A head-to-head comparison of ActivTrades and Admirals across regulation, trading costs, platforms, and editorial scoring.
FCA-regulated UK broker with 23 years of history, SMSG membership, and a proprietary ActivTrader platform featuring built-in volatility protection - strong in southern European markets.
Multi-regulated broker with extensive account range, competitive Zero account spreads, strong EU regulation and quality webinar and education content.
ActivTrades and Admirals are extremely closely matched with scores of 4.3/5 and 4.3/5. The right choice depends on your individual trading priorities.
Which broker wins for each type of trader, based on costs, safety, platforms, and editorial scoring.
Both brokers offer spreads from 0.5 pips.
Both brokers show an equally strong safety profile across regulation, fund protection, and client safeguards.
ActivTrades offers more exclusive platform options: ActivTrader, a proprietary platform.
Both brokers share the same editorial score of 4.3/5, but ActivTrades requires a lower minimum deposit ($0 vs $100 for Admirals), making it more accessible for new traders.
| Editorial score | 4.3/ 5 | 4.3/ 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Score Breakdown | ||
Trust & Regulation 40% weight | 4.5 / 5▲ | 4.3 / 5 |
Fees & Spreads 30% weight | 4.2 / 5 | 4.4 / 5▲ |
Platforms & Tools 20% weight | 4.3 / 5▲ | 4.2 / 5 |
Customer Support 10% weight | 4.3 / 5▲ | 4.2 / 5 |
| Founded | 2001 | 2001 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | Tallinn, Estonia |
| Min deposit | No minimum | $100 |
| Spreads from | 0.5 pips | 0.5 pips |
| Commission / lot | N/A | $6/lot |
| Max leverage | 400:1 | 500:1 |
| Withdrawal fee | Free | Free |
| Regulators | FCA CMVM SCB | FCA ASIC CySEC KNF |
| Platforms | MetaTrader 4 ActivTrader | MetaTrader 4 MetaTrader 5 |
| Active bonuses | ||
| Visit broker | Visit ActivTrades | Visit Admirals |
Pros
FCA regulated with supplemental insurance up to GBP 1,000,000 per client
ActivTrader's volatility protection feature is a genuine risk management differentiator
No minimum deposit
Strong southern European presence - Italian, Spanish, Portuguese support
Client funds held in segregated accounts
Negative balance protection
Investor compensation scheme coverage
No deposit fees
No inactivity fee
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 supported
Mobile trading app available
Proprietary trading platform available
Advanced charting tools included
Transparent pricing with clear cost disclosure
24/5 live chat support
Phone support available
Multilingual customer support
Pros
Extensive range of accounts including Zero, Trade, and Invest
Strong FCA and CySEC regulation covering EU and UK traders
High-quality educational content including live webinars
Zero account offers spreads from 0.5 pips with $6 round-turn commission
Client funds held in segregated accounts
Negative balance protection
Investor compensation scheme coverage
No deposit fees
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 supported
Mobile trading app available
Advanced charting tools included
Transparent pricing with clear cost disclosure
24/5 live chat support
Phone support available
Multilingual customer support
Cons
Product range narrower than IG or Saxo
No cTrader or raw ECN account option
Less known outside Europe compared to global competitors
Cons
Platform-heavy - MT4 and MT5 only, no proprietary platform
Customer support quality varies by region
Not available to US clients
Inactivity fee applies
A closer look at the specific criteria each broker meets or misses within each scoring category.
| Criteria | ActivTrades | Admirals |
|---|---|---|
| Trust & Regulation | ||
| Top-tier regulator (FCA, ASIC, CFTC, etc.) | Pass | Pass |
| Segregated client funds | Pass | Pass |
| Negative balance protection | Pass | Pass |
| Compensation scheme (e.g. FSCS) | Pass | Pass |
| Fees & Spreads | ||
| Raw/ECN spreads available | Fail | Pass |
| No deposit fee | Pass | Pass |
| No inactivity fee | Pass | Fail |
| Transparent pricing page | Pass | Pass |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| MT4/MT5 available | Pass | Pass |
| Proprietary platform | Pass | Fail |
| Mobile app | Pass | Pass |
| Advanced charting tools | Pass | Pass |
| Customer Support | ||
| 24/5 live chat | Pass | Pass |
| Phone support | Pass | Pass |
| Multilingual support | Pass | Pass |
ActivTrades and Admirals share the same editorial score of 4.3/5. The right choice depends on your priorities: trading costs, platform preference, or regulatory coverage.
Both ActivTrades and Admirals offer spreads starting from 0.5 pips, making them equivalent on this metric. Consider commissions and account types when evaluating total trading costs.
ActivTrades has a lower minimum deposit of no minimum required, while Admirals requires at least $100. This makes ActivTrades more accessible for traders with limited starting capital.
Both ActivTrades and Admirals hold licences from top-tier regulators, indicating a high standard of regulatory oversight. Both are considered safe. Check each broker's specific regulatory bodies to confirm coverage in your jurisdiction.
For beginners: ActivTrades has a lower minimum deposit (no minimum), lowering the barrier to entry; both brokers offer negative balance protection. Also weigh up educational resources and customer support quality before deciding.
ActivTrades offers maximum leverage of 400:1, while Admirals offers up to 500:1. Available leverage varies by account type, instrument, and jurisdiction. Higher leverage amplifies both potential profits and losses. Always use appropriate risk management.
Admirals charges $6 per lot on commission-based accounts. Commission details for the other broker are not currently available. Check their website for up-to-date pricing.
ActivTrades supports MetaTrader 4, ActivTrader and Admirals offers MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5; both support MetaTrader 4; ActivTrades exclusively offers ActivTrader; Admirals exclusively offers MetaTrader 5.
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Score 4.3 / 5
Score 4.3 / 5
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