Founded in 2006, AvaTrade has made a strong name for itself in the trading world with a solid lineup of six platforms and access to over 1,450 CFDs across various markets.
It offers competitive spreads, zero commissions, and relatively low overnight fees. I also appreciated its comprehensive Trading Academy, which delivers a steady stream of educational resources for traders of all levels.
AvaTrade packs in useful tools like research from Trading Central, automation through Capitalise.ai, and its own risk-management feature, AvaProtect.
On the downside, payment methods are limited for EU and Australian users, and during my test, spreads on DAX and Bitcoin were notably higher than average.
If you’re a casual or day trader chasing new opportunities—or an algo trader seeking a strategic edge—AvaTrade could be a great fit.
Pros | Cons |
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When reviewing a broker, we assess whether it suits different trading strategies and trader profiles. To achieve this, we evaluate the availability of the necessary features and tools. Here’s our verdict about AvaTrade:
AvaTrade offers several options for traders who want to get into social or copy trading. These include the DupliTrade platform and AvaTrade’s own AvaSocial app—both designed to easily connect strategy providers with traders who want to follow them.
During my test, AvaTrade’s swaps were relatively low, making it a solid choice for overnight trading. The broker also offers a wide variety of tradable instruments, including options, ETFs, and futures—great picks for longer-term strategies.
AvaTrade WebTrader is integrated with actionable trading signals from Trading Central, one of the biggest and most trusted providers of research content. This makes it the perfect choice for day traders aiming to catch currently unfolding trading setups.
AvaTrade provides daily market breakdowns that delve deep into financial news. It also incorporates the Trading Central package, making it a perfect fit for news traders.
Many of AvaTrade’s platforms support algorithmic trading via Expert Advisors (EAs). MT4 and MT5 also have built-in strategy testers, and can be enhanced with VPS. Additionally, AvaTrade incorporates Capitalise.ai for code-free trade automation.
Casual traders will likely enjoy AvaTrade’s strong focus on client safety, competitive spreads, in-depth market research, and well-rounded educational content. That said, the broker only offers a single, one-size-fits-all account, which may feel a bit limiting for those seeking more flexibility.
AvaTrade’s MetaTrader 5 platform offers the best solutions for scalpers. It features multiple timeframes, one-click trading, DoM trading, and trailing stop orders.
AvaTrade does not provide any real stocks for portfolio building and value investing.
AvaTrade stands head and shoulders above the competition with its comprehensive educational and market research offerings. It also has a massive lineup of trading platforms and tools. Additionally, the broker has developed its very own AvaProtect tool for risk management, which allows the user to insure a single trade against a flat fee.
I opened a Standard account with the AVA Trade EU Ltd entity and performed my tests on the AvaTrade WebTrader and AvaTrade App. Some features and services may vary depending on where you reside.
☑️ Regulations | FSCA (South Africa), CBI (Ireland), BVI FSC (Virgin Islands, British), ADGM (United Arab Emirates), ASIC (Australia), JFSA (Japan), ISA (Israel), CySEC (Cyprus) |
🗺 Supported Languages | English, Russian, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Bahasa, Thai, Bulgarian, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Indonesian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian, Slovak, Filipino, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese |
💰 Products | Options, Currencies, Stocks, ETFs, Crypto, Bonds, Indices, Commodities |
💵 Min Deposit | $100 |
💹 Max Leverage | 1:400 (FSCA), 1:30 (CBI), 1:200 (BVI FSC), 1:400 (ADGM), 1:30 (ASIC), 1:25 (JFSA), 1:30 (ISA), 1:30 (CySEC) |
🖥 Trading Desk Type | Market Maker, Dealing Desk |
📊 Trading Platforms | AvaOptions, AvaSocial, MT5, Proprietary, MT4, DupliTrade, Capitalise.ai, Ava Web Trader, AvaTrade App |
💳 Deposit Options | Wire Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card |
💳 Withdrawal Options | Wire Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card |
🤴 Demo Account | Yes |
🗓 Foundation Year | 2006 |
🌎 Headquarters Country | Ireland |
AvaTrade operates several entities licensed and regulated in various jurisdictions. The broker keeps client funds segregated, guarantees negative balance protection, and operates on a best execution basis. AvaTrade has longevity on the market and is fairly transparent.
Entity Features | AVA Trade EU Ltd | DT Direct Investment Hub Ltd | Ava Capital Markets Australia Pty Ltd | Ava Trade Japan K.K. | Ava Capital Markets Pty | ATrade Ltd | Ava Trade Middle East Ltd | Ava Trade Markets Ltd |
Country/Region | Ireland/Dublin | Cyprus/Limassol | Australia/Sydney | Japan/ Tokyo | South Africa/Johannesburg | Israel/Herzliya | UAE/Abu Dhabi | British Virgin Islands/Tortola |
Regulation | CBI | CySEC | ASIC | JFSA | FSCA | ISA | ADGM | BVI FSC |
Tier | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Segregated Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Negative Balance Protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compensation Scheme | Up to EUR 20,000 under ICF | Up to EUR 20,000 under ICF | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Maximum Leverage | 1:30 | 1:30 | 1:30 | 1:25 | 1:400 | 1:30 | 1:400 | 1:200 |
When we review brokers, we look at the licenses held by each of their entities to understand how well they protect clients. We use a simple three-tier system to rank regulatory bodies, with Tier 1 being the most trusted and offering the highest level of protection.
This is what I discovered about the eight entities operating under the AvaTrade trade name:
Brokers operate multiple entities globally, but regulatory protections vary. Some regulators enforce stricter financial standards than others, so traders should understand the safety measures of the entity with which they choose to open an account.
Here is how AvaTrade protects you:
To learn more about these safety mechanisms and how they apply to you, click here.
In our Trust category, we assess how stable and transparent a broker is. This includes how long they’ve been in business, the size of the company, and how openly they share important information.
According to AvaTrade’s LinkedIn page, the company employs more than 300 professionals worldwide. Its stability is further underpinned by its successful operational run for nearly 20 years.
I pored over AvaTrade’s legal documents and was satisfied with what I saw. All crucial information is readily available and easy to discern. I also appreciated the broker’s display of live spreads on the website, which enhances its fee transparency.
I concluded that AvaTrade is very safe to trade with due to the following factors:
AvaTrade’s spreads are generally average, but I found them impressively low on EURUSD and crude oil during my test. The broker doesn’t charge commissions, and its swap rates are better than the industry norm. While there’s a small inactivity fee, deposits and withdrawals are free of charge.
I tested AvaTrade’s spreads on 25 June 2025 during the London and New York opens. The results are shown in the table below:
Instrument | Live Spread AM | Live Spread PM | Industry Average |
EURUSD | 0.8 pips | 0.8 pips | 1.08 pips |
GBPJPY | 2.2 pips | 2.2 pips | 2.44 pips |
Gold (XAUUSD) | 29 pips | 29 pips | 23 pips |
Crude Oil | 0.02 pips | 0.02 pips | 0.03 pips |
Apple | NA | 23 points | 0.33 points |
Tesla | NA | 54 points | 0.50 points |
Dow Jones 30 | 4.0 basis points | 4.0 basis points | 3.3 basis points |
Germany 40 | 3.5 basis points | 3.5 basis points | 2.4 basis points |
Bitcoin | $85.12 | $84.22 | $34 |
My live testing showed that AvaTrade charges low-to-average spreads on forex and commodities, average spreads on share CFDs, average-to-high on indices, and high spreads on cryptocurrencies. The most competitive pricing was on EURUSD and crude oil, while BTCUSD had quite an elevated spread.
A swap fee is a trader’s cost for holding an open position overnight because of changing interest rates. Swap long refers to the charge deductible or credit receivable for holding a buy position open overnight. In turn, swap short relates to the charges/credits deductible or receivable for holding a selling position open overnight.
The values listed below are for one full base currency contract (100,000 units).
Instrument | Swap Long | Swap Short |
EURUSD | Charge of $2.72 | Credit of $0.61 |
GBPJPY | Credit of $2.63 | Charge of $5.76 |
Gold (XAUUSD) | Charge of $5.37 | Credit of $1.69 |
My findings indicate that AvaTrade’s swaps beat the industry benchmark, making the broker a perfect choice for overnight trading. However, swaps change over time.
AvaTrade charges dormant accounts an inactivity fee of 10 base currency units. The fee is charged monthly until account activity resumes or the balance drops to zero. An account is considered inactive after two calendar months of dormancy, which is a rather narrow timespan compared to other brokers.
The broker does not impose a handling fee for deposits and withdrawals, though third-party processing fees may apply.
AvaTrade offers commission-free trading with competitive spreads on forex and commodities, though spreads on indices and cryptocurrencies can be less attractive. Its biggest advantage is low swap rates, making it a solid pick for longer-term traders.
Aside from a modest $10 inactivity fee, there are no non-trading charges. Overall, AvaTrade delivers a competitive pricing structure that suits most trading styles.
AvaTrade offers an impressive lineup of trading platforms. You can choose from the broker’s own Ava WebTrader and AvaTrade App, or dive into options and copy trading with AvaOptions and AvaSocial.
For those who prefer a classic layout, AvaTrade also supports MT4 and MT5. On top of that, you get access to the Guardian Angel plugin for an enhanced MetaTrader experience, plus Capitalise.ai—an automation tool especially handy for crypto traders.
Platform/Tool | Suitable For |
Ava Web Trader | Easy order execution, basic technical analysis, enhanced market research |
MetaTrader 4 (Web, desktop, mobile) | Easy order execution, basic technical analysis, automated trading, trading on the go |
MetaTrader 5 (Web, desktop, mobile) | Easy order execution, basic technical analysis, automated trading, trading on the go |
AvaOptions | Options trading |
AvaSocial | Social and copy trading |
DupliTrade | Social and copy trading |
AvaTrade App | Trading on the go, account management, market research |
MT4/MT5 Apps | Trading on the go |
Capitalise.ai | Code-free trade automation for cryptos |
Guarding Angel | MetaTrader add-on |
I tested AvaTrade Web Trader, which features a clean and data-driven interface. The broker’s flagship platform offers users everything they may need at their fingertips: straightforward order flow, fluid charts, easy instruments search, integrated educational content, and featured trading signals from Trading Central.
The platform runs on all major browsers and is available in 20 languages, including English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, German, and more.
AvaTrade Web Trader features include:
In my estimation, the AvaTrade Web Trader is a perfect fit for day traders looking to scoop the next great opportunity, thanks to the integrated Trading Central package. Additionally, its charts are sufficiently smooth and expressive, helping technical traders examine price action behaviour in depth.
I have broken down the available analytical tools and chart configurations below:
The high-definition charts of AvaTrade Web Trader are detachable, allowing traders to configure the platform’s layout to their liking. They can choose to open one chart and expand it to the entire screen or to have several smaller charts at the same time.
AvaTrade’s flagship platform features two types of order execution: market and pending. The orders screen is great because it displays a wide array of information, such as the instrument’s current spread, leverage rate, value of trade, and more.
I have broken down the available order types below:
The AvaTrade mobile app is available on iOS and Android, enabling quick and easy access to the market on the go. It is very useful for opening, terminating, and adjusting open positions, as well as watchlist customization, setting price alerts, and one-tap trading.
You can also use this app to place market, limit, and stop orders, and to adjust the exposure of your open trades. Just like its web version, the AvaTrade App is enhanced with advanced market analytics and built-in educational content.
The app supports biometric login for extra security, however it is only available in English.
The AvaTrade App brings all the flexibility of the web platform to your pocket, making it a great tool for trading and managing your account on the go.
It’s also a big plus that the app is integrated with Trading Central insights and AvaTrade’s own high-quality educational content. Whether you’re just getting started or have years of experience, the app offers a smooth, well-rounded trading experience.
AvaTrade operates as a market maker with a dealing desk. It creates liquidity by effectively trading against the client. Accordingly, buying orders are filled by selling against traders, whereas short orders are filled by buying against them. This is how AvaTrade manages to achieve fast order execution speeds.
AvaTrade offers 1450+ assets across currency pairs, commodities, share CFDs, indices, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, bonds, and options. The broker strikes a perfect balance between quantity and diversity of instruments, thus catering to different kinds of traders.
Markets | Number | Types | Contract Types | Industry Average |
Forex Pairs | 53 | Major, Minor, and Exotic | Spot | 30 – 75 |
Commodities | 19 | Metals, Energies, and Agriculture | CFD, Futures | 5 – 10 |
Shares | 643 | Retail, Tech, Financial, Other | CFD | 100 – 500 |
Indices | 36 | US, EU, Asia, Other | CFD, Spot, Futures | 5 – 10 |
Cryptocurrencies | 25 | Major and Minor | CFD | 10 – 20 |
ETFs | 607 | Financial, Retail, Commodity, Other | CFD | 10 – 20 |
Bonds | 2 | Europe and Japan | Futures | 5 – 10 |
FX Options | 87 | Forex, Metals, Agriculture, Other | Options | NA |
Compared to the industry average, AvaTrade offers an average number of currency pairs and a high number of commodities, share CFDs, indices, and cryptocurrencies.
CFDs (Contracts for Difference) let you trade on the price movements of assets—like gold—without actually owning them.
For example, if you go long on gold and the price rises, you profit; if it falls, you lose—without ever buying real gold.
The biggest perk? You can jump in or out of the market quickly to take advantage of even the smallest price changes.
Currency Pairs | Commodities |
EURUSD | GBPJPY | EURCHF | AUDCAD | USDMXN | EURJPY | Gold | Crude Oil | Brent Oil | Silver | Palladium | Platinum | Wheat |
Shares CFDs | Indices |
Apple | Tesla | JP Morgan Chase | Netflix | META | Wells Fargo | Amazon.com | Dow Jones 30 | Germany 40 | Australia 200 | Japan 225 | UK 100 | China 50 |
Cryptocurrencies | ETFs |
Bitcoin | Ethereum | Litecoin | Ripple | Cardano | Dash | Dogecoin | Tron | iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | Invesco QQQ | SPDR S&P 500 ETF | SPDR Gold |
Bonds | FXOptions |
Euro Bund | Japan Government Bond | EURUSD | GBPJPY | Crude Oil | Australia 200 | Wheat | BTCUSD |
I find AvaTrade’s instrument offering broad, diverse, and full of intriguing options—from major FX pairs to lesser-known vanilla options.
This variety allows traders to explore different strategies and align their positions with personal preferences and market trends.
I was especially pleased to see that since my last review over a year ago, AvaTrade has expanded its ETF lineup from 59 to over 600. That’s a huge leap forward, offering traders much more flexibility in managing their exposure and clearly showing AvaTrade’s ongoing commitment to enhancing its services.
AvaTrade offers 24/7 customer support through live chat, email, and phone, with assistance available in multiple languages. Response times are fast, and I especially appreciated how intuitive the chatbot is—it really helps save time and makes getting answers hassle-free.
Live Chat | Phone | |
24/7 from the website | By submitting a form |
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When we test a broker’s customer support, we evaluate the agent’s knowledge of their own website, how long it takes them to respond to questions, and how detailed their answers are.
I ran my test on June 25 at 11:48 a.m. CET using AvaTrade’s live chat.
The chatbot responded instantly to all my questions about the broker and its services. The replies were clear, helpful, and often included extra links for more info. I found the bot effective enough that I didn’t need to escalate to a human agent.
Available Languages |
English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Malay, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Slovak, Spanish, Filipino, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese |
AvaTrade accepts payments via bank wire, credit cards, and debit cards. For non-EU and Australian traders, the broker also supports payments via Skrill, Neteller, and WebMoney. AvaTrade does not impose a handling fee for deposits or withdrawals. Transaction times are within the norm.
Deposit Method | Currency | Fee | Processing Time |
Bank Wire | EUR, USD, GBP, AUD | $0 | 2-5 business days |
Credit/Debit Card | EUR, USD, GBP, AUD | $0 | Instant |
Withdrawal Method | Currency | Fee | Processing Time |
Bank Wire | EUR, USD, GBP, AUD | $0 | 2-7 business days |
Credit/Debit Card | EUR, USD, GBP, AUD | $0 | Up to 24 hours |
To open an account with AvaTrade, follow these simple steps:
Account Type | Standard |
Spread From | 0.8 pips |
Commission* | $0 |
Base Currencies | EUR, USD, GBP, CHF |
Minimum Deposit | 100 units of base currency |
Minimum Trade Volume | 0.01 lot |
Standard Contract Size | 100,000 units |
Expert Advisors (EAs) | Yes |
Hedging | Yes |
Swap Free Account | Yes |
Demo Account | Yes |
*Round-turn per one full contract
AvaTrade’s universal account has a pretty standard pricing mechanism, featuring zero commissions and floating spreads. The minimum deposit of $100 makes it very affordable. On the downside, AvaTrade does not cater to high-volume traders, who usually choose raw spreads from 0.0 pips and a round-turn commission.
AvaTrade offers a demo account that lets traders explore the broker’s available platforms and test their strategies in a risk-free environment. Since markets are always changing, it’s important to keep your skills sharp without risking real money. You can open a demo account before or alongside your live CFD account.
AvaTrade provides Islamic accounts for swap-free trading under Shariah Law. Please contact the broker for additional information.
Leverage determines a trader’s overall market exposure. When trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs), positions can be opened for a fraction of their value because of leverage. Essentially, the broker lends the trader money so that they can open bigger positions. Leverage multiplies the profits a trader generates from winning positions, but also the losses incurred from failed trades.
In the table below, I have listed the maximum retail leverage available to European clients of AvaTrade for instruments from different asset classes:
Asset | Maximum Leverage |
Currency Pairs | 1:30 |
Metals | 1:20 |
Energies | 1:10 |
Soft Commodities | 1:10 |
Share CFDs | 1:5 |
Indices | 1:20 |
Cryptocurrencies | 1:2 |
ETFs | 1:5 |
Bonds | 1:5 |
AVA Trade EU Ltd only accepts as clients residents of European Economic Area (EEA) countries.
AvaTrade stands out in the research department with in-depth market breakdowns from its in-house team, complemented by Trading Central content. The broker also publishes daily, easy-to-digest video updates on its YouTube channel and offers a wide range of technical and fundamental analyses directly on its platform.
I have broken down the available research materials with AvaTrade below:
I appreciated the breadth and scope of AvaTrade’s research content. The various news breakdowns, sentiment gauges, and trading signals are very practical and well-researched, providing traders with a comprehensive overview of current market developments.
AvaTrade does a great job covering all the basics and beyond. You’ll find clear explanations of key trading concepts like technical and fundamental analysis, trading psychology, and risk management. They also offer a wide range of trading courses and webinars, tailored for beginners, intermediate, and advanced traders alike, so there’s something useful no matter where you’re at in your journey.
AvaTrade has published over 400 educational webinars on its YouTube channel, and traders can easily subscribe to future events from the website. The webinars are highly informative and pertain to different trading aspects: technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and trading psychology.
The broker also has developed a very well-organized and comprehensive system of educational courses, which span 27 individual lectures and have a total runtime of more than 205 minutes. This content allows traders to delve into the subject matter and go at their own pace. I appreciated that the lectures are packed with useful and highly practical information.
As a whole, I deem AvaTrade’s educational content wide enough and penetrating enough to help novice traders become consistently successful.
AvaTrade is a global broker offering over 1,450 CFDs and options. It stands out with a top-tier lineup of trading platforms and tools, strong market research, and a solid range of educational resources.
In my tests, AvaTrade’s fees proved to be competitive. Spreads on EUR/USD and crude oil were particularly attractive, and its low swap fees make it a good choice for swing traders. I also liked AvaTrade’s innovative AvaProtect tool, which adds an extra layer of risk management.
On the downside, Bitcoin trading fees could be more competitive, and the broker should consider adding more payment options for European users.
All in all, AvaTrade is a well-rounded broker that works great for day traders, swing traders, casual traders, and beginners alike.
Headquarters Country | Ireland |
Foundation Year | 2006 |
Regulations | FSCA (South Africa), CBI (Ireland), BVI FSC (Virgin Islands, British), ADGM (United Arab Emirates), ASIC (Australia), JFSA (Japan), ISA (Israel), CySEC (Cyprus) |
Publicly Traded | No |
Number Of Employees | 300 |
Trading Desk Type | Market Maker, Dealing Desk |
Trading Platforms | AvaOptions, AvaSocial, MT5, Proprietary, MT4, DupliTrade, Capitalise.ai, Ava Web Trader, AvaTrade App |
Restricted Countries | Iran, United States, North Korea |
Supported Languages | English, Russian, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Bahasa, Thai, Bulgarian, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Indonesian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian, Slovak, Filipino, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese |
Min Deposit | $100 |
Max Leverage | 1:400 (FSCA), 1:30 (CBI), 1:200 (BVI FSC), 1:400 (ADGM), 1:30 (ASIC), 1:25 (JFSA), 1:30 (ISA), 1:30 (CySEC) |
Deposit Options | Wire Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card |
Withdrawal Options | Wire Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card |
Time to Withdrawal | 4 |
Time to Open an Account | 8 |
Crypto | Ethereum, Dogecoin, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ripple, Dash, NEO, Cardano, Stellar, EOS, IOTA, Uniswap, Polygon, Solana, Chainlink, Shiba Inu |
Products | Options, Currencies, Stocks, ETFs, Crypto, Bonds, Indices, Commodities |
Demo Account | Yes |
OCO Orders | No |
Offers Hedging | Yes |
Automated Trading | Yes |
API Trading | No |
Guaranteed Stop Loss | No |
Guaranteed Limit Orders | Yes |
Guaranteed Fills / Liquidity | No |
Economic calendar | Yes |
Trading From Chart | Yes |
One-Click Trading | No |
Expert Advisor | Yes |
Social Trading | Yes |
Autochartist | No |
Trading Signals | Yes |
Platform Languages | Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese, Arabic, Swedish, Hungarian, English, French, Spanish, Russian, German, Indonesian |
24 Hours Support | Yes |
Support During Weekends | No |
Live Chat | Yes |
Daily Market Commentary | Yes |
News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes |
Webinars | Yes |
Deposit Fee | No |
Withdrawal Fee | No |
Inactivity Fee | Yes |
Having been a retail trader since 2013, Plamen has gained an in-depth understanding of the challenges that novice traders face today. His expertise is swing trading and day trading with a heavy emphasis on psychological and fundamental analysis. Plamen’s favourite trading instruments include FX majors and gold. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics and International Relations. Plamen's broad experience has equipped him with the expertise to recommend the best forex brokers.
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