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.
IG is an online broker founded in 1974. It’s publicly traded and is also a bank, offering added oversight. According to ForexBrokers.com, IG holds 8 Tier-1 and 2 Tier-2 licenses and earns a Trust Score of 99/99, which places it in the highly trusted range.
ActivTrades, founded in 2001, is not publicly traded and is not a bank. It holds 2 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 licenses and has a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 80/99, falling in the trusted range. Compared with IG, ActivTrades has fewer top-tier licenses and a lower trust rating, so traders prioritizing regulatory coverage and transparency may prefer IG, while those comfortable with a trusted but smaller regulatory footprint may consider ActivTrades.
| 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 commissions and fees, IG comes out ahead of ActivTrades for cost-conscious traders who want more pricing options. IG is rated 5 stars and ranked #7 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees by ForexBrokers.com. Its standard CFD pricing is close to the industry average, but it stands out for active traders through its Forex Direct DMA account and rebate programs. IG’s EUR/USD average spread was 0.62 pips in July 2023 on Forex Direct, with an estimated all-in cost of 0.82 pips after commission, while its main CFD account averaged 0.69 pips during the main trading session.
ActivTrades is simpler, with fewer account choices and no special pricing for high-volume traders. It is rated 4 stars and ranked #21 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees. Its spreads are generally a little better than average, but not as competitive as the lowest-cost forex brokers. The broker’s EUR/USD spread was 0.98 pips in May 2024, and pricing can vary depending on the asset and market conditions.
In plain terms, IG is the stronger choice if you trade often or in larger sizes and want more ways to lower your costs. ActivTrades may still be a solid fit for traders who want straightforward pricing and don’t need volume discounts. For overall value in commissions and fees, IG has the edge.
| Feature |
IG
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.91 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IG offers a wider range of investments than ActivTrades overall, making it the better choice for traders who want more market variety. IG lists 19,537 tradeable symbols and 97 forex pairs, compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, but IG also stands out by offering exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, plus the ability to buy actual cryptocurrency as well as crypto CFDs.
ActivTrades still covers the basics well, including international exchange-traded securities, copy trading, and crypto CFDs, but it does not offer U.S.-listed shares or delivered crypto. Based on Range of Investments, IG earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #25. For investors looking for the broader selection, IG has the clear edge.
| Feature |
IG
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
IG and ActivTrades both give traders plenty of ways to get started, with free demo accounts, their own in-house platforms, web trading, Windows desktop downloads, and access to both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Each broker also lets you place trades straight from a chart, which is handy for active traders who want quick order entry and simple platform access across devices.
The main difference is that ActivTrades offers copy trading, while IG does not. IG also stands out for its platform experience overall, earning 5 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranking #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades at 4 out of 5 stars and #26. For traders comparing tools and ease of use, IG has the edge, while ActivTrades may appeal more to those who want copy trading alongside a similar range of platform choices.
| Feature |
IG
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IG and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each app supports stock or forex price alerts, trendline drawing, and automatic saving of chart drawings. For traders who want to stay connected on the go, both brokers cover the basics well and make it easy to monitor the markets from a phone or tablet.
That said, IG has the edge in mobile trading app quality. Its app offers watchlist syncing between mobile and the online account, so updates carry over in both places, while ActivTrades does not offer this feature. IG also provides more technical studies for charting, with 33 compared with ActivTrades’ 30. These extra features help explain why IG is rated 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 36 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps by ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades holds a 4-star rating and a #21 ranking.
| Feature |
IG
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, IG has the edge over ActivTrades. Both brokers provide daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, sentiment tools, and an economic calendar, so traders can stay on top of key events and market moves. However, IG adds more depth with Autochartist, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading tools, while ActivTrades does not offer these extras.
This wider research offering helps explain why IG is rated 5 stars for research and ranked #2 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades’ 4-star research rating and #26 ranking. For traders who want more built-in analysis and more ways to spot opportunities, IG is the stronger choice overall.
| Feature |
IG
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to beginner-friendly learning materials, both IG and ActivTrades give new traders plenty to explore. Each broker offers at least 10 forex or CFD education pieces, along with monthly online client webinars and a solid library of video lessons for both beginners and more experienced traders. That means either platform can help you get started with the basics of trading and then move on to more advanced topics as your skills grow.
Still, IG stands out as the stronger choice for education overall. It earns 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #7 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30. If you want the broker with the stronger track record for learning resources, IG is the better pick, though ActivTrades still offers a helpful set of tools for beginners.
| Feature |
IG
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 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 #28.
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 | 80 |
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IG allows you to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas ActivTrades does not support buying actual (delivered) crypto and only offers cryptocurrency CFDs.
IG vs ActivTrades: IG supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals but not Skrill, while ActivTrades offers Skrill and bank wires but lacks ACH/SEPA and 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 | IG | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| 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 (FSA 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 |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 account | 0.91 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 | |
| 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 Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | IG Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | IG | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | ActivTrades Review |
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