Best Forex Brokers

AvaTrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering an extensive selection of trading platforms for forex and CFD traders,
as well as exceptional educational content that helped it nab a Best in Class rating for Beginners for 2023.

AvaTrade pros & cons

Is AvaTrade safe?

AvaTrade is considered Highly Trusted. AvaTrade is not publicly traded, does not operate a bank,
and is authorised by four Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), three Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulator (Average Risk),
and one Tier-4 regulators (High Risk). AvaTrade is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC),
Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), Japanese Financial Services Authority (JFSA), and in the European Union via MiFID .
Learn more about Trust Score or see where the different AvaTrade entities are regulated.

Offering of investments

The range of markets available at AvaTrade will depend on which trading platform you choose, and which of the brand's global
entities holds your account. AvaTrade offers 1,260 symbols in MT5 and nearly the same number in WebTrader, though a few hundred of those symbols
have been put on hold.



Cryptocurrency: Cryptocurrency trading is available at AvaTrade through CFDs, but not available through trading the underlying asset (e.g. buying Bitcoin).
Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents.

Commissions and fees

AvaTrade's spreads are close to the industry average at just under one pip (0.9 pips), yet are slightly higher than the
spreads available on the entry-level accounts offered by CMC Markets and Tickmill.



Professional traders: If you qualify as an elected professional trader, spreads on AvaTrade’s Professional account are competitive at 0.6 pips

Mobile trading apps

AvaTrade's proprietary apps provide a mobile experience that will satisfy most traders (including beginners), though
they aren’t quite as advanced as the mobile apps provided by category leaders such as Saxo Bank, CMC Markets or TD Ameritrade (U.S. residents only).
That said, AvaTrade continues to make incremental improvements in this category, and provides a generally well-rounded suite of apps.



Apps overview: AvaTrade provides its own proprietary mobile platforms, AvaTradeGO and AvaOptions, as well as the full MetaTrader suite (MT4 and MT5)
for Android and iOS devices.



Ease of use: The AvaTradeGo app closely resembles its web counterpart, and features a robust default set of syncing watchlists as well as a
protection feature called AvaProtect. AvaProtect allows a trader to reduce the risk on an open trade by partially hedging their position with a
forex option – for an added cost.



Charting: Charts in the AvaTradeGo app come with 93 indicators – though I found that it took multiple steps to access them. However,
there are no drawing tools and only three selectable chart types. Trading Central provides integrated research and related tools, mirroring
what’s available within the web platform. Overall, mobile charts at AvaTrade are good, but have room to improve.



AvaOptions: The AvaOptions app is well-designed, and takes a unique approach to displaying option-chain data. AvaTrade overlays strike prices
onto a chart, allowing traders to change the strike price simply by dragging it higher or lower – a feature I found to be incredibly helpful.
There are also 14 default options-trading strategies available, and selecting an option plan will automatically populate the order ticket with
the related options contracts. One notable annoyance: the entire app experience was displayed in landscape mode, forcing me to hold my phone
like a gaming controller.

Other trading platforms

Thanks to AvaTrade's extensive offering of copy trading platform options, AvaTrade once again finished Best in Class for Copy Trading in 2023.



Platforms overview: AvaTrade offers two proprietary platforms (AvaTrade WebTrader and AvaOptions), the full MetaTrader suite, ZuluTrade, and
DupliTrade (accessible via WebTrader).



Charting: Charts on AvaTrade’s WebTrader platform come with 90 indicators, 13 drawing tools, 10 ten time frames, and three chart types.
That said, WebTrader still has a ways to go if it wants to compete with the depth and rich quality of features found on proprietary platforms
from industry leaders such as IG, Saxo Bank, and CMC Markets. For example, I discovered a platform bug that caused chart data to appear compressed.
As a result, I constantly found myself having to constantly zoom out by dragging up or down to decompress the prices.



Trading tools: I found AvaTrade’s proprietary WebTrader platform to have a well-designed responsive layout. AvaTrade won our award for #1 Innovation
in 2021, due to the speed of its evolution as a new platform. I was also pleased to find a suite of trading tools from Trading Central directly integrated
within the platform. Though alerts are only found in the mobile version, the AvaProtect feature is included in both platforms.



Copy trading: AvaTrade's steady progress in expanding and enhancing its copy trading offering has helped it compete with industry leaders such as
eToro and Pepperstone. AvaTrade offers ZuluTrade, DupliTrade, and the native Signals market in MetaTrader. In addition, AvaTrade launched AvaSocial
in the U.K., as part of its partnership with Pelican Exchange.



AvaOptions: For options traders that deposit at least $1,000, AvaTrade provides AvaOptions – its forex options platform for desktop and mobile.
The desktop version is for Windows only, and requires that users install Microsoft's .NET Framework 3.5 SP1. As a seasoned trader, even I found
the platform layout to be complex. Clearly suited for professionals, the platform needs a design overhaul. Read my guide to forex options to
learn more about the pros and cons of trading forex options.

Research

AvaTrade produces daily in-house research content in video and article format, and grants access to Trading Central research modules.
While AvaTrade has made improvements in this category, its research offering can’t stack up against what the best forex brokers offer.



Research overview: Beyond AvaTrade’s support for ZuluTrade, AvaSocial, and DupliTrade for copy trading, the main highlight from AvaTrade's
research offering is Trading Central. Trading Central is directly integrated within the AvaTrade web platform and includes a variety of TC-powered
features, such as its Market Buzz, Analyst Views, and Featured Ideas tools, as well as an economic calendar and streaming news (available in MT5).



Market news and analysis: AvaTrade provides daily market analysis articles on its blog, along with daily market video updates published to its
Vimeo and YouTube channels.

Education

AvaTrade provides a rich array of educational content from its in-house staff and its SharpTrader brand, as well as from third-party
providers such as Trading Central. AvaTrade was Best in Class for Education for our 2023 Annual Awards.



Learning center: AvaTrade’s website features 103 comprehensive articles that cover beginner and advanced topics. As part of its
SharpTrader offering, AvaTrade provides in-depth courses that are organized by experience level. These courses include both video and written
content, and feature progress tracking and integrated quizzes.



AvaTrade’s 48 educational videos cover a wide range of topics, and explore niche subjects like Donchian Channels (what they are, and how
traders can use them). AvaTrade also uploads and archives video webinars on its YouTube and Vimeo channel, which help to round out its offering.



Room for improvement: Platform tutorials notwithstanding, the WebTrader and AvaTraderGo web and mobile platforms would benefit from an
expansion of integrated video content.

What is the minimum deposit at AvaTrade?

The minimum deposit at AvaTrade is generally 100 units of currency, depending on the denomination of your account balance. For example, a USD account will have a $100 minimum deposit whether you fund via wire or credit card. That said, AvaTrade recommends you start with one to two thousand of your preferred base currency, with the EUR, GBP, AUD all supported as available options, for traders looking for the full experience across its products.

How long do AvaTrade withdrawals take?

Withdrawals at AvaTrade take one to two business days, which is comparable to nearly every forex broker. The withdrawal time can also vary depending on your chosen withdrawal method. It’s important that your account is up to date; even though you may have been verified upon opening your account, your broker may ask you to provide an updated proof of ID and proof of address to process your request if considerable time has passed.

About AvaTrade

Founded in 2006, AvaTrade has offices in 11 countries and provides multiple trading platforms for web, desktop, and mobile devices, offering spot forex and forex options and CFDs on numerous asset classes, including cryptocurrencies. AvaTrade has 300,000 registered traders who place more than 3 million trades each month and has executed more than $1.47 trillion in traded value since inception.



AvaTrade holds regulatory licenses in multiple financial hubs across the globe. AvaTrade's headquarters is in Ireland, where its regulator is the Central Bank of Ireland and is a member of the Investor Compensation Company DAC (ICCL), which provides eligible clients up to EUR 20,000 of maximum reimbursement in the extraordinary event of their broker's insolvency. While not directly regulated in Canada, AvaTrade caters to clients in the country through its partnership with Friedberg Direct, which required regulatory approval.

Final thoughts

AvaTrade stands out for its rich selection of trading platform options, and for its educational content for beginners – categories where it finished Best in Class. Its range of tradeable markets has nearly doubled year-over-year, and spreads for clients designated as Professional traders in the EU are quite competitive.

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