BlackBull Markets or ActivTrades – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare BlackBull Markets and ActivTrades in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
BlackBull Markets vs ActivTrades Comparison Table 2024
BlackBull Markets
ActivTrades
3.7
4
BlackBull Markets is ranked #14 among CFD brokers.
BlackBull is a New Zealand-based CFD broker providing diverse trading opportunities on over 26,000 instruments. After undergoing a rebrand in 2023, it now sports a modern look and feel complete with professional-grade trading tools and ultra-fast execution speeds averaging 20ms.
ActivTrades is a UK-headquartered CFD and forex broker established in 2001. The award-winning brokerage has secured licenses from trusted bodies, notably the UK’s FCA, and facilitates trading on over 1000 instruments spanning 7 asset classes, with over 93.60% of orders are executed at the requested price.
Pros
BlackBull offers every ingredient for traders; fast execution speeds of <100ms, leverage up to 1:500, and tight spreads from 0.0 pips.
BlackBulls’s research is superb, especially the daily ‘Trading Opportunities’ articles that break down complex market movements into easy-to-understand insights, making it simpler to capitalize on emerging trends.
After partnering with ZuluTrade and Myfxbook, alongside improvements to its own CopyTrader, BlackBull offers one of the most comprehensive copy trading experiences we've seen.
With three ECN-powered accounts (Standard, Prime, and Institutional), BlackBull accommodates beginners, experienced traders, and professionals, offering flexibility based on trading needs and capital.
ActivTrades offers tight spreads, particularly for forex trading with spreads starting from 0.5 pips on major currency pairs without additional commissions. The €/£10 inactivity fee doesn’t kick in for 52 weeks either, so it doesn’t penalize active traders.
Although cTrader isn’t supported, MT4, MT5, TradingView and the broker’s ActivTrader cater to diverse trading needs, with the firm’s web-accessible platform hitting the mark for beginners during testing with a slick look and feel.
ActivTrades is highly trusted, boasting 20+ years in the industry, authorization from 3 ‘green tier’ bodies under DayTrading.com’s Regulation & Trust Rating, and it goes the extra mile for UK traders with £1M in investor compensation (exceeding the £85K through the FSCS) in the event of brokerage insolvency.
ActivTrades provides fast, dependable and multilingual support based on our tests of its live chat, email, and phone assistance, making it excellent for active traders and beginners.
With execution speeds averaging just 4ms, an order fulfilment rate of 93.6%, and no restrictions on short-term strategies, ActivTrades offers an excellent environment for fast-paced strategies like trading.
Cons
Despite a growing selection of 26,000+ assets, including additions to its Asia Pacific indices, they are mainly stocks with an average selection of currency pairs and indices.
Unlike most top brokers, BlackBull charges an irritating $5 withdrawal fee, which can detract from the overall cost-effectiveness, especially for active traders who frequently move funds.
Although the Education Hub now features improvements like webinars and tutorials, the courses we’ve explored need more focus on explaining the wider economic factors influencing prices.
BlackBull lacks a proprietary platform, relying on MetaTrader, cTrader and TradingView. While these are excellent, other brokers' exclusive platforms, notably eToro’s, often have unique features for beginner traders.
There are no copy trading or social trading features, which is a drawback for traders seeking passive investment opportunities or the ability to mimic the trades of more experienced traders, especially compared to eToro and Vantage.
There's a varied selection of 1000+ markets, such as forex, commodities, indices, and ETFs, but the range of asset classes overall is limited, notably there are zero stocks outside the US, UK and Europe, while BlackBull offers a superior 26,000+ markets.
Its research tools are good but not great, with a growing ‘Analysis’ hub but no Trading Central or Autochartist for advanced technical summaries which could help aspiring traders identify opportunities in fast-moving markets.
ActivTrades still has some way to go to match firms like XTB and CMC Markets in the education department, with some well-presented, informative webinars but limited courses and quizzes for a more comprehensive and engaging learning journey.
Awards
Fast 50 Index (multiple years) - Deloitte
Best Global FX Broker 2022 - Forex Expo Dubai
Fastest Growing Exporter for Auckland 2018 - Westpac Auckland Business Awards
Safest Global Broker 2023 - International Investor Magazine
Best Online Trading Services 2023 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
Best Forex Broker Europe 2022 - Forex-Awards.com
Most Trusted Global FX Broker 2022 - International Investor Magazine
Best CFD Broker 2021 - Rankia
Safest Global Broker 2021 - International Investor Award Winners
BlackBull offers one of the most complete mobile trading ecosystems we’ve seen, providing active traders with first-rate charting tools and the broker’s impress execution speeds of <100ms on a choice of MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView apps, catering to diverse preferences.
ActivTrades provides a choice of mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. The proprietary ActivTrader app and support for MT4, MT5, and TradingView give access to real-time market data, advanced charting tools, and customizable trading features. All four apps let you trade and manage you accounts intuitively, but ActivTrades boasts the most seamless trading experience, combining the broker’s ultra-fast execution speeds with dynamic charting and research tools.
iOS App Rating
3.7
4.9
Android App Rating
3.7
3.8
Margin Trading
Yes
Yes
MetaTrader 4
Yes
Yes
MetaTrader 5
Yes
Yes
cTrader
Yes
No
AlgoTrader
No
No
OmniTrader
No
No
TradingView
Yes
Yes
Autochartist
Yes
No
eSignal
No
No
Trading Central
No
No
STP Account
No
Yes
ECN Account
Yes
No
DMA Account
No
No
MAM Account
Yes
No
PAMM Account
No
No
LAMM Account
No
No
Demat Account
No
No
AI / Machine Learning
No
No
Robo Advisor
No
No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes
Yes
Market Maker
No
Yes
P2P Trading
No
No
Spot Trading
Yes
No
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cTrader Automate
Yes (APIs), Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
Yes
No
Copy Trading Platform
Blackbull stands out with its sheer range of copy trading solutions, from its own CopyTrader to HokoCloud, DupliTrade and Myfxbook. With rich metrics to analyze strategy providers, including annual returns and percentage returns, on user-friendly dashboards, it offers one of the most comprehensive copy trading packages that you can find today.
Social Trading
Yes
No
Trade Signals
BlackBull Research stock recommendation service
Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes
No
Tournaments
No
No
Demo Competitions
No
No
Ethical Investing
No
No
Custodial Account
No
No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No
No
Inactivity Fee
$0
€/£10
Islamic Account
Yes
Yes
Account Currencies
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
AUD
NZD
JPY
ZAR
SGD
USD
EUR
GBP
CHF
Commodities
Gold
Silver
Oil
Gasoline
Cocoa
Wheat
Corn
Sugar
Coffee
Natural Gas
Platinum
Palladium
Copper
Aluminium
Lead
Zinc
Gold
Oil
Natural Gas
Wheat
Copper
Cocoa
Coffee
Corn
Orange Juice
Palladium
Platinum
Silver
Soybeans
Sugar
CFD
BlackBull is an obvious choice for CFD traders, providing leveraged trading up to 1:500, low spreads from 0.0 pips, and 24/7 support that performed excellently during testing, providing a sense of confidence for active traders operating in fast-moving markets.
ActivTrades specializes in CFD trading, offering over 1000 instruments spanning currencies, shares, indices, commodities, and more. The broker has picked up industry awards for its CFD trading environment, delivering fast and reliable order execution with transparent margin requirements for traders.
Leverage
1:500
1:30 (UK and EU), 1:400 (Global & Pro)
FTSE Spread
1.5
0.6
GBPUSD Spread<
0.5
0.8
Oil Spread
1.5
0.03
Stocks Spread
Variable
Variable
Forex
BlackBull offers 64 currency pairs with excellent pricing through its ECN accounts, with the Standard commission-free spread starting from 0.8 pips. BlackBull also ensures its rapid execution carries through to MT4, which still stands as the industry’s most popular platform with active forex traders.
ActivTrades offers its lowest fees in the forex department, with excellent spreads on majors like the EUR/USD from 0.5 pips and zero commissions, keeping pricing simple. Improvements to the ActivTrades platform, alongside access to the industry-leading MetaTrader 4, also give traders the tools they need to navigate the FX market confidently.
Assets
64
50+
GBPUSD Spread
0.5
0.8
EURUSD Spread
0.3
0.5
EURGBP Spread
0.8
0.8
Currency Indices
USD
Cryptocurrency
BlackBull supports short-term trading on 11 cryptos including Bitcoin and Ethereum with up to 1:5 leverage. Digital tokens are paired with USD, while the broker’s ‘Daily Opportunities’ excel for their excellent insights into emerging trends in the cryptocurrency space.
Trade 15+ of the most know cryptos, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. Digital currencies can be traded around the clock with no hidden fees. 1:10 leverage is also available on major tokens like BTC.