Founded in Switzerland, ActivTrades has been around since 2001, which means it has more than two decades of experience in the fintech industry. The independent brokerage house started as a small firm, but it is now a global retail and institutional broker. In 2005, ActivTrades moved its HQ to London, and it began growing rapidly through Europe.
ActivTrades offers a lot of benefits to its clients, including educational tools, rewards programs, competitive spreads, and the use of MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, two industry-leading platforms. Here are some of the awards that this broker has won for its high quality:
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ADVFN International Financial Awards: “Best Online Trading Services”
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Le Fonti: “Best Forex Broker”
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Agence IAT Grand Prize Excellence: “Best Execution Broker”
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Agence IAT Grand Prize Excellence: “Best Customer Support”
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MENA Forex Show: “Most Trusted Forex Broker”
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DKI & Euro am Sonntag: “Best Customer Service”
ActivTrades Pros & Cons
Pros
- 20+ years on the market
- CONSOB, CSSF, FCA, CMVM, SCB, CVM regulation
- No minimum first -time deposit
- Optimal Trading Execution
- More than 1000 CFDs
Cons
- More Limited Country Range
Who Is ActivTrades Recommended For?
With more than twenty years of experience in the broker industry, ActivTrades has worked with everyone. The educational tools are strong with this broker, and its customer service, as you can see from the awards list above, is top-notch. Both of these features indicated that this is a great broker for all traders, whether they are brand-new or highly experienced.
Top ActivTrades Features
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ActivTrader Platform. This platform will be discussed further in the sections below, but one great feature of ActivTrades is that it has its own software. The proprietary platform has been enhanced, and it uses the latest tech and functionalities to create an in-depth trade experience.
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Exclusive Add-Ons. There are a range of add-ons to your platform choice, including: SmartOrder 2, SmartLines, SmartCalculator, SmartTemplate, SmartPlatform, SmartForecast, and the Pivot Points Indicator.
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Balance Protection. ActivTrades provides negative balance protection to its retail clients with its Balance Protection Policy.
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Webinars. There are plenty of webinars with this broker, and they are updated constantly. These webinars feature guest speakers and other experts who can help fill you in on the latest in trading.
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Easy Way to Withdraw. Withdrawing funds is easy with ActivTrades. There are no broker charges for using your debit/credit card, Neteller, Skrill, or Paypal, and the withdrawal can be done anytime, and it is usually carried out the same day or the next day, depending on what time you make the withdrawal. If you’re using a bank transfer, the fee is 9GBP, but the time frame is the same as with the other payment methods.
ActivTrades Overview
- Type of Broker Non-Advisory/Executionary Broker
- Regulation & Licensing Italian authority supervising financial markets (CONSOB), Financial regulator in Luxembourg (CSSF), FCA Financial conduct authority in UK (FCA), CMVM is the institution in Portugal, Securities commission of the Bahamas (SCB), Securities and exchange commission in Brazil (CVM)
- Clients Accepted from 68 Countries
- Assets Offered Foreign Exchange (FX), Commodities, Indices, Shares/Stocks, CFDs, Cryptocurrency
- Platforms Available Web, Mobile, Download
- Mobile Compatibility iOS, Android
- Payment Types Accepted Credit/Debit Card, Bank Wire Transfer, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, sofort
ActivTrades Account Types
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Standard |
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Features |
Mini and Micro Lots, State-of-the-Art Trading Platforms, MT4 and MT5, Fully Automated Order Routing, Fast Execution |
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Account Currencies |
EUR/USD/GBP/CHF |
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Available Leverage |
1:200 |
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Minimum Deposit |
$0 |
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Starting Spreads |
0.5 pips |
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Commission Per Trade |
EUROPE (excl. London): 0.05% of the transaction value, (€1 minimum commission)* OR 0.01% of the transaction value, (€5 minimum commission)* London: 0.10% of the transaction value (£1 minimum commission) New York (Incl. International ADRs and ETFs): US$0.02 per share (US$1 minimum commission) |
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Decimal Pricing |
Up to 5 |
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Trading Instruments |
Foreign Exchange (FX), Commodities, Indices, Shares/Stocks, CFDs, Cryptocurrency |
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Min. Lot Size Per Trade |
0.01 |
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Max Lot Size Per Trade |
500-1,000 |
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Demo Account |
Yes |
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Swap/Rollover Free |
Islamic Option Available |
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Copy Trading Support |
ActivTrades Compliance & Regulation
ActivTrades is regulated by a few oversight bodies. ActivTrades Corp. is regulated by the SCB (Securities Commission of the Bahamas). Its registration number is 199667 B. The broker is a subsidiary of ActivTrades PLC, which is regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). Its FCA registration number is 434412.
ActivTrades Reliability & Security
You can tell a lot about a broker’s reliability by the platforms it uses. At ActiveTrades, the broker has both a proprietary platform and the MetaTrader suite. There is also a selection of “Smart” add-ons that can enhance your trade experience and make your trading smooth-running. Briefly below is the overview of the platforms offered:
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ActivTrader: You can access the financial markets and trade more than 1,00 CFDs with ActivTrader, ActiveTrades’ proprietary platform. The platform has features like progressive trailing stops, trailing stops, hedging, market sentiment, and charts, and you can try a free demo with ActivTrader before you commit.
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MetaTrader 4: This industry-standard is one of the world’s most popular and most trusted Forex trading platforms. MT4 lets you trade with advanced tech, unique tools, access to expert advisors, indicators, and more.
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MetaTrader 5: MT5 is the enhanced version of MT4, and not every broker offers it. The fifth installment of the MetaTrader suite comes with a host of new features and indicators to make trading more precise and professional. You can access over 500 stock CFDs and ETFs, as well as everything MT4 offers.
With these platforms come the “Smart” add-ons. These tools include SmartOrder 2, SmartLines, SmartCalculator, SmartTemplate, SmartPlatform, SmartForecast, and the Pivot Points Indicator. These apps have been developed by ActivTrades, and they are used to enhance your trade experience. For example, SmartOrder 2 increases your speed and improves your position-management process. All of these features are exclusive to ActivTrades, and they help make trading more efficient.
ActivTrades User Experience
When you want to know what experience users have had with a certain broker, it can be helpful to look at the ratings online. ActivTrades has great customer service, and it seems to care a lot about its clients’ education, but what do the reviews say? Judging from the ratings, people seem to feel positively about this broker. Here are some of the star-ratings posted:
Forex-Ratings.com: 3/5
55Brokers.com: 4/5
Reviews.io: 3/5
BrokerChooser.com: 4.6/5
WikiFX.com: 8.2/10
BrokerTested.com: 4.5/5
Yell.com: 5/5
SAShares.com: 5/5
Final Thoughts on ActivTrades
ActivTrades has decades in the industry, and its breadth of experience shows when it comes to all it has to offer. Though the account types are limited, the spreads are competitive, and the educational tools are top-notch. You can maximize your trading with ActivTrades’ great product offering and value proposition.
Contact Info
The Loom, Office 2.5 14 Gower’s Walk London E1 8PY United Kingdom
ActivTrades FAQs
Q: How are client funds protected at ActivTrades?
A: Firstly, there is negative balance protection with ActivTrades. The Balance Protection Policy is applicable to multiple accounts, and it can be accessed by all retail clients. Secondly, client funds are insured by Lloyd’s of London. Client funds are also held in segregated accounts to keep them safe.
Q: What are the rewards programs with ActivTrades?
A: There are two main rewards programs to know with this broker. First is the Refer a Friend program, and you can earn up to $1,000 for every person that you introduce to ActivTrades. Second is the cashback program. To access this program, you have to request it. When you trade a notional value of fifty million USD, you may be able to earn cash back on trades you place.
Q: How do I open an account?
A: Go to https://secure.activtrades.com/personalarea/OnlineApplication/PersonalDetails?Lang=en&branch=bh and start the application and verification process.