EasyMarkets vs ActivTrades: Which Broker Wins in 2026?

Regulation & Safety

Both EasyMarkets and ActivTrades operate under tier-1 financial regulation, giving traders a strong baseline of confidence when it comes to fund security. EasyMarkets is licensed by CySEC and ASIC, two well-respected regulatory bodies known for enforcing strict capital adequacy and client fund segregation rules.

ActivTrades, on the other hand, holds licences from the FCA and CySEC. The FCA is widely regarded as one of the most rigorous regulators globally, which gives ActivTrades a slight perceptual edge for UK-based and European traders who value the added protection of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

In our proprietary scoring, this category tips narrowly toward EasyMarkets on the awards front, but in practical terms both brokers offer comparable safety nets. Neither broker charges deposit or withdrawal fees, which further reinforces a transparent, trader-friendly cost structure on both sides.

Fees, Spreads & Commissions

This is where ActivTrades pulls ahead most clearly. ActivTrades advertises spreads starting from 0.5 pips, undercutting EasyMarkets' quoted 0.7 pips starting spread on comparable instruments.

Neither broker charges a trading commission, meaning the spread is effectively the primary cost metric for evaluating value. Since both brokers also waive deposit and withdrawal fees, the entire cost comparison boils down to spread competitiveness, and ActivTrades wins that battle on paper.

For high-frequency traders or those running tight-margin scalping strategies, the 0.2 pip difference between the two brokers can compound meaningfully over hundreds of trades. Casual or swing traders, however, may find the difference largely negligible relative to other platform benefits.

Minimum Deposit & Accessibility

ActivTrades requires no minimum deposit at all, making it exceptionally accessible for new traders who want to test the waters without committing meaningful capital upfront. This $0 threshold removes a significant psychological and financial barrier to entry.

EasyMarkets, by contrast, requires a minimum deposit of $25. While still a low bar compared to many institutional-style brokers, it is a notable difference when stacked directly against ActivTrades' zero-deposit policy.

Both brokers offer the same maximum leverage of 1:400, so leverage access is not a differentiating factor here. The deposit accessibility gap is one of the clearer, more quantifiable advantages ActivTrades holds in this matchup.

Trading Platforms & Tools

EasyMarkets leans into its proprietary ecosystem, offering a Proprietary Web platform and Proprietary Mobile app alongside the industry-standard MT4. This suits traders who appreciate simplified, guided interfaces alongside the flexibility of a widely-supported terminal.

ActivTrades takes a more traditional route by supporting MT4, MT5, and its own Proprietary Web platform. The inclusion of MT5 gives ActivTrades clients access to more asset classes, additional timeframes, and an improved strategy tester compared to the older MT4 architecture.

Traders who value cutting-edge algorithmic trading support or a broader technical toolkit may lean toward ActivTrades because of its MT5 availability. Those who prefer EasyMarkets' simplified proprietary tools, including fixed spreads and guaranteed stop-loss orders, may find more comfort in its curated in-house platform experience.

Markets & Instruments

Both brokers offer an almost identical range of tradable markets, including Forex, CFDs, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, and Crypto. This parity means neither broker holds a decisive advantage in terms of raw market breadth.

Since both were founded in 2001 and have over two decades of operating history, both firms have had ample time to build out mature product suites. The real differentiator, then, isn't what you can trade, but how efficiently and cost-effectively you can trade it — which circles back to the fee and platform comparisons above.

Our Verdict

When we weigh all factors together, EasyMarkets narrowly claims the title of stronger all-round broker in our proprietary rating system, driven by its regulatory mix and distinctive proprietary trading tools. That said, the margin over ActivTrades is razor-thin at just 0.05 points on our scale.

ActivTrades counters convincingly for cost-sensitive and beginner traders thanks to its $0 minimum deposit and tighter 0.5 pip spreads. If low-cost entry and MT5 access matter most to you, ActivTrades is the more sensible starting point.

Ultimately, this comparison doesn't produce a clear-cut universal winner — it produces two strong, tier-1 regulated options suited to slightly different trader profiles and priorities.