ActivTrades vs Bitbns: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between ActivTrades and Bitbns This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on September 5, 2025

ActivTrades

Bitbns

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Yes

Canada

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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ActivTrades is ideal if:

User-Friendly Platforms – ActivTrades offers intuitive trading via MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView, and its proprietary ActivTrader, plus handy tools like progressive trailing stops and sentiment indicators, making it straightforward for both newer and seasoned traders.
Strong Safety and Trust – With multi-regulatory oversight and enhanced investor protection—including negative-balance coverage and insurance exceeding standard thresholds—it prioritizes client security across regions.
Wide Multi-Asset Access – It supports a broad market portfolio including CFDs on forex, stocks, indices, commodities, ETFs, bonds, and select crypto, giving you flexible diversification opportunities under one roof.

Bitbns is ideal if:

Best for exploring diverse altcoins — If you're looking to access both mainstream and niche cryptocurrencies with ease, Bitbns offers a standout range that supports broad portfolio experimentation.
Great for building passive income — Offers features like staking, crypto-backed loans, and systematic purchasing plans for growing your holdings over time without day-to-day trading.
Ideal for beginners in accessible markets — Its intuitive interface, learning materials, and support across multiple fiat channels make Bitbns particularly beginner-friendly—especially in Asia.

ActivTrades isn’t ideal if:

Limited real equity access – Offers only CFDs, which means you can’t buy actual stocks or ETFs directly.
No copy-trading or social tools – Doesn’t support automated strategy sharing or social trading, which may be a drawback for those seeking passive or collaborative trading methods.
Potential inactivity and funding limits – May charge dormancy fees after extended inactivity, and deposit/withdrawal options can vary depending on your region.

Bitbns isn’t ideal if:

If you require fast, reliable withdrawals — Users have reported cases of prolonged pending withdrawals or frozen funds, raising concerns around liquidity and operational consistency.
If you prioritize strong international regulation — Regulatory clarity and oversight are limited outside of India, which could be a red flag for risk-conscious, globally-based users.
If you need responsive customer support — Multiple users, especially abroad, mention delays or difficulty in getting support, particularly for account issues or fund access.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

ActivTrades offers zero-commission crypto CFD trading with spreads embedded in the price instead of separate maker/taker fees. There’s no tiered pricing based on trading volume and no native-token-based discounts available.

Makers and takers both start at around 0.25%, but you can unlock lower rates—down to approximately 0.03%—if you reach high monthly trading volumes and hold enough BNS tokens while using the “Pay with BNS” option.

Futures/Derivatives

Since ActivTrades focuses on spot crypto CFDs rather than traditional futures contracts, there are no maker or taker fees—costs come via spread and overnight financing charges if you hold positions beyond a trading day.

Bitbns currently offers an introductory futures fee of 0.1% for both makers and takers, but there’s limited transparency on ongoing funding rates or dynamic adjustments for hedging, so derivatives cost structure may evolve.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

ActivTrades aims to offer tight spreads and minimal slippage on its most traded crypto CFDs, though specific spread values for pairs like BTC/USDT or ETH/USDT aren’t reported publicly as fixed figures.

While Bitbns doesn’t publish exact spread percentages, markets like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT—given sufficient liquidity—are expected to have spreads comparable to global averages, often hovering within a hundredth to a few tenths of a percent.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

You can deposit or withdraw fiat via bank transfer, credit/debit card, or e-wallet. Most methods are free, but deposits using cards incur a small percentage fee depending on your region. Processing time ranges from near-instant for cards and e-wallets to the same working day for bank transfers.

You can deposit and withdraw INR via bank transfers (NEFT/IMPS), UPI, or P2P—with deposits typically free and withdrawals mostly quick—though some express options (like instant transfers) may carry small surcharges and slightly faster processing.

On-chain Withdrawals

ActivTrades doesn’t support on-chain crypto withdrawals—only CFDs—so there are no network-based or fixed blockchain withdrawal fees to consider.

Withdrawal fees depend on the specific asset and blockchain; for example, BTC withdrawals cost around 0.0005 BTC, while others like ETH or TRX have their own fixed rates—generally lower than industry norms, with no dynamic gas-based markups.

Hidden Costs

There’s a small currency conversion fee if your deposit or withdrawal currency doesn’t match your account base. After prolonged inactivity (typically over a year), a monthly dormancy fee applies. There’s no explicit, paid “KYC express” service advertised, keeping these verification costs minimal or absorbed in standard processes.

Bitbns avoids most sneaky charges—there’s no inactivity fee, minimal conversion impacts, and instant KYC services may be offered but don’t carry recurring fees—making the overall cost structure transparent.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you use €500 to buy BTC via CFD, you’d face a spread-based cost embedded in the execution price (since it’s commission-free), followed by any applicable currency conversion if your base isn’t in euros, and would then encounter no actual withdrawal fee—since crypto cannot be withdrawn, you’re unable to transfer real BTC out of the platform.

If you spent €500 to buy BTC, your cost would include the spot fee (roughly 0.25%), a small bid-ask spread, and possibly a one-time withdrawal fee (for instance, 0.0005 BTC). The total cost remains modest while the fee structure stays predictable and evergreen.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

ActivTrades provides around 16 crypto CFDs covering major coins like BTC, ETH, XRP, LTC and others—not ranked by volume—so you’ll trade the most recognized tokens but won’t find a broader altcoin selection or a highlights list of top 20 by trading volume.

Bitbns currently lists around 483 cryptocurrencies and approximately 191 trading pairs; its top 20 by volume also emphasize high-liquidity tokens like BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, and SOL, reflecting mainstream interest and active trading depth.

Product Range

ActivTrades specializes in spot-style crypto CFDs only; it does not offer derivatives like perpetuals or options, nor crypto ETFs, staking, lending, copy trading, grid strategies, or automatic DCA functionalities.

The platform supports spot and margin trading, offers systematic purchase tools like SIP and fixed deposits (Bitdroplet, Ascent), APIs for algorithmic strategies, and features like bracket orders, but doesn’t currently provide formal futures, options, ETFs, copy trading, DCA bots, or DeFi yield products.

Liquidity

Liquidity must be inferred from competitive spreads and seamless execution, as ActivTrades does not publish direct 24-hour volumes or depth-of-book data for BTC or ETH CFDs—but execution speed and tight pricing suggest adequate market depth.

Average 24-hour spot volume fluctuates around USD 1–2 million, with ETH/INR and BTC/INR among the most active pairs, while order book depth for these pairs remains modest compared to global giants—indicating sufficient retail liquidity but limited institutional-scale depth.

Tools

ActivTrades features robust trading tools across its proprietary ActivTrader, MT4, MT5, and TradingView platforms, offering limit/stop orders (including OCO), real-time alerts, sophisticated charting, and API/WS access on desktop and mobile.

Bitbns supports limit, stop-limit, and advanced bracket (OCO-style) orders, offers real-time alerts and charting tools within its interface, and provides API access for external automation, though it does not include embedded TradingView or WebSocket charting out-of-the-box.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Certain features—such as leverage levels and guaranteed stop-loss tools—vary by jurisdiction due to regulatory boundaries, and crucially, crypto CFDs aren’t available to clients in the United States.

While spot trading is broadly accessible, certain advanced features like margin or fixed-savings may be limited in specific regions due to regulatory constraints—especially for users outside India, though exact restrictions depend on local laws.

Innovation

ActivTrades focuses on core CFD trading and doesn’t extend into more avant-garde offerings like launchpads, launchpools, or flexible/locked crypto earning programs.

Bitbns brings innovation through features like fixed-deposit products (Bitdroplet, Ascent) and systematic investment plans, but it doesn’t currently host a launchpad or launchpool for new tokens, nor does it differentiate between flexible and locked earn tiers.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

ActivTrades is operated by ActivTrades PLC, incorporated in 2001 and headquartered in London, UK, with international branches in Milan, Sofia, and The Bahamas.

Bitbns operates under Buyhatke Internet Private Limited, legally incorporated around 2015 with its platform launched in December 2017, and it’s headquartered in Bengaluru, India—placing it firmly within Indian jurisdiction.

Licenses/Registration

The firm is regulated by the UK’s FCA, Portugal’s CMVM, and the Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB), with a previously held Dubai license now revoked—no explicit VASP or MiCA registration is noted.

As of now, Bitbns does not appear to hold explicitly designated crypto-licenses like VASP or MiCA registration, and it operates under the evolving regulatory framework in India without formal licensing akin to European or global standards.

Custody

Client funds are held in segregated accounts with top-tier financial institutions; the broker does not publish proof-of-reserves, cold storage percentages, or third-party custody details.

The exchange manages custody internally, employing a mix of hot and cold storage, but it does not publish any Proof-of-Reserves or independent audit data detailing cold-wallet holdings or reserve coverage, limiting external verification.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Beyond regulatory safeguards, ActivTrades maintains up to $1 million in supplemental insurance (underwritten by Lloyd’s syndicates) to protect client funds in the event of firm insolvency.

There’s no public record of insurance policies or user-protection funds backing customer assets on Bitbns, suggesting assets rely on operational safeguards rather than dedicated financial buffers.

Incident History

There are no widely known or recent incidents involving hacks, platform suspensions, or asset freezes; a past fine in 2011 for fund segregation issues has since been addressed through strengthened client fund protections.

Bitbns has faced scrutiny for a cyber-incident in early 2022 that led to extended withdrawal freezes; this prompted a legal petition in India’s Delhi High Court seeking investigation into the handling of funds and transparency during that period.

Risk Controls

The platform enforces robust security measures—including SSL encryption, 2FA, anti-phishing protocols—as well as functionality for sub-accounts and granular API permissions to help manage risk and ensure safer access.

The platform supports standard security features such as two-factor authentication, likely uses encryption for account safety, and offers API access, though details on whitelists, anti-phishing tools, sub-accounts, or granular API permissions remain unclear or limited in scope.

Transparency

ActivTrades operates within MiFID II frameworks, offering best-execution policies and regulatory compliance documents, though it doesn’t provide public wallets, monthly financial reports, or explicit SLA disclosures on its website.

Bitbns does not publish regular proof-of-reserves reports, wallet addresses, or SLA metrics publicly, and while it provides some training and documentation, its external transparency regarding audits, operational standards, or public asset reporting is minimal.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

ActivTrades allows fiat deposits via bank wire, credit/debit card, and e-wallets like Skrill, PayPal, and Sofort—with no universal minimum deposit (except higher thresholds for China and Brazil), typically credited instantly via cards/e-wallets and same-day for bank transfers.

Users can deposit Indian Rupees via UPI, NEFT, IMPS, or RTGS bank transfers, with a minimum deposit of around ₹100 and a high daily limit; processing times align with standard banking protocols (usually minutes to a few hours depending on the method and bank).

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Account functionality is gated until full identity and address verification are submitted; there are no functional “levels” with specific tradeable limits publicly defined—it’s a verification-first model.

A valid national ID (like PAN, Aadhaar, passport) and bank account linkage are required to complete full KYC; trading and fiat withdrawals aren’t possible without verification.

Withdrawals

Withdrawals are processed to the original funding method—bank transfers, cards, or e-wallets—and often reach users within a few business days, with at least a $30 minimum per request; crypto on-chain withdrawals are not supported.

Crypto withdrawals are generally unlimited per policy for cryptocurrencies, but INR withdrawals are capped (e.g., ₹25 lakh per day), and completion time varies by network congestion; supported fiat networks include Indian domestic banking rails only.

Customer Support

ActivTrades provides 24/5 support via live chat, email, and phone—with multilingual assistance—and hosts a detailed help center and FAQs to guide users independently.

Support is available 24/7 via a ticketing system (email-based), and users also benefit from FAQs and knowledge base; however, response speeds vary, with some user feedback highlighting slower resolution in complex cases.

Languages & Localization

The platform supports multiple languages including native Spanish, displays amounts in base currency like euros, and operates under local regulation frameworks where applicable.

The platform is fully localized for Indian users (INR-denominated, English- and Hindi-friendly), showing fiat amounts in INR by default; international regulations or multi-currency displays are not implemented.

App Quality & Stability

Their mobile and desktop platforms (ActivTrader, MT4/5) are well-maintained, frequently updated, and recognized for stability—though specific crash-rate metrics aren’t published, user feedback generally reflects reliable performance.

Bitbns offers native Android and iOS apps alongside a web platform; user feedback notes a user-friendly experience but also occasional glitches, login issues, and withdrawal delays on the mobile app.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

ActivTrades delivers a modern and intuitive interface—its proprietary ActivTrader and xStation platforms cater well to beginners and advanced users alike, with a clear, browser-friendly layout rather than separate Lite or Pro modes.

Bitbns delivers a clean, intuitive interface that’s gentle enough for newcomers but lacks a structured “Lite vs Pro” mode tier, instead favoring a unified experience where users gradually adapt to its functionality without mode switching.

Performance

The broker boasts a robust cloud-based infrastructure ensuring lightning-fast order execution—around 0.004 seconds—and generally steady performance even during volatile periods, with no major reports of downtime or onboarding bottlenecks.

Order execution feels responsive under normal market conditions, though some users note slower responsiveness or minor lag during high volatility or trading surges—especially when KYC backlogs spike during bull markets.

Education

ActivTrades supports skill-building with a full demo account, platform guides, webinars, and a rich help center—while Spanish-language materials are available, there’s no formally branded “academy” or simulator beyond their standard demo environment.

While Bitbns provides platform guidance, FAQs, and basic blog content, it doesn’t offer a dedicated crypto academy, trading simulator, demo account, or Spanish-language education materials—making self-directed learning a must.

Community

While ActivTrades doesn’t host public forums or Telegram/Discord communities, it runs a direct referral program offering up to $5,500 and cashback incentives per referred client.

The platform supports a growing user base through referral programs and occasional contests, but lacks an official Discord or actively maintained community forum—even though there are unofficial Telegram groups and social media presence.

Integrations

ActivTrades excels in integration—its ActivTrader platform is powered by TradingView charts and supports automated strategies via Expert Advisors (EAs), but it lacks built-in external trading bots, tax tools, or accounting integrations.

Bitbns doesn’t embed TradingView charting or allow external bot connections; nor does it offer built-in tax tools or accounting integrations—leaving such needs to third-party solutions that users must integrate manually.

Who Each One Is Best For

This setup favors self-driven traders who value a polished, fast, and stable CFD experience with strong platform tools—especially those comfortable using TradingView and MetaTrader—but less so for social traders seeking copy trading or tax/reporting automation.

Bitbns suits Indian-based traders who value a straightforward interface, INR accessibility, and moderate-feature richness—but may feel restrictive for users seeking advanced UI flexibility, simulation, or integrated ecosystem tools.