ActivTrades is a UK-based broker offering forex and CFD trading plus spread betting on MT4, MT5, and its ActivTrader platform. Our ActivTrades review covers the login process, margin requirements, bonuses, and more. Find out if ActivTrades is the right broker for you.
ActivTrades Details
It was founded in 2001 in Switzerland and established its London headquarters in 2005. The broker has a strong client base in Europe across Italy, Germany, France, and Portugal as well as overseas markets, such as Australia.
The number of employees at the company is now close to 700 with company offices in Sofia, Bulgaria, Milan, Italy, plus Luxembourg, and the Bahamas. It also has recently opened a desk in Dubai.
ActivTrades Corp is a subsidiary of ActivTrades PLC, authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Trading Platforms
ActivTrader
It is a user-friendly platform that combines advanced features with industry-leading technology, perfect for beginning your trading career.
Features include:
- Market sentiment indicators
- Hedging and scalping strategies
- Instant and pending order types
- 14 chart types and drawing tools to help with pattern recognition
- Progressive trailing stop functionality to protect revenue and profit
The trading platform is compatible with major web browsers, excluding Internet Explorer.
Additional advanced tools designed to enhance the trading experience include:
- Smart Order 2 application developed by ActivTrades to increase trading speed and improve integration between the platform and application. Compatible with MT4 and MT5
- SmartLines sets pre-defined trendlines and when the price of the chosen instrument crosses the trendline, an order is placed
- SmartTemplate indicates long and short opportunities based on chart signals relative to trend strength
- SmartCalculator improves risk management by simulating different trade scenarios
MetaTrader 4
ActivTrades offers MT4, a globally recognized platform, particularly for forex trading. Highlights of MT4 include:
- Automated trading through APIs
- Extensive historical data
- Advanced stop out levels
- Advanced frame view
- One-click trading
You can download MT4 to desktop devices or trade through major web browsers.
MetaTrader 5
ActivTrades also offer the MT5 platform, suited to the more experienced trader. In addition to trading on forex, indices, and shares, MT5 provides access to over 500 CFDs and ETFs.
Key benefits of the MT5 solution include:
- Historical data and strategy tester
- Price alerts and trailing stops
- Integrated trading statements
- Economic news headlines
- One-click trading
- 21-time frames
You can download MT5 to your desktop, use the WebTrader, or trade from your mobile.
ActivTrades Markets
Tradable assets at the broker include:
- 50+ forex pairs
- 500+ company shares, including stocks in the UK, US, German and Japanese markets
- 35+ large indices such as Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Euronext, UK100, and Ger30
- 15+ commodity CFDs including gold, silver, energies, and grains
A variety of ETFs and spread betting is also available in the UK. Bonds, binary options, and cryptocurrencies are not available.
ActivTrades offers more company shares than the likes of Pepperstone and XTB. However other brokers, including eToro and Admiral Markets, offer a broader range of CFDs, plus cryptocurrency and Bitcoin trading.
Spreads & Fees
The broker offers competitive forex spreads as low as 0.5 pips on EURUSD and USDJPY and 0.8 pips on GBPUSD. The broker charges no commission on forex trades. On CFDs and indices, financial spreads are as low as 0.5 pips. Shares are available from a $1 commission per side and for UK-based clients, there is no commission with spread betting.
The broker charges swap rates for positions held overnight, further details of which can be found on the company website.
Leverage
Leverage rates are capped at 1:30 in line with ESMA regulations:
- Forex – 1:30 maximum leverage
- Financials – 1:5 maximum leverage
- Commodities – 1.10 maximum leverage
- Indices & shares – 1:20 maximum leverage
Mobile Apps
The ActivTrades (download it here), MT4, and MT5 platforms are all available for mobile trading. The applications allow for complete account management and price analysis from your mobile or tablet device. In addition, payments, bonuses, and customer support are all available.
Head to the Mobile Trading section of the broker’s website for instructions on how to trade from your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.
Payments
Deposits
The minimum deposit at ActivTrades is $500. Several payment methods are available offering prompt processing:
- Skrill – 30 minutes
- Neteller – 30 minutes
- Bank transfer – Same working day
- Credit/debit card (prepaid Mastercard) – 30 minutes (1.5% fee)
- Sofort– 30 minutes (only available for clients of ActivTrades PLC)
- PayPal – 30 minutes (only available for clients of ActivTrades PLC)
Withdrawals
Select ‘Request a withdrawal’ from the client area to retrieve profits and revenue via the following options:
- Credit/debit card – same day if requested by 12.30 GMT
- Bank transfer – same day if requested by 12.30 GMT
- Neteller – same day if requested by 12.30 GMT
- PayPal – same day if requested by 12.30 GMT
- Sofort– same day if requested by 12.30 GMT
- Skrill – same day if requested by 12.30 GMT
All withdrawals are free unless transferring to Citibank or Moneycorp which incur a £9 charge.
For withdrawal problems, the customer support email address or live chat is the best forum to discuss any issues.
Demo Account
ActivTrades offers a demo account where users can test their skills with £10,000 in virtual funds. All three platforms are available in the demo account. However, with the MT5 demo ActivTrades account, market data on CFD shares are shown with a 15-minute delay.
Bonuses
You can earn cashback on every trade you place once you reach the $10m notional value traded. While a good promotion, the trading volume requirements in the promotional terms and conditions are high. The cashback offer is available until the end of 2020. The broker does not offer any deposit bonuses.
Is ActivTrades Regulated
ActivTrades Corp is regulated by The Securities Commission of the Bahamas and is a subsidiary of ActivTrades PLC which is regulated and authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA is a respectable regulatory body and means the broker receives a good trust rating in our review.
Note, that clients from the USA are not accepted.
Additional Features
ActivTrades offer extensive training and education courses via webinars. Free training is available at all levels from fundamental principles to advanced trading theories. The broker also offers one-to-one training with industry experts on how best to use the ActivTrades platforms and trading tools.
The company also offers bridging loans and alternative investment options. Speak to the customer support team for more information.
Account Types offered by ActivTrades
ActivTrades offers several trading account options:
- Individual
- Professional (for those eligible under ESMA regulations)
- Islamic (swap-free trading)
Both individual and professional accounts share similar features such as negative balance protection, FSCS protection, segregated accounts, and best execution, however, the individual account includes features such as rewards, risk alerts, and leverage warnings. The standard individual account also allows for trading in mini and micro-lots.
Required compliance documents to open an account include passports, utility bills, and bank statements.
Benefits
If you take ActivTrades vs IC Markets, NinjaTrader, ZuluTrade, or TradingView, the broker scores well for its:
- ActivTrades Smart Order 2 to increase trading efficiency
- Choice of trading platforms, including MT4 & MT5
- Negative balance protection
- 24/5 customer support
- Generous margins
- Free webinars
- VPS
Drawbacks
Downsides of trading with ActivTrades include:
- €10 monthly inactivity fee after a year of no trading
- Not available to residents in the USA and Canada
- No cryptocurrency trading
Trading Hours
ActivTrades follows standard market hours. Times vary slightly depending on the instrument but typically are open Monday to Friday. Server times on the platform may vary depending on your location.
ActivTrades runs a reduced schedule on bank holidays in line with global financial markets. More information regarding specific changes is available on the broker’s website.
Customer Support
ActivTrades offer customer support in 14 languages, 24/5. A live chat channel, a free call-back hotline, plus email support are available from the respective logos and icons on the right-hand side of the webpage. Users can also head to the FAQ section for answers to common issues. The live chat function is particularly useful with efficient and informative agents to cover most queries.
ActivTrades have a 95% customer satisfaction rating for their support service.
Security
ActivTrades Corp has fund protection insurance of up to $1 million. The broker also uses secure encryption protocols to protect platforms, servers, and payments. The MetaTrader platforms also offer strong user security with additional authentication options at login.
ActivTrades Verdict
They offer a broad range of accounts and tools where users can trade forex, indices, commodities, and shares. Access to the globally recognized MT4 and MT5 platforms, as well as the broker’s ActivTrader solution, means traders of all abilities are catered for.
Accepted Countries
ActivTrades accepts traders from Australia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Qatar, and most other countries. But traders from the United States, Canada, and Somalia are not accepted
FAQ
Is ActivTrades PLC regulated?
Yeah, It is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This indicates that the broker is trustworthy.
What trading platforms does ActivTrades use?
It offers well-known industry platforms MetaTrader 4 and 5, plus its ActivTrader terminal.
Is ActivTrades available on mobile?
Yes, all trading platforms are compatible with iOS and Android devices. The ActivTrades, MT4, and MT5 mobile apps can be downloaded from the respective app stores.
Does ActivTrades offer a demo account?
It offers a demo account on all three of its platforms. Demo accounts offer $10,000 in virtual funds for traders to test their ability in the financial markets.
What’s the process for withdrawing money from ActivTrades?
Withdrawals can be made through bank transfers, Neteller, Skrill, and PayPal. All withdrawals are free except via Citibank or Moneycorp which incur a £9 fee.
Is ActivTrades an ECN broker or a market maker?
ActivTrades acts as a market maker, following a non-dealing desk model as opposed to using an ECN model.
Editorial Staff at Chweya is a team of financial experts led by Vincent Nyagaka, with over 9 years of experience in finance, commerce, forex, crypto, and marketing. Started in 2014, Chweya is now among the largest free financial resource sites in the industry and is often referred to as Wikipedia for business.
