Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ThinkMarkets 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.
When comparing the online brokers ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades, both firms show impressive regulatory credentials, yet some differences stand out. ThinkMarkets, established in 2010, has a higher Trust Score of 92 according to ForexBrokers.com, categorizing it as highly trusted. This company holds 5 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, reflecting strong global regulatory recognition. In contrast, ActivTrades, founded in 2001, holds a Trust Score of 81, marking it as trusted by industry standards. This broker has secured 2 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, which also demonstrate a firm regulatory standing, albeit less extensive than ThinkMarkets.
Both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades are not publicly traded and do not operate as banks, maintaining a similar business model in providing online trading services. Their regulatory profiles indicate both brokers have built a foundation of trust within the financial sector, yet ThinkMarkets edges ahead with additional licensing and a higher trust rating, offering traders an attractive layer of security and confidence to consider when choosing a broker.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
Both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades offer competitive services with reasonable fees, but there are notable differences between them in structure and offerings. ThinkMarkets delivers a straightforward commission and fees experience, reflected in its 4-star rating for this category. However, detailed spread data is unavailable, leaving potential investors curious about the cost implications during high-traffic trading periods. Ranked #48 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for Commissions and Fees, ThinkMarkets provides a reliable, albeit less detailed, expense overview for traders.
On the other hand, ActivTrades offers a range of account options, including an Individual Account, Professional Account, and an Islamic Account suited to meet Sharia compliance. While it does not cater specifically to high-volume traders or offer active trader pricing, its spreads are generally slightly above industry average, providing better value even though they fall short compared to best low-cost forex brokers. The absence of variable spreads across account types signifies simplicity in fee structures, and the average spread for the EUR/USD pair was noted at 0.98 pips. ActivTrades boasts a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, landing at a respectable #27 in the same category by ForexBrokers.com.
In essence, both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades provide traders with solid fee structures, each uniquely tailored to their offerings. While ThinkMarkets engages potential investors with uncomplicated, yet less transparent fee data, ActivTrades presents more nuanced options that might appeal to traders seeking cost-effectiveness within a clear and consistent fee framework.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | 0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | 0.98 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | 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.
When comparing the investment offerings of ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades, both platforms provide forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts. ThinkMarkets impresses with a substantial 4,000 tradeable symbols, including 46 forex pairs, while ActivTrades offers 1,267 symbols with a slightly higher count of 49 forex pairs. Neither broker enables the purchase of exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, such as Apple shares, but both do allow buying on international exchanges, like Vodafone shares. Additionally, both platforms support copy trading and offer cryptocurrency derivatives, although not the actual cryptocurrencies themselves.
ThinkMarkets receives a 4.5-star rating for its range of investments, positioning it as a strong choice, while ActivTrades holds a 4-star rating in the same category. In rankings by ForexBrokers.com, ThinkMarkets secures the 21st spot out of 62 brokers for range of investments, whereas ActivTrades is ranked 31st. This highlights ThinkMarkets as a slightly more attractive option for those seeking comprehensive investment opportunities.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 49 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 it comes to trading platforms and tools, both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades present a range of offerings that cater to traders at various skill levels. They both provide simulated or demo accounts, allowing traders to practice without any financial risk. Additionally, both brokers boast proprietary platforms developed in-house, alongside offering popular third-party platforms like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. For those interested in copy trading, both brokers support this feature. However, neither offer DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. Traders can access their accounts via Windows-based desktop platforms or through web-based versions, adding flexibility to their trading experience.
Charting tools are a significant consideration for traders, and both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades offer 15 drawing tools each, making chart analysis efficient. While ThinkMarkets provides slightly more watch list customization with a choice of 15 columns compared to ActivTrades' 11, both brokers allow trading directly from stock charts. Overall, ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades are rated equally at 4 stars for their trading platforms and tools, but ThinkMarkets edges slightly ahead in ranking at 27th compared to ActivTrades at 29th, out of 62 brokers evaluated by ForexBrokers.com. Each of these brokers offers a comprehensive suite of tools that can meet the needs of both novice and seasoned traders.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 15 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades provide excellent mobile trading apps available on iPhone and Android devices, ensuring their users can stay connected and manage their trades on the go. These apps alert users to changes in stock or forex prices, making it easy to keep track of market movements. While both platforms allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes, neither offers syncing of these lists between the mobile app and the online account, necessitating manual updates on both platforms.
When it comes to charting tools, ThinkMarkets offers a comprehensive range of 94 technical studies, providing a diverse set of insights for traders, compared to the 30 offered by ActivTrades. Both platforms support the drawing of trendlines and viewing of multiple time frames, with the added bonus of auto-saving drawings which helps in maintaining consistent analysis. Rated four stars for their mobile trading apps, ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades offer comparable experiences, although ActivTrades gets a slight edge with a placement of 19th compared to ThinkMarkets' 20th in the rankings by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 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 ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades deliver daily market commentary and provide forex news sourced from top-tier outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. For traders interested in sentiment analysis, both brokers offer tools that show the ratio of long and short positions across currency pairs and other instruments. However, there are differences in the suite of research tools available: ThinkMarkets stands out by offering research tools from Acuity Trading, like Signal Centre, while ActivTrades does not include this feature.
Neither ThinkMarkets nor ActivTrades offers technical analysis or fundamental research tools from Autochartist and Trading Central or market research from TipRanks. Both brokers provide an economic calendar that highlights important global news events. In terms of ratings, ThinkMarkets earns 3.5 stars with a research ranking of #50 out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, whereas ActivTrades garners 4 stars and ranks #30 in the same category. This comparison indicates a slight edge for ActivTrades in overall research offerings and industry ranking.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades provide a solid foundation for those diving into forex and CFDs trading. Each platform offers more than ten educational materials, including articles, videos, and archived webinars to help users grasp essential trading concepts. Additionally, both brokers host monthly online educational webinars and also provide a searchable archive of these sessions, making it convenient for learners to revisit past events. For beginners seeking visual learning, both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades have an extensive collection of more than ten educational videos tailored specifically to newcomers in the trading world.
For traders looking to deepen their understanding, advanced educational videos are also available with over ten topics covered by both brokers. However, ThinkMarkets stands out by offering an investor dictionary with over 50 investing term definitions, a feature that ActivTrades currently lacks. In terms of educational quality, ActivTrades scores slightly higher with a 4-star rating compared to ThinkMarkets’ 3.5 stars. When ranked among 62 brokers for education, ActivTrades is positioned at #38, showing a stronger standing compared to ThinkMarkets' ranking at #52. Overall, both brokers provide valuable resources, but ActivTrades offers a slight edge in terms of educational offerings and rankings.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
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 ThinkMarkets is better than ActivTrades. ThinkMarkets finished with an overall rank of #27, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #33.
ThinkMarkets has multiple regulatory license and offers a proprietary trading platform, as well as the entire MetaTrader suite. The broker has made progress in key areas, such as research and education, and the range of markets available, although trails behind the best brokers in these categories.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 81 |
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Both ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades do not offer actual (delivered) cryptocurrency purchases but provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
ThinkMarkets and ActivTrades both provide options for depositing and withdrawing funds via Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but neither supports ACH, SEPA, or PayPal transactions.
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 | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
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| Regulation | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | 0.98 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | 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 | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 15 | 11 | |
| 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 | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 94 | 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 | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ThinkMarkets | 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 | ThinkMarkets | 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 | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | ThinkMarkets | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review |
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