Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG 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.
When it comes to the Trust Score ratings from ForexBrokers.com, IG and ActivTrades differ in their levels of assurance. IG, founded in 1974, boasts a Trust Score of 99 out of 99, making it highly trusted. It stands out as a publicly traded company and operates as a bank, offering a solid reputation in the financial market. Moreover, IG holds 8 Tier-1 licenses, indicating its high level of trustworthiness, along with 2 Tier-2 licenses, reinforcing its credibility.
By comparison, ActivTrades, which began operations in 2001, holds a Trust Score of 81, placing it in the trusted category. Although it is not publicly traded and does not operate as a bank, the broker manages to maintain an authoritative presence in the market. ActivTrades is backed by 2 Tier-1 licenses, reflecting a commendable level of trust, and 1 Tier-2 license, further substantiating its reliability.
| Feature |
IG
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When comparing IG and ActivTrades on commissions and fees, IG shines with a 5-star rating, ranking 8th out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. IG offers competitive spreads through its Forex Direct accounts, particularly benefiting high-volume traders. In July 2023, average spreads on IG's Forex Direct account were 0.62 pips for the EUR/USD pair, with the overall cost reaching 0.82 pips after factoring in commissions. For volume traders, IG provides a tiered rebate program offering discounts up to 20% on spreads. The DMA account offers further discounts through a commission-based structure. IG's CFD account spreads also generally outperform the industry average, ensuring that cost-effective trading is available across different market conditions.
ActivTrades, on the other hand, holds a 4-star rating and ranks 28th among 62 brokers for commissions and fees as reported by ForexBrokers.com. The broker offers its main Individual Account along with Professional and Islamic account options. However, it lacks a specific account for high-volume traders and does not provide active trader pricing. Unlike IG, ActivTrades maintains consistent spreads across different account types. In May 2024, the EUR/USD average spread was 0.98 pips, which, while competitive, doesn't quite match the ultra-low spreads available to IG's Forex Direct or DMA account holders. Traders with ActivTrades can expect slightly better than average spreads but might find limitations in leveraging exclusive pricing models for frequent trading.
In conclusion, while both IG and ActivTrades present reliable trading cost structures, IG clearly offers more tailored solutions for active traders. It stands out due to its advanced account options and spread rebate programs which can significantly reduce trading costs for high-volume transactions. ActivTrades provides straightforward trading without complex rebating, making it more suitable for traders who prefer simplicity over potential savings from active trader incentives.
| Feature |
IG
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | 0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | 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 IG to ActivTrades for their range of investments, IG stands out with an impressive 19,537 tradeable symbols, a stark contrast to ActivTrades' 1,267. Forex traders will find IG's offering of 97 currency pairs attractive, compared to the 49 forex pairs available on ActivTrades. IG also allows clients to invest in exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, enabling direct purchases of major stocks like Apple and Vodafone. Meanwhile, ActivTrades only offers international exchange securities and lacks U.S. exchange options for direct investment.
For those interested in forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, both brokers provide this service. However, IG does not support copy trading, whereas ActivTrades does. Neither broker offers the ability to buy actual cryptocurrencies, but both provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives. Reflecting the extensive investment choices, IG receives a five-star rating and ranks 4th in the Range of Investments category according to ForexBrokers.com, whereas ActivTrades is rated four stars and ranks 31st.
| Feature |
IG
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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 it comes to comparing IG and ActivTrades for their trading platforms and tools, both brokers offer users a full suite of tools, but they cater to different needs. Both brokerages provide a free virtual demo account, making it easier for newcomers to practice trading without risks. They each boast a proprietary platform and support various popular systems like MetaTrader 4 (MT4). However, ActivTrades offers the added advantage of MetaTrader 5 (MT5) support, as well as copy trading features, which IG does not provide. While both brokers offer a Windows-based platform and web-based trading options, IG stands out by offering more drawing tools for charting (20 compared to ActivTrades' 15). Additionally, IG enables direct trades from stock charts and has a high five-star rating for its trading platforms, ranked #2 by ForexBrokers.com out of 62 brokers, which reflects the overall quality and user satisfaction.
On the other hand, ActivTrades finds its strengths with a larger number of columns available for watch lists, coming in with 11 compared to IG's 5. Despite not supporting specific social trading platforms like DupliTrade and ZuluTrade, both brokers excel in offering stable platforms for technical analysis. ActivTrades is ranked #30 by ForexBrokers.com for trading platforms and tools, and while it’s not as high as IG’s ranking, it still provides a solid and reliable set of tools for traders. Whether a trader chooses IG or ActivTrades will depend on their specific needs, especially considering IG’s edge in technical analysis features and higher overall ratings, in contrast to ActivTrades’ support for MT5 and copy trading options.
| Feature |
IG
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 5 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
If you're deciding between IG and ActivTrades for mobile trading, both brokers provide solid apps for iPhone and Android users. Foremost, both apps deliver essential features like stock and forex price alerts and real-time watchlists. IG stands out with its watchlist symbol syncing, seamlessly connecting your mobile app with your online account for efficient management. In contrast, ActivTrades lacks this feature, possibly necessitating manual updates across platforms.
When it comes to charting capabilities, IG offers a slight edge with 33 technical studies compared to ActivTrades' 30. Both provide functionalities to draw trendlines and offer multiple time frame views, ensuring a comprehensive analysis experience. Even though both apps auto-save chart drawings, IG's mobile app excels with a high user rating of five stars, ranking it number one out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. ActivTrades, although a reliable choice with a four-star rating, ranks 19th in the same category.
| Feature |
IG
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 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.
Both IG and ActivTrades offer daily market commentary and provide forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. They also feature sentiment-based trading tools that display a ratio of long or short positions across currency pairs. Additionally, each broker provides an economic calendar that lists current and upcoming global news events. However, IG distinguishes itself by offering technical analysis tools from Autochartist and market research resources from TipRanks and Acuity Trading, which are not available through ActivTrades.
IG excels in the research category, earning a 5-star rating and ranked as the second-best among 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, ActivTrades receives a 4-star rating and is ranked 30th. This reflects IG's broader range of research tools, making it a favorable choice for traders seeking comprehensive market insights.
| Feature |
IG
|
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 | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both IG and ActivTrades offer a comprehensive selection to help new traders get started with forex and CFDs. IG provides an extensive range of educational materials, including articles, videos, and archived webinars, ensuring that beginners have ample opportunities to learn. Both brokers host monthly webinars and offer searchable archives of previously recorded sessions, allowing clients to revisit and review content at their convenience. Additionally, both IG and ActivTrades present at least ten beginner-focused educational videos covering essential trading topics.
While both brokers stand out with advanced educational resources, IG takes an extra step by offering an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms, which is not available from ActivTrades. This small but significant addition could be particularly helpful for those new to trading jargon. Overall, IG is rated five stars for its educational offerings, earning the top spot in ForexBrokers.com’s education category among 62 brokers, whereas ActivTrades, with a four-star rating, ranks at 38th place. This makes IG a particularly strong choice for those prioritizing educational support in their trading journey.
| Feature |
IG
|
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 IG is better than ActivTrades. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
IG offers the ultimate comprehensive trading package, featuring excellent trading and research tools, industry-leading education, and an extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
IG
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 |
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Both IG and ActivTrades do not allow the purchase of actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do offer the option to buy cryptocurrency derivatives, providing traders with alternative means to engage with digital assets.
IG provides a versatile range of payment options, including ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, while ActivTrades offers Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires but does not support ACH or SEPA transfers or PayPal for account fund transactions.
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 | IG | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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 | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | 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 | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 5 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IG | 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 | 33 | 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 | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | 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 | IG | 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 | IG Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | IG | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | ActivTrades Review |
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