ActivTrades Broker: Comprehensive Review

5 reasons to trade CFD with ActivTrades

1. Multi-regulated CFD and Forex broker in top jurisdictions with 20+ years of experience and +100K traders in over 170 countries.
   
2. Enhanced, safe, and competitive trading environment.
   
3. Efficient, highly reliable, and fast trade execution with no re-quotes and low latency.
   
4. Exclusive, intuitive, and smart trading tools, and add-ons.
   
5. Award-winning client support available 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.

What do traders think about ActivTrades?

Who is ActivTrades?

The brand is a regulated CFD broker, offering services since 2001.

At first glance, Activ Trades Broker website offers an extensive range of services, support, and training. After a careful review, it is evident that this brand keeps its word and delivers what it promises.

They offer all the versions of the MetaTrader 4 platform, as well as their own web platform, ActiveTrader. The education center is jam-packed with learning materials in various formats. They offer up-to-the-minute financial news and market analysis that are easy to read and comprehensive.

The brand has won an array of awards, so if you are looking for a high-end broker for an advanced trader, or a broker that offers help when a new trader needs it, then look no further, as ActivTrader is highly recommended by the community.

The website is available in many languages, including Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Melayu, Russian, and Spanish. The trading platforms and customer support are also available in these languages.

The Company at a glance

• Created in 2001.
  
• Regulated by the FCA, SCB, CSSF, CONSOB, CMVM & CVM.
  
• MiFID Compliant.
  
• International recognition.
  
• Winner of 45+ global awards.
  
• Large trading community: 100K+ traders from more than 170 countries.
  
• 500m+ trades executed.
  
• Professional support available in 14 languages.
  
• Email average response time: 27 minutes.
  
• 95% customer satisfaction.

Trading with ActivTrades

• Minimum deposit: 0.
  
• 4 base currencies: EUR, USD, GBP, or CHF.
  
• 1,000+ CFD.
  
• 7 asset classes.
  
• 3 trading platforms: MT4, MT5, and ActivTrader.
  
• 4 trading accounts: Islamic, Retail, Pro, and Demo.
  
• Advanced cloud infrastructure powered by IBM.
  
• Fully automated trades.
  
• No-requotes.
  
• Trades executed under 0.004 seconds.
  
• No hidden fees.
  
• Unbeatable spreads.
  
• All trading styles allowed.
  
• Unique features and add-ons: progressive trailing stop, market sentiment indicator, pullback indicator, SmartLines, SmartPatterns…

Funds protection

• Negative balance protection
  
• Segregated accounts with internationally recognized financial institutions such as Barclays, RBS, Lloyd’s, HSCB, and Citibank.
  
• Enhanced client money protection*applies under certain terms and condition.
  
• Broker regularly audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
  
• Fully MiFID compliant financial services company.

Education hub

• One-to-one trading.
  
• Webinars & seminars.
  
• Weekly outlook.
  
• In-depth analysis.
  
• Market analysis & summary.
  
• Glossary.
  
• Educational videos.
  
• Academy.

How does ActivTrades protect your funds?

First of all, it’s important to note that the broker is authorized and regulated by the most prominent regulatory body in the world, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under ActivTrades PLC (reference number 434413).

It is also regulated by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB) under ActivTrades Corp. (number 199667 B) and by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (Commission for the Supervision of Financial Sector) in Luxembourg under ActivTrades Europe S.A. (number P00000491).

This broker is therefore compliant with the highest regulatory standards of the industry, by being regulated by 3 of the most popular regulatory bodies!

Client fund safety is the priority for the brand. That’s why it offers extra protection over and above industry standards, such as negative balance protection, segregated accounts, and funds insurance.

The broker goes further in protecting its clients’ funds with such as the enhanced insurance of up to $1,000,000 offered by the broker!

At no direct expense to traders, ActivTrades Corp. has secured separate insurance coverage to safeguard against losses of up to $1,000,000 for clients with trading funds higher than $10,000 that may occur in the case of an insolvency event.

What can you trade with ActivTrades?

You can trade more than 1,000 CFD over 7 asset classes with optimal trading conditions to make the most of every trade.

Take advantage of competitive spreads, transparent pricing, fast execution time (under 0.004 sec), and no partial fills to go long and short with mini and micro-lots on the following asset classes:

• Forex - More than 50 currency pairs.
  
• Shares (and you can also trade fractional shares) - More than 1,000 companies.
  
• Indices - More than 15.
  
• Cryptocurrencies - More than 9 crypto-pairs.
  
• ETF - More than 10.
  
• Bonds - More than 5.
  
• Commodities - More than 15.
  

Which trading platforms are available with ActivTrades?

ActivTrader

The dynamic ActivTrader platform was developed in-house with the customer's needs in mind. It comes with fast execution and an intuitive interface that makes for a convenient and productive trading experience.

The enhanced platform utilizes some of the latest innovative technologies and has advanced functionality to create an immersive trading experience for all levels of traders.

Source: Light theme ActivTrader platform with market sentiment feature and multiple charts layout

ActivTrader allows users to open positions directly on charts, and you can create a personalized watch list to keep your favorite trading instruments in one place and visualize market sentiment on these assets (on the left in the picture above).

The ActivTrader platform can run directly in your web browser without the need for installing any additional software. It is also available for Android and iOS devices from their respective app stores.

The brand provides a solid alternative to the MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms with its new platform ActivTrader. It is an improved trading environment that offers scalpers, day traders, and swing traders a new trading perspective, with cutting-edge features and state-of-the-art trading, all with reliable infrastructure.

Uniques ActivTrader features include:

• TradingView integration.
• market sentiment.
• progressive trailing stops.
• bulk position management.
• buy/sell again feature.
• pullback entry orders.

Source: Dark theme ActivTrader platform - Pull back order

MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5)

MT4 is one of the most popular trading platforms and is often the preferred platform of choice for traders of all experience levels. The MT4 platform is user-friendly and easy enough for new traders, and it also has enough advanced functionality for more experienced traders. MT4 is available in 21 languages.

MT4 has advanced charting capabilities that can be fully customized according to your personal preferences. The market watch window has a list of all trading instruments with real-time price quotes. You can load different chart types across nine timeframes for the instruments that you wish to analyse and trade with possibility of 6 order types, including one-click trading.

The MT5 platform is an updated version of MT4 that maintains most of the same core functionality, while also providing new features and extended characteristics that aim to make online trading more professional and precise. It was also developed as a multi-asset trading platform for Forex, Stocks, Options, and Futures traders, while MT4 is mainly meant for Forex traders.

Which kind of unique trading tools is offered by ActivTrades?

Progressive trailing stops

An amazing risk and money management tool available on the ActivTrader platform, “progressive trailing stops” allow you to add up to two extra tiers, which adjust your trailing stop distance automatically if the market exceeds your pre-determined trigger price.

By using this kind of stop-loss, rather than a standard trailing stop, traders are able to benefit from better money management by being able to change the trailing stop’s distance once it is hit. It also means that by keeping your stop loss order near the price of the traded assets, traders are able to keep more of their earnings when markets are quickly moving in one direction.

Pullback order

The pullback order is a unique feature of the ActivTrader platform that will allow you to enhance your entry point by using a dynamic buy stop or a sell stop order to enter the market after taking advantage of a pullback.

When you open this order, you first need to set up a trigger price, which designates the level at which you want to begin watching for a market pullback. Then, you need to calculate the distance in pips that represents the level at which you agree to open your order after the anticipated corrective movement or pullback.

By using this dynamic order instead of simply a standard limit order, traders may achieve significantly better entry prices, meaning that they may be able to improve their results.

SmartOrder 2

With SmartOrder 2, you can trade more quickly and manage your positions more effectively with different types of orders, such as OCO orders (one cancels the other), closing all positions at once, closing positions by instrument, reverse positions by instrument, and partially closing position by using profit targets, among others.

SmartLines

This cutting-edge but simple-to-use app can be used on MetaTrader 4 and 5 and allows for automatic trade execution on the chart, based on pre-defined trendlines. This new add-on eliminates the trouble of having to keep track of each pricing change and trend development since it takes care of everything for you.

Also, it is possible to place an order that will be immediately open as soon as the price of your chosen asset crosses the trendline. For easy identification, you can add a name, a style, and a value when generating trendlines on charts.

This is a fantastic tool that not only helps you save time in determining the trend and the most significant price levels to monitor, but it helps you find the best entry opportunities - not to mention that it also provides accurate trade execution with automated trades.

Moreover, the SmartLines feature allows you to handle numerous charts at once, each with a pre-defined automated stop loss and take profit set up.

SmartTemplate

To assist its traders in making thoughtful and more precise trading choices, The Broker created SmartTemplate for MetaTrader 4.

This new add-on provides simple but really useful functionality, as it presents clear trading opportunities based on several chart indicators, such as MACD, AMA, ATCI, and ATLDIG, and the strength of the trend.

Moreover, SmartTemplate doesn’t only offer clear chart signals, but it also provides the right time for opening positions.

SmartForecast

SmartForecast is one of MetaTrader4's most sophisticated technical analysis modules, as it provides a straightforward picture of market conditions by combining market strength, daily market trend, and volatility levels, as well as support and resistance lines.

The greatest aspect of this tool is that it provides 3 consecutive target prices you can include in your trading strategy.

SmartPattern

Available for the MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms, SmartPattern is a dynamic indicator that was created to accommodate all types of traders, from novices to specialists.

As it automatically recognizes chart patterns, analyzes historical data for patterns, and produces comprehensive information and statistics regarding likely future market moves, it is one of the most popular tools for technical analysts and chartists.

Because all relevant data is displayed directly on the charts, traders can save time and identify trading opportunities that you would otherwise miss by quickly and clearly identifying the most promising patterns.

What are the main trading account types you can choose from?

A trading account allows you to trade on the ActivTrader or MetaTrader platforms with access to a wide range of trading instruments and trading tools.

The brand provides two main types of accounts: individual and professional.

It allows for one individual account and offers access to various trading information, education, tools, and platforms. With a professional trading account, holders can apply for a dedicated account manager. However, professional account holders may not be entitled to some benefits that individual account holders have.

To qualify as a professional client, you will need to meet 2 out of the following 3 criteria:

• a significant amount of trading volume in the previous four quarters.
  
• a financial portfolio of at least €500,000.
• at least one year of working in a professional position within the financial sector.

Of course, demo accounts are available to test the different trading platforms and conditions before opening a real account!

Islamic swap-free accounts that comply with Sharia law are also available upon request.

How can you fund your account and withdraw money from ActivTrades?

The brand allows you to fund your account with a variety of convenient options directly from your Personal Area, including:

• bank transfer.
• credit/debit card, and online payment processors such as Neteller, Sofort, Skrill, and Paypal.

Please note that some methods may only be available to specific countries, and not all are available for both deposit and withdrawal. For instance, Sofort & PayPal is only available for ActivTrades Plc clients.

Withdrawal requests are processed within the same day. The withdrawal time can vary depending on the payment provider and method.

Accounts can be opened in four different currencies: GBP, EUR, USD, and CHF. The different currency options are beneficial as currency conversion fees do not apply when using an account in your currency.

What are the fees applied by ActivTrades?

As a trader, fees are one of the most important criteria to take into account when choosing a broker. Even though trading and investing have costs, it doesn’t mean that this cost should eat into your trading profits!

Spreads, which is the difference between the buy price and the sell price, is one of the most significant trading fees to look at when choosing the right broker. They vary depending on your trading account type and the asset traded.

Here is a comparison of the spreads on various currency pairs and indices between some popular brokers within the industry.

Are you looking for more info on average spreads

applied by the broker on different asset classes? Here are some Forex,

commodities, indices, and bonds examples:

Beyond the spreads, a trader should always look at other fees like custody fees, trading commissions, deposit/withdrawal fees, swaps, and rollovers, among others.

If you want to trade CFD on shares, here are the costs:

Overall, The brand has competitive spreads across many asset classes, standard overnight borrowing charges, and no deposit/withdrawal fees on the most popular ways to method of payments.

How is ActivTrades helping its traders to take their trading to the next level?

SmartTools

The broker has a variety of useful trading tools that can be used to help with planning, analyzing markets, and executing trades. The trading tools are free to use for ActivTrades clients, and there are detailed instruction guides included on the website.

Research hub

The brand also has a section on its website, a dedicated research area, that contains a variety of materials for all levels of traders, which mostly consists of the latest opinions and commentaries from market experts such as weekly outlook, macro analysis, ActivTrades news, and in-depth analysis.

The articles contain detailed insights along with charts to illustrate the analysis, which have been developed by the broker's expert team and are unique and available only to ActivTrades clients.

One-to-one training

ActivTrades offer personal online training sessions where their knowledgeable support team will guide you step by step through the essential information required to commence trading. These sessions aim to help traders understand the main features of their trading platforms, trading tools, personal account area, and more.

Educational webinars and Videos

For ActivTrades, it’s important to organize educational webinars about specific trading themes ranging from trading techniques to technical indicators, trading psychology, live trading sessions, and trading strategies.

On the broker's website and Youtube, you will also find a range of educational videos suitable for all types of traders. The videos are well presented and annotated, making them easy to understand. Moreover, the broker offers shorts on YouTube about hot news and trading tips that can be used by any trader.

Economic calendar

Because it’s essential for a trader to be aware of upcoming major economic announcements that can be released while trading, ActivTrades offer an economic calendar directly on its website. You can personalize how you want to focus on the most important geographical regions for your trading, so then you don’t miss a single event.

Does ActivTrades offer Partners and Rewards Programs?

Affiliate Program

As an affiliate, you don’t have to know forex or meet clients in person. All you need to have is a high-traffic blog, website, or a large number of social media followers. You will be provided with a complete set of marketing tools for promotion and marketing.

Once your referred clients start trading, you will receive your commission. The affiliate program ActivAFFILIATES is highly respected, and the advanced affiliate software will keep you in the know.

It provides an attractive and flexible rebate scheme where the rebates are awarded to affiliates depending on their country of origin, as well as the initial deposit (for more information, please see the broker affiliate review section on the website).

Institutional grade investment solutions

The broker's brokerage solutions like White Label and managed Grey Label enable your business to offer online Forex & CFD trading to your clients and help you grow your business thanks to cutting-edge technology solutions.

ActivTrades program and professionals guide users through the processes (for more details, please visit the “For Institutions” part on the website).

Cashback Program

The brand has developed a cashback program, so you’re able to earn a bonus for each trade you make with a notional value higher than $50 million. You will earn what amounts to a 20% discount on spreads and a 20% reduction on swaps for each lot traded, and a 20% reduction in commission for trading shares.

Rewards for the previous month's trading activities will be handed out on the first day of each calendar month. To visualize the total rewards you’ve accumulated for the month, all information will be available in your Personal Area.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 85% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.