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 the commissions and fees between eToro and ActivTrades, it's important to note the specifics of their offerings. eToro, a market-maker broker, lists a typical variable spread of 1 pip on the EUR/USD pair, which is slightly above the industry average. While retail traders might find better deals elsewhere concerning spreads, they often choose eToro for its unique social copy trading platform. Additionally, eToro offers a VIP Club with five membership tiers, ranging from Silver to Diamond, for traders maintaining balances from $5,000 to $250,000. These tiers provide benefits such as Trading Central access, discounted withdrawal and deposit fees, and dedicated account managers. With a rating of 4.5 stars for commissions and fees, eToro ranks at #22 out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com.
On the other hand, ActivTrades generally offers spreads slightly better than the industry average, with a target spread of 0.98 pips for the EUR/USD in May 2024. It features one primary account type, the Individual Account, along with Professional and Islamic Account options. Although ActivTrades lacks pricing specifically tailored for high-volume traders, the Professional Account offers lower margin requirements. The Islamic Account meets Sharia compliance for religious requirements. ActivTrades' availability of assets and their respective fees can vary based on the chosen platform, influencing overall costs for traders. With a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, ActivTrades is ranked #27 by ForexBrokers.com.
| 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 comparing eToro and ActivTrades in terms of trading platforms and tools, both brokers offer free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice their trading strategies risk-free. Each broker also provides its own proprietary trading platform, but eToro only offers a web-based option, while ActivTrades presents a more versatile lineup with a Windows-based desktop platform. Web-based trading is available on both platforms, and for those interested in copy trading, both brokers fulfill this need. However, eToro falls short of providing the popular MetaTrader platforms (MT4 and MT5), which ActivTrades includes in its options. Neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade integrations.
eToro outshines ActivTrades in offering more drawing tools for charting with 161 options compared to ActivTrades' 15. However, ActivTrades has the upper hand when it comes to the ability to trade directly from a stock chart, a feature that eToro lacks. Additionally, for those who prioritize comprehensive watch lists, ActivTrades offers 11 customizable fields compared to eToro’s 6. Despite these differences, eToro’s trading platform is rated higher with 4.5 stars, ranking 8th out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, whereas ActivTrades is rated with 4 stars, achieving a rank of 29th.
| 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.
Both eToro and ActivTrades offer mobile trading apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices, ensuring users have access to their trading platforms on the go. Both apps provide features like stock and forex price alerts and the ability to create watchlists with real-time quotes. However, eToro users can enjoy the convenience of watchlist symbol syncing between the mobile app and their online accounts, a feature absent in the ActivTrades mobile app. In terms of charting tools, eToro stands out with 104 technical studies compared to ActivTrades' 30, though ActivTrades does allow drawing trendlines and auto-saving chart drawings, functionalities that eToro lacks. Both apps support multiple time frames for chart analysis.
When it comes to user ratings, eToro's mobile trading app is slightly ahead with a rating of 4.5 stars, compared to ActivTrades' 4 stars. In the competitive landscape of mobile trading apps, as evaluated by ForexBrokers.com out of 62 brokers, eToro ranks at number 11 while ActivTrades is positioned at number 19. This comparison reflects eToro's superior synchronization features and charting capabilities, despite some missing functionalities that ActivTrades offers.
| 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
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 93 | 81 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platform & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platform & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 93 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Research Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platform & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 93 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | ActivTrades Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill