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Broker Comparison

ActivTrades vs Markets.com

Compare ActivTrades and Markets.com side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

ActivTrades

ActivTrades

Forex and CFD traders seeking tight spreads

ActivTrades is a multi-asset CFD and spread betting broker founded in 2001, regulated by the FCA, offering fo…

VS
Markets.com

Markets.com

CFD and forex traders

Markets.com is a multi-regulated CFD and forex broker offering over 2,200 instruments across forex, shares, i…

Head-to-head comparison

ActivTrades vs Markets.com
Feature ActivTrades Markets.com
Minimum deposit - -
Stock trading fee $0.02 per share ($1 min) for US share CFDs; percentage-based commission for European shares (see broker's current schedule); 0.10% (min £1) for UK shares -
Regulators FCA, CMVM, SCB, FSC, BACEN, CVM CySEC, FSCA, ASIC, FSA
Best for Forex and CFD traders seeking tight spreads CFD and forex traders
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
Forex
CFDs
Crypto
-
Bonds
Spread Betting
-
Demo Account
Margin
-
Multi Currency
-

Pros & cons

ActivTrades

ActivTrades

Pros

  • FCA-regulated with FSCS coverage up to £85,000
  • Additional private client insurance of up to £1,000,000
  • No commissions on forex, indices, commodities, ETFs, and bonds
  • Ultra-fast execution averaging 4 milliseconds
  • Choice of MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, ActivTrader, and TradingView
  • Spread betting available for UK and Irish clients (tax-free profits)
  • No minimum deposit requirement
  • Free demo account with virtual funds

Cons

  • Inactivity fee of £10 per month after 52 weeks
  • $12.50 fee on USD bank wire withdrawals
  • No copy trading or social trading features
  • Weekend customer support unavailable
  • No ISA or SIPP account types
  • Limited educational content compared to some competitors
  • Crypto CFDs unavailable under FCA entity
Markets.com

Markets.com

Pros

  • Regulated by CySEC, FSCA and ASIC
  • No commissions on trades - spread-only pricing
  • No deposit or broker withdrawal fees
  • Proprietary platform plus MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
  • Over 2,200 tradable instruments across multiple asset classes
  • Free demo account for practice trading
  • Negative balance protection for retail clients

Cons

  • FCA authorisation surrendered in 2025 - UK retail services including spread betting discontinued
  • Inactivity fee of 10 per month triggered after just 90 days
  • Spreads wider than ECN or STP competitors
  • No copy trading or social trading functionality
  • Demo account expires after 90 days of inactivity
  • No cTrader platform
  • No VPS service
ActivTrades

ActivTrades

ActivTrades is a multi-asset CFD and spread betting broker founded in 2001, regulated by the FCA, offering forex, indices, stocks, commodities, ETFs, and bonds across MetaTrader 4/5, ActivTrader, and TradingView.

Visit ActivTrades Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Markets.com

Markets.com

Markets.com is a multi-regulated CFD and forex broker offering over 2,200 instruments across forex, shares, indices, commodities, ETFs, crypto and bonds via its proprietary platform, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5.

Visit Markets.com Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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