AvaTrade Review 2023

  • 8.6

AvaTrade Overview at a Glance

AvaTrade operates as an international broker focused on forex and CFD trading. The account registration process is straightforward and completed entirely online. Clients can choose from multiple funding and withdrawal methods, with no charges applied. The broker also provides a solid range of research materials and educational resources that are easy to navigate and useful for traders of different experience levels.

That said, AvaTrade’s instrument selection is relatively narrow, covering mainly forex, CFDs on assets such as shares, indices, and commodities, as well as cryptocurrencies. In addition, inactivity charges can be quite steep, while forex trading costs are not among the lowest available compared to competing brokers. Overall, AvaTrade receives a strong evaluation, reflecting detailed analysis across hundreds of factors and hands-on testing through a real trading account.

AvaTrade Regulation and Safety

AvaTrade operates under strict regulatory oversight, holding licenses from several top-tier financial authorities across different regions. This regulatory framework ensures that the broker adheres to high standards of transparency and client protection. In certain jurisdictions, traders are also covered by investor compensation schemes, adding an extra layer of security.

All evaluations are carried out using live trading conditions, including funding and withdrawal procedures, to ensure that the broker’s services perform reliably in real-world scenarios.

Screenshot_1-2

AvaTrade is available in Pakistan

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money

AvaTrade pros and cons

Pros Cons
Easy and fast account opening Only CFDs, forex, and cryptos offered
Free deposit and withdrawal options High inactivity fees
Great research tools Average forex fees
I recommend AvaTrade for forex and CFD traders looking for an option to use MetaTrader platforms.
 
Gergely Korpos
Co-founder / CPO

AvaTrade main highlights

🗺️ Country of regulationIreland, Australia, Japan, South Africa, Abu Dhabi, British Virgin Islands, Israel
💰 Trading fees classLow
💰 Inactivity fee chargedYes
💰 Withdrawal fee amount$0
💰 Minimum deposit$100
🕖 Time to open an account1 day
💳 Deposit with bank cardAvailable
👛 Depositing with electronic walletAvailable
💱 Number of base currencies supported6
🎮 Demo account providedYes
🛍️ Products offeredForex, CFD, Crypto

To read much more details about the broker’s services and features, expand on the sections below.

Our overall TD Ameritrade Review rating
  • 8.6

  • Fees
    7.4
  • Account opening
    10
  • Deposit and withdrawal
    9
  • WebTrading platform
    7.6
  • Mobile trading platform
    9.4
  • Desktop trading platform
    6.8
  • Markets and products
    4.6
  • Research
    9.2
  • Customer service
    10
  • Education
    10
AvaTrade review

Fees

AvaTrade has low CFD fees and average forex fees. Deposits and withdrawals are free, but inactivity fees are quite high.

Pros Cons
No withdrawal fee High inactivity fees
Low CFD fees FX trading fees are average
AvaTrade fees snapshot
AssetsFee levelFee terms
S&P 500 CFDLowThe fees are built into the spread, 0.5 points is the average spread cost during peak trading hours.
Europe 50 CFDLowThe fees are built into the spread, 2 points is the average spread cost during peak trading hours.
EURUSDAverageThe fees are built into the spread, 0.9 pips is the average spread cost during peak trading hours.
Inactivity feeHigh$50 per quarter after 3 months of inactivity; after 12 straight months of non-use, a further annual
administration fee of $100 is charged

How We Evaluated AvaTrade’s Fees

AvaTrade’s pricing was categorized as low, average, or high by benchmarking it against the full range of brokers we reviewed. This comparative approach helps put its costs into perspective within the broader market.

Before diving into the numbers, it’s useful to clarify the two main fee types traders encounter: trading fees and non-trading fees.

Trading fees are incurred when you place trades and typically include spreads, commissions, overnight financing charges, and currency conversion costs.
Non-trading fees are unrelated to placing trades and may involve items such as withdrawal charges or inactivity penalties.

In the sections that follow, we outline AvaTrade’s most important fees by asset class. For instance, when trading forex pairs or stock indices, the key costs to consider are spreads, commissions, and financing rates.

To give additional context, AvaTrade’s fees were also measured against those of two comparable brokers, XM and Admirals (formerly Admiral Markets). These peers were selected using objective criteria such as available instruments, typical client profiles, and overall pricing models. This allows for a clearer view of how AvaTrade stacks up against similar options.

To build a solid overall picture, we begin with trading-related costs.


AvaTrade Trading Costs Explained

AvaTrade offers generally low trading fees, supported by a clear and easy-to-understand pricing structure that makes cost calculations straightforward. That said, traders who focus primarily on ultra-tight forex pricing may still find more competitive alternatives elsewhere.

Comparing fees among CFD brokers can be challenging, so we standardized the analysis by calculating the total cost of a representative trade across selected markets.

The instruments used for this comparison were widely traded assets from each category:

  • Index CFDs: S&P 500 (SPX) and Euro Stoxx 50 (EUSTX50)

  • Equity CFDs: Apple and Vodafone

  • Forex pairs: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, AUD/USD, EUR/CHF, and EUR/GBP

A “typical trade” was defined as opening a leveraged position, holding it for one week, and then closing it. Position sizes were set at $2,000 for index and equity CFDs, and $20,000 for forex trades. The leverage applied was:

  • 20:1 for index CFDs

  • 5:1 for stock CFDs

  • 30:1 for forex trades

These benchmark calculations include all major cost components—spreads, commissions, and financing charges—providing a fair basis for comparison across brokers.


CFD Fee Verdict

AvaTrade stands out with low overall CFD trading costs, making it a competitive choice for traders who prioritize transparent and predictable pricing.

AvaTrade CFD fees for a $2,000 long position held for one week
AvaTrade XM Admirals (Admiral Markets)
S&P 500 index CFD fee $2.6 $1.4 $1.4
Europe 50 index CFD fee $2.0 $2.0 $1.4
Apple CFD fee $6.6 $5.4 $5.3
Vodafone CFD fee $8.3 $1.2 $14.2

Forex fees

AvaTrade forex fees are not the best on the market, they are rather average.

AvaTrade forex benchmark fees of a $20,000 30:1 long position held for one week
AvaTrade XM Admirals (Admiral Markets)
EURUSD benchmark fee $16.4 $8.8 $8.9
GBPUSD benchmark fee $11.3 $6.4 $6.6
AUDUSD benchmark fee $15.3 $8.7 $8.1
EURCHF benchmark fee $4.4 $9.3 $5.8
EURGBP benchmark fee $15.5 $10.1 $10.0

Forex trading fees at AvaTrade are built into the spreads.

As a plus, Forex fees at AvaTrade are really transparent. The company offers a handy Forex Calculator that lets you to calculate your next forex position in a few simple steps:

  1. Pick the instrument you want to trade
  2. Set your account currency
  3. Choose your preferred leverage level
  4. Select whether to buy or sell
  5. Set the parameters of your planned trade (volume, etc)

AvaTrade review – Forex calculator

Non-trading fees

AvaTrade has mixed non-trading fees. AvaTrade doesn’t charge any account fees, while deposits and withdrawals are also free of charge.

On the negative side, AvaTrade charges an inactivity fee of $50/€50/£50 (depending on your account currency) per quarter after 3 straight months of inactivity. On top of that, after 12 consecutive months of non-use, an annual administration fee of $100/€100/£100 will be deducted. When added up, these inactivity-related fees are quite high compared with AvaTrade’s peers.

AvaTrade non-trading fees
AvaTrade XM Admirals (Admiral Markets)
Account fee No No No
Inactivity fee Yes Yes Yes
Deposit fee $0 $0 $0
Withdrawal fee $0 $0 $0
AvaTrade review

Account opening

Account opening at AvaTrade is smooth and fully digital. You can start trading literally in minutes.

Pros Cons
Fast None
Fully digital
Low minimum deposit

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money

Clients from almost all countries are accepted by AvaTrade, with some exceptions including the US, Canada, Belgium or Iran. AvaTrade operates under a different brand, Atrade in Israel, though we have not tested their services.

What is the minimum deposit at AvaTrade?

The required AvaTrade minimum deposit is $100 via credit/debit cards, wire transfers or e-wallets.

Account types

The types of accounts available at AvaTrade are:

  • Retail account (EU) / Standard account (Rest of the world) – account is owned by an individual
  • Corporate account – account is owned by a legal entity
  • AvaOptions account – to trade FX options
  • Spread betting account – offered only in the UK and Ireland
  • Islamic account – a swap-free account to meet Sharia requirements

If you are an experienced trader, you can request AvaTrade to open a Professional Trading account for you, where the leverage is higher than in the Standard account. This requires that you have relevant experience in the financial sector and sufficient trading activity in the past 12 months, and hold at least €500,000 portfolio value.

A demo account is also offered.

In this review, we tested the EU retail account.

How to open your account

Creating an account is quick and easy, just like with most other CFD/Forex brokers:

  1. Enter some basic personal data (you can use your existing profiles on Facebook or Google as a shortcut)
  2. Fill in information on your employment, savings and income status
  3. Answer a few questions assessing your trading experience, knowledge and goals
  4. Verify your identity and residency by uploading a copy of your ID card, driver’s license or passport; as well as a copy of a recent utility bill or bank statement

AvaTrade Review – Account opening

Our best alternatives to AvaTrade are:

The highest ranking competitors are:

  1. XM full review
  2. Admirals (Admiral Markets) full review
  3. Tickmill full review
  4. FxPro full review
AvaTrade review

Deposit and withdrawal

AvaTrade offers several free options for deposit and withdrawal. On the negative side, withdrawal took us 3 business days.

Pros Cons
Free withdrawal Slow withdrawal – over 3 days
No deposit fee
Credit/Debit cards, electronic wallets

Account base currencies

At AvaTrade, you can choose from the following base currencies: USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, AUD and ZAR. AUD is only available for Australian clients.

Base currencies at AvaTrade vs similar brokers
AvaTrade XM Admirals (Admiral Markets)
Number of base currencies 6 10 11

This selection is similar when compared with rival brokers.

Why does this matter? For two reasons. First, if you fund your account in the same currency as your bank account, you won’t be charged a currency conversion fee. Second, if you trade assets in the same currency as your account base currency, you will not have to pay a conversion fee.

A convenient way to save on currency conversion fees is by opening a multi-currency bank account at a digital bank. They usually offer bank accounts in several currencies with great currency exchange rates, as well as free or cheap international bank transfers. Opening an account only takes a few minutes on your phone.

Deposit fees and options

AvaTrade charges no deposit fees. In addition to making a deposit by bank transfer or credit/debit cards, you can also use electronic wallets, including the following (though some country restrictions usually apply):

  • PayPal
  • Neteller
  • Skrill
  • Klarna
  • Webmoney
  • POLi Payments
  • Boleto
  • Perfect Money

The minimum amount you can deposit is $100 or 100 units in any of the other base currencies.

AvaTrade deposit options
AvaTrade XM Admirals (Admiral Markets)
Bank transfer Yes Yes Yes
Credit/debit card Yes Yes Yes
Electronic wallets Yes Yes Yes

Please note that although depositing with credit/debit cards is usually instant, your first such transaction may take up to 1 business day to go through (it took us about 4-5 hours). This is because AvaTrade carries out a security verification for each card when it is used for the first time.

If you prefer depositing via bank transfer, this can take several business days. You can only deposit money from accounts that are in your name.

AvaTrade review – Deposit and withdrawal – Deposit

AvaTrade withdrawal fees and options

AvaTrade doesn’t charge any withdrawal fees. You can use the same options for withdrawal as for deposits.

AvaTrade withdrawal fees and options
AvaTrade XM Admirals (Admiral Markets)
Bank transfer Yes Yes Yes
Credit/debit card Yes Yes Yes
Electronic wallets Yes Yes Yes
Withdrawal fee $0 $0 $0

As a general rule, withdrawals can only be sent via payment methods by which you funded your account with. For example, if you have earlier deposited $1,000 by credit card, the first $1,000 you withdraw must go to your credit card before you can use any other method (such as bank transfer) to withdraw additional funds. This is a quite common rule among similar brokers, required by anti-money laundering regulations.

How long does it take to withdraw money from AvaTrade? We tested debit card withdrawal and it took 3 business days.

You can only withdraw money to accounts that are in your name.

How do you withdraw money from AvaTrade? You can withdraw money from AvaTrade by following these steps:

  • Log in to your AvaTrade account
  • Go to ‘Withdraw’ in the main menu that opens from the top left corner
  • Select the withdrawal method
  • Add the amount you wish to withdraw
AvaTrade review

Web trading platform

AvaTrade’s web platform is user-friendly, well-designed, and has a unique order type to protect you from losses. However, it lacks customizability, two-step login and price alerts.

Pros Cons
User-friendly No two-step (safer) login
Good search function Limited customizability (for charts, workspace)
AvaProtect loss insurance No price alerts
AvaTrade platforms to choose from
Trading platformScoreAvailable
Web
3.8
stars
Yes
Mobile
4.7
stars
Yes
Desktop
3.4
stars
Yes

AvaTrade offers several trading platforms to choose from:

  • WebTrader, AvaTrade’s own trading platform
  • MetaTrader 4, a third-party trading platform
  • MetaTrader 5, a third-party trading platform
  • AvaOptions, AvaTrade’s own trading platform for CFD options

In this review, we tested WebTrader, MetaTrader 4 and AvaOptions, as these are the most popular among customers. Our scoring and Pro/Con list are based on our assessment of the WebTrader platform.

Note that most ETF CFDs and individual stock CFDs can be traded only on the MT5 platform and not on MT4 or the WebTrader platform.

Webtrader

Webtrader is available in many languages: English, Dutch, Hungarian, Swedish, Thai, Indonesian, German, French, Chinese, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic, Mongolian, Russian, Turkish and Japanese.

Look and feel

Webtrader is user-friendly and well designed. Even first-timers can easily handle the platform. However, it’s not customizable; for example, you can’t change the size and position of the tabs.

AvaTrade review – Web trading platform

Login and security

WebTrader only offers one-step login. A two-step login procedure would provide an added layer of security.

Search functions

The platform’s search functions work well. You can search by starting to type an asset’s name or by clicking one of the asset categories.

AvaTrade review – Web trading platform – Search

Placing orders

You can use only basic order types:

  • Market
  • Limit
  • Stop

To get a better understanding of these terms, read this overview of order types. There is also a Good ’til time (GTT) order time limit you can use to set an exact date and time for the expiry of an order.

A unique feature offered by AvaTrade is AvaProtect: it’s basically a hedge/insurance you can buy, for a pre-determined fee depending on how long you want your trade to be insured (1 hour, 1 day, etc). Should you have any losses on that trade, AvaTrade will reimburse your losses. Note that you can’t use this feature on limit orders, only on market orders.

AvaTrade review – Web trading platform – Order panel

Alerts and notifications

Unfortunately, you can’t set price alerts and notifications.

Portfolio and fee reports

AvaTrade provides clear portfolio and fee reports. You can find them under the ‘History’ section. Also, if you click on your positions, you can see the swaps charged.

 

MetaTrader 4

MetaTrader 4 is available in an exceptionally large number of languages.

AvaTrade web trading platform languages
ArabicBulgarianChineseCroatianCzechDanish
DutchEnglishEstonianFinnishFrenchGerman
GreekHebrewHindiHungarianIndonesianItalian
JapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianMalayMongolian
PersianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbian
SlovakSlovenianSpanishSwedishTajikThai
Traditional ChineseTurkishUkrainianUzbekVietnamese 

Look and feel

MetaTrader 4 has great customizability. You can easily change the size and the position of the tabs.

However, the platform feels outdated and some features are hard to find. For example, it took us a while to figure out how to add an asset to the watchlist.

AvaTrade review – MT4 web trading platform

Login and security

Just like the WebTrader platform, MetaTrader 4 provides only one-step login. Two-step authentication would be more secure.

Search functions

The search functions are OK. You can find assets grouped into categories. However, we missed the usual search function where you can type an asset’s name manually.

AvaTrade review – MT4 web trading platform – Search

Placing orders

You can use only basic order types. You will not find very sophisticated orders like the ‘one cancels the other’ order. The following order types are available:

  • Market
  • Limit
  • Stop

If you are not familiar with order types, read this overview.

There are also order time limits you can use:

  • Good ’til cancelled (GTC)
  • Good ’til time (GTT)

AvaTrade review – MT4 web trading platform – Order panel

Alerts and notifications

You can’t set alerts and notifications on MetaTrader 4 web trading platform. This feature is available only on the mobile app and on the desktop trading platform.

Portfolio and fee reports

MetaTrader 4 has clear portfolio and fee reports. You can easily see your profit-loss balance and the commissions you paid. These reports can be found under the ‘History’ tab. We didn’t find a way to download them, though.

 

AvaOptions

AvaOptions is AvaTrade’s own options-focused platform. The platform is available only in English.

Look and feel

AvaOptions is an intuitive and well-designed platform. You can easily set the underlying asset and the strategy you would like to trade. However, it’s not customizable; for example, you can’t change the size and layout of the various sections.

AvaTrade review – AvaOptions web trading platform

Login and security

Just like the WebTrader platform, AvaOptions provides only one-step login. Two-step authentication would be more secure.

Search functions

The platform’s search function works well. You can search by simply starting to type an asset’s name.

AvaTrade review – AvaOptions web trading platform – Search

Placing orders

First, you can select from a list of option trading strategies.

AvaTrade review – AvaOptions web trading platform – Strategy selector panel

After that, you can set all the details of the trade on an easy-to-use graphical interface.

AvaTrade review – AvaOptions web trading platform – Trade details

Alerts and notifications

Unfortunately, you can’t set price alerts and notifications.

Portfolio and fee reports

AvaTrade provides clear portfolio and fee reports. You can find them under the ‘History’ section. Also, if you click on your positions, you can see the swaps charged.

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money

AvaTrade review

Mobile trading platform

AvaTradeGo is a modern, easy-to-use app with a decent set of features, including the AvaProtect insurance scheme. However, order types are limited and the app comes only in English.

Pros Cons
User-friendly No two-step (safer) login
Good search function Only in English
AvaProtect order type

AvaTrade offers three mobile trading platforms:

  • AvaTradeGO, AvaTrade’s own mobile app
  • AvaOptions, AvaTrade’s own mobile app for trading forex options
  • MetaTrader 4, a well-established third-party trading platform.

In this review, we tested AvaTradeGO, the platform used by most clients. It is available for both Android and iOS. We tested it on Android.

Unlike the MetaTrader trading platforms, AvaTradeGO is available only in English.

Look and feel

The AvaTrade mobile trading platform looks nice and is user-friendly.

Beyond the usual mobile functions such as search or alerts, even education videos and customer support chat are available right inside the app.

AvaTrade review – Mobile trading platform

Login and security

By default, AvaTrade provides only one-step login. For added convenience, though, you can also set up biometric or PIN code authentication.

Search functions

The app’s search functions are good. When you search by typing an asset’s name, a list of relevant results appears. Another way is to browse the various asset categories.

AvaTrade review – Mobile trading platform – Search

Placing orders

Similarly to the web trading platform, you can use only basic order types here:

  • Market
  • Limit
  • Stop

Similarly to the web platform, the mobile app also offers the AvaProtect insurance feature.

There are also order time limits you can use:

  • Good ’til canceled (GTC)
  • Good ’til time (GTT)

AvaTrade review – Mobile trading platform – Order panel

Alerts and notifications

You can set price alerts that will send you push notifications. Additionally, you can also set expiration criteria to these alerts and notifications.

AvaOptions Mobile

AvaTrade’s AvaOptions is available for mobile devices as well. It has the same functionalities as the browser version, However, sometimes it can feel clunky.

Look and feel

AvaOptions is exactly the same as on the web. The platform is well designed and has lots of functionalities despite being a mobile platform, but can be hard to navigate on a mobile device. For starters, you can view the platform only in horizontal mode.

AvaTrade review – Mobile trading platform – AvaOptions platform

Login and security

Just like the WebTrader platform, AvaOptions provides only one-step login. Two-step authentication would be more secure.

Search functions

The platform’s search function is hard to find. You have to tap on the pencil icon on the top left, under the Ava logo.

AvaTrade review – Mobile trading platform – AvaOptions search

Placing orders

The AvaOptions mobile provides the same options strategies and trade details as the web platform.

AvaTrade review – Mobile trading platform – Strategies panel

Alerts and notifications

Unfortunately, you can’t set price alerts and notifications.

Portfolio and fee reports

AvaOptions provides clear portfolio and fee reports. You can find them under the ‘My Account’ and ‘History’ sections. Also, if you click on your positions, you can see the swaps charged.

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money

AvaTrade review

Desktop trading platform

In design and function, AvaTrade’s MetaTrader 4 desktop platform is almost the same as the MT4 web platform. A big difference is that you can set price alerts on the desktop platform.

Pros Cons
Clear fee report No two-step (safer) login
Good customizability (for charts, workspace) Poor design
Price alerts

You can use MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and AvaOptions as desktop trading platforms. The latter is only for trading forex options.

In this review, we tested the MetaTrader 4 desktop trading platform, as it offers more assets to trade, not just forex options.

It has the same design, is available in the same languages, offers the same order types (trailing stop is also available), has the same search functions, and offers the same portfolio and fee reports as the MT4 web trading platform. These reports can be found under the ‘Account History’ tab: right click on one position, then choose ‘Save as Detailed Report’.

The major difference is that you can set alerts and notifications in the form of mobile push and email notifications on the desktop trading platform. To set email or mobile notifications, you have to add your email address and mobile MetaQuotes ID (you can find it in the MT4 mobile app’s settings). You can add them if you go to ‘Tools’ and then ‘Options.’

AvaTrade review – Desktop trading platform

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money

AvaTrade review

Markets and products

AvaTrade offers only forex and CFDs, such as stock, index, forex and commodity CFDs. It doesn’t offer other popular asset classes such as real stocks.

Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

AvaTrade is a forex broker but also offers some CFDs. To learn more about CFDs, read our CFD trading tips.

AvaTrade’s currency pair selection is OK, in the same ballpark as its closest competitors. CFD coverage of individual stocks and ETFs is rather average. Most of these stocks can only be traded on the MT5 platform and not on the MT4 or WebTrader platforms.

Bond CFDs include Japanese and European government bonds. Unlike at many brokers, at AvaTrade you can also trade the VIX index.

Additionally, FX options are available through the AvaOptions platform. At AvaOptions, you can trade more than 40 different instruments. For this, you’ll need a separate account from the main account.

AvaTrade product selection
 AvaTradeXMAdmirals (Admiral Markets)
Currency pairs (#)555547
Stock index CFDs (#)312443
Commodity CFDs (#)181528
Bond CFDs (#)22
Cryptos (#)2042

Automated Trading

AvaTrade offers automated trading through DupliTrade. The minimum deposit is $2,000. 

AvaTrade review

Research

AvaTrade has user-friendly research tools, from trading ideas to a nice news feed. The only thing we missed was fundamental data on stocks.

Pros Cons
Good interactive chart No fundamental data on stocks
Trading ideas
User-friendly

AvaTrade provides research tools in different places:

  • WebTrader trading platform
  • MetaTrader trading platform
  • AvaOptions trading platform
  • Website

We tested AvaTrade’s research tools on WebTrader, as they’re the best ones in our opinion. Research tools are user-friendly and available in the same languages as the WebTrader trading platform.

Trading ideas

AvaTrade provides trading ideas through Trading Central, a third-party research provider. The ideas are based purely on technical analysis, and cover certain commodities, stock indices, as well as most FX pairs. You can find them if you click ‘Trading Central’, then ‘Analysts Views’ or ‘Forex Featured Ideas’.

AvaTrade review – Research – Recommendations

Fundamental data

The best place to access fundamental data is AvaTrade’s economic calendar. We really liked the feature that allows you to gauge historical volatility and trends: for example, if you see that a Bank of Canada interest rate decision is coming up, you can click the ‘impact’ button and see how the USD/CAD price evolved after recent decisions.

We missed fundamental data on stocks, however.

AvaTrade review – Research – Fundamental data

Charting

AvaTrade has good charting tools. You can easily edit the charts and the interface has a great design. There are 90 technical indicators you can use, which we thought was more than enough.

AvaTrade review – Research – Charting

AvaTrade News and Market Updates

AvaTrade offers a well-designed news feed powered by Trading Central, accessible through the Market Buzz section. This feed allows traders to narrow news results by individual instruments, while also displaying a sentiment indicator for each asset. For instance, when coverage is entirely optimistic, the sentiment score can reach 100% positive.

The platform also includes a Trend Analysis feature, which highlights whether an instrument is expected to move higher or lower by a certain percentage. While the wording can feel quite bold, these projections are generated through AI-driven technical analysis and are presented alongside broader trading ideas.

Although the insights in the Market Buzz section may not be strong enough on their own to serve as the sole basis for trading decisions, they are still noticeably more practical and informative than the news feeds typically found with many MetaTrader-based brokers.

Beyond this, AvaTrade maintains an active blog that delivers daily market updates. The content is similar to what you’d see across many financial news platforms, covering current political and economic developments, along with frequent market commentary. These updates are often shared in video format and include technical analysis highlights and potential trade setups.

AvaTrade review – Research – News feeds

AvaTrade review

Customer service

AvaTrade has great customer support, giving fast and relevant answers in many local languages. On the negative side, support is not available 24/7, only 24/5.

Pros Cons
Phone support No 24/7 support
Live chat
Fast response time

You can contact AvaTrade via:

  • live chat
  • phone
  • email

AvaTrade has a great live chat. There were no long waiting times; we were able to reach a customer support agent almost immediately.

We got relevant and detailed answers. Besides English, you can chat in many other languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, German or Russian, among others.

AvaTrade phone support is OK. On the website, you can find a long list of local telephone numbers for most countries, so you don’t have to dial an international number. We had mixed results when trying to call customer service: sometimes we could immediately speak to an agent (in English); however, at another time, the phone call was disconnected after 3+ minutes of waiting time.

We received answers to our emails within a day, which is quite fast. On one occasion, though, the response we received didn’t directly answer our question, but merely referred to a link.

We missed 24/7 availability. AvaTrade customer support is only available 24/5, which is still considered quite good.

AvaTrade review – Customer Service

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money

AvaTrade review

Education

AvaTrade is packed with lots of quality materials to educate yourself, and also offers a demo account.

Pros Cons
Demo account None
Trading platform tutorial
Educational videos

AvaTrade’s education section is great, offering several learning opportunities when it comes to trading basics, economic indicators or charting.

You can learn in the following ways:

  • Demo account
  • Platform tutorial videos
  • General educational videos
  • Quality educational articles
  • Webinars

Within the video library, you’ll find a good number of videos, most of which are great quality. AvaTrade also provides webinars on a regular basis.

AvaTrade Review – Education

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money

AvaTrade review

Safety

AvaTrade is overseen by a number of regulators. It’s a well-established brand but is not listed on any exchange, does not disclose financial information and does not have a bank parent.

Pros Cons
Majority of clients belong to a top-tier financial authority Does not hold a banking license
Negative balance protection Not listed on stock exchange
Financial information is not publicly available

Is AvaTrade Properly Regulated?

Yes. AvaTrade operates under regulatory supervision in multiple regions worldwide, including oversight from several highly respected financial authorities. These include:

  • Central Bank of Ireland

  • B.V.I Financial Services Commission

  • Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)

  • Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)

  • Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA)

  • Financial Futures Association of Japan (FFAJ)

  • Abu Dhabi Global Market Financial Services Regulatory Authority (ADGM–FSRA)

  • Israel Securities Authority (ISA)

In addition, AVA Trade EU Ltd runs a registered branch in Poland under its AvaTrade EU license, which has received authorization from the Polish Financial Supervision Authority.

AvaTrade is headquartered in Ireland and has been operating since 2006.


Is AvaTrade a Safe Broker?

To properly assess a broker’s safety, two key aspects should always be reviewed:

  • the level of protection offered to clients if problems arise

  • the broker’s operational background and track record

Client Protection Framework

AvaTrade functions through several regulated subsidiaries. The specific entity you are onboarded with depends on your country of residence, which matters because both regulatory oversight and investor protection limits can vary between jurisdictions. Understanding which AvaTrade entity applies to you helps clarify exactly what safeguards are in place.

AvaTrade legal entities
Country of clientsProtection amountRegulatorLegal entity
EU€20,000Central Bank of IrelandAVA Trade EU Ltd
AustraliaNo protectionAustralian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)Ava Capital Markets Australia Pty Ltd
South AfricaNo protectionFinancial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)Ava Capital Markets Pty
JapanNo protectionJapanese Financial Services Agency (FSA), Financial Futures Association of Japan (FFAJ)Ava Trade Japan K.K.
Middle EastNo protectionAbu Dhabi Global Market Authorities Financial Services Regulatory Authority (ADGM – FSRA)AvaTrade Middle East Ltd
IsraelNo protectionIsrael Securities Authority (ISA)ATrade Ltd
International clientsNo protectionB.V.I Financial Services CommissionAVA Trade Ltd

AvaTrade provides negative balance protection for retail clients.

Background

AvaTrade was established in 2006. The longer the track record of a broker, the more proof we have that it has successfully survived previous financial crises.

Having a long track record and being regulated by several authorities, including some top-tier ones, are all great signs for AvaTrade’s safety.

AvaTrade review

Bottom line

AvaTrade Final Verdict

AvaTrade operates under the supervision of multiple regulators worldwide, including top-tier authorities such as the Central Bank of Ireland and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Thanks to this strong regulatory backing, the broker is generally regarded as a safe choice for traders.

The account setup process stands out for being smooth and straightforward, allowing users to get started quickly. A wide selection of funding and withdrawal methods is available, with no fees applied, which adds to the overall convenience. AvaTrade also provides a variety of intuitive research tools that make market analysis easier for users at different experience levels.

However, there are some limitations to consider. The available instruments are restricted mainly to forex, CFDs, and cryptocurrencies, and inactivity fees can be relatively high. In addition, traders who prioritize the lowest possible forex trading costs may find more competitive options elsewhere.

That said, with a low minimum deposit requirement and fast account activation, AvaTrade remains an accessible broker worth considering for many traders.

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money

AvaTrade review

FAQ

We recommend AvaTrade for forex and cfd traders looking for an option to use metatrader platforms.

Below you can find links to all aspects of AvaTrade in this comprehensive collection.

Lower fees, lower costs?

We detailed this in our AvaTrade fees article.

What about the minimum deposit?

Our ultimate guide to the AvaTrade minimum deposit is updated regularly.

How to start your AvaTrade account?

Look no further than our evaluation of the AvaTrade account opening.

How’s their trading app?

Here’s our expert view after checking the AvaTrade trading app.

Is the quality of customer service satisfactory?

All you need to know about the AvaTrade customer service.

Legit or scam?

Is AvaTrade legit features all the key aspects you need to look at to see if a broker is safe and legit.

Free or premium? Or both?

A glance at actual costs and whether AvaTrade is really free.

Is this broker good for beginners?

We checked it in Is AvaTrade good for beginners.

Should you buy your silver bullets on AvaTrade?

Research for silver bugs in the Silver buy on AvaTrade guide

I want to trade options, are they available at AvaTrade?

We explored the topic in Can you trade options on AvaTrade?

What is the minimum account balance at AvaTrade?

Check out the current account balance requirements at AvaTrade in our What is the minimum account balance at AvaTrade article.

Looking for commission and fees data for AvaTrade?

We collected them in AvaTrade commission and fees.

How do you withdraw money from AvaTrade?

We tested it and collected the options and costs in How to withdraw money on AvaTrade.

How to use AvaTrade?

All you need to know about using the broker in How to use AvaTrade?

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