Overview
AvaTrade has been operating since 2006 out of Dublin, Ireland, regulated through Ava Trade Markets Ltd under the Central Bank of Ireland, Ava Capital Markets Australia Pty Ltd under ASIC (licence 406684, independently confirmed on ASIC’s public register), and a CySEC-licensed Cyprus entity. We could not confirm an active UK FCA retail authorisation in our research, so if you’re a UK resident, verify AvaTrade’s current UK status directly before assuming FCA coverage.
What distinguishes AvaTrade from most brokers on this list is instrument breadth beyond standard forex/CFDs: it offers bonds, treasuries, and vanilla options trading through its dedicated AvaOptions platform, unusual territory for a retail FX broker.
Trading Costs
AvaTrade uses a fixed-spread model rather than raw/ECN pricing: there’s no commission-based tight-spread account here. EUR/USD has averaged around 0.84 pips on the Standard account in recent testing. This makes AvaTrade simpler to understand cost-wise, but it won’t be the cheapest option for high-volume traders who’d benefit from a raw account elsewhere.
AvaTrade supports MT4 and MT5 alongside its own AvaTradeGO mobile app, AvaOptions for options trading, WebTrader, and AvaSocial for copy trading, plus DupliTrade integration. This is one of the wider platform/tool ecosystems we cover, if not the tightest pricing.
Our Verdict
AvaTrade suits traders who want a broader product range (particularly options) under one broker, and who value simplicity over raw-pricing optimization. If you’re UK-based, confirm current FCA status before assuming coverage, and read the inactivity/admin fee terms carefully given how inconsistently they’re reported across sources.
Strengths
- Regulated across multiple credible jurisdictions, including an ASIC licence independently confirmed on the register
- Bonds, treasuries, and vanilla options alongside standard CFDs, a rare combination for a retail FX broker
- No commission and no deposit fees
- Long track record since 2006, with multiple platform and tool options
Watch Out For
- No confirmed active FCA licence in our research; UK residents should verify current status directly
- Inactivity fees are reported inconsistently but appear comparatively steep, plus a separate annual admin fee reported after 12 months of dormancy
- Fixed-spread model only, with no raw/ECN account for high-volume cost savings
- Doesn't accept residents of the US, Belgium, and several other countries
Full specifications
Regulation and safety
| Regulated by | Central Bank of Ireland (C53877); ASIC (406684); BVI FSC (SIBA/L/13/1049); FSCA (45984); Japan FSA (1662); FFAJ (1574); ADGM FSRA (190018); CySEC (347/17); CMA Kenya (262); Israel Securities Authority |
|---|
| Regulator tier | Tier 1 |
|---|
| Register entry | Central Bank of Ireland Register, C53877 |
|---|
| Client money segregated | Yes |
|---|
| Held at | NatWest and Barclays for applicable entities; Commonwealth Bank in Australia; other regulated banks by entity |
|---|
| Negative balance protection | Yes |
|---|
| Compensation scheme | Irish Investor Compensation Scheme for eligible EU clients; no compensation scheme under several international entities |
|---|
| Audited by | Independent external auditors |
|---|
| Not available to | United States, Belgium, Iran, North Korea and other restricted/sanctioned jurisdictions |
|---|
What it costs to trade
| Spread from | 0.9 pips |
|---|
| EUR/USD spread | 0.9 pips |
|---|
| GBP/USD spread | 1.5 pips |
|---|
| Commission | $0 |
|---|
| All-in cost, EUR/USD | 0.9 pips |
|---|
| Spread type | Variable |
|---|
| Overnight swap | Both: overnight funding applies; Islamic/swap-free accounts available |
|---|
| Inactivity fee | $50 after 3 consecutive months inactivity; $100 administration fee after 12 months where permitted |
|---|
| Currency conversion | Currency conversion spread/markup applies where account and instrument currencies differ |
|---|
Accounts
| Minimum deposit | $100 |
|---|
| Account types | Retail, Professional, Options, Spread Betting, Islamic, Demo |
|---|
| Account currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD |
|---|
| Islamic account | Yes |
|---|
| Demo account | Yes, unlimited |
|---|
| Professional account | Yes |
|---|
| Minimum trade size | 0.01 lots |
|---|
| Time to open | Typically a few minutes |
|---|
Platforms and tools
| Platforms | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, AvaTrade WebTrader, AvaTrade App, AvaOptions |
|---|
| Own platform | Yes, WebTrader, AvaTrade App and AvaOptions |
|---|
| Mobile app | Both proprietary and third-party |
|---|
| Browser trading | Yes |
|---|
| Automated trading | Yes; MT4/MT5 Expert Advisors and automated strategies |
|---|
| Copy trading | AvaSocial; DupliTrade |
|---|
| Indicators | 30+ MT4 indicators; 38+ MT5 indicators plus proprietary platform tools |
|---|
| Third-party tools | Trading Central, DupliTrade |
|---|
| API access | Yes |
|---|
Markets and execution
| Markets | Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, Cryptocurrencies, FX Options |
|---|
| Currency pairs | 50+ |
|---|
| Total instruments | 1,250+ |
|---|
| Crypto CFDs | Yes |
|---|
| Maximum leverage | 1:30 |
|---|
| Execution model | Market maker |
|---|
| Execution speed | Instant execution, typically under 1 second |
|---|
| Order types | Market, limit, stop, stop-loss, take-profit, trailing stop |
|---|
| Servers | Global data-centre infrastructure |
|---|
Deposits and withdrawals
| Deposit methods | Visa, Mastercard, bank wire, Skrill, Neteller and regional e-payment methods |
|---|
| Withdrawal methods | Original funding method, bank wire and supported e-payment methods |
|---|
| Deposit time | Cards/e-wallets generally instant; bank wire typically several business days |
|---|
| Withdrawal time | AvaTrade processing within 24 business hours; arrival depends on payment method |
|---|
| Minimum withdrawal | $100 |
|---|
| Local payment methods | Skrill; Neteller and various country-specific e-payment solutions |
|---|
Support and education
| Support hours | Monday-Friday, 05:00-21:00 GMT for English support |
|---|
| Contact channels | Live chat, email, phone |
|---|
| Languages | 15+ languages |
|---|
| Telephone | +353 76 680 5780 |
|---|
| Email | customer@avatrade.com |
|---|
| Live chat response | Typically under 2 minutes |
|---|
| Education | Extensive: AvaAcademy, courses, articles, videos, tutorials, ebooks and live webinars |
|---|
| Research | Extensive: daily market analysis, Trading Central, trading signals, technical and fundamental analysis |
|---|
