ActivTrades and IG are online forex brokers that offer their trading services to traders and investors. ActivTrades is a regulated and trusted forex broker. It is regulated by multiple regulatory authorities including SCB, FCA, CMVM, BACEN, and CVM. Similarly, IG is also a regulated broker which is regulated by ASIC, JFSA, FSA, FSCA, ADGM, CBI, ISA, KNF, IIROC. Both the brokers have their own strengths and weaknesses.
In this article, we will review and compare the brokerage services offered by ActivTrades and IG. We will explore options such as regulations, reputations, fees, features, leverage, and more. Additionally, we will analyze and rate the brokers based on macro and micro categories and options. By reviewing these aspects, you will get a clear idea of which broker suits you best for your trading journey.
ActiveTrades vs IG: 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
- 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
IG
Founded in 1974 as IG Index by British financier Stuart Wheeler, IG is a well-known forex and CFD broker. Based in the United Kingdom, IG offers online trading services, including spread betting and CFD trading. It provides access to over 100 forex currency pairs, CFDs, commodities, stocks, indices, gold, silver, oil, bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies for personal investment and trading. As of 2021, IG had a market value of £2.9 billion and offered trading in 17,000 investment markets. Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), IG is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. To know more, read our review about IG.
IG Markets Overview
- Founded In: 1974
- Minimum Deposit: $250
- Maximum Leverage: 200:1
- Regulations: ASIC, FCA, FSA, NFA , AMF, FMA, MAS, DFSA
- Trading platform: MT4, WebTrader, MobileTrader (MobileApp), ProRealTime
- Account Types: Standard account, DMA Account
- Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard, PayPal
- US Traders: Accepted
ActivTrades vs: IG 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 IG: Pros and Cons
ActivTrades
- 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
- 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.
IG
- Regulated by multiple top tire regulators like NFA, FCA, ASIC, FSA, AMF, FMA, MAS, DFSA
- Allows scalping, EA/ Robot Trading, News Trading
- Offers web trading, mobile trading and ECN Trading
- IG's acquisition of tastytrade for $1 billion brought options trading and listed-derivatives (such as futures) trading to clients in the United States
- 16,000 trading instruments, investments in IPOs and exchange-traded funds;
- Quality choice of trading platforms, including MT4, WebTrader, MobileTrader (MobileApp), ProRealTime
- Relatively good spreads, from 0.6-1 pips depending on the type of instrument;
- Offers passive investment programme ( MAM, PAMM accounts)
- Relatively high Minimum deposit ( Min Deposit $250)
- Conservative leverage in some areas ( The max leverage is 1:200)
- IG charges $/£12/€14 per month after 24 months of inactivity
- Limited product range on MT4
- High Stock CFD fees
ActivTrades vs IG: Side-by-Side Comparison
ActivTrades Vs IG: Our Scores and Ratings
We rated both brokers, ActivTrades and IG, 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 :
IG:
Final Verdict :
Both ActivTrades and IG.com offer similar trading services globally and are regulated forex brokers. The minimum lot size for both is as low as 0.1. However, there are some differences between them.
For example, ActivTrades is regulated by 5 regulatory authorities, including SCB, FCA, CMVM, BACEN, and CVM, while IG.com is regulated by 9 regulatory authorities, including ASIC, FCA, JFSA, SFC (Hongkong), FSCA, MAS, FMA, GmbH, FINMA. The trading cost for ActivTrades is 0.5 pips spread 7, whereas IG.com’s trading cost is 0.6 points on key FX pairs, 0.8 points on major indices, and 0.1 points on commodities.
ActivTrades cannot accept US clients as it is not regulated in the USA, while IG.com, being a US-regulated forex broker, can accept clients from both the US and around the world.
Our score for IG.com is 9, and for ActivTrades, it is 9 (according to our expert ratings, brokers that achieve a score of 8.00 or higher are considered safe and trustworthy).
Therefore, ActivTrades is most suited and trusted for non-US traders. However, if you are a US trader seeking a trusted and regulated forex broker, IG.com is a perfect choice.
