HYCM vs ActivTrades

HYCM or ActivTrades – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare HYCM and ActivTrades in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

HYCM vs ActivTrades Comparison Table 2025
HYCM ActivTrades
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3.8
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4
HYCM is ranked #62 among CFD brokers. ActivTrades is ranked #57 among CFD brokers.
HYCM is an online broker with authorization from four international bodies including the FCA and CySEC. The broker offers short-term CFD trading on forex, shares, commodities, indices, ETFs and Bitcoin, and supports the MT4 and MT5 platforms, as well as Trading Central analysis. 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
  • The low $20 minimum deposit is suitable for beginners, as well as the Fixed spread account with no commissions
  • The broker is overseen by trusted regulators, including the FCA
  • MT4 and MT5 integration ensures that active traders can access a vast selection of technical charting tools
  • There's a good range of free analytical tools, particularly Seasonax for pattern analysis
  • Spreads are competitive in the Raw account, starting from 0.1 pips for EUR/USD
  • Traders can access fee-free payments with rapid processing
  • 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
  • Not the best overall range of assets, with just 200+ stocks
  • Market coverage varies quite significantly between account types and platforms
  • There's a high commission of $4 each way on the Raw account
  • 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
  • Best Forex Broker 2021-2022 - Spain, Middle East, Asia, Germany
  • Best Trading Platform App 2021 - Forex Expo
  • Best Mobile Trading App 2020 - World of Finance Forex Award
  • 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
  • Best FX Broker 2021 - Le Fonti Award
FCA Regulated
Yes Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, ETFs, Futures, Cryptos (location dependent)
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$20 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, DFSA, CIMA, CySEC FCA, CMVM, CSSF, SCB
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

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
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3
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4.9
Android App Rating
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3.6
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3.8
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
Variable upon regulation and jurisdiction
MetaTrader 4
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5
Yes Yes
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No Yes
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
Yes No
STP Account
No Yes
ECN Account
Yes No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No 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 Yes (APIs), Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$10 €/£10
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • RUB
  • AED
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CHF
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Coffee
  • Oil
  • Cotton
  • Copper
  • Palladium
  • Platinum
  • Sugar
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Natural Gas
  • Wheat
  • Copper
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee
  • Corn
  • Orange Juice
  • Palladium
  • Platinum
  • Silver
  • Soybeans
  • Sugar
CFD
HYCM traders can access CFDs on a range of stocks, indices, commodities and ETFs with floating spreads and maximum leverage varying by instrument. Clients also have a choice between two industry-leading platforms. 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
1:301:500 1:30 (UK and EU), 1:400 (Global & Pro)
FTSE Spread
1.5 0.6
GBPUSD Spread<
0.1 0.8
Oil Spread
2.0 0.03
Stocks Spread
2.2% Variable
Forex
HYCM offers 40+ forex pairs, with most available to trade on either the MT4 or MT5 platform. The maximum leverage on offer is 1:30 in accordance with regulations, and tight spreads start from 0.2 on the Raw account and from 1.2 on the commission-free Classic account. 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
40+ 50+
GBPUSD Spread
0.4 0.8
EURUSD Spread
0.1 0.5
EURGBP Spread
0.4 0.8
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
HYCM only offers trading opportunities on Bitcoin, which is traded via CFD in a pair with USD. Whilst exposure to the largest crypto by market cap is good, access to other digital currencies would bring the broker in line with competitors. 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.
Spread
Variable Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • BCH
  • DOT
  • EOS
  • LINK
  • XLM
  • NEO
  • ADA
  • SOL
  • XRP
  • BNB
  • XMR
  • AVAX
  • DOGE
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
HYCM ActivTrades
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