Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs Markets4you, 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 and Markets4you are both reputable names in the online brokerage industry, each established to provide a wide range of services for traders. ActivTrades, founded in 2001, has built its presence with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 81, categorizing it as a trusted broker. The company is a private entity, not listed on any stock exchange, and does not operate as a bank. ActivTrades stands out with its regulatory protection, boasting two Tier-1 licenses, considered the most trusted by ForexBrokers.com, as well as one Tier-2 license.
In contrast, Markets4you began its operations in 2007 and has garnered a Trust Score of 61, placing it in the high-risk category. Like ActivTrades, Markets4you is not publicly traded and is not a bank. However, it does not hold any Tier-1 or Tier-2 licenses, highlighting a notable difference in regulatory standing. While both brokers serve traders with diverse offerings, ActivTrades' higher trust score and regulatory licenses underscore its stronger position in terms of safety and reliability.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When comparing online brokers ActivTrades and Markets4you on commissions and fees, ActivTrades stands out with slightly better than average spreads, though not quite on par with the top low-cost forex brokers. ActivTrades offers various account types, including Individual, Professional, and Islamic Accounts, but lacks a specific account for high-volume traders or active trader pricing. The spreads generally remain the same across these account types. The EUR/USD average spread at ActivTrades was 0.98 pips in May 2024. Markets4you, on the other hand, does not provide average spread data, making it less transparent in this aspect.
ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars for its commissions and fees, while Markets4you receives a 3.5-star rating. In a comprehensive ranking by ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades is placed at #27 out of 62 brokers, reflecting its competitive pricing, although there might be room for improvement compared to the industry's best. Markets4you ranks at #53, indicating a less favorable fee structure, which might not fully cater to traders looking for cost-effective trading.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | 0 | $0 |
| 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 | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
ActivTrades and Markets4you both offer investors the ability to trade forex as either CFDs or spot contracts, catering to those interested in currency trading. For those seeking variety, ActivTrades provides access to 1267 tradeable symbols, significantly surpassing the 150 symbols available through Markets4you. Both platforms feature a solid selection of forex pairs, with ActivTrades offering 49 pairs compared to Markets4you’s 43. However, neither platform allows the purchase of exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges. While ActivTrades allows trading on international exchanges, giving access to stocks like Vodafone on the London Stock Exchange, Markets4you does not offer this feature. Both brokers provide opportunities for cryptocurrency derivatives trading, but not for purchasing actual cryptocurrencies or its non-CFD equivalents.
In terms of added services, both ActivTrades and Markets4you include copy trading options, appealing to traders interested in mirroring the strategies of successful investors. Despite these similarities, ActivTrades receives a higher rating, earning 4 stars for its range of investments, compared to Markets4you’s 3.5 stars. This distinction is also reflected in their rankings on ForexBrokers.com, where ActivTrades stands at #31, while Markets4you is positioned at #58 among 62 brokers. For those prioritizing a broader range of investment options, ActivTrades presents a more appealing choice.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 150 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 43 |
| 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 the trading platforms and tools of ActivTrades and Markets4you, both brokers check several similar boxes, making them attractive options for traders. They each offer a free virtual demo account for testing strategies in a risk-free environment and have developed proprietary platforms tailored to their user's needs. For those preferring versatility in their trading experience, both brokers support Windows-based desktop platforms and web-based trading solutions, and they include popular choices like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Copy trading is available through both brokers, allowing users to mirror the trades of experienced investors. However, options like DupliTrade and ZuluTrade are missing from the lineup for both companies.
In terms of charting capabilities, both ActivTrades and Markets4you provide 15 drawing tools, and users can conduct trades directly from stock charts, enhancing their trading efficiency. A key distinction, however, lies in their watchlist functionality; ActivTrades edges out with 11 columns for watch lists, compared to Markets4you's 7 columns. ActivTrades receives a trading platform and tools rating of 4 stars and ranks 29th out of 62 brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com, while Markets4you shares the same star rating but ranks lower at 52nd. This suggests a closer examination of individual needs might sway one’s preference towards a specific broker.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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 comparing the mobile trading apps of ActivTrades and Markets4you, both brokers cater to iPhone and Android users, offering convenient access to trading on the go. These apps provide essential features, such as stock and forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines on charts, and viewing multiple time frames, including daily, weekly, and intraday options. Users can also create watchlists with real-time quotes. However, neither app offers watchlist symbol syncing between the mobile app and their online accounts, which means any changes made on one platform need to be manually updated on the other.
Both ActivTrades and Markets4you provide 30 technical studies for charting within their mobile apps, ensuring a comprehensive trading experience. Notably, ActivTrades and Markets4you apps auto-save any drawings made on stock or forex charts, which adds to the ease of use. Based on reviews, both brokers have been rated 4 out of 5 stars for their mobile trading apps. However, ActivTrades stands out with a ranking of #19 out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, while Markets4you is ranked at #50, indicating a stronger performance by ActivTrades in terms of mobile trading app offerings.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| 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.
Both ActivTrades and Markets4you provide daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters, helping traders stay informed about the latest market developments. Although neither broker offers market research from TipRanks or research tools from Acuity Trading, such as Signal Centre, both brokers include an economic calendar that showcases current and upcoming global news events. ActivTrades, however, stands out with its sentiment-based trading tool, which provides insights into the ratio of long and short positions across various currency pairs—something Markets4you does not offer.
While ActivTrades does not utilize technical analysis or fundamental research tools from companies like Autochartist or Trading Central, these features are available with Markets4you, giving traders additional options for technical insights. When it comes to overall research ratings, ActivTrades receives a commendable 4-star rating and ranks 30th among 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, Markets4you holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks 47th, indicating that traders may find a slightly more comprehensive research experience with ActivTrades.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| 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 for beginners between online brokers ActivTrades and Markets4you, there are some distinct differences to note. ActivTrades stands out with a well-rounded offering that includes more than 10 educational pieces focusing on forex and CFDs, regular client webinars occurring at least once a month, and a searchable archive of past webinars. In terms of video content, ActivTrades impresses with more than 10 instructional videos aimed at both beginners and experienced traders. However, it falls short in providing a comprehensive investor dictionary. Despite this gap, ActivTrades earns a solid 4-star rating for education.
On the other hand, Markets4you also provides beginners with at least 10 educational pieces related to forex and CFDs and offers a searchable archive of past webinars. However, it lacks the regular webinars held for clients each month and falls behind on video content, offering less than 10 beginner and advanced videos. Similar to ActivTrades, Markets4you does not offer an investor dictionary. Consequently, Markets4you receives a slightly lower rating of 3.5 stars for its educational offerings. Interestingly, while ActivTrades is ranked 38th out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for education, Markets4you is ranked higher at 25th. This ranking highlights a nuanced difference that may influence one's choice based on personalized needs and priorities.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 Markets4you. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while Markets4you finished with an overall rank of #55.
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
|
Markets4you
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 61 |
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Both ActivTrades and Markets4you provide the functionality to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither offers the option to purchase actual, delivered cryptocurrency.
Both ActivTrades and Markets4you provide similar funding options, allowing clients to use Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals, but neither supports ACH, SEPA transfers, 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.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | ActivTrades | Markets4you | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 61 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 61 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 150 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 43 | |
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | 0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | Markets4you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | No | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | No | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | No | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | No | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | No | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | No | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | No | |
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | Markets4you | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 61 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
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