Claire Maumo wears multiple hats. She is a leading crypto and blockchain analyst, a market dynamics expert, and a seasoned financial planner. Her blend provides a unique combination that she leverages to offer expert analysis of economic and market dynamics. Her pieces deliver a holistic approach to the game, building your confidence and securing your financial future. Follow her for a comprehensive approach to mastering your trading journey.
Fact checked
Advertising Disclosure
We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services, which helps to maintain our site. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn’t influence our assessment of those products.
Since its establishment in 2006, AvaTrade has been a trusted forex and CFD brokerage firm headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The firm’s safety is underscored by its nine regulations spanning six continents. With a client base of over 400,000, AvaTrade manages an impressive 2 million monthly trades, with trading volumes surpassing £60 billion.
AvaTrade is known for offering a wide selection of trading platforms for forex and CFD trades. Its educational content and mobile app have also been highly reviewed by most users on Google Play, Trustpilot, and the App Store. We tested it and share our opinion below to empower your trading journey.
In This Guide
Why AvaTrade
We noticed that AvaTrade offers excellent brokerage services that continue to attract global clients. However, there are a few elements that make it fall short. We encourage you to fully understand such features to make the best decisions.
Here are the pros and cons to note at AvaTrade.
AvaTrade
✔Low minimum deposit requirement
✔Features automated trading on its copy trading platform
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Low minimum deposit requirement of $100 or its equivalent
- Allows transactions using multiple payment methods
- Excellent selection of trading platforms, including the MT4, MT5, AvaOptions, AvaSocial, and more
- Features automated trading on its copy trading platform
- Free deposits and withdrawals
Cons
- Supports only forex and CFD instruments
- It charges a high inactivity fee of $50 quarterly. This fee applies if your account remains inactive for more than three months.
- A high minimum deposit requirement of $2,000 to access the DupliTrade platform
Security
AvaTrade is one of the most secure brokerage firms. While exploring it, we noted that it employs high encryption protocols. Rest assured that the broker does not disclose users’ financial and personal information. Additionally, AvaTrade holds multiple licenses and is regulated in various global regions. This gives traders peace of mind, knowing they are trading with a reputable broker.
AvaTrade’s regulatory status also ensures your funds remain safe. It secures traders’ money in segregated accounts only accessible to them. This means that not even the broker will have access to your funds, and you can easily reclaim them if it goes bankrupt.
Moreover, the broker offers negative balance protection to retail clients. This protects you from losing more than what’s in your account balance. It prevents debts to the broker from trading losses. Note that the negative balance protection is only for UK and EU clients.
That being said, below are the financial regulators overseeing AvaTrade’s activities across various global regions.
- AVA Trade EU Ltd: Licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland* (CBI) under reference number C53877. It is also overseen by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) under license number 347/17. EU clients are also secure under Polish regulations (Polish Financial Supervisory Authority).
- Ava Capital Markets Australia Pty Ltd: Licensed and overseen by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) under reference number 406684
- Ava Trade Markets Ltd: A British Virgin Island branch regulated by the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission under license number SIBA/L/13/1049.
- Ava Trade Japan K.K.: Overseen by the Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA) under license number 1662 and the Financial Futures Association of Japan (FFAJ) under license number 1574.
- Ava Capital Markets Pty Ltd: A South African branch overseen by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) under license number 45984.
- Ava Trade Middle East Ltd: Licensed and regulated by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) under license number 190018.
- ATrade Ltd: AvaTrade Israel branch is overseen by the Israel Securities Authority (ISA) under reference number 514666577.
Note: AvaTrade CBI regulation in Europe only applies to members of the European Union. This also means that some countries in the EU have other financial authorities regulating their activities.
Platforms
AvaTrade hosts desktop and mobile trading platforms, which have excellent functionalities that suit all types of traders. We explored the options available, including WebTrader, MT4, MT5, AvaOptions, Automated Trading, and AvaSocial. Each of these platforms has unique functionalities, thus attracting both newbies and professional traders to AvaTrade.
For instance, the AvaSocial platform is highly praised by many users and recommended to newbies. Through DupliTrade and ZuluTrade features, you can easily join a community and interact with it. Then, you can replicate the trade positions of the expert traders you find to have higher chances of success. You can automate your trades with AvaSocial—an element that helps you save time and focus on other activities.
We noticed that AvaTrade’s mobile app is among the most highly rated by users on Google Play, Trustpilot, and the App Store. For this reason, we tested it out, and we must admit that it is user-friendly and navigable. All features on the broker’s menu are easily accessible. Plus, it has a two-factor authentication, which helps give an added layer of safety.
Fees
AvaTrade charges low fees for trading and non-trading services. When we started with the broker, we found the first deposit requirement of $100 or its equivalent to be low. Plus, all deposits and withdrawals at AvaTrade are free.
Commissions and spreads at AvaTrade are also low in our opinion. For instance, trading forex attracts low fees from 0.9 pips on major currency pairs. We also tried trading stocks and incurred low charges from 0.2 pips.
On the downside, AvaTrade charges a high inactivity fee of $50/£50/€50. This depends on your account currency. The fee applies should your account remain inactive for over three months. Plus, there is an annual administration fee of $100/€100/£100 after 12 months of inactivity. Other fee to expect with this broker is overnight charges for positions left overnight. Its margin rates are also low, from 3.33%, depending on your jurisdiction.
It is important to note that while AvaTrade offers social trading, accessing this feature via the DupliTrade and ZuluTrade platforms can be costly for low-budget traders. You are required to deposit at least $2,000 for DupliTrade and $200 for ZuluTrade platforms.
Product Offerings
At AvaTrade, we explored over 1250 CFD instruments across multiple asset classes. We like this element, as it will make it easier for you to diversify your portfolio on a single platform. Let’s explore AvaTrade’s featured securities below.
- Forex: AvaTrade lists over 50 currency pairs, including major, minor, and exotic.
- Commodities: AvaTrade offers over 19 CFD commodities, including crude oil, gold, copper, natural gas, and more.
- Cryptocurrencies: Enjoy 20+ crypto tokens at AvaTrade. Popular examples include Bitcoin, Litecoin, Solana, Dogecoin, and more.
- Stocks: You will trade over 600 stocks, including prominent companies like Tesla, Netflix, Apple, Google, and more.
- Indices: Over 30 stock index CFD assets are also available at AvaTrade.
- ETFs: For ETF traders, this broker exposes you to over 60 options, all of which you can trade at low spreads.
- Bonds: When it comes to bonds, AvaTrade only offers two options, including EURO-BUND and JAPAN GOVT BOND.
This broker only supports forex and CFD trading instruments. This means that you cannot use AvaTrade to buy an asset and take full ownership.
Before engaging in CFD trading, understand that the activity carries risks. Over 76% of retail traders lose money in this venture. Therefore, understand what CFD trading is and the risks that come with it before investing your hard-earned money.
Customer Service
AvaTrade has an amazing support service team that we highly rate and commend. For instance, the broker has a chatbot that helps you find quick answers to the most commonly asked questions. There is also a FAQ section whereby you will find additional answers to common questions.
Additionally, the broker’s team is available on the live chat, although reachable five days a week. Besides calling the team via phone, you can contact them through email. Overall, the team is prompt with its response. It also offers relevant solutions, thus allowing you to get back into your trading ventures and take advantage of available opportunities.
How to Sign up For an Account at AvaTrade
AvaTrade has a straightforward account opening procedure that takes minutes to complete. With a required low minimum deposit of $100, you can access various accounts and kickstart your CFD trading ventures. Some of the accounts you will find at AvaTrade include retail/standard account, corporate account, spread betting account (for UK and Ireland users), AvaOptions account, Islamic account, and Professional Trading account.
Note that each trading account has its own requirements to meet. So, regardless of your choice, follow the steps below to sign up and start your online CFD trading ventures.
Step 1: Visit The Broker’s Website
Step 2: Register a Trading Account
Step 3: Verify Your Account
Step 4: Make a Deposit
Step 5: Trade
Access AvaTrade’s website by clicking any of the links we have shared on this page. Before you start account registration, understand the broker’s terms of service. Also, install its mobile AvaTradeGO app on your mobile device. The app will help you easily manage your positions while on the move.
Click the “Register Now” button and share your name, email, phone number, and more. AvaTrade will redirect you to the next page, where you will provide additional personal information. This includes your employment, savings and income status, date of birth, and more. The broker will also assess your trading experience through tests and provide the best leverage limit for your skill level.
Verify your identity and residency by uploading copies of specified documents. These include a copy of your ID card or driver’s license/passport, as well as a copy of your recent utility bill. AvaTrade will send an email notification once your account is fully activated.
Deposit funds per AvaTrade’s minimum deposit requirement to access the featured CFD assets. The good news is that this broker accepts payments via multiple payment methods, as listed above. All you have to do is choose the most convenient for you.
Choose your preferred CFD assets, identify your trading strategy, and open a position. Remember, always apply risk management controls to mitigate potential massive losses. Also, track your activities to ensure everything works out in your favor.
Final Thoughts
AvaTrade has the interest of traders at heart, but choosing it will depend on whether it is suitable for you. Our review highlights the features of AvaTrade. So, if you are new to the broker, we encourage you to start exploring it via its demo account. This account is risk-free and loaded with $50,000 virtual money.
Remember, AvaTrade is a forex and CFD broker. Committing to it doesn’t guarantee profitable trades, as the financial markets are unpredictable. Understand what CFD trading is and the risks involved before investing real money. Also, take advantage of risk management controls like stop-loss and take-profit orders to mitigate huge losses if a trade goes against you. Most importantly, track your activities to ensure your trades work out as planned.
Invezty Rating:
✔Low minimum deposit requirement
✔Features automated trading on its copy trading platform
Visit site
Risk Warning
76% 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.
-
5
Customer Support
-
5
Commissions & Fees
-
5
Platforms & Tools
-
5
Educational Resources