Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs GBE brokers, 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, established in 2001, and GBE Brokers, founded in 2013, are both online brokers that provide trading services to clients globally. Although neither company is publicly traded nor operates as a bank, they differ significantly in their regulatory credentials, which influences their Trust Score ratings as determined by ForexBrokers.com. ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 licenses, which are highly trusted, and one Tier-2 license, which is considered trusted, resulting in a Trust Score rating of 81. This rating categorizes ActivTrades as a trusted broker.
Conversely, GBE Brokers has one Tier-1 license and does not hold any Tier-2 licenses. This regulatory standing results in a Trust Score rating of 71, placing GBE Brokers in the average risk category. These scores not only reflect the degree of regulatory oversight each broker is subjected to but also provide an insight into their safety and trustworthiness, helping traders make informed decisions based on their investment needs.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2013 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of online brokers ActivTrades and GBE Brokers, ActivTrades stands out for its slightly better-than-average spreads across its various account types, which include Individual, Professional, and Islamic Accounts. The Professional Account at ActivTrades offers lower margin requirements, but spreads remain consistent across all account types. Although there is no specific account for high-volume traders or active trader pricing, ActivTrades earned a 4-star rating in commissions and fees and is ranked #27 for this category by ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, GBE Brokers does not provide publicly available average spread data, making direct comparisons a bit challenging. However, like ActivTrades, it also received a 4-star rating for commissions and fees. Despite the similar star rating, GBE Brokers is ranked lower at #36 in the commissions and fees category by ForexBrokers.com. This ranking suggests there may be differences in cost structures or competitive offerings that aren't immediately evident without spread data.
Overall, both brokers offer competitive options for traders, though the explicit spread information from ActivTrades provides a clearer picture of potential trading costs. GBE Brokers, while rated similarly, ranks lower, indicating there may be subtler distinctions in trade-related expenses that are worth investigating for those looking for the most cost-effective trading solutions.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | 0 | $500 |
| 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 | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| 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 opportunities offered by ActivTrades and GBE brokers, both platforms provide a broad array of options, yet they differ in certain areas. ActivTrades shines with a substantial selection of 1,267 tradable symbols, while GBE brokers offer 500. However, GBE brokers lead in forex variety, providing access to 71 forex pairs compared to ActivTrades' 49. Both brokers facilitate forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts and support cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither offers direct cryptocurrency purchases. Exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges are unavailable on both, although ActivTrades allows trading in international markets, unlike GBE brokers.
In terms of features for strategy development, both ActivTrades and GBE brokers equip investors with copy trading capabilities. Yet, it’s in the comprehensive offerings and international exchange access that ActivTrades nudges ahead, earning a higher rating of 4 stars for its range of investments compared to GBE brokers' 3.5 stars. This distinction is further reflected in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where ActivTrades holds the 31st position, and GBE brokers are ranked 44th out of 62 platforms emphasizing the depth and breadth ActivTrades provides to its users.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 71 |
| 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.
When comparing ActivTrades and GBE brokers, both offer free virtual demo accounts, enabling traders to practice without financial risk. ActivTrades holds a slight edge by providing a proprietary trading platform, which GBE brokers lack. Both brokers support popular platform choices like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) alongside Windows and web-based trading interfaces. Investors interested in replicating successful trades can engage in copy trading with either broker. However, options like DupliTrade and ZuluTrade are unavailable on both platforms.
Charting tools reveal similarities between ActivTrades and GBE brokers, each offering 15 drawing tools for customized analysis, along with a shared feature of trading directly from stock charts. ActivTrades delivers more variety for watch lists, with 11 available columns compared to GBE's 7. Despite both receiving a 4-star rating for trading platforms and tools, ActivTrades ranks higher at 29 out of 62 brokers, whereas GBE brokers is positioned at 57, suggesting a more favorable evaluation for ActivTrades overall in this category.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| 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) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both ActivTrades and GBE Brokers provide a full suite of offerings for iPhone and Android users. They both offer features like stock or forex price alerts, real-time quote watchlists, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Each app includes 30 technical studies for charting and supports multiple time frames such as daily, weekly, or intraday views. Another common feature is the auto-save function for chart drawings, which is present in both apps. However, one downside is that neither broker offers watchlist symbol syncing between their mobile app and online accounts.
While both mobile apps come in at a solid 4-star rating, there is a noticeable difference in how they're ranked by ForexBrokers.com. ActivTrades is placed at 19th out of 62 brokers, showing a stronger position in the market compared to GBE Brokers, which stands at rank 57. This ranking difference might be a consideration for users deciding between the two for a mobile trading experience. Nevertheless, both apps provide essential features for traders looking to manage their investments on the go.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 comparing the market research offerings of ActivTrades and GBE Brokers, both platforms provide valuable resources for traders. They each deliver daily market commentary, keeping users informed on market trends and developments. Notably, ActivTrades stands out with its provision of forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a feature that GBE Brokers currently lacks. Both brokers offer sentiment-based trading tools, which help traders understand the market dynamics by showcasing the ratio of long and short positions across various instruments. They also provide access to an economic calendar to keep traders updated on global economic events. However, neither platform offers research tools from Autochartist, Trading Central, or Acuity Trading, and they do not include market research from TipRanks.
ActivTrades earns a slight edge over GBE Brokers with a research rating of four out of five stars compared to GBE's three. This is reflected in their rankings, with ActivTrades landing at 30th place among 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while GBE Brokers is positioned at 61st. This suggests ActivTrades may offer a more comprehensive research experience for traders seeking detailed insights into the market. Ultimately, while both brokers provide essential market research tools, ActivTrades appears to offer a more extensive suite of features to support informed trading decisions.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | 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 the educational resources available for beginners at ActivTrades and GBE Brokers, ActivTrades clearly stands out. ActivTrades offers a comprehensive range of educational materials for those new to trading, including more than ten articles, videos, or archived webinars focused on forex and CFDs. Additionally, they host at least one educational client webinar each month, which is accessible online, along with a searchable archive of past webinars for convenient learning. Beginners can also benefit from over ten educational videos tailored specifically for their needs, as well as advanced videos for seasoned traders looking to deepen their expertise. Unfortunately, ActivTrades does not provide an investor dictionary, but their extensive educational offerings have earned them a solid 4-star rating in education quality.
In contrast, GBE Brokers does not meet the same level of educational support for beginners. They lack the minimum of ten educational pieces focused on forex or CFDs and do not offer any monthly online webinars or a searchable archive of past webinars. Furthermore, GBE Brokers do not provide beginner or advanced educational videos like ActivTrades does. Both brokers do not offer an investor dictionary, but this absence is more impactful for GBE Brokers given the limited resources they provide otherwise. As a result, GBE Brokers received a 3-star education rating. According to ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades ranks significantly higher for education at 38 out of 62, whereas GBE Brokers is placed at the bottom of the list, ranked 62.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No |
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 GBE brokers. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while GBE brokers finished with an overall rank of #56.
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
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GBE brokers
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 |
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Both ActivTrades and GBE Brokers do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do provide options for purchasing cryptocurrency derivatives.
In comparing the online brokers ActivTrades and GBE brokers, it's notable that while both offer deposit and withdrawal options such as Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, GBE brokers further distinguishes itself by also providing ACH, SEPA, and PayPal options, which ActivTrades does not offer.
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 | GBE brokers | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2013 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| 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 | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 71 | |
| 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 | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | 0 | $500 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Overall | ActivTrades | GBE brokers | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
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