Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XM Group vs ActivTrades, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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XM Group vs ActivTrades: XM Group launched in 2009, while ActivTrades began in 2001. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank. Using ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale—90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted—XM Group scores 93 (highly trusted) and ActivTrades scores 80 (trusted).
On regulation, XM Group holds 4 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted regulators) and 3 Tier-2 licenses (trusted regulators). ActivTrades holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license. In simple terms, XM Group carries a broader top-tier regulatory footprint, while ActivTrades remains well-regulated but with fewer high-tier licenses.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When comparing commissions and fees, ActivTrades comes out ahead of XM Group. XM Group earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #35 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees, with standard account spreads described as expensive and no published average spreads for its commission-based XM Zero account. That makes it harder for traders to judge the true trading cost upfront.
ActivTrades performs better in this category, with a 4 out of 5 star rating and a #22 ranking out of 36 brokers. Its spreads are slightly better than the industry average, though they are still not among the lowest-cost options in forex. ActivTrades also keeps spreads the same across its main account types, including Individual, Professional, and Islamic accounts, while margin requirements may differ by account type.
In simple terms, ActivTrades offers clearer and generally more competitive pricing than XM Group, especially for traders who care about spread costs. XM Group may still suit some traders, but from a commissions-and-fees point of view, ActivTrades is the stronger choice overall.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
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XM Group offers a wider range of investments than ActivTrades overall, making it the stronger choice for traders who want more market access. XM Group lists 1,429 tradeable symbols and 55 forex pairs, compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, offer copy trading, and let clients trade cryptocurrency CFDs rather than actual crypto.
XM Group also has an edge in share dealing, since it offers exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while ActivTrades only offers international exchange-traded securities and not U.S.-listed shares. In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments category, XM Group is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #19 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #26, reflecting XM Group’s broader investment selection.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1429 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
XM Group and ActivTrades both give traders a wide range of platform choices, including free demo accounts, Windows desktop software, web-based trading, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and copy trading. Each broker also lets users trade directly from charts, which can make order entry quicker and more convenient. For everyday traders, the two are closely matched on the basics, and both offer enough tools to support chart analysis and hands-on trading across different devices.
The main difference is that ActivTrades adds a proprietary platform built in-house, while XM Group does not. Even so, both brokers receive the same 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, with ActivTrades ranked slightly higher by ForexBrokers.com at #27 out of 36 brokers, compared with XM Group at #28. If you want a broker with its own platform alongside the familiar MetaTrader options, ActivTrades has the edge; if you are happy using third-party platforms, XM Group offers a very similar experience.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XM Group and ActivTrades both make it easy to trade from a phone or tablet, with iPhone and Android apps available on each platform. Both apps also offer price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, and the ability to draw trendlines on stock or forex charts. Each broker earns a 4-star rating for mobile trading apps, so in basic app features, they are closely matched.
The main difference is in watchlist syncing and chart drawing storage. XM Group lets watchlists sync with the online account, so changes made on mobile or desktop stay updated across both, while ActivTrades does not offer this feature. On the other hand, ActivTrades auto-saves chart drawings in the mobile app, while XM Group does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps ranking, ActivTrades places higher at #21 out of 36 brokers, compared with XM Group at #26.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
XM Group and ActivTrades both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, a sentiment tool showing long and short positions, and an economic calendar for upcoming global events. Neither broker includes research from Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading, so their research offering is fairly similar on those points.
The main difference is that XM Group adds Trading Central tools such as Technical Analytics, while ActivTrades does not. This extra layer of analysis helps XM Group stand out, which may explain why it is rated 5 stars for Research and ranked #8 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades at 4 stars and #27.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing XM Group and ActivTrades for beginner-friendly education, both brokers give new traders a lot to work with. Each offers forex and CFD learning content, regular online educational webinars, and at least 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos, so learners at different skill levels can find useful material. That said, XM Group stands out with a 5-star Education rating and a #5 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks #30.
For beginners, the key difference is not whether the two brokers provide education, since both do, but how strong that offering appears overall. XM Group seems to have the edge in depth and quality of learning resources, making it the better fit for traders who want more guidance and a wider range of educational support. ActivTrades still covers the basics well, but XM Group is the clearer leader for education.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that XM Group is better than ActivTrades. XM Group finished with an overall rank of #16, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
XM Group is a MetaTrader-only broker that offers a strong selection of high-quality educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XM Group
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ActivTrades
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| Trust Score | 93 | 80 |
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XM Group vs ActivTrades: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both provide access to cryptocurrency CFDs.
Online brokers XM Group and ActivTrades both do not support ACH or SEPA transfers or PayPal, but they do offer Skrill and bank wire deposits and withdrawals; availability of Visa or Mastercard is not specified.
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 | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1429 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | XM Group Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | XM Group | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | ActivTrades Review |
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