Plus500 vs ActivTrades

vs
Plus500 vs ActivTrades Comparison Table 2024
Plus500 ActivTrades
4.1
4
United States Flag Traders from US not accepted
United States Flag Traders from US not accepted

Established in 2008 and headquartered in Israel, Plus500 is a prominent brokerage that boasts over 25 million registered traders in over 50 countries. Specializing in CFD trading, the company offers an intuitive, proprietary platform and mobile app. It maintains competitive spreads and does not charge commissions or deposit or withdrawal fees. Plus500 also continues to shine as one of the most trusted brokers with licenses from reputable regulators, including the FCA, ASIC and CySEC.

ActivTrades is a UK-headquartered CFD and forex broker established in 2001. The award-winning brokerage has secured licenses from trusted bodies, notably the UK’s FCA, and facilitates trading on over 1000 instruments spanning 7 asset classes, with over 93.60% of orders are executed at the requested price.

82% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Customer Reviews
4.3
5
Bonus Offer
Cashback on Trades
Comment by Reviewer
"Plus500 offers a super-clean experience for traders with a CFD trading platform that sports a modern design and dynamic charting. That said, the broker’s research tools are limited, fees trail the cheapest brokers, and there’s room for enhancement in its educational resources." "ActivTrades is an obvious choice for day traders at all levels, with almost unmatched execution speeds of 4ms and a choice of leading trading software, from MT4, MT5 and TradingView to ActivTrader, which sports a simple and elegant interface that aspiring traders will enjoy using."
Pros
  • Plus500 provides a specialized WebTrader platform designed explicitly for CFD trading, offering a clean and uncluttered interface
  • The broker offers commission-free trading on a diverse range of markets, minimizing additional fees while appealing to established traders
  • Plus500 has recently bolstered its suite of short-term trading products, including introducing VIX options with enhanced volatility and extended hours trading on 7 stock CFDs
  • You can utilize leverage while engaging in long or short positions, allowing for more strategic trading opportunities
  • The customer support team continue to provide reliable 24/7 support via email, live chat and WhatsApp
  • ActivTrades offers tight spreads, particularly for forex trading with spreads starting from 0.5 pips on major currency pairs without additional commissions. The €/£10 inactivity fee doesn’t kick in for 52 weeks either, so it doesn’t penalize active traders.
  • Although cTrader isn’t supported, MT4, MT5, TradingView and the broker’s ActivTrader cater to diverse trading needs, with the firm’s web-accessible platform hitting the mark for beginners during testing with a slick look and feel.
  • ActivTrades is highly trusted, boasting 20+ years in the industry, authorization from 3 ‘green tier’ bodies under DayTrading.com’s Regulation & Trust Rating, and it goes the extra mile for UK traders with £1M in investor compensation (exceeding the £85K through the FSCS) in the event of brokerage insolvency.
  • ActivTrades provides fast, dependable and multilingual support based on our tests of its live chat, email, and phone assistance, making it excellent for active traders and beginners.
  • With execution speeds averaging just 4ms, an order fulfilment rate of 93.6%, and no restrictions on short-term strategies, ActivTrades offers an excellent environment for fast-paced strategies like day trading.
Cons
  • Plus500’s lack of support for MetaTrader or cTrader charting tools might be a deal breaker for advanced day traders looking for familiarity
  • Educational resources are limited compared to best-in-class brokers like eToro, impacting the learning curve for beginners
  • The absence of social trading means users can’t follow and replicate the trades of experienced traders
  • Compared to some competitors, especially IG, Plus500’s research and analysis tools are limited
  • Algo trading and scalping are not supported, which may deter some day traders
  • There are no copy trading or social trading features, which is a drawback for traders seeking passive investment opportunities or the ability to mimic the trades of more experienced traders, especially compared to eToro and Vantage.
  • There's a varied selection of 1000+ markets, such as forex, commodities, indices, and ETFs, but the range of asset classes overall is limited, notably there are zero stocks outside the US, UK and Europe, while BlackBull offers a superior 26,000+ markets.
  • Its research tools are good but not great, with a growing ‘Analysis’ hub but no Trading Central or Autochartist for advanced technical summaries which could help aspiring traders identify opportunities in fast-moving markets.
  • ActivTrades still has some way to go to match firms like XTB and CMC Markets in the education department, with some well-presented, informative webinars but limited courses and quizzes for a more comprehensive and engaging learning journey.
Awards
  • Best Overall Broker 2021 - DayTrading.com
  • Best Overall Broker 2020 - DayTrading.com
  • Best Overall Broker 2019 - DayTrading.com
  • Safest Global Broker 2023 - International Investor Magazine
  • Best Online Trading Services 2023 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
  • Best Forex Broker Europe 2022 - Forex-Awards.com
  • Most Trusted Global FX Broker 2022 - International Investor Magazine
  • Best CFD Broker 2021 - Rankia
  • Safest Global Broker 2021 - International Investor Award Winners
  • Best FX Broker 2021 - Le Fonti Award
Instruments
CFDs on Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, ETFs, Futures, Cryptos (location dependent)
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$100 $0
Trading Platforms
  • WebTrader
  • App
  • ActivTrades
  • MT4
  • MT5
  • TradingView
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
Variable 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, MAS, FSA, FSCA, FMA, EFSA FCA, CMVM, CSSF, SCB
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
STP Account
No Yes
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
Yes Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No No
Mobile Apps
iOS, Android & Windows iOS & Android
App Review

Plus500 have developed their mobile apps to match the WebTrader online platform . Secure and reliable, the app is among the best out there. Stop loss and limits are available, free alerts and a full range of markets and instruments are available. Visit the download page here.

ActivTrades provides a choice of mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. The proprietary ActivTrader app and support for MT4, MT5, and TradingView give access to real-time market data, advanced charting tools, and customizable trading features. All four apps let you trade and manage you accounts intuitively, but ActivTrades boasts the most seamless trading experience, combining the broker’s ultra-fast execution speeds with dynamic charting and research tools.

Android App Rating
4.3
3.8
iOS App Rating
4.1
4.9
Auto Trading
No Yes (APIs), Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
Yes No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Yes No
Inactivity Fee
$10 €/£10
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • AUD
  • ZAR
  • CZK
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CHF
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
Plus500 presents commission-free CFDs encompassing a vast array of markets, spanning currencies, stocks, indices, and commodities. You can engage in long or short positions on popular assets, benefiting from adaptable leverage without encountering any concealed fees. Due to the prohibition of CFDs in the US, Plus500 doesn’t facilitate CFD trading for US customers. However, the company does provide access to a new platform called TradeSniper, specifically tailored for trading futures, which is accessible to US traders. ActivTrades specializes in CFD trading, offering over 1000 instruments spanning currencies, shares, indices, commodities, and more. The broker has picked up industry awards for its CFD trading environment, delivering fast and reliable order execution with transparent margin requirements for day traders.
Leverage
1:30 1:30 (UK and EU), 1:400 (Global & Pro)
FTSE Spread
Dynamic 0.6
GBPUSD Spread
Dynamic 0.8
Oil Spread
Dynamic 0.03
Stocks Spread
Dynamic Variable
Forex Trading
Plus500 provides forex trading through CFDs, featuring narrow spreads across an impressive selection of over 60 currency pairs. During testing, spreads came in as tight as 0.6 pips on the EUR/USD, which is notably lower than many alternatives. ActivTrades offers its lowest fees in the forex department, with excellent spreads on majors like the EUR/USD from 0.5 pips and zero commissions, keeping pricing simple. Improvements to the ActivTrades platform, alongside access to the industry-leading MetaTrader 4, also give traders the tools they need to navigate the FX market confidently.
Forex App

Plus500 have developed their mobile apps to match the WebTrader online platform . Secure and reliable, the app is among the best out there. Stop loss and limits are available, free alerts and a full range of markets and instruments are available. Visit the download page here.

GBPUSD Spread
Dynamic 0.8
EURUSD Spread
Dynamic 0.5
EURGBP Spread
Dynamic 0.8
Assets
60+ 50+
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
Investors can trade on rising and falling prices with CFDs on popular cryptos like Bitcoin. Plus500 also stands out for its crypto indices, which offer diversification opportunities by tracking a basket of leading digital currencies. Availability subject to regulation. Trade 15+ of the most know cryptos, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. Digital currencies can be traded around the clock with no hidden fees. 1:10 leverage is also available on major tokens like BTC.
Spread
Variable Variable
Coins
  • BCH
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XRP
  • IOTA
  • NEO
  • EOS
  • XMR
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • BCH
  • DOT
  • EOS
  • LINK
  • XLM
  • NEO
  • ADA
  • SOL
  • XRP
  • BNB
  • XMR
  • AVAX
  • DOGE
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
82% of retail CFD accounts lose money.