ActivTrades vs CMC Markets Compared in 2024

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ActivTrades and CMC Markets are Forex and CFD brokers offering online trading services to traders and investors worldwide. Both brokers are regulated by top-tier regulatory authorities. ActivTrades is regulated by 5 regulatory authorities , including the SCB, FCA, CMVM, BACEN, and CVM. On the other hand, CMC Markets is regulated by 10 regulatory authorities, including ASIC, FCA, IIROC, FFAJ, MFSA, MAS, CFTC, NFA, and BVI FSC. These two brokers offer almost similar services. However, each broker has its strengths and weaknesses.

In this article, we will compare ActivTrades with CMC Markets regarding trading platforms, regulations, tradable assets, fees, customer support, and overall trading experience score. We will also explore if ActivTrades is better than CMC Markets. This comparison lets you understand which broker is better for your trading style and preferences.

ActiveTrades vs CMC Markets: In a Nutshell

ActiveTrades

ActivTrades is an online forex and CFD broker that offers MT4, MT5, and the ActivTrader proprietary web and mobile trading platforms. Alex Pusco founded ActivTrades as a stock brokerage in Switzerland in 2001. Later he moved to London in 2005. The broker added MetaTrader 4 in 2007. It also added CFDs on indices and commodities to its offer in 2008. ActivTrades offers over 45 currency pairs, Indexes, ETFs, as well as Commodities and Shares CFDs for your personal investment and trading options.

ActivTrade At a Glance

ActivTrade At a Glance
  • Founded In: 2001
  • Founder: Alex Pusco
  • Headquarters: London, UK
  • Minimum Deposit: No Minimum Deposit. However Chinese and Brazilian traders require a $500 Minimum Deposit. 
  • Maximum Leverage: 1:200 for retails traders, and 1:400 for Pro traders 
  • Regulations:FCA, SCB, CMVM, BACEN and CVM
  • Trading platform: MT4, MT5, ActivTrader and Tradingview
  • Account Types:  Professional Account, Retail Account
  • Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard, Maestro, Ngan Luong, PayPal, Skrill, SOFORT
  • US Clients : Not Accepted

CMC Markets

Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is a publicly traded broker (Ticker: CMCX). The broker is regulated in the UK, Australia, Canada, and Singapore. It offers over 9800 trading instruments, including Forex, Indices, Cryptocurrencies, Shares & ETFs, and Commodities. There is no minimum deposit requirement on IC Markets; you may deposit as low as $1. CMC Markets allows EA trading and news trading. The broker uses the most popular trading platform, MetaTrader (MT4), as its trading platform.

CMC Markets Overview
  • Founded In: 1989
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Maximum Leverage: 1:500
  • Regulations: ASIC
  • Trading platform: MT4 , Share trading platforms
  • Account Types: SPREAD BETTING, Fx Active, CFD Trading
  • Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard
  • US Traders: Not Accept

ActivTrades vs: CMC Markets Features

ActivTrades

  • Trading Instruments: 1000+Trading instruments including Forex ( Major, minor, exotics), shares, Indices, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, Commodities, Bonds, etc 
  • Maximum leverage: 1:30 for retail traders of FCA, and CMVM, 1:200 for retail traders of SCB, and 1:400 for Pro Traders.
  • Minimum Deposit: No Minimum Deposit. However, for Chinese and Brazilian clients the minimum deposit is $500
  • Account Types: Two ( Professional, Retail) 
  • Trading Fees: ActiveTrades charges spread. The spread starts from as low as 0.5 pips. It does not charge any commission. 
  • PAMM/ MAM:  Available 
  • Zulutrade: Available
  • Scalping: Allowed 
  • News Trading: Allowed
  • EA/ Robot Trading: Allowed

ActivTrades vs CMC Markets: Pros and Cons

ActivTrades

Pros
  • Regulated by FCA, SCB, CMVM.
  • There is no Minimum Deposit. You may deposit as low as possible
  • The maximum leverage is as high as 200:1.
  • Free deposit and withdrawal.
  • Allows scalping, news trading, and EA trading.
  • Has MT4, MT5, TradingView, and ActivTrades platforms.
  • Offers 1000+ trading instruments.
  • Spreads start from 0.5 pips.
  • Provides fast order execution.
  • Lloyds of London insurance up to $1,000,000.
  • Offers 24-hour customer support in 14 languages.
  • Supports a variety of bank accounts.
  • Available to customers in more than 140 countries
Cons
  • Not regulated by ASIC or CySEC.
  • Only forex and CFDs are offered; no real tradable instruments are available.
  • No passive investment programs like PAMM or MAM accounts.
  • Mediocre customer support.
  • Not authorized to trade real stocks.
  • Offers 24/5 support.
  • A bank wire withdrawal fee is applicable.
  • Wide spreads in crypto pairs.
  • An inactivity fee may be charged.
  • The minimum deposit for Brazilian and Chinese traders is $500.

CMC Markets

Pros
  • Regulated by FCA, ASIC, IIROC, MAS, FMA
  • Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is publicly traded company
  • The minimum deposit is as low as $1 
  • Comparatively low spread starting from 0.7 pips
  • Allows news trading, EA/Robot trading
  • Extensive range of tradable assets 
  • Excellent education and research resources
Cons
  • Offered only MT4, no MT5, cTrader trading platforms 
  • Maximum leverage is only 1:300
  •  No passive investment programme or social trading platforms ( No PAMM, MAM accounts) 
  •  Does not accept US clients
  • Only CFD Trading 
  • High CFD spreads for certain Indices 
  • Spread betting only for UK residents

ActivTrades vs CMC Markets: Side-by-Side Comparison

ActivTrades
CMC Markets
Product
Product
ActivTrades
CMC Markets
Founded In
Founded In
2005
1989
Founded By
Founded By
Matthew Murphie
Peter Andrew Cruddas, Baron Cruddas
Headquarters
Headquarters
London, E1W 1YN, United Kingdom.
London, United Kingdom
Regulations
Regulations
FCA,CSSF,SCB, BACEN,CVM and CMVM
FCA, ASIC, BaFin, IIROC, FMA, MAS
Min Deposit
Min Deposit
$10
None
Max Leverage
Max Leverage
1:400
1:500
Tradable Assets
Tradable Assets
Forex, Shares, Indices, Cryptocurrencies, ETFs, Commodities.
Forex Major, Forex Crosses, Forex Minor, Metals, Oil , CFD, Stock indices
Fees
Fees
Spread from 0.5 pips
Spread starting from 0.3 pips or commission $10
Platforms and Tools
Platforms and Tools
MT4, MT5, ActivTrader and Tradingview
MT4 , Share trading platforms
US Traders
US Traders
Not Allowed
Not Allow

ActivTrades Vs CMC Markets: Our Scores and Ratings

We rated both brokers, ActivTrades and CMC Markets, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 0.1 increments. To achieve a comprehensive rating, we broadly grouped all services offered by brokers into 6 macro categories and assigned percentage weights to them. Each macro category is subdivided into several data points which contributes to the total score of 1.0-10.0 assigned to each macro category. Since all categories are not equally important, our weight percentage plays a significant role in assessing the broker accurately. For example, Regulation and Security contributes a total weight of 40% to the whole ratings because this is the most important rating category. To learn more, read our methodology.

ActivTrades :

9
ActivTrades Score
Regulation and Security (40%)9
Fees and Commissions (20%)9.3
Trading (15%)9.2
Trading tools (10%)9
Customer Support (10%)9
Trading Education (5%)8

CMC Markets:

9.0
CMC Markets Score
Regulation and Security (40%)9.7
Fees and Commissions (20%)8
Trading (15%)9
Trading tools (10%)8
Customer Support (10%)9.5
Trading Education (5%)9

Final Verdict :

ActivTrades and CMC Markets are regulated forex and CFD brokers in the industry. They offer similar trading services. Both brokers allow scalping, hedging, EA trading, and Copy trading. The minimum order size for both of them is 0.01. 

However, there are a few areas where you may find some differences. For example, the minimum deposit for ActivTrades is $0 (Chinese and Brazilian $500), whereas the minimum deposit for CMC Markets is $0. Additionally, the maximum leverage for ActivTrades is 1:200 for retail traders, and 1:400 for Pro traders. In contrast, the maximum leverage for CMC Markets is 500:1. ActivTrades offers passive investment programs like MAM and PAMM, while CMC Markets does not have any passive investment programs.

Our score for ActivTrades is 9, and for CMC Markets, it is 8.8 So, if you are looking for the most trusted forex brokers with MAM and PAMM services, you may choose ActivTrades. However, if you prefer another forex brokers that offer similar services, you may choose CMC Markets.

Written by

Jason Paine is a forex trader, researcher, and tech enthusiast. He is passionate about financial markets and cutting-edge technology. With a dynamic 16-year trading career, he's on a mission to guide fellow traders. Having navigated diverse forex brokers, Jason shares his insights at Brokersway to bridge the gap between traders and the right brokerage.

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