Here Are the 10 Pros and Cons

AvaTrade Fact sheet

When it comes to choosing a new broker to start trading with, one of the most important factors every trader is focused on is the safety and security they can be offered. AvaTrade is one of the brokers that is known for offering traders highly secure services. 

It is licensed and regulated by numerous authorities around the world. This makes it a truly leading online brokerage. 

Among the licenses that it owns are the following:

• The Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada
• Central Bank of Ireland; 
• Polish Financial Supervision Authority; 
• Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission;
• The Australian Securities & Investments Commission; 
• The British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission; 
• The Financial Futures Association of Japan; 
• South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority; 
• Abu Dhabi Global Markets Financial Regulatory Services Authority; 
• Israel Securities Authority.

By having licenses from so many jurisdictions around the world, AvaTrade is able to guarantee the highest level of safety and security for its clients. The broker is also able to use these licenses to act as an international broker, offerings services to traders all over the world. 

Policies that AvaTrade follows

Because the broker is regulated by so many agencies, it has to follow different types of policies to ensure the highest safety of its clients. These policies are aimed at making sure that the individual rights of traders are kept safe at all times. 

One of the policies adopted by the broker is negative balance protection. This policy is aimed at ensuring that traders do not lose more money than they can afford. Sometimes, when using leverage, traders might end up losing too much money. This is due to the nature of leverage. While it can be quite useful for amplifying the profits of traders, it can also increase the risk of losing more money. 

With the use of negative balance protection, the positions are closed automatically by the broker when your account balance nears zero. As a result, you will never lose more money than you have available in your account, meaning that your balance will never be in the negative territory.

AvaTrade also keeps the funds of the clients in separate bank accounts. This means that no matter what goes wrong, traders will always have access to their funds. Even if the broker goes bankrupt, you will be able to withdraw your funds, thanks to this account segregation. 

In order to ensure the highest safety of your money, the broker has partnered with leading banks around the world.

The broker is also a member of the Investor Compensation Scheme, which means that if you lose money because of hacking or other types of fraudulent reasons, you will be able to retrieve at least a part of your investment.

AvaTrade is a great broker for those who want to trade different assets using one account. The broker offers traders access to Forex, crypto assets, indices, stocks, commodities, and so on. 

On AvaTrade, trading is mostly done using CFDs, which stands for Contracts of Differences, and is a great tool for traders who want to make profits without having to invest in different assets directly. 

CFDs offer traders the opportunity to simply speculate on the possible price movements in the market. This way, individuals are able to make profits without worrying about where to store their assets.

While there are quite a lot of assets available with this broker, there still are some assets that are missing. For example, there are no real stocks available, which had an impact on our AvaTrade rating. 

Forex

AvaTrade offers clients over 45 currency pairs for trading. This includes major, minor, and exotic currency pairs. The trading conditions for currency pairs on AvaTrade depend on several factors, including your location. 

The maximum leverage for Forex trading on AvaTrade is 1:400. While many might consider this high amount of leverage as an advantage, it should be remembered that leverage not only increases your chances to make higher profits but also amplifies the chances of losing more money. 

While the maximum leverage is 1:400, it is not offered to everyone who uses the broker. For example, due to the local regulations and trading rules, the maximum leverage that European traders can use is 1:30. The same regulation regarding leverage has been adopted by the Australian regulatory body.

Cryptocurrencies

Over the past few years, cryptocurrencies have become one of the most popular trading assets among different investors around the world. There are numerous crypto assets available for traders on AvaTrade, but it should be noted that crypto trading is only available through CFD trading. 

Because of this, traders are not able to directly buy digital assets on AvaTrade. But, they can still make profits from this market thanks to the CFD trading. By doing so, traders are simply speculating on the possible price movements in the market. 

This way, they can make profits even from the tiniest price changes of the underlying asset without having to own it. CFDs also offer traders the opportunity to go long or short, which means that you can make profits from both, upside and downside price movements.

As for the leverage, the broker offers clients 1:25 leverage on crypto trading. However, keep in mind that if you are a trader from the EU, you will not be offered leverage over 1:2 for crypto trading due to local regulations.

Shares

When working on this AvaTrade review, we found that the broker does not offer real stocks. However, it does not mean that you can’t make profits from this market. As we have already mentioned, there are stock CFDs available on AvaTrade, which means that you can still profit from stock price movements. 

There are over 1,000 stock CFDs available on AvaTrade and this wide range of assets can offer traders the opportunity to easily diversify their trading portfolio, which can be an important step towards maintaining their wealth.

The clients of the company are offered the opportunity to use leverage going up to 1:20, which can be quite useful for stock trading. Apart from this, the available stocks on AvaTrade include some of the best-known companies, listed on exchanges such as the NYSE. Among the shares that you can trade on AvaTrade are Adidas, Apple, Amazon, Meta, and many others. 

Indices

If you do not want to trade individual stocks and you are looking for ways to invest in a larger market without having to deal with every stock individually, indices might be a great choice for you. 

These are very popular assets, which provide traders with access to numerous stocks by opening just one position. There are numerous indices available for the clients of AvaTrade, representing the economics of different countries. 

The broker offers clients the opportunity to trade leading US, European and Asian indices. You can use leverage of up to 1:400, but there might be some local restrictions applied to the leverage you are using. For example, European traders can't use maximum leverage over 1:20.

Among the indices available on AvaTrade are those like S&P 500, Nikkei 225, and many others. 

Commodities

Commodities are assets that have been around for a very long time. Individuals have been trading them for centuries and they remain very popular today as well. On AvaTrade, you can trade both soft and hard commodities. 

Soft commodities are those like wheat, cocoa, and coffee; the ones that can be harvested and are a product of agricultural activity. Hard commodities include coal, gold, and other assets, that are mined. 

On AvaTrade, the leverage for commodities can go up to 1:400 depending on your location. You can also trade precious metals, such as gold and silver.

There are several account types offered by AvaTrade. These account types were created to ensure that traders of all interests could find something that fits their needs in the financial markets. 

To help you decide which account is better for you, we have reviewed each available option one by one below. So, take a look and decide which one you want to create.

Pros & cons of AvaTrade account types

AvaTrade Demo Account

If you are a total beginner in the Forex trading market and have little to no experience in trading, it would be better to start your journey with AvaTrade using the demo account. The demo account of AvaTrade can be opened in a very short time, without any struggle. 

Once you create the demo account, you will be able to access the Forex trading market, but in a demo version. This means that instead of using your actual, real-life funds, you will be trading with virtual money. This virtual cash may be used by traders to try out different types of trading strategies and styles to determine which one works the best for them.

Contrary to popular belief that a demo account should only be used by beginners, it can actually be quite useful for experienced traders as well. There are several reasons for this. First of all, traders of any level of experience can use a demo account to better get to know the offerings of the broker. 

In addition, experienced traders can use demo accounts to test out new trading ideas and techniques and see how they would play out in the market without spending any of their funds.

AvaTrade's demo account can be used by traders for as long as they wish. If you run out of virtual cash, you can always ask the broker to provide more.

AvaTrade Retail Account

Once you have learned all you wanted with the demo account, it is time to start trading with your real-life funds. A great option for continuing your journey in the Forex market is the AvaTrade Retail account. 

This account type is offered to traders from the EU and comes with certain restrictions. Due to the Forex trading regulations put forward by ESMA, the maximum leverage for Retail account holders is 1:30. 

This account also offers traders negative balance protections and risk warnings to ensure high-grade protection of clients. An international equivalent of the Retail account is the Standard account, which is available for non-EU traders. This account is very similar to the retail account, with the main difference being that the maximum leverage with a Standard account is 1:400. 

AvaTrade Professional Account

If you are a trader with years of experience in the market and you are looking for something above the Regular account, there is a special offer for you available on AvaTrade. 

The Professional account of AvaTrade offers traders numerous benefits. In order to open this account, traders are required to demonstrate their experience in the market by showcasing their trading frequency and volume. 

To get a Professional account, you will first be required to open a Retail or Standard account and then upgrade it to a Professional account. With this upgrade, EU traders can have access to higher leverage. 

AvaTrade Islamic Account

As an international Forex broker, AvaTrade ensures that it is able to meet the needs of every single trader around the world. According to the Sharia law of the Quran, those following the beliefs of Islam are restricted from paying or receiving any type of interest. 

The Forex trading market, especially when you leave positions open overnight, is very much associated with paying interest in the form of swaps. With the Islamic account, traders do not have to worry about the swaps, which is why it is also known as a swap-free account.

Others

The above-mentioned accounts are the ones that are the most popular on AvaTrade. But, there are several others that we were able to find during our AvaTrade review investigation. A very special account of AvaTrade which is only available for EU traders is the AvaTrade Spread Betting account. 

This account lets traders take part in this exciting, yet very risky trading venture. There is also an AvaTrade VIP account available for traders, which is known for having very low spreads, starting from zero pips. The requirement to open this account is to deposit at least 10,000 Euros. 

The broker also offers the AvaTrade MAM/PAMM account, which can be very useful for traders who like social trading. This account allows traders to become part of the trading community and make profits without having to trade on their own. 

In general, the broker only requires clients to deposit $100 to open a live account. For special accounts, the minimum deposit can vary.

Getting started on AvaTrade - Main steps

To get started on AvaTrade, there are several steps that you will have to take. To make this process easier, the broker has adopted some modern technologies which can support traders to quickly become part of the market. In general, it should not take over a day to start trading on AvaTrade. 

Below, we will go through all the steps you will have to take to get started on AvaTrade. Let’s see how these steps look. 

Step 1: Create an account of your choice

The first step that you will have to take is to understand which account you want to create. There are not too many of them available on AvaTrade, so making this decision should not be a huge issue. 

To make the best decision for yourself, it is very important to try and understand your interests as well as your goals for trading. Once you decide which account you want to open, simply click the orange "Register Now" button on the left side of the broker's home page. 

After doing so, you will see the pop-up window where you will provide the email and password you want to use for your account. This will transfer you to a new page as shown below, where you will provide detailed information about yourself. 

Once you are done with this part, you will be redirected to a new page. Here, you will have to provide some information about your income and savings, and how much money you are planning to spend on trading. You will also have to take a quick quiz to determine how knowledgeable you are about Forex trading. 

And voila! The registration process is complete!

Step 2: It’s time for verification

Once you are done with the registration procedure, you are directly redirected to a new window, where you will be required to verify your account. It will look something like this:  
 

To verify your account, there are different types of documents that you will be required to provide the broker with. The first type of document that you will be required to provide AvaTrade with is a copy of a government-issued ID. Then, you will also have to provide a copy of a utility bill issued over the past three months, or other legal document showing your residential address.

This page will look like this:

Spet 3: Make your first deposit

Once you have created and verified your AvaTrade account, it is time for you to make your first deposit. From your account portal, you can simply click the orange ‘Deposit’ button from the top middle part of the screen, choose which payment methods you are using, and follow the instructions. 

There are a wide variety of deposit solutions to choose from when trading with AvaTrade. Among them are credit cards, debit cards, wire transfers, e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller, and many others. In general, the deposits are processed within 24 hours, but wire transfers can take up to 7 days. 

The minimum deposit is $100, but the broker recommends depositing around $1,000-$2,000 to enjoy the full experience of trading on AvaTrade.

Step 4: Choose & download the trading platform

After depositing funds, the next step is to download one of the trading platforms that are offered by the broker. There is a web-based trading platform available on AvaTrade that you can use, without having to download any additional applications.

Step 5: Start your trading journey with AvaTrade

Once you are done with creating an account and you are all set with your funds and trading platforms, you are now able to start trading. 

But first, do not forget to do some market analysis and research. There are numerous analytical tools available on AvaTrade for you to use and receive detailed information about the price movements in the market. 

Once you know what you want to do with your positions, you can start opening and closing them and enjoy your profits.

The fees and commissions are very competitive on AvaTrade. While there are many other brokers that charge lower fees, the commissions on AvaTrade are not too high. One very important thing that we have kept in mind in our AvaTrade rating is the fact that the broker does not charge fees on withdrawals or deposits. 

This is a very important thing about AvaTrade which can help traders to enjoy the full extent of their deposits and make the most out of their trading. The in-trade fees that you might have to pay while trading with AvaTrade depend on several factors. First, it is the asset that you are trading, as well as your account type and your location.

AvaTrade inactivity fee

It is very important for traders to ensure that their accounts are not left inactive without deactivating them. If you believe that you won’t be trading for several months, it is better to contact the broker and deactivate your account for some time.

Comparing AvaTrade fees with other brokers

Throughout our AvaTrade review, we have mentioned that there are different types of fees charged by the broker. One way to see how competitive these fees are is to compare them to other brokers available in the market. 

This way, it should be easier to see whether the fees on AvaTrade are high or low.

AvaTrade fees compared to Interactive Brokers fees

*Inactivity fee was eliminated by IB in 2021, it used to be $20/m

AvaTrade fees compared to eToro fees

AvaTrade fees compared to IG fees

AvaTrade fees compared to XM fees

There are many things that make AvaTrade a good Forex broker. One of them is definitely the wide variety of trading platforms that it offers to its clients. The trading platforms all look really good and they can be very beneficial for traders of all different interests. Here are the trading platforms that you can use on AvaTrade: 

• MetaTrader 4
• MetaTrader 5
• AvaTradeGO 
• AvaSocial 
• AvaOptions 
• WebTrader

All of these trading platforms can be very useful for traders. They are well-known and popular in the market. Their design is highly intuitive and can be very easily used by traders, even if they do not have much experience in the market. 

MetaTrader 4 & MetaTrader 5

MT4 and MT5 are some of the best-known Forex trading platforms available in the world. MT4 was released in 2005, and MT5 in 2010. These trading platforms have forever changed the way people view the trading markets and have made it easier for traders around the world to become part of the trading industry.

MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 were both created by the same company, MetaQuotes. They offer Expert Advisors, which can be used by AvaTrade clients to automate some parts of the Forex trading process.

AvaTradeGO & AvaSocial

AvaTradeGO is an award-winning trading platform created by AvaTrade. This platform is truly an innovative product, which allows traders to keep in touch with the financial markets using their smartphones. The application is available on both iOS and Android devices. The application allows traders to trade any of the assets available on the broker. 

It is a very simple trading platform, which can be used by traders even with the least experience in the market. It comes with numerous charts and indicators that can make market analysis a lot easier. AvaTradeGO also allows traders to contact the multi-lingual support team directly from the application.

If you want to be a passive trader and rather make profits by following steps taken by professional traders, AvaSocial can be the perfect trading platform for you. This app allows AvaTrade's clients to copy the trades of other, more experienced traders. 

This will help you not only make profits in an easier manner but also understand the market in greater detail. AvaSocial is one of the best choices for social trading available in the market today.

AvaOptions & WebTrader

AvaOptions can be a great choice for more experienced traders who want to have access to impressive options trading at great prices. This platform allows traders to create an optimal trading portfolio and choose from over 40 currency pairs and make any combination they want. This platform gives traders full control over their positions and lets them balance risk and reward according to their personal views.

AvaTrade WebTrader can also be an amazing choice for traders of all different interests. If you are someone looking for ways to trade currency pairs without having to download additional applications, WebTrader can be a great fit for you.

Education & research tools

There are numerous educational and research tools available on AvaTrade. This material can be used by traders to expand their knowledge and understanding of the Forex trading market and better comprehend how things work in the markets. 

Traders can find anything from detailed video guides about the platform, trading basics, tutorials on technical and fundamental analysis, as well as market news and analysis. There are also special tools such as economic indicators and calendars available for traders on AvaTrade. You can check out different types of strategies on AvaTrade and see how these strategies can be implemented.

Customer Support of AvaTrade

Our AvaTrade review shows that one of the biggest advantages of this broker is its customer support team. There are numerous ways you can get in touch with the representatives of the customer support team, including live chat, email, special online forms, WhatsApp, and phone numbers. 

The phone numbers of the customer support team of AvaTrade are different for different countries and it is available in 20+ languages. A detailed list of phone numbers is available on the website of the broker.

After an extensive and detailed overview of AvaTrade, we are able to say that AvaTrade is a legit Forex broker, with a lot to offer. The services of the broker range from offering traders Forex currency pairs to stocks, cryptocurrencies, and many other assets. 

It is regulated in numerous jurisdictions around the world, making it a truly safe and secure brokerage. AvaTrade offers clients high-quality and user-friendly trading platforms, which can make Forex trading a lot easier.