ActivTrades — where it wins, where it loses
ActivTrades wins on headline spread, no minimum deposit, platform choice. No column in our set puts it behind the field. Priced across ten round-turn EUR/USD lots it comes 6 of 39 in this field.
Column by column
The split
Two lists, no averaging. A broker that takes a column outright appears on the left of it; one that gets beaten on a column appears on the right. Nothing is scored into a single number, because a single number hides which side you actually care about.
Wins on
- headline spread
- no minimum deposit
- platform choice
Loses on
No column in this set puts ActivTrades behind the field.
Cost per 10 lots is the EUR/USD spread cost of ten round-turn standard lots at the figure above, commission excluded. Where a broker publishes a "from" spread rather than an average, the comparison inherits that limitation — see the unconfirmed list further down.
Licensing
Which entity, which regulator, which number
Tier decides how much weight a licence carries in any safety column. Each row links to the page it was read from.
| Regulator | Number | Jurisdiction | Tier | Entity | Read from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCA | 434413 | UK | Tier 1 | ActivTrades PLC | register.fca.org.uk |
| CSSF | Luxembourg | Tier 2 | ActivTrades Europe SA | cssf.lu | |
| SCB (Securities Commission of The Bahamas) | Bahamas | Tier 3 | ActivTrades Corp | activtrades.com |
Checkable
Facts the comparison runs on
On the record
- ActivTrades was established in 2001 and is headquartered in London.
- ActivTrades PLC is authorised and regulated by the FCA under registration number 434413.
- ActivTrades Corp is registered in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas (company number 199667 B).
- ActivTrades publishes a target EUR/USD spread of 0.5 pips on its retail accounts.
- In December 2024 the CSSF imposed an administrative sanction on ActivTrades Europe S.A. relating to AML/CFT compliance.
| Trading since | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Base | London, UK |
| Minimum to open | None |
| Leverage cap | 1:30 (UK/EU retail) |
| EUR/USD | 0.50 pips |
| Terminals | ActivTrader (proprietary), MT4, MT5, TradingView, Mobile apps |
| Account tiers | Individual, Professional, Corporate, Demo |
| Markets | Forex, Indices, Commodities, Shares, ETFs, Bonds |
| Record confidence | medium |
| Matchup-ready | yes — enough public cost data to run a head-to-head |
Excluded from the maths
Not verified
Not verified
These fields are not confirmed. They are shown as gaps, not filled in, and they do not feed any column of the matrix:
- CSSF authorisation number
- SCB licence number
- Minimum deposit (reported as $0 by third parties; not confirmed on ActivTrades' own site here)
- public listing status
Costs less
Who beats ActivTrades on price
Tickmill
$10.00 per 10 lots · wins on headline spread, platform choice
Eightcap
$10.00 per 10 lots · wins on regulatory reach
JustMarkets
$30.00 per 10 lots · wins on headline spread
CMC Markets
$50.00 per 10 lots · wins on headline spread, no minimum deposit, regulatory reach, platform choice
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money. Verify every figure with the broker before opening an account.