are some good alternatives to ActivTrades for CFD cryptocurrency trading.

ActivTrades does not offer real crypto trading: it does not offer spot cryptocurrency trading or any real crypto services. The broker only provides cryptocurrency trading through CFDs (Contracts for Difference), which means traders cannot buy, own, or transfer actual cryptocurrencies.

ActivTrades does not function as a cryptocurrency exchange and provides no spot crypto trading capabilities. The broker offers approximately 15 cryptocurrencies available exclusively as CFD instruments, with no ability to purchase real coins, no crypto wallets for custody, and no blockchain transactions. Traders cannot hold cryptocurrencies, execute crypto-to-crypto exchanges, or withdraw holdings to external wallets; at ActivTrades Corp, funds deposited in cryptocurrencies can be withdrawn in cryptocurrencies. The broker does not hold any crypto-specific or digital asset exchange licenses, while ActivTrades’ CFD entities operate under established financial regulators, including the FCA, the CMVM and the SCB. All cryptocurrency exposure at ActivTrades is purely derivative-based and settled in the account’s fiat currency.

Good alternatives to ActivTrades for buying cryptos are eToro, Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Binance, as listed in the best crypto exchanges listicle.

ActivTrades is not a good fit for copy trading because copy trading is offered only by ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A., in partnership with Pelican Exchange Europe (CY) Ltd, and is not available to residents of Spain, France and Belgium. Clients of ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. select traders made available by Pelican, and the CFD trades that the selected trader opens, modifies or closes are replicated on their account. ActivTrades PLC and ActivTrades Corp do not offer copy trading. No ActivTrades company offers social trading, ZuluTrade or Mirror Trader.

Good alternatives to ActivTrades for copy traders are eToro, ZuluTrade, AvaTrade and NAGA, as listed in the best copy trading platforms.

ActivTrades is a no-dealing-desk (NDD) agency broker using Straight Through Processing (STP) execution. ActivTrades can set tradable prices for specific markets and executes orders using market execution with external price feeds, filling at the best available price, with slippage in volatile conditions.

ActivTrades’ trade execution is very fast and competitive. Requotes occur on about 5.40% of orders. ActivTrades remains robust during volatility, and clients still face normal spread widening and slippage risk during sudden liquidity shocks.

ActivTrades’ maximum leverage for retail clients on major forex pairs is 30:1 at its companies regulated in the UK and the EU, and up to 200:1 at ActivTrades Corp, authorised by the SCB (Bahamas).

The table showing the leverage and the protections of each ActivTrades company is shown below.

The max leverage with ActivTrades for each asset class is listed below.

• Forex: 30:1 on major pairs and 20:1 on other pairs at the companies regulated in the UK and the EU; up to 200:1 on major pairs and 200:1 on other pairs at ActivTrades Corp.
• Indices: 20:1 on major indices and 10:1 on other indices at the companies regulated in the UK and the EU; up to 200:1 on major indices and 200:1 on other indices at ActivTrades Corp.
• Commodities: 20:1 on gold and 10:1 on other commodities at the companies regulated in the UK and the EU; up to 200:1 on gold and 200:1 on other commodities at ActivTrades Corp.
• Shares (equities): 5:1 at the companies regulated in the UK and the EU; up to 50:1 at ActivTrades Corp.
• Cryptocurrencies: 2:1 at ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A.; up to 20:1 at ActivTrades Corp; crypto CFDs are not offered to retail clients of ActivTrades PLC.

Professional clients can access up to 400:1 at ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A.; at ActivTrades PLC, professional clients can access higher leverage, subject to eligibility criteria. Leverage does not depend on account types; it depends on the company, the client classification and the asset class. You can choose leverage below the cap. ActivTrades applies margin requirements; at ActivTrades PLC and ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A., a stop-out level typically closes retail positions when equity falls to 50% of required margin. Higher leverage magnifies both gains and losses.

Learn more about Forex brokers with high leverage.

The minimum trade size at ActivTrades is 0.01 lots, which corresponds to approximately 1,000 units of the base currency for forex. For retail clients, the maximum trade size for forex instruments is generally up to 100 lots depending on instrument liquidity and internal limits. For other asset classes such as share CFDs, the minimum trade size is also 0.01 lots, and the maximum lot size varies by underlying stock and liquidity rather than a fixed overall cap. The broker imposes platform and order-type constraints, and on MetaTrader 4 the maximum number of open positions is 250. Additionally, for larger positions the broker applies dynamic margin thresholds, effectively reducing leverage and therefore limiting lot size once certain trade volume tiers are exceeded.

The types of trading orders you can use with ActivTrades are listed below.

• Market order
• Limit order
• Stop order
• Stop-limit order
• Trailing stop order
• Stop-loss order
• Take-profit order

ActivTrades does not offer guaranteed stop-loss orders or one-cancels-the-other orders.

ActivTrades has low slippage in normal conditions, and can pass through positive slippage under market execution. Slippage occurs on about 6.40% of orders, which are filled at a worse price than the one requested; over 93.6% of orders at ActivTrades are filled at the requested price or better.

Order execution speed with ActivTrades is excellent at around 4 milliseconds on average.

ActivTrades’ most popular account is the Individual Account, the default live trading option for retail traders and the standard retail offering. It provides access to all platforms (MT4, MT5, ActivTrader), supports micro- and mini-lot sizing, forex spreads from ~0.5 pips, no minimum deposit, negative-balance protection, and enhanced funds insurance up to $1,000,000. Professional accounts at ActivTrades PLC and ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. and Islamic (swap-free) accounts are also available but serve specialized segments with specific eligibility or religious requirements.

Yes, ActivTrades offers a demo account. The demo account provides access to the same instruments available in live trading, including forex, indices, commodities, stock CFDs and crypto CFDs, with real market prices delayed by approximately 15 minutes for FX pairs. Users can set their virtual balance when opening a demo account, with options ranging from $250 to $200,000, and the platform features closely mirror the live trading environment with the same order types and functionality, although individual demo accounts expire after approximately 30 days. Learn more about the ActivTrades demo account.

Yes, ActivTrades offers an Islamic (swap-free) account at ActivTrades PLC, ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. and ActivTrades Corp, which removes overnight interest and rollover charges in line with Shariah principles. Clients must open a live account first, then request Islamic status. Availability is restricted to residents of specific Muslim-majority countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Islamic account removes swap fees and rollover commissions on positions held beyond 24 hours. Trading platforms (MT4, MT5, ActivTrader), asset classes, spreads, leverage, execution, negative balance protection, and segregated funds remain the same as standard accounts. Explore the Forex brokers with Islamic account.

Yes, ActivTrades offers a Professional account at ActivTrades PLC and ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A., for traders meeting specific eligibility criteria, including significant trading experience and demonstrated understanding of risks. At its companies regulated in the UK and the EU, clients who qualify as professional can access higher leverage, in-depth analysis and other tailored services in exchange for fewer protections: the negative balance protection required by the regulators for retail clients and the regulators’ leverage caps no longer apply. At ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A., professional clients can access up to 400:1 and have a dedicated account manager. ActivTrades Corp does not offer a Professional account, and already offers up to 200:1 to retail clients.

Learn more about Forex brokers for professional traders.

Yes, ActivTrades offers a corporate trading account for businesses and legal entities trading under a company name. It provides the same platforms, instruments, and liquidity as retail/professional accounts. The key difference is that verification requires company registration documents and proof of corporate ownership; funding/withdrawals must use corporate bank accounts matching the registered company name.

No, ActivTrades does not explicitly offer a clearly defined “Premium” feature tier under that exact name. Standard retail clients receive the same core trading conditions regardless of account size, and there is no formally labelled “Premium” tier with additional benefits beyond the account types listed above.

ActivTrades minimum deposit is USD 0 at ActivTrades PLC, ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. and ActivTrades Corp. No minimum applies to initial or subsequent deposits, across standard and Islamic accounts. No payment-method minimums exist for bank transfer, card, or e-wallets. Deposits are accepted in EUR, GBP and USD at ActivTrades PLC and ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A., and also in CHF and SEK at ActivTrades Corp; a 0.5% conversion fee applies if depositing in a currency different from the account base currency. Trading Central tools (MT4/MT5) require a minimum USD 1,000 deposit. Learn more about minimum deposit with ActivTrades.

ActivTrades offers up to 5 account base currencies, depending on the company: EUR, GBP and USD at ActivTrades PLC and ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A.; CHF, EUR, GBP, SEK and USD at ActivTrades Corp.

The deposit methods supported by ActivTrades are listed below.

• Bank Transfer
• Debit Cards
• Credit Cards
• eWallets (PayPal, Neteller and Skrill at ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A., Neteller and Skrill at ActivTrades Corp; not offered by ActivTrades PLC)
• Mobile Payment Methods
• Cryptocurrencies (BCH, BTC, ETH, LINK, LTC, USDC, USDT, XLM, XRP and DASH at ActivTrades Corp, free of charge; not offered by ActivTrades PLC and ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A.)

The withdrawal methods supported by ActivTrades are listed below.

• Local Bank Transfer
• Bank Wire Transfer
• eWallets (PayPal, Neteller and Skrill at ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A., Neteller and Skrill at ActivTrades Corp; not offered by ActivTrades PLC)
• Cryptocurrencies (at ActivTrades Corp, free of charge, only for funds deposited in cryptocurrencies; not offered by ActivTrades PLC and ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A.)

Deposits and withdrawals with ActivTrades are safe. Client funds are held in segregated accounts with internationally recognised financial institutions, separate from company funds, at ActivTrades PLC, ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. and ActivTrades Corp. Investor compensation depends on the company: the FSCS covers clients of ActivTrades PLC up to £85,000, an investor compensation scheme covers clients of ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. up to €20,000, and ActivTrades Corp has no compensation scheme. ActivTrades also provides additional insurance up to $1,000,000 for eligible clients above statutory limits.

Payment methods include bank transfer, credit/debit cards, and e-wallets (at ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. and ActivTrades Corp), plus cryptocurrencies at ActivTrades Corp. Deposits via card are processed in around 30 minutes; bank transfers process same-day once received. Withdrawals are initiated through the client portal after login.

Security includes two-factor authentication (2FA) via authenticator app. Withdrawals require identity verification and compliance with the account terms.

The charting tools available at ActivTrades are listed below.

• Technical indicators: 30+ built-in indicators on MetaTrader 4/5 with custom indicators and Expert Advisors via MQL4/MQL5. Pine Script indicators and strategies plus public indicator library through TradingView integration.
• Drawing tools: TradingView drawing objects including trendlines, Fibonacci tools, pitchforks, text/labels, and multi-point shapes with multi-chart synchronization. MetaTrader 4/5 graphical objects including trendlines, Fibonacci retracements, channels, and shapes.
• Chart timeframes & history: 9 native timeframes on MT4 (1-minute to monthly), 21 on MT5. Granular intraday intervals and price-based charts via TradingView, with historical bar limits based on TradingView plan.
• Backtesting: MT4 single-symbol strategy tester; MT5 multi-threaded strategy tester with optimization and cloud support. Bar replay and strategy testing through TradingView (plan-dependent).
• Platforms & usability: Charting via proprietary ActivTrader (web/desktop/mobile), MT4, MT5, and TradingView integration with direct trading from TradingView charts. Chart types include candlestick, Heikin-Ashi, Renko, Kagi, Point & Figure, Range, and Line Break (TradingView); line, OHLC, candlestick (MetaTrader). Multi-chart layouts, depth-of-market (MT5), as well as customizable styling with dark/light themes.
• Pricing: TradingView connection at no extra fees; limits tied to user’s TradingView subscription tier. MT4/MT5 charting included without platform fees, with optional paid add-ons via MQL Market.

The trading tools offered by ActivTrades are listed below.

• Risk management tools: Progressive Trailing Stop and standard trailing stop in ActivTrader; hedging mode across ActivTrader, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5.
• One-click trading: Available on ActivTrader, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5.
• Market analytics widgets: Market sentiment indicators in ActivTrader displaying aggregated trader positioning.
• Algorithmic trading: Expert Advisors on MetaTrader 4/5; custom indicator development and strategy automation via MetaTrader tools; CFD application development workflows in ActivTrader.
• Trading calculators: Spread-cost calculators estimating expenses from lot size and pip value; educational materials covering pip values, spreads, and trade costs.
• Market analysis tools: Economic news headlines in MetaTrader 5; daily analysis and weekly outlooks via web and mobile platforms.
• Mobile-exclusive utilities: ActivTrader mobile app with advanced charting, one-click trading, trailing-stop controls, and full account/order management mirroring desktop functionality.
• Tool access conditions: Most platform features available to all clients without premium restrictions.

Broker
API support	ActivTrader client API	FIX API, cTrader API	REST API, Streaming API, FIX API
EAs support	Yes	Yes	Yes
Coding languages supported	MQL4, MQL5, Pinescript	MQL4, MQL5, cAlgo, Pinescript	MQL4
VPS support	Yes	Yes	Yes

ActivTrades does not offer its own VPS service, but it lets you use a VPS to keep MT4 and MT5 strategies running.

Learn more about Forex brokers with free VPS.

No, ActivTrades does not offer Autochartist. Learn more about the best brokers with Autochartist.

Yes. The brokerage ActivTrades offers a fully integrated connection with TradingView. The broker supports direct trading via the TradingView “Trading Panel” functionality, enabling clients to open and close trades from within TradingView linked to their ActivTrades account.

The integration uses the TradingView charting environment and trading interface rather than embedding TradingView charts within the broker’s proprietary platform. Clients must hold an ActivTrader account with ActivTrades and log in via TradingView to request the broker-connection authorisation.

ActivTrades charges no subscription or platform fees specifically for the TradingView linkage, and no special TradingView paid plan is required beyond the broker account opening. Users can connect TradingView after opening a live or demo ActivTrader account by selecting ActivTrades in the Trading Panel and authorising the login. The free version of TradingView is sufficient for the connection though advanced features may require a paid TradingView plan if desired. Learn more about the best brokers with TradingView.

Yes, the broker allows algorithmic trading. It supports automated strategies through MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which enable Expert Advisors (EAs) and custom technical indicators. MT5 includes an advanced strategy tester. Algorithms can automatically place orders and execute trades at high speed.

ActivTrades offers an API for algorithmic traders and app developers: the ActivTrader client API, a .NET package that uses WebSockets to execute all trading operations and receive market data. The MT5 backend runs on IBM Cloud, delivering real-time data and rapid execution. Retail traders benefit from full EA support and automated-trading guides on both MT4 and MT5 platforms.

ActivTrades’ mobile app delivers core desktop functionality but is less comprehensive in advanced tools and customisation. Both platforms support CFD trading across forex, shares, indices, commodities and ETFs via ActivTrader, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. The desktop version provides full charting, advanced order types, multiple time-frames, and bulk position management. Mobile retains many features, such as sentiment data, TradingView charts, and trailing stops/limits, but omits full custom-indicator support and some automated trading tools. Desktop allows multiple charts, extensive screen space, deep technical analysis, and custom scripting (especially on MetaTrader), while mobile prioritises convenience, portability, and simpler execution. Execution performance and latency are consistent across both. The mobile app suits everyday and on-the-go trading; desktop is better for advanced tools, customisation, and automation.