Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro 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.
eToro and ActivTrades are well-reputed online brokers, each bringing years of industry experience to the table, with eToro founded in 2007 and ActivTrades in 2001. Both brokers are privately owned and are not considered banks. When examining their regulatory standings, eToro holds a stronger position with three Tier-1 licenses, indicating a very high trust level. ActivTrades isn't far behind, with two Tier-1 licenses signifying a strong degree of reliability. Both brokers also maintain a Tier-2 license, which demonstrates a solid level of trust in the financial industry.
In terms of trustworthiness ratings from ForexBrokers.com, eToro scores an impressive 93 out of 99, placing it within the 'highly trusted' category. This gives it a notable edge over ActivTrades, which has a Trust Score of 81, still placing it solidly within the 'trusted' range. These trust scores reflect the overall safety and regulatory compliance of the brokers, assuring traders of a secure trading environment regardless of the broker they choose.
| Feature |
eToro
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When comparing eToro and ActivTrades in terms of commissions and fees, both brokers have distinctive features. eToro operates as a market-maker broker, offering a typical variable spread of 1 pip on the EUR/USD pair, which is slightly above the industry average. Despite this, eToro is a popular choice among retail traders due to its innovative social copy trading platform. With a rating of 4.5 stars for commissions and fees, eToro ranks #22 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. The broker also features a VIP club that ranges from Silver to Diamond for traders maintaining balances between $5,000 and $250,000, offering exclusive benefits such as discounted withdrawal fees and dedicated account management.
On the other hand, ActivTrades provides spreads that are generally better than the industry average, although not quite as competitive as the best low-cost forex brokers. Their primary account option, the Individual Account, comes with the ability to switch to a Professional or Islamic Account. These accounts cater to different trading preferences, including Sharia compliance for Islamic traders. Unlike eToro, ActivTrades does not have account types specifically for high-volume traders. ActivTrades boasts a competitive average spread of 0.98 pips on the EUR/USD as of May 2024, earning it a 4-star rating and a #28 ranking by ForexBrokers.com.
While eToro may attract traders with its appealing social trading features and VIP club benefits, ActivTrades offers slightly more competitive spreads and versatile account options. Ultimately, the choice between these brokers will rely on individual preferences and what traders value more—be it lower spreads or community-focused trading tools.
| Feature |
eToro
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | 0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 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 it comes to the variety of investments available, eToro stands out with its impressive offering of 5,461 tradeable symbols, compared to ActivTrades' 1,267. Both platforms allow forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts; however, eToro offers slightly more options with 55 forex pairs available versus ActivTrades' 49. A key differentiator is that eToro provides access to exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, allowing clients to buy shares like Apple and Vodafone directly. In contrast, ActivTrades only offers exchange-traded securities on international exchanges.
eToro and ActivTrades both support copy trading, catering to users interested in following and replicating the trades of others. However, eToro sets itself apart by allowing clients to purchase actual cryptocurrencies in addition to derivatives, while ActivTrades only offers cryptocurrency derivatives. This diverse range of investment options has contributed to eToro's higher ranking, earning it 5 stars and placing it 10th out of 62 brokers for the range of investments by ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, ActivTrades receives 4 stars, ranking at 31st.
| Feature |
eToro
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5461 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 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) | Yes | 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.
When choosing between eToro and ActivTrades, it's essential to consider the variety and accessibility of their trading platforms and tools. Both brokers provide free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice trading with simulated funds. They each have proprietary platforms, showcasing their unique strengths. While eToro is more web-focused with its intuitive browser-based platform, ActivTrades offers a Windows desktop platform, catering to those who prefer a traditional setup. Additionally, for traders interested in copy trading, both eToro and ActivTrades deliver effective options.
For traders who value technical analysis, eToro presents an impressive 161 drawing tools for charting, significantly more than ActivTrades' 15. Conversely, ActivTrades supports the MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms, whereas eToro does not. The difference is also seen in watch list customization, where ActivTrades offers 11 columns, nearly double compared to eToro's 6. Ultimately, both brokers have their strengths, evident in their ratings: eToro scores 4.5 stars and ranks 8th among 62 brokers, while ActivTrades holds 4 stars and ranks 30th. These distinctions make eToro a favorable choice for those interested in trading tools and flexible, user-friendly interfaces, whereas ActivTrades may appeal to those seeking established desktop platforms and advanced trading software like MetaTrader.
| Feature |
eToro
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 104 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 161 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
If you're exploring mobile trading apps, eToro and ActivTrades both offer compelling options available for iPhone and Android devices. Both apps provide essential features such as stock and forex price alerts, and allow users to view different time frames on charts. However, eToro takes the lead with 104 technical studies available for charting, significantly more than ActivTrades' 30 studies. In addition, eToro offers the convenience of watchlist symbol syncing, enabling your watchlists to seamlessly update across both mobile and online platforms. ActivTrades lacks this feature, but it makes up for it by allowing traders to draw trendlines on charts, a feature not supported by eToro. Additionally, any drawings made in ActivTrades are automatically saved, unlike in eToro's app.
Both eToro and ActivTrades allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes, enhancing the ability to track investments effectively. In a user ranking by ForexBrokers.com, eToro stands out, securing a 4.5-star rating compared to ActivTrades' 4 stars. Furthermore, eToro holds the #10 spot in the Mobile Trading Apps category out of 62 brokers, while ActivTrades comes in at #19. These rankings highlight eToro as a more favored choice among mobile trading enthusiasts, offering a slightly more enriched experience and greater overall satisfaction. Whether you prioritize more detailed chart analyses or specific drawing capabilities, both platforms offer unique advantages, catering to different trading preferences.
| Feature |
eToro
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research features, both eToro and ActivTrades provide daily market commentary, keeping traders informed about the latest market trends. However, ActivTrades stands out by offering forex news from well-known sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, which eToro does not provide. On the other hand, eToro excels by providing unique research tools from Trading Central and market insights from TipRanks, features that ActivTrades lacks. Both platforms offer a sentiment-based trading tool and an economic calendar to keep users updated on current and upcoming global events.
In terms of overall research ratings, eToro receives a slightly higher mark with 4.5 stars, whereas ActivTrades is rated at 4 stars. Among 62 brokers evaluated by ForexBrokers.com, eToro ranks at an impressive 13th place for its research capabilities, while ActivTrades holds the 30th spot. This ranking highlights eToro's stronger research offerings, making it a more appealing option for those seeking comprehensive market analysis tools.
| Feature |
eToro
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing eToro and ActivTrades, both online brokers provide a wealth of educational resources for those looking to understand forex or CFDs. They each offer at least ten pieces of educational content, such as articles and archived webinars, specifically designed to cover these financial topics. Additionally, both brokers conduct monthly online webinars and have a searchable archive of past sessions, making it easy for beginners to access and learn at their own pace. Importantly for novices, each platform supplies over ten beginner-focused trading videos to help newcomers get accustomed to trading concepts.
For traders seeking to deepen their understanding, eToro and ActivTrades also offer a set of more advanced educational videos. However, eToro provides an edge with an investor dictionary that includes definitions of over 50 investing terms, a feature not available with ActivTrades. This additional resource likely contributes to eToro's higher education rating of 4.5 stars, compared to ActivTrades’ 4 stars. This advantage is further reflected in eToro's ranking as the 5th best broker in the education category by ForexBrokers.com, significantly outpacing ActivTrades, which sits in the 38th position.
| Feature |
eToro
|
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 eToro is better than ActivTrades. eToro finished with an overall rank of #9, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
eToro is a winner for its easy-to-use copy-trading platform, where traders can copy the trades of experienced investors – or receive exclusive perks for sharing their own trading strategies.
| Feature |
eToro
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 81 |
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eToro provides users the option to purchase both actual cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency derivatives, while ActivTrades offers access solely to cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers eToro and ActivTrades, eToro offers more diverse banking options including ACH/SEPA transfers and PayPal in addition to common mediums like Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, whereas ActivTrades supports Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires but does not accommodate ACH/SEPA transfers or PayPal.
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 | eToro | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | ActivTrades Review |
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| Regulation | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | 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) | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5461 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 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) | Yes | 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 | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | 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 | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 104 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 161 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | eToro | 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 | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | 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 | eToro | 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 | eToro Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | eToro | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | ActivTrades Review |
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