Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs Exness, 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.
ActivTrades and Exness are both established online brokers, with ActivTrades having been founded in 2001 and Exness in 2008. Neither of these brokers is publicly traded or operates as a bank. When it comes to regulatory strength, both ActivTrades and Exness have built strong foundations, each holding two Tier-1 licenses. Tier-1 licenses are highly regarded and signify a strong level of trust for these brokers.
In addition to their Tier-1 licenses, ActivTrades has one Tier-2 license, while Exness boasts three. With a Trust Score of 81 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, both brokers are considered trusted. Their impressive regulatory standing and trust ratings make them reliable choices for individuals seeking efficient online trading platforms.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
When comparing ActivTrades and Exness for commissions and fees, both online brokers offer competitive pricing with some key differences. ActivTrades features spreads that are better than the industry average, although they might not be the lowest among the top low-cost forex brokers. With its main Individual Account and options for Professional and Islamic Accounts, ActivTrades doesn't have a dedicated account type for high-volume traders or active trader pricing. Their commissions and fees depend largely on the assets traded, with spreads that can vary throughout trading sessions, exemplified by an average spread of 0.98 pips on the EUR/USD for May 2024. ActivTrades holds a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, ranking 27th out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
On the other hand, Exness provides a broader selection of five primary account types including Standard and Professional accounts, as well as specialized accounts for social copy trading. The cost structure with Exness is account-dependent; for instance, their commission-based accounts offer lower spreads than commission-free ones. The Pro account allows both instant and market execution, while the Zero Spread and Raw accounts charge per-trade commissions with low spreads, no leverage restrictions, and market execution. Notably, the Raw account includes a commission of up to $7 per round turn lot. Exness holds a 4-star rating for commissions and fees but is ranked 38th among 62 brokers in the same category by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | 0 | $10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | 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 ActivTrades and Exness in terms of their range of investments, several key distinctions emerge. Both brokers offer forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, but ActivTrades provides a greater total number of tradeable symbols, with 1267 options compared to Exness's 227. However, Exness overtakes when it comes to the number of forex pairs, offering 96 pairs versus ActivTrades' 49 pairs. While neither broker provides access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, ActivTrades allows clients to trade international exchange-traded securities, unlike Exness.
Both ActivTrades and Exness support copy trading, and they permit trading cryptocurrency derivatives rather than the actual cryptocurrencies. Regarding ratings from ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades garners a 4-star rating for its range of investments and ranks 31st out of 62 brokers. In contrast, Exness holds a slightly lower rating of 3.5 stars and ranks 56th. This comparison indicates ActivTrades might offer a more diverse investment range, especially for those interested in international markets.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 227 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 96 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| 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 ActivTrades and Exness provide comprehensive trading experiences for users by offering a wide range of tools and platforms. Beginners can get started with ease thanks to the availability of free virtual demo accounts on both platforms, allowing them to simulate trading without risking real money. Each broker has developed its proprietary platform, providing additional options alongside the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platforms. Whether you prefer to trade on a Windows desktop or directly through a web browser, both ActivTrades and Exness have you covered. Furthermore, they support copy trading, enabling users to replicate the strategies of experienced traders with ease.
In terms of functionality, both brokers allow trading directly from stock charts, but there are differences in the charting tools they offer. ActivTrades provides 15 drawing tools for charting, whereas Exness offers an extensive 87 tools, which may appeal to those who prefer in-depth technical analysis. For creating watch lists, ActivTrades offers 11 columns, compared to Exness's seven, catering to users who prioritize detailed monitoring. Despite these slight variations, both brokers earn a solid rating of four stars for their trading platforms and tools. In the competitive landscape of online brokers, ActivTrades is ranked 29th and Exness 31st by ForexBrokers.com, reflecting their commitment to providing quality trading solutions.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 107 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 87 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both ActivTrades and Exness provide mobile trading apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices, allowing traders to access the markets conveniently from their smartphones. Whether you are trading stocks or forex, both platforms offer price alerts to keep you informed of significant market movements. However, neither of the apps supports watchlist symbol syncing, which means changes made to your watchlists on the mobile app do not automatically sync with your online account. While ActivTrades provides 30 technical studies for charting, Exness offers a slightly higher number at 35, making it slightly more appealing for traders who rely heavily on technical analysis.
When it comes to drawing tools, both apps allow drawing of trendlines on stock or forex charts, and users can view multiple time frames like daily, weekly, or intraday. However, ActivTrades has the advantage of automatically saving chart drawings, a feature Exness lacks. Both mobile apps let users create watchlists with real-time quotes. Collectively, these features contribute to both platforms earning a four-star rating for their mobile trading apps. ActivTrades ranks higher at 19th out of 62 brokers in the mobile trading app category on ForexBrokers.com compared to Exness, which is ranked 32nd.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing ActivTrades and Exness for their market research capabilities, both brokers offer valuable resources such as daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. They also provide economic calendars to help traders stay updated on global events. However, a key difference is their approach to technical analysis tools: while neither broker offers Autochartist tools, Exness stands out by providing research tools from Trading Central, which ActivTrades does not.
In terms of sentiment tools, both brokers allow traders to view a ratio of long or short positions across various currency pairs. However, neither offers additional research from companies such as TipRanks or Acuity Trading. Based on ratings from ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades receives a slightly higher score of 4 stars, ranking 30th out of 62 brokers for research, compared to Exness, which is rated 3.5 stars and ranks 41st. Overall, ActivTrades appears to have a slight edge in the research category.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| 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 the educational resources available to beginners at ActivTrades and Exness, notable differences emerge. Both brokers provide at least ten educational materials focused on forex and CFDs, which include articles, videos, and archived webinars. ActivTrades excels by offering monthly online educational webinars and a searchable archive of past sessions. In contrast, Exness does not provide regular webinars, though it does have a searchable archive. Both platforms cater to beginners with at least ten educational videos specifically focused on novice traders, ensuring foundational knowledge is accessible to those just starting.
The divergence in their educational offerings becomes more apparent in advanced learning tools. ActivTrades delivers at least ten videos aimed at experienced traders, whereas Exness lacks this depth. Interestingly, Exness compensates with an investor dictionary featuring over 50 trading terms, a resource not available at ActivTrades. When rated on a five-star scale, ActivTrades scores a 4-star rating for education and is ranked #38 among 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Exness, meanwhile, is slightly behind with a 3.5-star rating and is ranked #47. These insights suggest ActivTrades may be better suited for learners seeking advanced content and live educational interactions. At the same time, Exness offers solid foundational resources for those who value a comprehensive glossary of terms.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ActivTrades is better than Exness. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #43.
ActivTrades is a long-standing brand that offers a proprietary trading platform, ActivTrader, and support for the award-winning TradingView and MetaTrader (MT4 and MT5) platforms. ActivTrades also delivers a selection of custom add-ons, indicators, and trading tools for traders who prefer to use MetaTrader. Drawbacks for trading with ActivTrades include a smaller selection of tradeable symbols and fewer educational resources than what’s available from the best forex brokers.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 81 |
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Both ActivTrades and Exness do not provide options to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but do offer the ability to trade in cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both ActivTrades and Exness provide Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wire options for fund transactions, but neither supports ACH, SEPA, or PayPal transfers for deposits or withdrawals.
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 | ActivTrades | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | 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). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | Yes |
| Investments | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 227 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 96 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | 0 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 107 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 87 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 35 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ActivTrades Review | Exness Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Exness Review |
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