Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers 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.
Interactive Brokers vs. ActivTrades: Interactive Brokers, founded in 1977, is publicly traded and not a bank. ActivTrades, founded in 2001, is privately held and also not a bank. In terms of regulation, ForexBrokers.com reports that Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, while ActivTrades holds 2 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2. More Tier-1 licenses generally indicate tighter oversight in major financial hubs.
Looking at safety metrics, ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score rates Interactive Brokers at 99 out of 99 (highly trusted: 90-99) and ActivTrades at 80 (trusted: 80-89). Put simply, Interactive Brokers offers broader top-tier regulation and the transparency of a listed company, while ActivTrades still earns a trusted rating under multiple regulators.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Interactive Brokers comes out ahead on commissions and fees for most forex traders. It uses commission-based pricing rather than marking up spreads, and while it does not publish average forex spreads, Q3 2024 data showed an EUR/USD average spread of 0.19 pips, or about 0.59 pips all-in after commission. Its forex commissions start at 0.00002 of the U.S. dollar trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order, and the rate can fall for very high-volume traders. Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #2 out of 36 for Commissions and Fees.
ActivTrades also offers fairly competitive pricing, but its costs are generally higher than Interactive Brokers and not quite at the level of the lowest-cost forex brokers. It does not have a special pricing tier for active traders, and spreads are the same across its account types, including Individual, Professional, and Islamic accounts. For EUR/USD, ActivTrades reported an average spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024. ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranked #21 out of 36 for Commissions and Fees.
In simple terms, if lower trading costs are your main goal, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice overall. ActivTrades still offers reasonable pricing and a straightforward account setup, but traders looking for the tightest forex costs will usually find better value at Interactive Brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.226 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.226 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the range of investments, Interactive Brokers offers more choice than ActivTrades. Interactive Brokers lists about 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading, and both also provide access to international exchange-traded securities, but only Interactive Brokers lets clients buy U.S.-listed shares such as Apple directly. It also offers actual cryptocurrency purchases, while ActivTrades does not.
ActivTrades stands out in a few areas, including copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, which Interactive Brokers does not offer. Even so, Interactive Brokers has the edge overall for investment variety, earning 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranking #1 out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com. ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #25, making it a more limited choice for traders who want the widest selection of markets.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 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) | No | 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.
Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both give traders a strong set of platform choices, including a free paper trading account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop app, and a web-based trading platform. Each also lets users place trades directly from a stock chart, which can make it easier to act quickly while reviewing price action. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, Interactive Brokers stands out with a 5-star rating and a #2 ranking out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks #26.
The biggest difference is in extra trading features. ActivTrades supports copy trading and offers both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which may appeal to traders who want familiar third-party platforms and more social trading options. Interactive Brokers does not offer copy trading, MT4, or MT5, but it remains a top pick for platform quality overall, especially for traders who want a well-rounded in-house trading experience across desktop and browser.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Where Interactive Brokers pulls ahead is in app depth and convenience. Its mobile app includes watchlist symbol syncing, so changes you make on your phone carry over to your online account and vice versa. It also offers 155 technical studies for charting, compared with 30 at ActivTrades. Based on ForexBrokers.com ratings, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades holds 4 stars and ranks #21.
ActivTrades still covers the basics well and stands out in one useful area: drawings on charts auto save in its mobile app, while Interactive Brokers does not offer that feature. That said, for traders who want a more feature-rich mobile experience, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice overall thanks to its larger set of chart tools and watchlist syncing. ActivTrades may suit traders who prefer a simpler app and value automatic saving of chart drawings.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both give traders access to daily market commentary, top-tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, sentiment tools, and an economic calendar with global events. Neither broker includes Autochartist for technical or fundamental research. For most everyday market checks, both platforms cover the basics well, making it easy to stay informed on price moves and key news releases.
Where Interactive Brokers pulls ahead is in the range of extra research tools. It offers Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading, while ActivTrades does not include these services. That wider research mix helps explain why Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades’ 4 stars and #26 ranking.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for trading education, Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both offer a wide range of learning tools. Each broker provides forex and CFDs education with at least 10 related learning materials, plus monthly educational webinars, and both also have at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos. That means new traders can find help on basic topics as well as more detailed strategies with either platform.
Even so, Interactive Brokers stands out more clearly for education overall. It is rated 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30. For learners who want the strongest mix of educational content and overall learning support, Interactive Brokers appears to be the better choice, though ActivTrades still gives beginners a solid set of useful resources.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 Interactive Brokers is better than ActivTrades. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Trading Fees |
|
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Interactive Brokers vs ActivTrades: Interactive Brokers supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but does not offer cryptocurrency CFDs, while ActivTrades offers cryptocurrency CFDs but does not allow buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency.
Interactive Brokers vs ActivTrades: Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA transfers and bank wire deposits/withdrawals but not PayPal or Skrill, while ActivTrades supports bank wires and Skrill but not ACH/SEPA 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 | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | 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 | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | 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) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 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) | No | 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 | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.226 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.226 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | 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 | 155 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ActivTrades Review |
IG
FOREX.com
CMC Markets
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill