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Broker Comparison

AvaTrade vs Charles Stanley Direct

Compare AvaTrade and Charles Stanley Direct side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

AvaTrade

AvaTrade

Forex and multi-asset CFD traders

AvaTrade is a multi-asset CFD and forex broker founded in 2006, regulated across multiple jurisdictions, offe…

VS
Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

UK long-term investors and fund holders

Charles Stanley Direct is a UK investment platform launched in 2013, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISA…

Head-to-head comparison

AvaTrade vs Charles Stanley Direct
Feature AvaTrade Charles Stanley Direct
Minimum deposit - -
Stock trading fee Commission-free via CFDs; spread applies £10 per online trade; telephone dealing 1% (min £25, max £100)
Regulators CBI, ASIC, JFSA, FSCA, ADGM FRSA, CIRO, BVI FSC FCA
Best for Forex and multi-asset CFD traders UK long-term investors and fund holders
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
Forex
-
CFDs
-
Crypto
-
Bonds
Options
-
Futures
-
Margin
-
Demo Account
-
Funds
-
Isa
-
Sipp
-
Investment Plans
-
Ready Made Portfolios
-
Business Account
-

Pros & cons

AvaTrade

AvaTrade

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
Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

Pros

  • FCA regulated with FSCS protection
  • Wide range of accounts: ISA, SIPP, Junior ISA, GIA, business account
  • Access to 12,500+ UK and international investments
  • No inactivity fee
  • No deposit or withdrawal fees
  • £50 trading credit every six months offsets dealing costs
  • In-house research and market commentary
  • Flexible ISA feature uncommon among competitors

Cons

  • No demo account
  • £10 per trade for shares, ETFs and investment trusts is among the highest of UK platforms
  • Annual platform fee minimum of £60 disadvantages smaller portfolios
  • Annual fee cap raised to £600 in 2024, increasing costs for mid-size portfolios
  • FX conversion charge of 1% on trades under £10,000
  • Bonds and gilts available by telephone only
  • No fractional shares
  • Basic mobile app lacks advanced charting and research tools
AvaTrade

AvaTrade

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.

Visit AvaTrade Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct is a UK investment platform launched in 2013, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISA, SIPP and Junior ISA accounts with in-house research.

Visit Charles Stanley Direct Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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