AvaTrade Review

Forex and multi-asset CFD traders

CBI ASIC JFSA FSCA ADGM FRSA CIRO BVI FSC

Founded 2006 · Ireland

Why investors choose this broker

Regulated by CBI, ASIC, JFSA, FSCA, ADGM FRSA, CIRO, and BVI FSC across multiple jurisdictions
Commission-free trading on CFD and forex instruments
No deposit or withdrawal fees
Free demo account with $100,000 virtual funds and no time limit

Review summary

AvaTrade is a multi-asset CFD and forex broker founded in 2006, regulated across multiple jurisdictions, offering 1,250+ instruments on MT4, MT5, WebTrader, and proprietary apps.

Pros

Regulated by CBI, ASIC, JFSA, FSCA, ADGM FRSA, CIRO, and BVI FSC across multiple jurisdictions
Commission-free trading on CFD and forex instruments
No deposit or withdrawal fees
Free demo account with $100,000 virtual funds and no time limit
Wide platform choice including MT4, MT5, WebTrader, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, and TradingView
Vanilla FX options trading via dedicated AvaOptions platform
Copy trading available via DupliTrade and AvaSocial
Islamic swap-free accounts available

Cons

$50 per quarter inactivity fee after 3 months of dormancy is high relative to competitors
$100 annual administration fee after 12 months of inactivity
No real stock ownership - equities are traded as CFDs only
EUR/USD spread of around 0.9 pips is above the industry average for standard accounts
Bitcoin spread notably higher than industry average
Not available to US residents
UK entity in supervised run-off - no new UK retail clients accepted

Company background

AvaTrade was founded in Dublin, Ireland in 2006 as AvaFX, initially focusing on forex trading. In 2013 the company rebranded as AvaTrade to reflect its expansion into a multi-asset brokerage. The firm now operates offices across 11 countries and serves over 400,000 registered clients. It offers more than 1,250 tradable instruments including forex pairs, equity CFDs, index CFDs, commodity CFDs, ETF CFDs, bond CFDs, cryptocurrency CFDs, and vanilla FX options. AvaTrade does not have a parent company and operates as an independent group through its regulated entities.

Fees and pricing

AvaTrade charges no commissions on CFD and forex instruments; trading costs are through the bid-ask spread. The typical EUR/USD spread on a standard account is around 0.9 pips, which is above the average for major forex pairs. Index and commodity CFD spreads vary by instrument. There are no deposit or withdrawal handling fees. Positions held past 22:00 GMT are subject to overnight swap fees, with a triple swap charge applied on Wednesdays to cover the weekend rollover period.

AvaTrade charges an inactivity fee of $50 per quarter after 3 consecutive months of no trading activity. A further $100 annual administration fee is applied after 12 consecutive months of inactivity. These charges are among the highest inactivity penalties in the retail CFD sector. There is a minimum deposit of $100 to open a live account.

Regulation and safety

AvaTrade operates through multiple licensed entities. AVA Trade EU Ltd is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) under license C53877. Ava Capital Markets Australia Pty Ltd is licensed by ASIC under license 406684. Ava Trade Japan K.K. is regulated by Japan's Financial Services Agency (JFSA). Further entities are regulated by the FSCA in South Africa (No. 45984), by the ADGM Financial Regulatory Services Authority in Abu Dhabi (No. 190018), by the BVI Financial Services Commission (SIBA/L/13/1049), and by CIRO in Canada. Client funds are held in segregated accounts at top-tier financial institutions separate from company funds, and negative balance protection is applied to retail clients in all regulated jurisdictions.

Platform experience

AvaTrade supports a broad set of trading platforms. MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are available for desktop, web, and mobile. The proprietary AvaTrade WebTrader is browser-based and requires no download. AvaTradeGO is the proprietary mobile app for iOS and Android, featuring a Guardian Angel risk-management tool. AvaProtect is a position-protection feature that reimburses losses on a covered trade for a chosen period in exchange for a premium. AvaOptions is a dedicated platform for vanilla FX options trading. AvaFutures provides access to CME and EUREX futures contracts and integrates with TradingView. DupliTrade and AvaSocial enable copy trading and strategy following. A free demo account with $100,000 in virtual funds is available with no time limit across all platforms.

Pros and cons

AvaTrade's main advantages are its multi-jurisdictional regulation, commission-free CFD and forex trading, wide platform selection, free demo account, vanilla FX options via AvaOptions, copy trading integration, and no deposit or withdrawal fees. The principal drawbacks are the high inactivity fees, EUR/USD spreads that are above the industry average, the absence of real stock ownership (all equities are CFDs), elevated Bitcoin spreads, and unavailability for US residents or new UK retail clients.

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Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Trading fees & commissions

AvaTrade charges no commissions on CFD and forex instruments; trading costs are the bid-ask spread. AvaFutures charges per-contract commissions. A $50 inactivity fee applies per quarter after 3 consecutive months of no trading, and a $100 administration fee applies after 12 consecutive months of inactivity.

Fees

Item	Fee
Cfds	Commission-free; spread-only pricing; EUR/USD typical spread around 0.9 pips; index and commodity spreads vary by instrument and market conditions
Crypto	Spread-only; Bitcoin spread higher than industry average
Account	No account opening or management fee
Deposit	Free; no deposit handling fee
Futures	Traded via AvaFutures; per-contract broker commission applies (varies by contract type); exchange and NFA fees also apply
Options	Traded via AvaOptions; premium and spread apply; no separate commission
Overnight	Overnight swap/rollover fees apply to positions held past 22:00 GMT; 3-day swap charged on Wednesday to cover weekend positions
Inactivity	$50 per quarter after 3 consecutive months of inactivity; additional $100 annual administration fee after 12 months of inactivity
Withdrawal	Free; no withdrawal handling fee

Trading platform & features

Platforms

MetaTrader 4
MetaTrader 5
AvaTradeGO
AvaOptions
AvaFutures
AvaTrade WebTrader
DupliTrade
TradingView
iOS app
Android app

Regulation and investor protection

AvaTrade operates through entities regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), ASIC, JFSA, FSCA, ADGM FRSA, BVI FSC, and CIRO. Client funds are held in segregated accounts at top-tier financial institutions, and negative balance protection applies to retail clients in all regulated jurisdictions.

Broker FAQs

Is AvaTrade safe?

AvaTrade operates through entities regulated by the CBI, ASIC, JFSA, FSCA, ADGM FRSA, BVI FSC, and CIRO. Client funds are held in segregated accounts at top-tier financial institutions and negative balance protection applies to retail clients.

Is AvaTrade a scam?

No. AvaTrade is a long-established broker founded in 2006 and holds active licenses from multiple Tier-1 regulators including the Central Bank of Ireland, ASIC, and Japan's Financial Services Agency.

Is AvaTrade regulated and by whom?

Yes. AvaTrade entities are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), ASIC (Australia), JFSA (Japan), FSCA (South Africa), ADGM FRSA (Abu Dhabi), BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands), and CIRO (Canada).

Does AvaTrade keep client funds in segregated accounts?

Yes. AvaTrade states that client funds are held in segregated accounts at top-tier financial institutions, separate from company funds.

What happens to my money if AvaTrade goes bankrupt?

Client funds are held in segregated accounts separate from company funds. Negative balance protection applies to retail clients, ensuring you cannot lose more than your account balance.

What products does AvaTrade offer?

AvaTrade offers forex pairs, equity CFDs, index CFDs, commodity CFDs, ETF CFDs, bond CFDs, cryptocurrency CFDs, vanilla FX options via AvaOptions, and futures via AvaFutures. All equity and ETF instruments are CFDs, not physical ownership.

Does AvaTrade offer real stocks?

No. AvaTrade offers equity CFDs but does not provide ownership of physical shares. Traders gain exposure to share price movements without holding the underlying asset.

Does AvaTrade offer forex options?

Yes. AvaTrade offers vanilla FX options trading through its dedicated AvaOptions platform, which supports 55+ currency pair options as well as gold and silver options.

Does AvaTrade offer crypto?

Yes. AvaTrade offers cryptocurrency CFDs covering 14 or more digital assets including Bitcoin. These are CFDs and not physical crypto ownership.

Does AvaTrade offer futures?

Yes. AvaTrade offers futures trading via its AvaFutures platform, which integrates with TradingView and provides access to CME and EUREX futures contracts. AvaFutures charges per-contract broker commissions; exchange and NFA fees also apply.

What does AvaTrade charge for trading?

AvaTrade charges no commissions on CFD and forex instruments; costs are through the spread only. The typical EUR/USD spread is around 0.9 pips on a standard account. AvaFutures charges per-contract broker commissions.

Does AvaTrade charge a withdrawal fee?

No. AvaTrade does not charge a withdrawal handling fee. Third-party payment processing costs or currency conversion charges may apply depending on your payment method.

Does AvaTrade charge an inactivity fee?

Yes. AvaTrade charges $50 per quarter after 3 consecutive months of no trading activity, and an additional $100 annual administration fee after 12 consecutive months of inactivity.

Are there overnight fees at AvaTrade?

Yes. Positions held past 22:00 GMT are subject to overnight swap or rollover fees. A triple swap is applied on Wednesdays to account for weekend positions. Islamic swap-free accounts are available for eligible clients.

Does AvaTrade have a demo account?

Yes. AvaTrade offers a free demo account with $100,000 in virtual funds and no time limit, available across MT4, MT5, WebTrader, and AvaTradeGO.

Does AvaTrade have a mobile app?

Yes. AvaTradeGO is AvaTrade's proprietary mobile app for iOS and Android, featuring Guardian Angel risk management and the ability to switch between demo and live accounts.

Is AvaTrade good for beginners?

AvaTrade offers a free unlimited demo account, a strong educational section with webinars and tutorials, copy trading via DupliTrade and AvaSocial, and a Guardian Angel risk tool. These features make it accessible for newer traders, although the high inactivity fee is a drawback for casual users.

Is AvaTrade good for long-term investing?

AvaTrade is primarily a CFD and forex broker and does not offer physical stock or ETF ownership. Long-term buy-and-hold investors looking for equity ownership would need to use a different platform. The inactivity fees also penalise accounts left dormant for 3 or more months.

Bottom line

AvaTrade suits users who want commission-free forex and CFD trading across a wide range of instruments and platforms, including vanilla FX options and futures, backed by multi-jurisdictional regulation. It may not suit users who want to own physical stocks or ETFs, US residents, new UK retail clients, or traders who trade infrequently and would be exposed to the high inactivity fees.

AvaTrade

Forex and multi-asset CFD traders

Open Account

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.