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, founded in 1977, and ActivTrades, established in 2001, present distinct profiles in the online brokerage landscape. Interactive Brokers stands out as a publicly traded company, while ActivTrades remains privately held. Neither company operates as a bank. In terms of regulation, Interactive Brokers holds an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, indicating a high level of trust, compared to ActivTrades' two Tier-1 licenses. Both firms maintain additional Tier-2 licenses, signaling their commitment to maintaining trusted operations.
When considering trustworthiness as determined by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers achieves a near-perfect Trust Score rating of 99, placing it at the top of the list for reliability. On the other hand, ActivTrades earns a respectable Trust Score of 81, categorizing it as trusted. These scores emphasize Interactive Brokers' strong regulatory framework and its established reputation in the financial sector.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Interactive Brokers is a top-ranked choice for forex traders concerning commissions and fees, earning an impressive 5-star rating and securing the #2 spot out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Despite the absence of published average spreads, Interactive Brokers offers competitive pricing. For instance, during Q3 2024, the EUR/USD average spread was 0.19 pips, or an effective all-in spread of 0.59 pips after commissions. The forex trading commission per side starts at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) with a $2 minimum per order. Active traders can benefit from even lower rates, with commissions dropping as monthly trade volumes increase.
ActivTrades, on the other hand, is rated 4 stars and is ranked #27 among 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com for commissions and fees. This broker offers slightly better-than-average spreads but does not match the best low-cost competitors. ActivTrades features a primary Individual Account, with spreads that remain the same across account types. The EUR/USD average spread recorded for May 2024 was 0.98 pips. While ActivTrades provides options like Professional Accounts and Islamic Accounts, they lack specific account types for high-volume traders and active trader pricing, which may be a downside for some traders.
In comparison, Interactive Brokers is favorable for those seeking competitive forex trading commissions and fees, especially for high-volume trading, and offers greater flexibility in reducing costs as trading volumes rise. ActivTrades suits traders looking for straightforward account types and seeking Sharia-compliant options, although it may not appeal to those requiring active trader incentives or lower spreads typical of market leaders.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | 0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the range of investments offered, Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades present distinct options for traders. Interactive Brokers provides a comprehensive selection with 8,500 tradeable symbols, including 90 forex pairs. This platform allows users to trade spot forex, access U.S. exchange-traded securities like Apple shares, and purchase international stocks from markets such as the London Stock Exchange. Furthermore, Interactive Brokers supports actual cryptocurrency purchases alongside cryptocurrency derivatives, although it lacks a copy trading feature. With these diverse offerings, it proudly holds a top rating of five stars and ranks first among 62 brokers in the Range of Investments category by ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, ActivTrades specializes in offering 1,267 tradeable symbols, including 49 forex pairs, allowing investors to delve into spot forex trading. While it does not facilitate direct purchases of U.S. stocks, it provides access to international exchange-traded securities, such as Vodafone shares. For crypto enthusiasts, ActivTrades supports trading cryptocurrency derivatives but not actual cryptocurrencies. A notable feature is its support for copy trading, enabling users to replicate the strategies of successful traders. With a rating of four stars for its range of investments and a 31st place ranking from ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades caters to traders seeking a focused and curated investment experience.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 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) | Yes | 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.
Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both offer a variety of trading platforms and tools to cater to their clients’ needs. Each broker provides a proprietary trading platform developed in-house and supports a Windows-based desktop platform, as well as a web-based (browser) platform. Both brokers also offer simulated or paper trading accounts, allowing users to practice without financial risk. However, Interactive Brokers does not support copy trading, unlike ActivTrades, which does. Additionally, while Interactive Brokers does not offer MetaTrader 4 or 5, ActivTrades provides both. Neither broker offers access to DupliTrade or ZuluTrade for social trading enthusiasts.
In terms of charting, Interactive Brokers excels by offering 85 drawing tools and the ability to customize watch lists with 659 columns, significantly more than ActivTrades' 15 drawing tools and 11 watch list columns. Both brokers allow trading directly from charts, enhancing user engagement. For their platform capabilities, Interactive Brokers is rated higher with a 5-star rating, compared to ActivTrades' 4 stars, and ranks #3 out of 62 brokers for trading platforms and tools, while ActivTrades is placed at #29. This makes Interactive Brokers a top choice for those seeking comprehensive trading tools and features.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both offer comprehensive mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users, allowing access to stock and forex price alerts and watchlists with real-time quotes. While both brokers support trendline drawing and multiple time frame views on charts, Interactive Brokers stands out with 97 technical studies for charting compared to ActivTrades' 30. A key difference is that Interactive Brokers allows watchlist syncing across platforms, whereas ActivTrades does not. However, ActivTrades automatically saves chart drawings, a feature not available with Interactive Brokers.
When it comes to user ratings and industry rankings, Interactive Brokers earns a notable 5-star rating and ranks #4 out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com for its mobile trading apps. Meanwhile, ActivTrades holds a 4-star rating and is positioned at #19 on the same list. These distinctions highlight Interactive Brokers as a top choice for traders seeking advanced features and high user satisfaction, although ActivTrades offers solid options, especially for traders valuing automatic chart drawing saves.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both provide daily market commentary and forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, offering traders essential market insights. However, when comparing advanced tools, Interactive Brokers stands out by offering research and analysis tools from Trading Central and Acuity Trading, while ActivTrades does not. Both brokers have sentiment-based trading tools and economic calendars to keep traders informed, yet Interactive Brokers goes a step further with comprehensive resources from companies like TipRanks.
In terms of research capabilities, Interactive Brokers is rated five stars and is ranked third out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, underscoring its strong reputation in providing thorough market research tools. Meanwhile, ActivTrades earns a respectable four-star rating, holding the 30th position. While both platforms provide substantial market research offerings, Interactive Brokers consistently outperforms in delivering a wider array of tools and resources to support traders.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | 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 considering educational resources for beginners, both Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades provide several options to help new traders learn the ropes. Interactive Brokers offers a comprehensive selection of educational content, including over ten pieces focused on forex and CFDs, along with monthly online webinars. Their users enjoy access to a searchable archive of past webinars, making ongoing learning convenient. Additionally, they provide over ten beginner-oriented educational videos and an investor dictionary with definitions for more than 50 investing terms. In recognition of their offerings, Interactive Brokers receives a full 5-star rating for education, earning them a third-place rank in the education category among 62 brokers.
ActivTrades also supports beginner traders with a variety of educational resources aimed at helping them gain trading proficiency. They provide over ten forex and CFDs educational materials and host monthly educational webinars, which are also archived for reference. ActivTrades matches Interactive Brokers in offering more than ten beginner-focused educational trading videos but falls short in providing an investor dictionary with extensive investing term definitions. Consequently, they hold a 4-star educational rating, placing them in the 38th spot among 62 brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com. Both platforms cater well to beginners, but Interactive Brokers stands out with a slightly more extensive educational toolkit.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 Interactive Brokers is better than ActivTrades. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
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
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ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 |
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Interactive Brokers allows customers to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency and offers cryptocurrency derivatives, while ActivTrades only provides the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives and does not support buying actual delivered cryptocurrency.
Interactive Brokers supports ACH, SEPA transfers, and bank wires for account transactions, whereas ActivTrades offers Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but does not support ACH or SEPA transfers, and neither broker provides PayPal as a transaction option.
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 | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ActivTrades Review |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 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 (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) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 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) | Yes | 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 | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.59 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | 0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 | |
| 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 Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | 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 | Interactive Brokers | 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 | Interactive Brokers Review | ActivTrades Review |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ActivTrades Review |
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