ActivTrades Review
ActivTrades has a long track record of providing forex broker services and is considered safe and reliable, plus it offers great possibilities for currency trading.
In this review, we will explore all the important aspects of forex trading with this broker and why it is a good choice.
Markets and Products
ActivTrades offers more than 1000+ instruments – Forex, CFD, Shares, Indices, Commodities, and ETFs. There is a wide range of tradable products to choose from among which, 35+ indices, 50+ Forex pairs, 15+ commodities, 24 ETFs, and 500+ shares.
For the most up-to-date information on the available assets, visit the official trading website.
Trading costs vary depending on the trading platform and account type, which are discussed below.
Trading Fees
Although it is hard to compare trading fees for different CFD brokers, it is safe to say that ActivTrades works with generally low trading fees.
After comparing popular instruments within each asset class we decided to use the following leverage for a $2000 position for stock index and CFD and $20,000 for forex trading.
- 5:1 for stock CFD
- 20:1 for stock index CFDs
- 30:1 for foreign currency exchange
- For clients of TraderFactor, you can trade with 1:200 leverage. If you qualify for a professional-client you can trade with 1:400 leverage.
These benchmark fees include commissions, financial costs, and spreads for the brokers that we compared.
Here is the verdict:
CFD fees – Generally low CFD trading fees for a $2,000 leverage position held for a week.
Forex fees – Compared to other traders the fee for a $20,000 30:1 long position help for a week is also low.
Minimum Deposit
The minimum deposit for trading with this broker was 500, depending on the account currency, now it is 10 USD, EUR, or GBP.
Crypto Trading
Back in 2017, ActivTrades launched a list of new contacts, among which the most popular cryptocurrencies – are Litecoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin. Since then the portfolio of crypto pairs on offer has grown significantly
The currency trading takes place on all the supported platforms – ActivTrader, MetaTrader 4 and 5 for desktop, mobile and tablet. The broker is not charging commissions for the crypto contracts and offers 1:5 leverage.
Commissions & Spreads
The pricing model with this broker is very competitive and costs are quite transparent.
There are commission overnight fees for forex swaps and shares, for the rest foreign currency trading is very accessible. All non-share CFD markets are commission-free.
The commissions and spreads are published on the forex broker website and are publicly available.
Bonus & Promotions
Due to the UK Financial Authority rules, traders who open an account with ActivTrades regulated by this authority will not have access to any bonus or promotions (including forex bonus).
Clients with SCB-regulated accounts are offered a refer-a-friend bonus and cashback, this is also valid for a forex bonus.
Trading Platforms
Web & Desktop
Trading with ActivTrades is easy because you can do it from globally-recognized platforms such as Meta Trader 4 and 5, as well as their own ActivTrader online trading platform, all accessible on Desktop, Web, and Mobile. All platforms can be accessed from the Personal Area and are very well secured.
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are the world's most popular and used platforms. Before deciding on which one to use, you should know they have different functionality. For example, the MetaTrader 5 trading platform gives users direct access to an economic calendar, while MetaTrader 4 doesn’t. Also, there are more order types and timeframes available on MetaTrader 5. Both platforms are excellent for online forex trading.
Traders can access the ActivTrader Platform directly from their web browser. The trading platform offers a large selection of technical indicators as well as one-click trading. The ActivTrades own platform comes with some advanced features like hedging abilities, market sentiment indicators, pullback order, and more.
Mobile trading on all platforms is also available on mobile trading apps for Android and IOS. Just download the app from the Apple or Google Play Store and use it on your phone or tablet. The apps are very convenient and allow users to trade multiple asset classes, manage their accounts, create watchlists, and access advanced functionality.
Exclusive Trading Tools
All these proprietary tools will help you enhance your trading potential with MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 trading platforms.
SmartLines
SmartTemplate
SmartForecast
SmartPattern
SmartOrder
Pivot Points Indicator
Account Opening
Opening an account with ActivTrades is easy, fast, and fully digital. The account verification is usually complete within a day.
The forex account opening process is straightforward. First, you pick your country of residence and fill in basic personal information like name, email address, and password.
What follows is a four-step registration process. This is the information you will have to provide.
- Account Holder – tax residency, personal details, home address
- Trading Experience – period of trading, number of trades
- Financial Information – income & savings, employment status, source of funds, trading preferences
- Trading Account Settings – trading platform, base currency for currency trading
At the end of this process, you will have to add some documents (ID or bank statement, passport or utility bill) and a photo for verification. After completing these simple steps your forex account is ready to use.
Account Types
With this broker clients enjoy a wide choice when it comes to account types. There are corporate, retail as well as Islamic accounts and they all come with their specifics.
Here are the main types of accounts:
Individual – this type of account is owned by a retail investor
Institutional – this account is owned by a legal entity
Islamic – this account has special terms. It has no additional rollover commissions and no overnight rollover interest.
Deposits and Withdrawals
ActivTrades has made it very convenient for their clients, offering many ways to fund their trading accounts such as bank transfer, credit or debit card, Neteller, PayPal, Skrill, and Sofort.
The best part is that account funding is commission-free except for non-EEA credit and debit cards. Processing time takes from 30 mins to several hours, but it is usually on the same day.
When it comes to withdrawals, they are also commission-free except for USD bank transfers.
All transactions can be made in the account Personal Area.
Client and Capital Protection
ActivTrades offers advanced protection to ensure trading is safe. The broker states that safe trading is their top priority.
Here is the type of protection traders can rely on with this forex broker.
- Balance Protection – All clients are protected from a negative account balance.
- Segregated Accounts – Funds are securely held in separate, client accounts.
- Additional Security – A special, additional insurance protects the capital up to $1.000.000
Customer Service
ActivTrades offers several customer support and service channels – phone, email, and live chat. The live chat is the fastest, most easily accessible, and relevant channel. Emails are typically answered within 24 hours. Phone support is also a good option. The agents at ActivTrades are friendly and helpful and always send follow-up emails. However, customer support is not available 24/7.
Education
For those of you who want to learn more about forex trading or expand your knowledge in online trading in general, this content is a good place to start.
The online broker has great educational content which includes manuals, platform tutorial videos, webinars & seminars, articles on foreign currency trading as well as a demo account. This account is one of the most useful features because it allows you to test your skills and become familiar with the platform without taking risks.
What's more, there is one on one training where you can directly talk with an expert and ask anything. This feature is excellent because it allows you to have a personalized education session and get into more detail or ask specific questions.
Read the following in the Forex Education Section
Individual coaching is expensive and is an uncommon feature for an online forex broker. ActivTrades gives you a unique opportunity to personalize your trading experience and learn firsthand from the experts.
