Summary

AvaTrade is a reputable stock and CFD broker that provides margin-based trading with favourable terms and circumstances, thanks to its robust regulatory infrastructure. With 800+ instruments offered under its product portfolio, the firm caters to retail and institutional investors and provides trading services across various financial markets.

In this AvaTrade Review, we’ll go through the broker in detail. We will delve into details about the trading instruments the broker has in stores, including Stocks, Forex, Commodities, Indices, Cryptocurrencies, ETFs, and many more.

We will also walk through the trading platform offered by the broker, including its social trading platforms for clients looking for a social trading experience. Besides exploring the various sections, such as AvaTrade’s fees and commissions, payment methods, spreads, leverages, regulations, safety measures, and educational resources, we’ll also discuss the process of opening an account with AvaTrade. Lastly, clientele feedback about the company on platforms like Reddit, Quora, Trustpilot, and ForexPeaceArmy will be discussed and then the FAQs. 

Available Assets

With AvaTrade, traders can access 800+ different financial instruments, including forex pairs, commodities, equities/shares, indices, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), bonds, and cryptocurrencies. Let’s quickly review each asset class one by one. 

Stocks

AvaTrade allows clients to trade 600+ stock CFDs on the world’s leading exchanges (including NYSE, NASDAQ, and FTSE) with no hidden costs or commissions. You can access stocks like Facebook, Apple, and Google, with a leverage of up to 1:10. 

Indices

One of the best ways to hedge against market volatility and increase portfolio diversification is to trade indices with AvaTrade. Besides the flexibility to trade U.S., Asian, and European indices, you’ll also have access to market-leading spreads and leverage. The broker offers traders access to 30+ different indices.

Forex

AvaTrader offers 50+ forex pairs. Some of the most traded currency pairs include the Euro/U.S. Dollar and the British Pound/U.S. Dollar, while you can also trade less popular currencies such as Russian Rubles or Swiss francs.

Commodities

The broker has a plethora of commodities available at your disposal, including Sugar, coffee, cotton, wheat, and a few more. Clients can trade a total of 15+ commodities at AvaTrade.

Cryptocurrencies

The cryptocurrency market has always been the point of global attention, and many people prefer trading them owing to their high volatility. You can trade 17+ cryptocurrencies with AvaTrade. The broker lists various cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. However, crypto CFDs are not available to U.K. citizens amid FCA restrictions. 

ETFs

AvaTrade provides access to 60+ exchange-traded funds (ETFs) listed on various exchanges worldwide, and they include the S&P 500, US 100, FTSE500, SPAIN35, etc. These financial instruments are available across all its trading platforms, with a heavy concentration on MT5.

Bonds

The bond collection offered by AvaTrade is quite restricted, with only two bonds currently being made available to users. They consist of the Euro-Bund as well as the Japan Government Bond.

FxOptions

AvaTrade offers 40+ FX Options as part of its trading instruments, allowing traders to buy or sell currency options contracts. FX Options provide flexibility and hedging opportunities, giving traders the ability to manage their risk exposure in the volatile foreign exchange market.

Stock Trading at AvaTrade

Buying and selling shares of a company’s stock is what is meant by “stock trading.” Although stock trading is a high-stakes endeavour fraught with difficulty, it is possible to improve one’s odds of success via education and preparation. Short-term trading, which involves buying and selling shares several times a day, and long-term investing, are the two main categories of stock trading.

You engage in long-term investment when you put money away to keep it for a lengthy period, say five years or more. Long-term investment in the equity market can yield significant profits, but only if you commit to the approach for the long haul. On the contrary, stock day trading entails buying and selling the same stock many times during a single trading day. Day traders typically look for daily price swings in the stock market and then make bets on whether or not those variations will continue over a short period, ranging from a few minutes to hours. While trading stock CFDs, you can use leverage up to 1:10 at AvaTrade.

Available Stock Exchanges At AvaTrade

AvaTrade is a valuable platform for trading share CFDs due to its access to a wide variety of stock exchange marketplaces. With AvaTrade, you can trade stocks from the world’s most liquid exchanges, including NASDAQ, NYSE, FTSE, etc. Although the company doesn’t deal in real stocks, you can only trade them as CFDs. At AvaTrade, traders can benefit from the rising global economy by trading 600+ stock CFDs for some top-of-the-line firms, such as Facebook, Apple, Google and many more.

Here is the table for the supported exchanges. 

Stock Trading Fees & Commission at AvaTrade

Unless otherwise specified, AvaTrade gets paid through the Bid-Ask spread. Trading stocks with this broker is entirely free of commission. We’ll review the broker’s pricing structure in detail in a separate section below. 

Stock Trading Leverage At AvaTrade

Leverage is the practice of opening a position with borrowed funds. Brokers offer leverage to help their clients maximise their market potential despite having a limited budget. The hefty stakes in leverage make its appeal seem false. It increases your exposure to the market and, consequently, your vulnerability to financial loss. Traders at AvaTrade can take advantage of the leverage of up to 1:10 when buying and selling stock CFDs.

Regulations

Many of the world’s most prestigious regulatory bodies oversee and regulate AvaTrade. Information on how the company complies with the laws of various countries is shared below.

AVA Trade E.U. Ltd: The entity holds regulations from the Central Bank of Ireland and is located at 2 Dublin Landings, North Wall Quay, North Dock Dublin 1, Dublin, Dublin, DO1V4A3, Ireland. 

• Licence Number: C53877

Ava Capital Markets Australia Pty Ltd: This entity holds a licence from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in Australia (ASIC) and is situated on Ground Floor, 320 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia. 

• Licence Number: 406684

Ava Trade Markets Ltd: Having been authorised by the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission (FSC), the company is located at Kingston Chambers, PO Box 173, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Ava Trade Japan K.K: The firm holds Financial Services Agency (FSA) licence and regulations in Japan. It is also regulated by the Financial Futures Association of Japan. This entity is located at Minatoku Akasaka 2-18-1, Akasaka Hillside Building (4th Floor), Tokyo, Japan. 

• Licence Number: 1662 & 1574

Ava Capital Markets Pty: Based in South Africa, the entity is regulated by the South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). Its official address is at Nelson Mandela Square Office towers West, 2nd Floor, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa.

• Licence Number: 45984

DT Direct Investment Hub Ltd: The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission regulated this entity. Its official address is 74 Archiepiskopou Makariou C’, Amaranton Court, 2nd Floor, Mesa Geitonia, Limassol, Cyprus.

• Licence Number: 347/17

Ava Trade Middle East Ltd.: Regulated by the Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) Financial Regulatory Services Authority (FRSA), the entity is located at Suite 307, Al Sarab Tower, 15th Floor, Abu Dhabi Global Market Square, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

• Licence Number: 190018

ATrade Ltd: The company holds regulations from the Israel Securities Authority with an official address at Arieh Shenkar St 9, Herzliya, 4672509, Israel.

• Licence Number: 514666577

Fees and Commissions

Spreads, commissions, and other fees are the common AvaTrade fees. Although, we have other fees that the broker charges. Some of these fees are trading-specific, while others are more generic. Here is a review of both of them in detail. 

Trading Fees

Trading fees are generated from trading activities on this broker, and they include spread, commissions and swap. AvaTrade doesn’t charge commissions from its clients. However, the broker charges spread and swap from its clients. Here are more details about both of them.  

Spreads

The AvaTrade spread starts from 0.9 pips on EUR/USD, while it is $0.25 on stock indices like the S&P 500. The spread rate for the stocks is expressed as a percentage. For instance, stocks like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon carry a spread rate of 0.13%. 

Rollover Rate/Swap Fees

Clients also need to pay swap charges for holding positions overnight, though Islamic account holders are exempt from paying the interest charges.

Non-Trading Fees

Having discussed the trading fees above, we will now review the company’s non-trading fee. Just like some brokers, AvaTrade doesn’t charge deposits and withdrawals fees, but it still charges inactivity and administration fees. 

Inactivity Fee

If your AvaTrade account has been inactive for over three months, you will be charged a $50 inactivity fee at every successive inactive period. 

Administration Fee

Inactive accounts older than a year may also incur a $100 administrative fee from the broker.

Account Types

Eliminating the need for multiple account types, the broker features all perks and benefits under the same head called – Retail Account. However, skilled traders meeting the specific criteria can also sign up for a professional account. A demo account and a swap-free account also make up part of the broker’s offerings. This section of the review will go into details of the different account types below.  

Demo Account

A demo account preloaded with a virtual balance of $10,000 allows you to experiment with trading methods without risking your money. The best aspect is that you can keep using it until you feel ready to invest real money.

Retail Account

Clients with limited funds and basic to medium expertise may opt for the standard account. The minimum deposit to sign up for the standard account is $100. Standard account holders can access 800+ widely traded assets (including Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices, ETFs, and Options) available on several trading platforms, such as MT4, MT5, WebTrader, and the AvaTradeGO app.

Professional Account

While anyone can open a retail account, there are certain requirements for opening a professional account. For instance, a client looking to open a professional account should meet any two of the following criteria. 

1. You should have an investment portfolio of 500, 000 € or more.
2. You should have relevant experience of more than a year in the same industry.
3. You should have significantly traded over the past 12 months with a frequency of 10 trades a quarter. 

Islamic Account

Swaps are the overnight fees imposed on traders who hold positions overnight. But according to Sharia law, Muslims are forbidden from paying interest. As a solution, AvaTrade offers an Islamic account to shariah practising clients, allowing them to execute interest-free trades. 

Trading Platforms

AvaTrade provides access to various trading platforms, including its own (AvaWebtrader and AvaOptions) and the whole suite of MetaTrader platforms. The company also encourages social trading using the popular ZuluTrade and DupliTrade copy trading platforms. We’ll review the AvaTrade platforms or trading platforms in this section of the article.

Desktop Trading Platform

Clients who prefer accessing the markets from the ease of their desktops can use the broker’s custom-built trading platform – AvaTrader. Let’s list some of its features below. 

Design

The desktop platform is straightforward and user-friendly. However, it does not offer complete personalisation. 

Trading Tools & Indicators

Over ninety technical indicators and a complete set of directly connected third-party trading tools come along with the desktop terminal.

Order Types

Traders utilising the desktop trading platform are restricted to the three fundamental order types: limit, market, and stop orders. 

Price Alerts

Unfortunately, price change notifications are unavailable through the desktop trading platform. 

History

The desktop’s history tab provides access to trade records and charge reports that users can use to identify mistakes and improve performance.  

How to Open an Account with AvaTrade on the Desktop Trading Platform

1. Go to the broker’s website and click on the button captioned  “Register Now”.
2. Enter your first and last names exactly as they appear on legal documents, such as your I.D. card or Passport, and generate a strong password for your account.
3. Select your country of residency and the date of your birth.
4. Input your residential address and phone number and enter the verification code received via SMS.  
5. The following step requires you to select, using a drop-down menu, both your primary line of work and your total expected yearly income.
6. Select the answer that provides the most accurate depiction of the overall anticipated worth of your savings and investments and the amount you want to invest annually.
7. Please make your selections from the drop-down menus regarding your current work situation and source of funds.
8. Choose your preferred trading platform and the base currency you want to be associated with your account.
9. Click the “Complete Registration” button after reading and accepting the terms and conditions of the service. 
10. Complete the KYC process and upload the supporting documents as requested, i-e, a copy of your national ID card, driving licence, or passport. You must also submit a copy of your bank statement or utility bill for address confirmation.
11. Navigate to the dashboard, access the payment wizard and click on deposits. Select your preferred payment method and enter your desired amount.
12. Review and authorise the payment details to complete funds transfers. 

Mobile Trading App

AvaTrade provides a wide variety of trading apps for use on mobile devices. Mobile traders can choose from the full range of MetaTrader platforms as well as the company’s own custom trading platforms (Avaoptions and AvaTradeGo). All of the aforementioned AvaTrade apps or trading apps work with both Android and iOS devices. Below is a quick review of the AvaTrade Mobile Trading app. 

Design

AvaTradeGo’s intuitive layout makes it convenient for clients with minimal trading experience. 

Market Watch

AvaTradeGo automatically synchronises with the market watchlists, making it easy for clients to see the list of their preferred tradable assets unchanged. 

AvaProtect

The AvaProtect function of the broker’s proprietary mobile trading app allows customers to hedge their investments against market fluctuations, mitigating the risk of loss to a manageable degree. 

Market Sentiment Tool

Traders may quickly assess the market’s sentiment for every instrument they can trade with the help of this AvaTradeGo tool.

How to Open an Account with AvaTrade on a Mobile Trading App

Here are the steps you need to follow to open an account with AvaTrade using a mobile app. 

1. Visit the Google Play Store or App Store to download the respective trading app on your mobile devices. 
2. Select “Create a Real Account” to get started. If you’d rather test things out using a dummy account first, you can select the “Demo Account” option. 
3. You’ll need to choose your nation of residency and provide a working email address. The next step is to generate a secure password for yourself using an alphanumeric phrase.
4. Provide your full legal name as appearing on your identification documents, such as your ID Card, Passport or Driving License.
5. To proceed, please choose your birth date from the calendar.
6. Provide the details of your permanent residence, the place where you get mail and financial statements.
7. Simply key in your phone number here.
8. Select your preferred trading platform.
9. Choose the currency you’d want to use on your account.
10. Pick out your primary job function from the options provided.
11. Next, pick the drop-down menu item that closely reflects your intended trading capital source.
12. Provide your estimated annual income.
13. Select the sum you anticipate your investments and savings to be.
14. The next step is to select the yearly investment amount you wish to make.
15. Choose the appropriate response to inform them of your work status.
16. Finally, you need to accept their terms and conditions before you can begin. Upload supporting documents to complete the KYC process. You can use your National ID card, Passport, or Driving licence for ID verification. A copy of the utility bill is also required for address verification.
17. Navigate to the payment section, select your preferred payment method and enter your desired deposit amount. Do not forget to review the payment details before authorising the payment.

Payment Methods

Deposits and withdrawals at AvaTrade have multiple options, including debit cards, credit cards, e-wallets (Skrill, Neteller), and bank wire transfers. Clients also have the option of paying using cryptocurrencies. However, the range of choices may vary depending on your region. In the client portal, under the funds tab, you can see all of the available payment options supported for your jurisdiction. Let’s quickly review the deposit and withdrawal methods below.

Deposits

Payment methods such as credit cards, debit cards, and wire transfers all require a minimum deposit of $100. Using a credit card or debit card to fund your account is the quickest method, because the money is deposited instantly. If this is your first time depositing with a credit card or debit card, security checks may delay the transaction for an additional business day. Depending on the bank’s location and the country where the transfer is being made, a wire transfer could take up to seven business days. 

Withdrawals

AvaTrade’s quick and easy withdrawal process is the major selling point for the company. While payments are released to your original deposit method, the broker processes all withdrawal requests within a day, except for wire transfers. Funds transferred through a bank may take 7-10 business days to reach your account.  

The minimum withdrawal amount depends on the payment method used. If you are withdrawing to your credit cards or debit cards, the minimum amount is $1, but when withdrawing via bank transfer the minimum amount is $100. 

Account Base Currency

AvaTrade offers trading in a number of different base currencies. For example, clients can fund their accounts in U.S. Dollars (USD), British Pounds (GBP), Euros (EUR), or Swiss Francs (CHF).

Research and Education

This review has looked thoroughly into the research and education section of AvaTrade. The broker’s research facility seems well maintained and competes well in the market. In addition to offering access to market analysis, a trading calculator, and an economic calendar, the research centre also features third-party content, such as trade ideas, analyst opinions, and market buzz.  

Using the economic calendar, customers can anticipate market news and events that may have a major impact on the financial markets. Moreover, clients are able to better gauge the underlying asset market trend thanks to technical and fundamental analyses.

The broker provides its clients with a wealth of educational resources, including trading guidelines for novice and experienced traders and approximately 53 video lectures covering major topics under ten categories. Economic indicators, a blog, and a glossary section are also worth commenting on. 

Well-researched written content is available under the trading for beginners and professional heads. Clients can learn about every facet of the stock market and foreign exchange trading with the help of these in-depth articles. The section on economic indicators describes how to filter a country’s significant economic indicators and use them for trading the currency and equity market. 

Customer Support

AvaTrader offers multilingual customer support five days a week. You can contact customer service via phone, email, or the popular messaging app WhatsApp. The broker’s website features dozens of local and international phone numbers. While an auto-response bot is there to answer your queries promptly, the need for connecting with a real gent is felt though. The company also has representation on social media platforms, such as Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Reviews

Customers’ feedback is a great way to learn more about a broker’s reliability, professionalism, and client support. That way, you can make a more informed decision and avoid getting suckered into scams or shady activities. Below, we look into what users who have signed up with AvaTrade have to say about their experience on Reddit, Quora, Trustpilot, and Forexpeacearmy.

What Reddit Users Say About AvaTrade

Despite being a popular broker, people didn’t seem much familiar with AvaTrade. While some users expressed they haven’t used the broker ever, others had mixed opinions concerning whether or not anyone should open an account with AvaTrade. Furthermore, people gave different replies in response to the member’s query about general views on the broker. While one member appreciated the company for having no commissions, others denounced the broker for its withdrawal process. 

However, the person who experienced withdrawal issues with the firm was not sure whether it was the broker’s fault or the money got delayed at the broker’s end. Overall, the Reddit community neither looked too fond of the company nor seemed highly disappointed.

What Quora Users Say About AvaTrade

Like Reddit, the Quora community also had diverse opinions about the broker. While some users have called it a hoax, others admired the company for its flexible trading conditions and super-fast trade executions. 

There was a member on Quora who only had good things to share about the company. According to him, he never had any issues while trading with the company. He further emphasised that people should understand the broker’s trading conditions and withdrawal process instead of blaming their failure on the broker. 

TrustPilot Users’ Review About AvaTrade

Unlike Reddit and Quora, AvaTrade holds an excellent reputation among clients on Trustpilot. The company received a rating of 4.7 stars on Trustpilot after being evaluated and commented on by 7,478 AvaTrade customers. 

Clients have appreciated the company for its cheap spreads and efficient customer support. However, some customers also expressed dissatisfaction with the broker’s withdrawal process. Investors generally have a highly positive opinion of the company on Trustpilot.

ForexPeaceArmy Users’ Review About AvaTrade

Unfortunately, the broker holds a poor reputation on ForexPeaceArmy. The company could only secure a rating of 1.8 stars after 450+ reviews on the FPA. People were very unhappy with the company’s overall brokerage services. While some clients blamed the company for having a poor trade execution policy and slippage issues, others denounced it for withdrawal problems. 

An FPA member even claimed that AvaTrade had been banned in more than 20 countries worldwide, but he didn’t provide proof of this claim. 

Other Products and Services

The company does more than just offer standard brokerage services; besides providing clients with a social trading experience and managed accounts services, it also runs referral programmes through which clients and partners can earn money. Here we review some of the broker’s supplementary offerings.

AvaSocial

The AvaSocial app is being made available to AvaTrade customers for the first time. It’s a social trading programme that lets you observe and mimic the actions of successful traders. You should inquire about your mentors’ trading tactics and learn something new. For those interested, the software is provided in conjunction with Pelican Trading, a company supervised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Using the app has many advantages, such as connecting you with people who share your interest in trading and giving you real-time information on the trades your friends and professional traders are making.

AvaPartner

You may earn commissions by referring other clients to AvaTrade through this affiliate programme. Nearly seventy thousand affiliates from over 150 make up their affiliate network. So far, the partners have made a total of $250,000,000 in commissions. 

The company has been successful because of its policy of timely payment distribution. You’ll have an abundance of marketing materials and your account manager to help you bring in business.

Vanilla Options

In addition to stock and currency CFDs, the company also facilitates clients to trade vanilla options. When a trader purchases a call or put option, he or she uses available funds in their trading account to pay the premium upfront, and the amount they could make is virtually unlimited. However, similar to the losing side of a spot trade, an investor who sells options obtains the premium immediately into his cash balance but is at risk of limitless losses if the market goes against the position.

Is AvaTrade Safe?

Stock traders have several concerns, one of the most important of which is the security of their funds. AvaTrade protects its customers’ funds by implementing various stringent security protocols. In addition to ensuring that the client’s funds are held in segregated bank accounts, the broker guarantees that the company has sufficient capital funding to continue operating for a foreseeable future. The organisation has registered with the well-known deposit compensation plan, ICCL. Clients can file claims for compensation under this programme for any monetary losses they incurred as a result of the fault of the company.

The company hosts 256-bit SSL encryption techniques to secure its customers’ private data when transmitted over the internet. The broker is also assisted in preventing any illegal infiltration by using the True-site Identity Assurance Seal. AvaTrade is a relatively secure platform for online payments due to its compliance with the web trust standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Bottom Line

AvaTrade is a one-stop shop that provides its customers with various trading options. For experienced traders looking to maximise their trading potential, a combination of competitive spreads and high leverage is the ideal trading environment. On the other hand, the virtually funded demo accounts and the first-time deposit incentive assist new traders in gaining the self-assurance necessary to begin trading successfully. Scalpers and high-volume traders may find the broker’s lightning-fast trade execution extremely helpful. The fact that the organisation provides funds compensation and negative balance protection makes it a safe investment option. With rich educational resources and customer support available around the clock, the multiple deposit and withdrawal choices simplify opening an account with the company. In this AvaTrade review, we tried to cover as much detail as possible. If you still find something unanswered about the broker, please visit the FAQs section below.