ActivTrades vs SMARTBROKER+ - BrokerCue
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Broker Comparison

ActivTrades vs SMARTBROKER+

Compare ActivTrades and SMARTBROKER+ 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 foโ€ฆ

VS
SMARTBROKER+

SMARTBROKER+

German investors seeking low-cost ETF trading

SMARTBROKER+ is a German online broker offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, derivatives and crypto with free โ€ฆ

Head-to-head comparison

ActivTrades vs SMARTBROKER+
Feature ActivTrades SMARTBROKER+
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 ยฃ1) for UK shares EUR 0 via gettex (orders >= EUR 500); EUR 1 via gettex (orders < EUR 500); EUR 4 flat at Tradegate, Lang & Schwarz and other exchanges
Regulators FCA, CMVM, SCB, FSC, BACEN, CVM BaFin
Best for Forex and CFD traders seeking tight spreads German investors seeking low-cost ETF trading
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
Forex
-
CFDs
-
Crypto
-
Bonds
Spread Betting
-
Demo Account
-
Funds
-
Margin
-
Investment Plans
-

Pros & cons

ActivTrades

ActivTrades

Pros

  • FCA-regulated with FSCS coverage up to ยฃ85,000
  • Additional private client insurance of up to ยฃ1,000,000
  • 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 ยฃ10 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
SMARTBROKER+

SMARTBROKER+

Pros

  • Free custody and account management
  • No deposit, withdrawal or inactivity fees
  • Commission-free gettex trading for orders of EUR 500 or more
  • Over 4,600 savings plans with free execution for ETFs, stocks, funds and crypto ETPs
  • Access to 9 domestic and 18 international exchanges
  • Bonds trading available since April 2024
  • Weekend trading available since November 2025
  • Deposit protection up to EUR 100,000 via statutory scheme plus voluntary fund

Cons

  • No demo account available
  • No joint or junior accounts
  • Platform and customer support primarily in German
  • EUR 4 flat fee at exchanges other than gettex
  • Currency conversion cost of approximately 0.25% on international trades
  • No source tax recovery service
  • Mixed customer reviews on Trustpilot regarding customer support response times
  • Parent company has reported losses in recent years
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.

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

SMARTBROKER+

SMARTBROKER+

SMARTBROKER+ is a German online broker offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, derivatives and crypto with free custody and commission-free gettex trading from EUR 500.

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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