Between 54-87% of retail CFD accounts lose money. Based on 69 brokers who display this data.
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BrokerDNA™
The BROKERDNA™ score tells you, overall, how reputable, suitable, and affordable a broker is compared to other brokers. This score is algorithmically-generated based on 31 factors. Neither our team, nor the brokers featured on our site, are able to change this without changing their service offering. Learn more here. |
ETX Capital
9.2
/10
VISIT ETX CAPITAL
The BROKERDNA™ score tells you, overall, how reputable, suitable, and affordable a broker is compared to other brokers. This score is algorithmically-generated based on 31 factors. Neither our team, nor the brokers featured on our site, are able to change this without changing their service offering. Learn more here. |
ActivTrades
7.6
/10
VISIT ACTIVTRADES
The BROKERDNA™ score tells you, overall, how reputable, suitable, and affordable a broker is compared to other brokers. This score is algorithmically-generated based on 31 factors. Neither our team, nor the brokers featured on our site, are able to change this without changing their service offering. Learn more here. |
XTB
10
/10
VISIT XTB
The BROKERDNA™ score tells you, overall, how reputable, suitable, and affordable a broker is compared to other brokers. This score is algorithmically-generated based on 31 factors. Neither our team, nor the brokers featured on our site, are able to change this without changing their service offering. Learn more here. |
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About |
ETX Capital is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. ETX Capital have provided Forex, CFDs, spread betting and social trading services since 2002. |
ActivTrades is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. ActivTrades have provided Forex, Indices, Shares and Commodities trading services since 2001. |
XTB is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. XTB have provided Forex, CFD, and social trading services since 2002. |
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Why choose them? |
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Headquarters | Floor 6, 26 Finsbury Square, London | 1 Thomas More Square London E1W 1YN UK | Level 34, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, E14 5AA, London, UK | |
TRADING SERVICES OFFERED |
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Spot Forex | ||||
Forex (CFD) | ||||
CFD | ||||
Spread Betting | ||||
Social Trading | ||||
MARKETS & INSTRUMENTS | ||||
Forex (currency pairs) | 60 | 47 | 48 | |
Commodities Offered | 16 | 12 | 21 | |
Stocks Offered | 5000 | 532 | 1606 | |
Bitcoin | ||||
Majors | ||||
Indices | ||||
US Stocks | ||||
Penny stocks | ||||
Energies | ||||
Metals | ||||
Agriculturals | ||||
FTSE | ||||
Dow Jones | ||||
Dax | ||||
Nikkei | ||||
ETFs | ||||
IPO | ||||
See all instruments
76.42% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
See all instruments
71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider |
See all instruments
79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
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PLATFORM & FEATURES |
See the platforms and features offered by each broker |
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Screenshot |
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MT4 | ||||
MT5 | ||||
MT4 Mac | ||||
WebTrader | ||||
Mirror Trader | ||||
ZuluTrade | ||||
Sirix | ||||
cTrader | ||||
PAMM | ||||
Custom Platforms | TraderPro | Activ Trader | Xstation5 | |
APPS |
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iOS |
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Android |
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Windows |
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Available Languages |
English, French, Spanish, German, Polish, Czech, Greek and Mandarin |
English, Spanish, Czech, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovenian, Turkish, Arabic, and Russian. |
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See platform & features
76.42% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
See platform & features
71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider |
See platform & features
79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
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ACCOUNT INFORMATION |
From micro accounts to ECN accounts, compare the accounts offered by ETX Capital and ActivTrades |
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Demo account | ||||
Mini account | ||||
Micro account | ||||
Standard account | ||||
ECN Account | ||||
Islamic account | ||||
Zero spread account | ||||
VIP account | ||||
Fixed spreads | ||||
Variable spreads | ||||
See account options
76.42% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
See account options
71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider |
See account options
79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
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TRADING CONDITIONS |
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Scalping | ||||
Hedging | ||||
Expert advisors (EAs) | ||||
Virtual private server | ||||
Direct market access | ||||
STP broker | ||||
Market maker | ||||
Min trade | 0.01 Lot | 0.01 Lot | 0.01 Lot | |
Max trade | None | £100/point | 100 Lot | |
Min deposit | $100 | $100 | $1 | |
RISK MANAGEMENT |
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Stop losses | ||||
Limit orders | ||||
One-click trading | ||||
Trailing stops | ||||
Price alerts | ||||
Signal trading | ||||
FUNDING METHODS |
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Credit card | ||||
Bank transfer | ||||
Standard account | ||||
Paypal | ||||
Neteller | ||||
Skrill | ||||
Payment processing time | 1 business day | Varies | Same day if requested before 1PM | |
Withdrawal processing time | 2-5 business days | 1 business day | Same day if requested before 1PM | |
See all funding options
76.42% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
See all funding options
71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider |
See all funding options
79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
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DETAILED INFO |
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Excluded countries | US | US | US,IN,PK,BD,IQ,IR,IL,AF,AU,CA | |
Contact email | Send Email | Send Email | Send Email | |
Phone number | +44 (0) 20 7392 1494 | +44 (0) 207 6500 567 | 44 2036953085 | |
Live Chat | ||||
Website | https://www.etxcapital.com | https://www.activtrades.com/en/ | www.xtb.com | |
Spreads: | ||||
EUR/USD (Average: 0.7 pips) | 0.6 pips | 0.5 pips + $0.00 | 0.1 pips | |
GBP/USD (Average: 1.1 pips) | 1.2 pips | 0.8 pips + $0.00 | 0.1 pips | |
USD/JPY (Average: 1.1 pips) | 1.4 pips | 0.5 pips + $0.00 | 0.1 pips | |
AUD/USD (Average: 0.8 pips) | 1.4 pips | 0.6 pips + $0.00 | 0.2 pips | |
USD/CHF (Average: 2.3 pips) | 3.0 pips | 1.0 pips + $0.00 | 0.2 pips | |
USD/CAD (Average: 2.9 pips) | 2.6 pips | 1.0 pips + $0.00 | 0.3 pips | |
NZD/USD (Average: 3.6 pips) | 2.0 pips | 1.0 pips + $0.00 | 0.3 pips | |
EUR/GBP (Average: 2.4 pips) | 1.0 pips | 0.8 pips + $0.00 | 0.1 pips | |
View all spreads
76.42% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
View all spreads
71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider |
View all spreads
79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
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FEES |
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Inactivity Fee | No | No | ||
Commission | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Deposit Fee | No | Varies | No | |
Withdrawal Fee | No | No | No | |
View All Fees
76.42% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
View All Fees
71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider |
View All Fees
79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. |
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Featured In | Best Brokers For CommoditiesBest Brokers For MetalsBest FTSE100 BrokersBest DAX BrokersBest FCA Regulated Brokers | Best Brokers For IndicesBest FTSE100 BrokersBest Dow Jones BrokersBest DAX BrokersBest FCA Regulated Brokers | Best Brokers That Accept PayPalBest Forex Islamic AccountsBest Litecoin BrokersBest Brokers For GoldBest Brokers For Copper | |
Last update |
All information collected from https://www.etxcapital.com. Last updated on 01/04/2021. |
All information collected from https://www.activtrades.com/en/. Last updated on 01/04/2021. |
All information collected from www.xtb.com. Last updated on 01/04/2021. |
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Company |
Used by over 51,000 traders, ETX Capital are a well-established spread betting broker. |
ActivTrades was found in 2001 as a small brokerage house in Switzerland, it has since grown to be a global award-winning broker for both retail and institutional traders. ActivTrades has seen rapid growth through with their focus on client satisfaction by providing the best trading technology including the latest MetaTrader 5, innovative trading tools like Autochartist and VPS hosting , outstanding customer service and competitive pricing with pips starting as low as 0.8 for EURUSD. |
XTB provides hyper fast execution and facilitates seminars with external professional traders, providing personalised education depending on your individual circumstances. |
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Popular comparisons |
Popular comparisons feat. ETX Capital
ETX Capital vs Markets.com |
Popular comparisons feat. ActivTrades
ActivTrades vs IC Markets |
Popular comparisons feat. XTB
XTB vs IG |
If you’re a trader looking for a broker that offers a wide variety of instruments to trade, ETX Capital is likely the better option out of these brokers. However, if you want a broker that allows you to scalp as a trading strategy, ActivTrades may be more suitable.
You can determine a broker’s reliability & trustworthiness by looking at eight factors:
Based on these eight factors, we consider ETX Capital to be the more reliable broker. We’ve broken down why below:
ETX Capital and ActivTrades are both regulated by Financial Conduct Authority
XTB are also regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
If a broker has been around for a long period of time, they’re likely to be more reliable (in comparison, most scam brokers only exist for several years before they disappear).
This also suggests that a broker has good risk management processes that have prevented them being caught out by major financial events, as was the case with Alpari UK going bust when they were there was a policy reversal of capping the Swiss Franc against the Euro.
ETX Capital has been around for 19 years, while ActivTrades have been around for 20 years. Our third alternative broker, XTB, have been around for 19 years.
You wouldn’t want your broker paying their staff out of the same bank account account that you’re depositing your trading funds into, would you?
Fortunately, all regulated brokers must use segregated bank accounts to hold client money. This is one of the reasons why we only feature regulated brokers here on BrokerNotes.
All three brokers above will hold your money in a separate bank account.
Most tier-1 banks like Barclays and HSBC have been around for over 100 years and manage trillions of dollars of assets, proving that they have stood the test of time.
Both ETX Capital and ActivTrades use tier one banks, but we are not sure of which bank specifically.
If a broker has been penalised by a regulator in the past five years, it may mean that they were caught doing something they shouldn’t be doing - which may be of concern to you as an end client.
We’re not aware of any penalties or fines imposed by regulators on ETX Capital or ActivTrades in the past five years.
While not always the case, the number of traders a broker has can be a good metric for understanding how reputable a brokers is.
Companies that are publicly listed on a stock exchange tend to be considered more reputable as they will be required to disclose their financials, and aspects of their operations, to the public.
Both ETX Capital and ActivTrades are privately owned companies.
Most reputable brokers tend to be headquartered in a major capital city or a financial hub such as Cyprus.
ETX Capital are based in Floor 6, 26 Finsbury Square, London, while ActivTrades are based in 1 Thomas More Square London E1W 1YN UK .
Assuming the brokers you’re choosing between are reputable, the next point to consider is whether they offer all of the features you require to trade.
This can be broken down into three categories:
If you’re looking to trade currency pairs, both ETX Capital and ActivTrades offer forex trading. ETX Capital have a slightly larger variety of currency pairs with 60 pairs, compared to 47 offered by ActivTrades. Also, if you’re looking to trade cryptocurrencies, ETX Capital offers a handful of cryptocurrency CFDs to trade, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple.
Both ETX Capital and ActivTrades allow you to trade commodities like gold, silver and crude oil.
ETX Capital and ActivTrades both offer social trading, which is a modern approach to trading that allows you to follow like-minded traders, copy their trading activity, and engage in discussion around trading strategies.
If you trade forex, there’s a good chance you might want a broker that offers the popular MT4 trading platform. If that’s the case, both ETX Capital and ActivTrades offer this. ActivTrades also offer the new & improved MT5 platform. Our alternative broker, XTB, also offers MT4 and MT5.
In addition to the platform, you’ll also want to ensure that the broker you choose offers the account type best suited to your needs. ETX Capital, for example, offer a mini account, standard account and VIP account.
If you have a certain trading style (e.g. scalping, hedging, or using EAs), you’ll want to double check that the broker you choose allows this, as not all of them do.
ETX Capital does not allow scalping but allows hedging. While ActivTrades also allows scalping and hedging. You can trade with EAs (expert advisors) on ETX Capital but you can't trade EAs (expert advisors) with ActivTrades.
In terms of risk management tools, ETX Capital doesn't offer negative balance protection, but ActivTrades does. Negative balance protection prevents you owing your broker more than you’ve deposited.
ETX Capital also offer stop losses, limit orders, and price alerts to help you automate aspects of your trading strategy.
Both ETX Capital and ActivTrades accept Neteller as a funding method.
Comparing the fee structures of different brokers can be a minefield at times. The important thing to consider is what the spreads & fees are on the specific instruments and account type that you will be using.
For trading EUR/USD, ETX Capital charges 0.60 points, while ActivTrades charges 0.50 points. Therefore, ActivTrades is the more affordable for this instrument. If you want to compare their spreads across more instruments, You can jump back up to our comparison of their currency pair & indice spreads above.
Another consideration is whether or not your broker charges inactivity, deposit/withdrawal fees, or commissions on trades. If you’re a frequent trader, inactivity fees are unlikely to be an issue.
There’s no such thing as a perfect broker, but some are going to be a better fit for you than others.
Objectively, ETX Capital is more reliable based on our criteria above. ActivTrades has a wider range of instruments to trade. ETX Capital offer lower spreads on popular forex instruments like EUR/USD and are used by more traders.
Both brokers offer demo accounts, allowing you to test their platforms to see which is suitable for you. You can test drive their demos using the links below:
Finally, if you’re really not sure you can always use our free tool (takes 15 seconds) that will help you find a suitable broker based on your precise requirements here.