Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers 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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Interactive Brokers vs. ActivTrades: Interactive Brokers, founded in 1977, is publicly traded and not a bank. ActivTrades, founded in 2001, is privately held and also not a bank. In terms of regulation, ForexBrokers.com reports that Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, while ActivTrades holds 2 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2. More Tier-1 licenses generally indicate tighter oversight in major financial hubs.
Looking at safety metrics, ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score rates Interactive Brokers at 99 out of 99 (highly trusted: 90-99) and ActivTrades at 80 (trusted: 80-89). Put simply, Interactive Brokers offers broader top-tier regulation and the transparency of a listed company, while ActivTrades still earns a trusted rating under multiple regulators.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead of ActivTrades for cost-conscious forex traders. Interactive Brokers charges a commission instead of building costs into wider spreads, and its EUR/USD pricing came in at an effective all-in spread of about 0.59 pips after commission in Q3 2024. It also offers volume-based discounts for very active traders, though its $2 minimum per side means small trades can feel more expensive. Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #2 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
ActivTrades has pricing that is slightly better than the average broker, but it does not match the lowest-cost options in the market. For EUR/USD, ActivTrades reported an average spread of 0.98 pips in May 2024, and it does not offer special pricing for high-volume traders. This makes it a simpler choice, but generally pricier than Interactive Brokers for forex trading. ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranked #22 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
In short, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick for traders focused on lower forex trading costs, especially if they trade often or in larger sizes. ActivTrades may still appeal to traders who want a straightforward account setup and decent spreads, but for commissions and fees alone, Interactive Brokers offers the better overall value.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.226 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.226 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
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When it comes to range of investments, Interactive Brokers offers a wider choice than ActivTrades. Interactive Brokers gives traders access to about 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, while ActivTrades offers around 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading, and both let clients trade exchange-traded securities on international markets. However, only Interactive Brokers also offers exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, such as Apple shares.
There are also important differences in extra product access. Interactive Brokers allows clients to buy actual cryptocurrency, while ActivTrades does not. On the other hand, ActivTrades offers copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, which Interactive Brokers does not. Overall, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars for range of investments and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks #26, making Interactive Brokers the stronger choice for investors who want more market options.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | No | 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.
Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both give traders a strong set of platform choices, including paper trading, in-house platforms, desktop software for Windows, and web-based trading. Each also lets users place trades directly from a chart, which can make it easier to act on price moves without switching screens. For trading tools, both brokers provide charting and watch lists, though the exact number of indicators and watch list fields is not specified here.
The biggest difference is in extra features and overall platform ratings. ActivTrades supports copy trading and offers both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, while Interactive Brokers does not. Still, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead overall, earning 5 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranking #2 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades’ 4-star rating and #27 ranking.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Where Interactive Brokers pulls ahead is in app depth and convenience. Its mobile app includes watchlist symbol syncing, so changes you make on your phone carry over to your online account and vice versa. It also offers 155 technical studies for charting, compared with 30 at ActivTrades. Based on ForexBrokers.com ratings, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades holds 4 stars and ranks #21.
ActivTrades still covers the basics well and stands out in one useful area: drawings on charts auto save in its mobile app, while Interactive Brokers does not offer that feature. That said, for traders who want a more feature-rich mobile experience, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice overall thanks to its larger set of chart tools and watchlist syncing. ActivTrades may suit traders who prefer a simpler app and value automatic saving of chart drawings.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both give traders access to useful market research features, including daily market commentary, top-tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar with key global events. Neither broker offers Autochartist, so traders looking for that specific third-party tool will not find it at either provider.
Where Interactive Brokers pulls ahead is in the depth of its research lineup. It includes Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre, while ActivTrades does not offer these extras. This broader set of resources helps explain why Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars for Research and ranked #3 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with ActivTrades at 4 stars and #27.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for trading education, Interactive Brokers and ActivTrades both offer a wide range of learning tools. Each broker provides forex and CFDs education with at least 10 related learning materials, plus monthly educational webinars, and both also have at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos. That means new traders can find help on basic topics as well as more detailed strategies with either platform.
Even so, Interactive Brokers stands out more clearly for education overall. It is rated 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30. For learners who want the strongest mix of educational content and overall learning support, Interactive Brokers appears to be the better choice, though ActivTrades still gives beginners a solid set of useful resources.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 Interactive Brokers is better than ActivTrades. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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ActivTrades
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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Interactive Brokers vs ActivTrades: Interactive Brokers supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but does not offer cryptocurrency CFDs, while ActivTrades offers cryptocurrency CFDs but does not allow buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency.
Interactive Brokers vs ActivTrades: Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA transfers and bank wire deposits/withdrawals but not PayPal or Skrill, while ActivTrades supports bank wires and Skrill but not ACH/SEPA 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 | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | No | 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 | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.226 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.226 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | 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 | 155 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ActivTrades Review |
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