ActivTrades provides tight spread-only pricing with MetaTrader and TradingView integration, though international accounts route through an offshore entity.
Spreads from
0.5 pips
Commission
$0 (spread-only)
Min deposit
$0
Established
2001
Regulated by
FCA · CMVM (Portugal) · CVM (Brazil) · SCB (Bahamas) · FSC (Mauritius)
Written byLaverlane Team·Updated18 Oct 2026
Researched with AI assistance and verified by our editors
Regulation
Multi-entity regulatory footprint spanning the UK FCA, Portugal CMVM, and offshore jurisdictions.
ActivTrades PLC is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under registration number 434413, and the group also has entities regulated by CMVM in Portugal (ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A.), the Securities Commission of the Bahamas, and the CVM and BACEN in Brazil.
International retail traders contract with an offshore entity such as ActivTrades Markets in Mauritius or ActivTrades Corp in the Bahamas. These clients operate under offshore oversight rather than UK or European regulatory schemes.
The Portuguese entity is registered in the Belgian FSMA list of EEA investment firms with Portugal as its home country, with services notified from 2 October 2023.
Key facts
Over two decades of operational history in retail financial brokerage.
Client-facing entity
ActivTrades PLC (UK); offshore entities for international clients
Regulators
FCA, CMVM (Portugal), CVM (Brazil), SCB (Bahamas), FSC (Mauritius)
Restricted countries
US, JP, CA
Negative-balance protection
Yes
Minimum deposit
$0
Max leverage (UK/EU retail)
1:30
Typical EUR/USD spread
0.5 pips
Platforms
MT4, MT5, TradingView, Proprietary
Account currencies
USD, EUR, GBP, SEK, CHF
Founded in Switzerland in 2001, it moved its headquarters to London in 2005 and has grown into an international brokerage offering spread-only pricing across forex, stocks, indices, commodities, crypto, ETFs, and bonds. The group has offices in London, Nassau, and Portugal among others.
Best for
Pros & cons
Fund safety
Segregated accounts provided, with compensation coverage that depends on entity routing.
Client balances under ActivTrades PLC enjoy Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protection up to £85,000, while accounts held under ActivTrades Markets carry no statutory compensation scheme. Client accounts are ring-fenced in segregated accounts with reputable, internationally recognised financial institutions.
ActivTrades Corp has also purchased separate insurance covering losses above $10,000 and up to $1,000,000 in an insolvency event, and all retail clients are protected from negative balances.
EU clients of ActivMarkets Empresa de Investimento, S.A. are covered by the Investor Compensation System for eligible claims up to €25,000, plus an insurance policy covering client funds above that limit up to €1,000,000.
Account terms
Clear dealing policies with ActivTrades acting as the counterparty and no requotes.
The broker states that it is always the counterparty in client transactions and retains part of each trade through the spread. It advertises no requotes or rejections on market orders, and the Belgian FSMA register lists dealing on own account among the services of its Portuguese entity.
ActivTrades does not publish its inactivity fee terms on the main site, so traders should check the current client agreement before leaving an account idle.
Costs
Competitive spread-only pricing structure without separate commissions.
The broker advertises forex spreads from 0.5 pips with no commission, and the live EUR/USD spread on its website was about 0.46 pips when we checked on 18 Oct 2026. Overnight swap rates apply to positions held past daily rollover at 00:00 platform time, and Islamic accounts are exempt from rollover interest.
| Instrument | Asset class | Typical spread | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Forex CFD | 0.5 | pips |
Spreads shown are typical, not guaranteed, and widen during volatile sessions or outside main market hours. Figures reflect the broker's standard retail account.
Markets
Over 1,000 instruments across seven asset classes.
Forex CFD
50 pairs
Index CFD
25 indices
Commodity CFD
Metals, energies, softs
Single-Stock CFD
500 shares
Crypto CFD
Available ✓
Real ownership: Stocks / ETFs
N/A for this broker, CFDs only
The broker offers more than 1,000 instruments across forex, stocks, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, and bonds. MetaTrader 5 gives access to more than 500 CFDs on stocks and ETFs, and the New Investor profile offers stocks with no trading fees at 1:1 leverage.
Platforms
Full suite including MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView, and ActivTrader.
Platform options cover the proprietary ActivTrader platform, MetaTrader 5, and TradingView charting. Mobile applications for iOS and Android support account management and trade execution on the go.
Execution
ActivTrades acts as counterparty and publishes basic execution statistics.
The broker is always the counterparty to client trades, which means it may profit when clients lose. On its website (checked October 2026), it reports an average execution time below 0.004 seconds and more than 93.6% of orders executed at the requested price.
Detailed slippage metrics and independent audit reports aren't published on the main site.
Leverage
Retail leverage is capped at 1:30 for UK and EU clients, with other limits shown per instrument.
Retail traders under UK and EU entities receive maximum leverage of 1:30 in line with regional caps. It publishes leverage and margin per instrument in a dedicated table, and limits for offshore entities depend on the client entity and instrument.
ActivTrades states that 84% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (activtrades.com, checked 19 Oct 2026).
Account types
Individual and Islamic swap-free account choices.
| Account | Min deposit | Commission | Swap | Spread | Demo | Islamic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | $0 | Spread-only | Standard swap rates apply | From 0.5 pips · Variable | No | No |
| Islamic (Swap-Free) | $0 | Spread-only | Free | From 0.5 pips · Variable | No | Yes |
The Individual account features variable spread-only pricing, and no minimum deposit is stated on the account page. An Islamic account is available with no rollover interest, and funds in Islamic accounts are covered by the same enhanced protection of up to $1,000,000.
Funding
Fee-free funding options with quick electronic processing.
Deposits and withdrawals are free across bank transfer, cards, Neteller, Skrill, and cryptocurrencies including BTC, ETH, and USDT. A 0.5% conversion fee applies when the transaction currency differs from the account currency.
Bank transfers are listed as the same working day and cards and e-wallets as around 30 minutes after the company receives the request, although timeframes aren't guaranteed.
Support
Multilingual customer support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The broker advertises support in 14 languages around the clock through live chat, free callback, and an online message form. The online help centre contains detailed guides on platform navigation and account administration.
Availability
Global service coverage excluding restricted countries like the US.
The broker accepts clients across the UK, Europe, MENA, and international markets. Residents of the United States, Japan, and Canada can't open trading accounts due to regulatory constraints.
Verdict
The broker offers tight spreads, robust platform access, and no commission fees on standard accounts. While UK and EU clients benefit from top-tier regulation and statutory fund protection, ActivTrades acts as the counterparty to trades, and international traders contract with an offshore entity without a statutory compensation scheme, relying instead on enhanced insurance.
It is right for you if you prioritise low trading spreads and advanced charting platforms like TradingView. It is less suitable if you require statutory compensation protection on non-European trading accounts.
High-frequency forex traders and technical chartists who utilise MT4, MT5, or TradingView will find the spread-only pricing structure advantageous.
FAQ
ActivTrades PLC is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the UK under licence 434413. UK retail accounts are protected up to £85,000 under the FSCS. International clients of ActivTrades Markets in Mauritius get no statutory compensation scheme. The Bahamian entity holds separate insurance of up to $1,000,000 above $10,000, and all retail clients have negative-balance protection.
The broker lists bank transfers as processed the same working day and cards, Neteller, Skrill, and crypto withdrawals as typically completed in around 30 minutes once the company has received the request. Timeframes are indicative only and extra verification can delay them. Withdrawals are free, although a 0.5% conversion fee applies if the currency differs from the account currency.
The broker does not state a minimum deposit on its Individual account page. The $0 shown on this page means no minimum is stated, not that ActivTrades has confirmed a zero minimum. Deposit options include bank transfer, credit and debit cards, Neteller, Skrill, and several cryptocurrencies, all free of internal funding fees. A 0.5% conversion fee applies when the deposit currency differs from the account currency.
The broker supports direct connectivity to MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and TradingView platforms. Traders can select MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, or the proprietary ActivTrader platform upon opening an account. Log-in credentials provided in the client portal allow direct connection on desktop, web, or mobile.
The broker does not publish exact inactivity fee terms on its main website pages, so traders should check the current client agreement. Deposits and withdrawals on its main payment methods carry no internal fees, although a 0.5% conversion fee applies when currencies differ.
Alternatives
Eightcap offers CFDs on 850+ markets through TradingView, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradeLocker, with a Raw account that starts from 0.0 pips. Clients outside the regulated regions contract with Eightcap Global Limited in The Bahamas, which carries no statutory compensation scheme.
Octa offers swap-free forex and CFD trading on OctaTrader, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, with no trading commission and a $25 minimum deposit. Accounts on octabroker.com are with Versustrategy Inc, registered in Saint Lucia, and the legal documents page lists no financial regulator.
JustMarkets offers leverage of up to 1:3000, swap-free trading and MT4, MT5 and its own app, but international clients contract with an offshore Seychelles entity without a statutory compensation scheme.
FXCM offers forex and CFD trading on Trading Station, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and TradingView. Accounts on the international website are with Stratos Global LLC, an offshore entity in St Vincent and the Grenadines that sits outside the group’s regulated companies.
ThinkMarkets offers ThinkTrader, TradingView, MT4 and MT5 with 4,000+ instruments and leverage of up to 1:500 on Standard and ThinkZero accounts. International clients contract with a Seychelles-licensed entity.
IronFX operates as a retail CFD broker providing high leverage up to 1:1000 on MetaTrader 4, but international clients contract through an offshore entity without statutory compensation protection.
CFI Financial offers MT5, TradingView and its own app with no minimum deposit and leverage of up to 1:500. International clients trade with CFI International Ltd, licensed in Mauritius.
EC Markets offers MT4, MT5 and its own app with a $10 minimum deposit on STD and ECN accounts and leverage of up to 1:1000. International clients trade with the Mauritius-licensed entity.
General CFD risk warning
CFDs are complex leveraged products and carry a high risk of rapid losses. They do not give you ownership of the underlying asset. Depending on your jurisdiction, broker entity and client classification, protections such as leverage limits and negative-balance protection may differ or may not apply. Where negative-balance protection is not provided, losses may exceed the funds you deposit. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.
Disclaimer
This page is provided for general information only. Nothing on this page constitutes investment, tax or trading advice, or a recommendation to open an account or trade with a particular broker. Laverlane does not provide personalised investment advice. We are not a broker or financial institution, we do not arrange or execute trades, and we do not hold client funds.
Broker availability, spreads, fees, leverage, products and legal protections, including compensation schemes and negative-balance protection, vary by the broker’s legal entity, your country of residence and your client classification, and may change over time. Where a broker is required to publish its retail CFD loss rate, that figure is shown on its review page. Spreads shown are typical figures as at our verification date; they are not guaranteed and may widen, particularly during volatile market conditions.
Laverlane Scores reflect the information available at our most recent review. They are editorial assessments, not guarantees of a broker’s financial strength, reliability or future performance. Where we report a regulator warning or enforcement notice, it reflects the official public information available at the time of our review.
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