Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs Spreadex, 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.
Choosing the right online broker can be a complex task, especially when comparing companies like ActivTrades and Spreadex. Founded in 2001, ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 licenses and boasts a Trust Score of 81 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, categorizing it as a trusted broker. Meanwhile, Spreadex, established in 1999, holds one Tier-1 license and has a Trust Score of 71, marking it as posing average risk. These scores reflect their financial soundness and regulatory compliance, crucial factors for those venturing into online trading.
Neither ActivTrades nor Spreadex are publicly traded nor operate as banks, which investors should take into account when evaluating them for trading purposes. Additionally, ActivTrades offers a Tier-2 license for further reassurance, while Spreadex does not hold any Tier-2 licenses. Overall, ActivTrades emerges as a reliable option with slightly stronger regulatory backing than Spreadex, offering peace of mind for those prioritizing security and trustworthiness in their trading journey.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
When comparing ActivTrades to Spreadex in terms of commissions and fees, both brokers offer competitive pricing, but with slight distinctions. ActivTrades features spreads that are marginally better than industry averages, standing out with a EUR/USD average spread of 0.98 pips reported for May 2024. Spreadex, on the other hand, delivered a slightly better average spread of 0.81 pips for the EUR/USD in January 2024, with the minimum spread of 0.6 pips frequently available 60% of the time.
ActivTrades focuses its services around its Individual Account, maintaining consistent spreads across its Professional and Islamic Accounts as well. While the Professional Account offers reduced margin requirements, traders should note there isn’t a specific account designed for high-volume trading or active trades, with pricing based on the assets traded. Spreadex holds its own by offering similarly competitive spreads, potentially giving it an edge for traders looking for tighter EUR/USD spreads.
Both brokers have earned commendable ratings, each receiving 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. Additionally, according to ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades is ranked #28, while Spreadex edges ahead slightly at #27 out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category. This subtle difference reflects both brokers' dedication to providing traders with favorable fee structures, making them worthy contenders for traders valuing competitive costs.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | 0 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | 0.81 |
| 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 | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing ActivTrades and Spreadex, both platforms offer forex trading either as CFDs or spot contracts, providing flexibility for traders interested in currency pairs. ActivTrades presents a selection of 1267 tradeable symbols, whereas Spreadex boasts a much larger range with 10,000 symbols. In terms of forex pairs, ActivTrades offers 49 options while Spreadex slightly edges ahead with 52, giving forex enthusiasts a slightly wider choice. Although neither platform provides exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, ActivTrades users can access international stocks like Vodafone, an option not available with Spreadex. This could make ActivTrades appealing to those focused on trading international equities.
Both brokers allow trading in cryptocurrency derivatives but do not offer actual cryptocurrency purchases. However, ActivTrades stands out with its copy trading feature, something Spreadex lacks. Spreadex receives a higher rating for their range of investments, earning a five-star rating versus ActivTrades' four-star ranking. Additionally, Spreadex is ranked higher by ForexBrokers.com at #13 out of 62 brokers, while ActivTrades is positioned at #31. These rankings indicate Spreadex's broader investment range, making it a strong contender for those seeking diverse trading options.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 10000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 52 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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.
ActivTrades and Spreadex both offer simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, enabling users to practice their strategies risk-free. While each broker provides a proprietary platform developed in-house, their offerings diverge when it comes to downloadable software. ActivTrades supports a Windows-based desktop download platform, whereas Spreadex does not. Both brokers offer web-based platforms that can be accessed via any browser, catering to traders who prefer not to download software.
ActivTrades stands out with its robust range of tools, including access to MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which are absent from Spreadex's lineup. ActivTrades also supports copy trading, allowing traders to mimic the strategies of successful peers, a feature not available on Spreadex. While both platforms offer the ability to trade directly from stock charts, ActivTrades provides 15 drawing tools for analysis compared to Spreadex's 11. ActivTrades further enhances its offerings with 11 columns available for watch lists, allowing for more personalized tracking compared to Spreadex's 8. Both brokers have earned a commendable four-star rating for their trading platforms and tools, with ActivTrades ranked 30th and Spreadex 46th by ForexBrokers.com out of 62 evaluated brokers.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 58 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 11 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 8 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both ActivTrades and Spreadex offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, allowing you to trade on the go with ease. While both platforms provide stock and forex price alerts and enable users to draw trendlines and view different time frames on charts, they differ in several aspects. ActivTrades takes the lead with features like 30 technical studies available for charting and the ability to auto-save drawings. In contrast, Spreadex does not provide information on its number of technical studies and lacks the feature to auto-save your chart annotations. Both brokers allow the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes, but neither offers syncing between mobile app watchlists and online accounts.
When comparing ratings, both platforms earn a commendable four out of five stars for their mobile trading apps. However, ActivTrades holds an edge in rankings, securing the #19 spot out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, while Spreadex falls to #46. Whether you prioritize advanced technical charting features from ActivTrades or find Spreadex’s functionalities sufficient for your needs, both brokers offer competitive options for mobile trading enthusiasts.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When diving into the realm of market research, both ActivTrades and Spreadex offer commendable options for traders. Each platform provides daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders stay informed on crucial global developments. While both lack tools from Trading Central and market research from TipRanks or Acuity Trading, they make up for it by offering sentiment-based trading tools that reveal the market's long or short positioning across various instruments. Additionally, both brokers equip traders with economic calendars to track significant global events.
However, when differentiating their offerings, it’s noteworthy that Spreadex integrates Autochartist tools for technical and fundamental analysis, a feature ActivTrades does not provide. Despite these differences, both brokers share a solid research rating of four stars out of five. According to ForexBrokers.com, ActivTrades ranks slightly higher for research, holding the 30th spot out of 62 brokers, just ahead of Spreadex at 31st. This close ranking reflects their competitive offerings within the financial market research space.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, ActivTrades and Spreadex both offer a solid selection of materials. Both brokers provide a minimum of 10 educational pieces focused on forex or CFDs, ensuring newcomers have access to essential learning tools. ActivTrades takes a step further by offering online client webinars every month, along with a searchable archive of past sessions for convenient access. While Spreadex lacks these webinar features, it offers an investor dictionary featuring over 50 investing terms, which can be very useful for beginners building their financial vocabulary.
In terms of video content, both brokers furnish at least 10 beginner-focused educational videos. However, ActivTrades distinguishes itself by also providing over 10 advanced educational videos tailored to experienced traders, whereas Spreadex does not. Despite their differences, both brokers achieve a 4-star rating for education. Nevertheless, ActivTrades holds a higher rank at #38 compared to Spreadex at #45, according to ForexBrokers.com. This indicates that while both brokers cater well to beginners, ActivTrades offers a broader range of advanced educational opportunities.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
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 Spreadex. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33, while Spreadex finished with an overall rank of #39.
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
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Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 |
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Both ActivTrades and Spreadex allow users to trade in cryptocurrency derivatives but do not offer the option to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies.
When comparing the online brokers ActivTrades and Spreadex, neither offers ACH or SEPA transfers nor PayPal for account transactions, but ActivTrades supports Skrill deposits and withdrawals, which Spreadex does not, while both brokers allow Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire options for managing account funds.
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 | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Spreadex Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| 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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 10000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 52 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.98 | 0.81 | |
| 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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | 0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 8 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 58 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 11 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ActivTrades Review | Spreadex Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 81 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Spreadex Review |
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