Overview/ background
ActivTrades was established in 2001 and has won critical acclaim from traders and respected industry authorities over the years. These include the following awards:
- Best Customer Service – DKI and Euro AM Sonntag
- Most Trusted Forex Broker – MENA Forex Show
- Best Customer Support – Agence IAT Grand Prize Excellence
- Best Online Trading Services – ADVFN International Financial Awards
- Best Forex Broker – Le Fonti
- Best Execution Broker – Agence IAT Grand Prize Excellence
The company takes pride in offering a comprehensive set of Forex trading services to clients. These include CFDs, Forex, and spread betting options. The diverse range of financial instruments serves clients well and can all be accessed on MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. In total, there are some 50+ currency pairs available, including major pairs, minor pairs, and exotic currency pairs. Other options include commodities, CFDs, indices, oil, gold, and silver. This company offers pips from as low as 0.5 on the EUR/USD, and leverage goes up to 1:400. Mini lots and micro lots are available as well.
ActivTrades PLC is fully licensed and regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) with license #FRN 434413. It is also an active member of the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme).
Account Types
Various account types are available to traders including a free demo account which mimics real market Forex trading activity at zero risk. Other account options that are available to clients include an individual account, and a professional account. Account holders also qualify for an ActivTrades Card which can be used anywhere the MasterCard logo is displayed, and is provided free of charge to clients with no monthly admin fee. Forex clients must maintain a minimum account balance of €500 in their accounts to use this card.
Trading Platform/ software
There are 2 primary trading platforms available to UK traders at ActivTrades. These include the following:
- MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
- ActivTrader
MetaTrader 4 is available in a free demo platform as well as a real money trading account. It is the #1 most popular trading platform for FX clients. Among the many benefits of using this platform are the following features:
- A full history of trading activity
- Dozens of technical indicators included
- Trading activity across 9 time frames
- Trailing stops and price alerts
- Trading strategy testing options
- 21 languages currently supported
MetaTrader 4 is fully functional on Android smartphones and tablets, allowing users to roam and trade FX any time they want. It is also the ideal web-based trading platform with no download required. The desktop version of the software provides for full automation of trading activity and EA’s.
MetaTrader 5 is an advancement of MetaTrader 4. It provides superior trading functionality in both a demo mode and a real money trading mode. There are some 450+ contracts for difference (CFDs) across multiple financial instruments. Additionally, MetaTrader 5 provides other benefits such as integrated trading statements, advanced strategy testing and historic data, trailing stops, price alerts, 8 order types, 1-click trading, and economic news headlines. MetaTrader 5 is available on desktop and mobile devices for UK Forex traders.
ActivTrader is available in a demo mode. This proprietary platform allows clients to access 90+ indicators with a strong emphasis on technical analysis. It is geared towards mobile trading and offers in-depth access to commodities, bonds, cryptocurrencies, metals, indices and Forex. It is available on iOS devices.
Deposit options
Various deposit options are currently available to clients at ActivTrades. These include MasterCard, Maestro, bank transfer, Visa, Sofort, Skrill, and NETELLER. Several other banking options are available, and clients can simply contact customer support for details, or simply click on the following link. There are no fees levied on bank transfers, debit cards and other e-wallets. The standard timeframe for deposits to be processed is within 30 minutes across all options. However, EEA debit cards and credit cards are subject to fees and charges. Withdrawal options can be processed in the same day as the request is made by 12:30 PM GMT.
Markets
Markets are spread across multiple categories. These include the following:
- Shares – some 450 company shares are now available at this brokerage and can be traded in CFD format. Traders can enjoy leverage of 1:20. Shares are spread across real estate, technology, industrial, energy, healthcare, and financial sectors.
- Commodities – commodities have exceptional leverage of 1:400 and there are no overnight fees charged to clients. CFD trades in commodities offers flexibility on margin requirements and easy access to global markets. Commodities include crude oil, natural gas, coffee, copper, corn, soybeans, wheat, cocoa, cotton etc.
- Indices & Bonds Trading – these are available with leverage of up to 1:400 on a wide range of global indices. These include the DAX, S&P 500, JP 225, SWI 20, Dow Jones and others.
- Cryptocurrency Markets – crypto markets are sizzling hot right now and include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripple at ActivTrades. All cryptocurrency options are traded in a CFD format. Leverage of 1:5 is available to traders.
- Forex (FX) – currency trading is the largest market in the world. It comprises over $4 trillion in daily trades alone. At ActivTrades, clients can enjoy major pairs, minor pairs, and exotic currency pairs. Margin and leverage ranges from 1:100 to 1:400. The list of Forex pairs includes the following: AUD/USD, EUR/CHF, NZD/USD, USD/CHF, EUR/USD, GBP/CHF, CAD/CHF, AUD/CAD, USD/SGD, AUD/NZD, TRY/JPY, USD/NOK, and USD/ZAR.
Bonuses
At the time of our review, ActivTrades did not offer any bonuses to clients. This follows FCA regulation which has prevented reputable brokerages from trying to entice Forex traders with these types of promotional offers.
Customer Support
Customer support is readily available to clients across several channels. These include live chat, telephone and email enquiries. Live chat is the most useful way to contact customer support, since agents are highly responsive to queries and provide prompt and professional service. Customer support services are available in multiple languages including Portuguese, Cantonese, Japanese, Arabic, Russian, Italian, French, German, Spanish and English. Customer support is also provided through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, G +, and LinkedIn. Clients can contact ActivTrades through the following channels:
- +44 (0) 207 6500 500
- englishdesk@activtrades.com
Safety
Safety is assured through various measures. For starters, ActivTrades maintains client funds in segregated bank accounts. This is compliant with the FCAs client money rules. Additionally, all client funds are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £50,000. All deposits and withdrawals must be fully verified to ensure that only an account holder is accessing the banking information. This brokerage also provides insurance policies that protect client funds above the threshold of FSCS up to £1 million.
Ease of Use
ActivTrades is quick and easy to use. Registration takes moments and UK Forex traders will be up and running on MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5, and ActivTrader in no time at all. By clicking on the menu option on the top right of the screen, you can easily access all the information you need about the company, markets, platforms, account options, media, and the educational resources.
Final Thoughts
ActivTrades is an award-winning Forex brokerage with plenty of bite. It offers an enhanced range of currency pairs (major, minor and exotic currency pairs) in addition to powerful trading platforms in MetaTrader 4 & 5. The proprietary trading platform – ActivTrader- is ideal for iOS clients and on the go trading activity. Insurance up to £1 million is provided, making this one of the better FCA-licensed UK brokerages to trade at.
