Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Admirals vs ActivTrades, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Admirals and ActivTrades are both reputable online brokers founded in 2001. They are not publicly traded and do not operate as banks, catering primarily to forex and CFD traders. In terms of regulatory oversight, Admirals distinguishes itself with a strong regulatory framework, holding four Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses. ActivTrades, meanwhile, holds two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license. These licenses underscore each broker's compliance with established financial standards, yet also highlight the broader reach in Admirals' regulatory approval.
According to ForexBrokers.com, which rates brokers based on their trustworthiness, Admirals earns an impressive Trust Score of 93, placing it in the highly trusted category. On the other hand, ActivTrades receives a Trust Score of 81, rendering it a trusted option but with a slightly lower standing compared to Admirals. Both brokers offer substantial reliability, but for those prioritizing regulated assurance, Admirals might present an edge in perceived trust and authority in the trading sector.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When comparing online brokers Admirals and ActivTrades, their commissions and fees structures differentiate them notably. Admirals offers competitive pricing with typical spreads of 0.8 on their Trade account, maintaining similar pricing on the Zero account type. This has earned Admirals a commendable rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars in the commissions and fees category and a ranking of 17th out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, ActivTrades provides spreads slightly better than the industry average but not as competitive as the top low-cost forex brokers. ActivTrades’ Individual Account serves as their primary account type, with additional options for Professional and Islamic Accounts. Their average spread for the EUR/USD pair, as of May 2024, is 0.98 pips. ActivTrades received a 4-star rating and is ranked 28th out of 62 brokers for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com. Notably, ActivTrades does not offer special pricing for high-volume traders.
Both brokers present unique offerings that cater to different trading needs. Admirals stands out with its competitive fee structure, while ActivTrades provides varied account options, albeit without special rates for active traders. Traders should consider their individual trading strategies and requirements when selecting between these brokers.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | 0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.8 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the investment options offered by Admirals and ActivTrades, both brokers provide opportunities for forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts, making them flexible choices for currency traders. Admirals stands out with an impressive array of 8,702 tradeable symbols, significantly more than ActivTrades' 1,267. Furthermore, Admirals offers 82 tradeable forex pairs compared to ActivTrades' 49, giving forex enthusiasts a broader range to explore. Admirals also has the advantage of allowing clients to buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, whereas ActivTrades only offers international options. This distinction could be crucial for investors looking for direct access to U.S. markets.
In terms of additional features, both brokers support copy trading and cryptocurrency derivatives, though neither permits purchasing actual cryptocurrencies. Admirals' expansive investment offerings earn it a 4.5-star rating, higher than ActivTrades' 4-star rating. This difference is reflected in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where Admirals is placed at #19 for Range of Investments, compared to ActivTrades at #31. These factors combined make Admirals a more attractive option for investors seeking a comprehensive and diverse range of financial instruments.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Both Admirals and ActivTrades provide traders with a comprehensive suite of trading platforms and tools, making them competitive choices in the online trading arena. Each broker offers both proprietary platforms and well-known options like MetaTrader 4 and 5, available for desktop and web-based access. Simulated trading is possible with free virtual demo accounts offered by both brokers, allowing users to hone their skills without financial risk. Admirals and ActivTrades also support copy trading, giving users insights into experienced traders' strategies. Despite their similarities, Admirals stands out by providing a more extensive array of drawing tools for charting, while ActivTrades offers more columns for watch lists, enhancing the customization options for tracking securities.
Trading directly from stock charts is feasible with either broker, reflecting their commitment to seamless user experiences. Admirals and ActivTrades both received a commendable four-star rating for their trading platforms and tools, though Admirals boasts a higher ranking on ForexBrokers.com, securing the 19th spot compared to ActivTrades' 30th place. While neither broker currently supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade, their robust features and user-friendly interfaces make them appealing choices for both novice and seasoned traders seeking reliable online trading platforms.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 106 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When evaluating the mobile trading apps of Admirals and ActivTrades, both brokers demonstrate strong offerings for iPhone and Android users. Admirals and ActivTrades allow traders to receive stock or forex price alerts and come equipped with 30 technical studies for charting. Both mobile platforms enable drawing of trendlines and viewing charts across various time frames such as daily, weekly, or intraday. Furthermore, these apps ensure your markings are preserved as they auto-save drawings on charts. Both Admirals and ActivTrades allow the creation of watchlists featuring real-time quotes, although neither offers watchlist symbol syncing with their online accounts.
Despite these similarities, small distinctions make a difference. Admirals and ActivTrades both achieve a four-star rating for their mobile trading apps, yet ForexBrokers.com ranks ActivTrades slightly higher at #19 out of 62 brokers, compared to Admirals' #23 ranking. This could sway some traders to lean towards ActivTrades when seeking a trusted mobile trading experience. However, the choice remains balanced as both brokers present comprehensive tools for active mobile trading.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, Admirals and ActivTrades each offer several valuable resources for traders. Both platforms provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from reputable sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. While neither broker offers research tools from Autochartist, Admirals stands out by offering tools from Trading Central, a feature unavailable with ActivTrades. Both brokers supply sentiment-based trading tools that reveal the ratio of long or short positions across different instruments. Admirals further distinguishes itself with research offerings from TipRanks and Acuity Trading, whereas ActivTrades does not provide these services. Both platforms include an economic calendar to keep traders informed of upcoming global events.
In terms of rankings, Admirals and ActivTrades each receive a four-star rating for research. However, Admirals is ranked #15 in the Research category according to ForexBrokers.com's evaluation of 62 brokers, a more favorable position compared to ActivTrades, which is ranked #30. This ranking highlights Admirals' superior edge in providing a broader range of market research tools and resources, helping traders make informed decisions in the financial markets.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both Admirals and ActivTrades equip new traders with a wide range of learning materials focused on forex and CFDs. Admirals provides over ten educational articles, videos, and archived webinars to help beginners deepen their understanding of trading. ActivTrades offers a similar selection, ensuring newcomers have sufficient resources to get started. Both platforms go the extra mile by hosting at least one educational webinar each month, helping users stay updated on forex trends. Admirals and ActivTrades also maintain a searchable archive of past webinars, allowing users to revisit topics of interest at their convenience.
In addition to beginner-focused content, each broker also caters to experienced traders with advanced educational videos. Admirals stands out slightly by offering an investor dictionary containing over 50 investment terms, a feature ActivTrades does not match. Despite this, both brokers have received a commendable Education rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Admirals, however, ranks higher in the educational category according to ForexBrokers.com, placing 12th out of 62 brokers, compared to ActivTrades' 38th position. This difference in ranking suggests Admirals may have a slight edge in the educational offerings for traders looking to build a solid foundation.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Admirals is better than ActivTrades. Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
Traders choose Admirals for its excellent investor education and advanced MetaTrader features – such as the Supreme add-ons – alongside an extensive range of shares, forex and CFD markets, and premium research content.
| Feature |
Admirals
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 81 |
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Both Admirals and ActivTrades provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither broker offers the ability to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrency.
In comparing the online brokers Admirals and ActivTrades, Admirals offers a wider range of deposit and withdrawal options including ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, whereas ActivTrades supports Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires but lacks ACH or SEPA and PayPal transfer options.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admirals Review | ActivTrades Review |
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| Regulation | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes | No |
| Investments | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.8 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | 0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 106 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Admirals Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | Admirals | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admirals Review | ActivTrades Review |
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