Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets 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.
Caring about transparency and trustworthiness, CMC Markets and ActivTrades differ significantly. Established in 1989, CMC Markets is a publicly traded company and boasts a formidable Trust Score of 99, placing it in the highly trusted category according to ForexBrokers.com. The broker holds an impressive five Tier-1 licenses, affirming its credibility within the financial markets. While it is not a bank, CMC Markets exhibits a strong regulatory foundation with an additional Tier-2 license, which bolsters its reliability in the eyes of potential investors.
In contrast, ActivTrades, which began operations in 2001, is not publicly traded but is also recognized for its trustworthiness with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 81. This score indicates the broker is trusted, although not to the extent of CMC Markets. With two Tier-1 licenses, ActivTrades demonstrates a significant level of compliance and security, and it supports this with one Tier-2 license. Both brokers are not banks, but they present distinct levels of assurance and regulatory compliance for online trading enthusiasts.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
When comparing CMC Markets and ActivTrades, particularly in terms of commissions and fees, CMC Markets emerges as a clear leader. This is evidenced by its top ranking in our 2025 Annual Awards, where it holds the #1 spot out of 62 brokers for Commissions and Fees, earning an impressive five-star rating. CMC Markets is praised for its low spread offerings that cater to all customer segments and account types. For instance, the average spread for the EUR/USD pair is a competitive 0.61 pips. The broker has also innovated with its Price Plus Scheme, which offers traders discounts based on their trading volume through the accumulation of Trading Points.
Moreover, CMC Markets introduced its FX Active pricing structure in 2022, targeting regions such as Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the U.K. This approach involves commission-based pricing on highly competitive spreads. For example, FX Active offers a $2.50 commission per side with minimum spreads starting at zero pips, resulting in a 0.5 pip all-in cost on certain major currency pairs. This competitive pricing strategy cements CMC Market’s status as a leader in cost-effectiveness for traders, which doesn't significantly deviate from its advertised minimum spreads.
On the other hand, ActivTrades delivers spreads that are slightly better than the industry average but fall short of the top low-cost brokers. Receiving a four-star rating and ranking #27 in the same awards, ActivTrades provides a standard Individual Account without specific incentives for high-volume traders. Its Professional Account offers lower margin requirements but not necessarily lower spreads. The average EUR/USD spread recorded in May 2024 was 0.98 pips. While ActivTrades offers varying spreads on different assets and platforms, its pricing structure doesn’t quite compete with the aggressive spread discounts available at CMC Markets.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | 0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.61 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.51 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the range of investments available at CMC Markets and ActivTrades, it's clear that both platforms support forex trading as CFDs. CMC Markets, however, stands out significantly with 11,925 tradeable symbols, far surpassing ActivTrades' 1,267. This vast selection also extends to forex pairs, with CMC Markets offering 156 options compared to ActivTrades' 49. Additionally, CMC Markets provides unique access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, allowing users to invest in major companies like Apple, a feature ActivTrades doesn't offer. For both platforms, opportunities to buy actual cryptocurrencies are limited to derivatives, rather than the cryptocurrencies themselves. Both do support copy trading, catering to those interested in mimicking the strategies of successful traders.
CMC Markets has earned a top-tier rating of 5 stars for its range of investments, as recognized by ForexBrokers.com, where it ranks 9th out of 62 brokers. ActivTrades is rated slightly lower at 4 stars and ranks 31st in the same category. Both platforms give access to international exchange-traded securities, like shares in Vodafone, although CMC Markets’ more extensive offerings make it a more versatile choice for traders seeking diverse investment options.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 11925 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 156 | 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.
Catering to both beginners and seasoned traders, CMC Markets and ActivTrades provide a wealth of trading platforms and tools. Both brokers give access to free virtual demo accounts, offering a risk-free environment to practice trading strategies. They each provide proprietary platforms for those seeking customized trading experiences and are available on Windows-based desktop downloads and web-based browsers. The integration of popular platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) ensures access to a wide array of features. However, neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade for those interested in these specific copy trading services.
When it comes to charting capabilities, CMC Markets edges ahead, offering 40 drawing tools compared to ActivTrades' 15, which appeals to analytical traders who rely heavily on visually analyzing market data. Both brokers allow users to trade directly from stock charts and offer 11 columns for detailed watch lists. Despite having similar offerings, CMC Markets stands out with a five-star rating for their trading platforms and tools, ranked fourth by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, ActivTrades holds a slightly lower four-star rating and is ranked 29th, suggesting that while both are strong choices, CMC Markets might offer a slight edge in functionality and user experience.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
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) | 79 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 40 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both CMC Markets and ActivTrades offer user-friendly mobile apps for iPhone and Android devices, catering to traders on the go. Both apps support stock and forex price alerts, enable drawing trendlines, and offer multiple time frame views on charts. However, CMC Markets stands out with watchlist symbol syncing, allowing users to keep their watchlists updated across both mobile and online platforms. While CMC Markets offers 29 technical studies, ActivTrades edges slightly ahead with 30, giving a marginal advantage in charting options.
When it comes to in-app experience, both platforms enable the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes and automatically save chart drawings. However, CMC Markets earns a 5-star rating for its mobile trading app, which is ranked 5th out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks 19th in the same category. This suggests that users may find the CMC Markets app slightly more satisfying overall, thanks in part to its higher ranking and seamless syncing capabilities.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 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 comparing the market research offerings of CMC Markets and ActivTrades, both brokers provide daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring that traders stay informed with reliable information. Furthermore, they each offer sentiment-based trading tools which help users gauge market sentiment by showing the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments. Additionally, both platforms supply their users with an economic calendar, highlighting current and upcoming global events that could impact trading decisions.
However, some differences become apparent in terms of research tools provided. CMC Markets stands out by offering technical analysis or fundamental research tools from Autochartist, a feature that ActivTrades does not provide. Neither broker offers research tools from Trading Central or Acuity Trading, nor do they incorporate market research from TipRanks. CMC Markets earns a research rating of 5 stars, ranked at number six out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is given 4 stars and ranked 30th, making CMC Markets a more attractive option for thorough market research capabilities.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing CMC Markets and ActivTrades in terms of educational resources for beginners, both platforms score well in delivering a variety of educational content on forex and CFDs. Each offers at least 10 educational pieces, such as articles, videos, and archived webinars. CMC Markets and ActivTrades both provide over 10 beginner-friendly videos that cover crucial trading topics, making each broker a great choice for those stepping into the world of trading. However, while ActivTrades hosts monthly online educational webinars, CMC Markets does not. Despite this, both brokers offer a searchable archive of previously recorded webinars.
CMC Markets provides some additional resources that ActivTrades does not, such as an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms, making it especially helpful for beginners looking to expand their trading vocabulary. This added feature likely contributes to CMC Markets receiving a higher education rating of 5 stars, compared to ActivTrades' 4 stars. In broad terms, CMC Markets ranks significantly higher in the education category, securing the 10th spot out of 62 brokers, while ActivTrades comes in at 38th. This higher ranking reflects CMC Markets’ comprehensive approach to educational offerings for traders at all levels.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | 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 CMC Markets is better than ActivTrades. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #4, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 |
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Both CMC Markets and ActivTrades do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, making them viable choices for traders interested in speculative cryptocurrency investment without owning the actual asset.
When comparing online brokers CMC Markets and ActivTrades, CMC Markets offers more flexibility with ACH and SEPA transfers, as well as PayPal, while both brokers support Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire options, but ActivTrades provides additional accessibility with Skrill.
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 | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 11925 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 156 | 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 | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.61 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.51 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | 0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | 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 | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 79 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 40 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 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 | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | 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 | CMC Markets | 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 | CMC Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | ActivTrades Review |
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