What Makes AvaTrade a Good Choice for Trading Online?
Before you decide whether or not to create an account with AvaTrade, we’ve prepared this comprehensive AvaTrade Review to help you decide whether it’s the right trading platform for you.
Founded in 2006, AvaTrade has a number of USPs that make it an attractive tool for those looking to trade popular assets on leading marketplaces. These include:
- A lengthy track record thanks to over 15 years of experience as a trading platform
- A massive offering of retail and professional trading services
- Regulated by the financial authorities of eight different countries
- More than 300,000 customers worldwide
- A strong reputation for trustworthiness, reliability, and user-friendly services
Is AvaTrade Safe?
The market for online trading platforms has exploded over the past few years, with thousands of different companies competing for users. That’s why it is more important than ever to know which platforms you can trust. Fxforex.com’s AvaTrade broker review is of course totally unbiased, but we feel comfortable saying that AvaTrade is one of the most trustworthy and most reputable platforms on the market right now.
AvaTrade is based within the European Union, where it adheres to the regulatory standards of some of the strictest and most consumer-focused regulatory bodies on Earth. As of August 2020, AvaTrade is regulated by:
- MiFID (EU)
- Central Bank of Ireland
- BVIFSC (British Virgin Islands)
- ASIC (Australia)
- FFAJ (Japan)
- FSCA (South Africa)
- FRSA (Canada)
AvaTrade also adheres to strict security practices for its users, with SSL encryption and certification deployed throughout their site. It is one of the safest platforms that we have come across.
Trading Online with AvaTrade
Given that AvaTrade has around 300,000 active monthly users which execute an estimated $60 billion worth of trades every single month, it should not come as a surprise that they offer an extensive selection of trading options. In the following section of this Avatrade.com review we go shortly through what you can trade with AvaTrade.
Forex
Those looking to trade forex online will not be disappointed with AvaTrade’s offerings. As of 2020, they currently offer 55 different currency pairs and crosses. Its spreads are some of the best out of any online brokerage and typically range between 0.9 and 1.7. All of the classic pairs are available for trading, as well as some more exotic ones. These include:
- GBP/USD
- USD/EUR
- USD/JPY
- JPY/AUD
- CAD/CHF
- EUR/RUB
- USD/CLP
- GBP/ILS
Crypto
Although not as extensive as the forex offerings, AvaTrade allows users to trade a decent number of cryptocurrency pairs and make deposits and withdrawals via a secure, user-friendly e-wallet. Since this is not an exclusive AvaTrade forex review we summarise also shortly what crypto trading currently offered by AvaTrade includes:
Trading on a limited number of crypto/fiat pairs, such as BTC/GBP, is also possible on AvaTrade’s platform.
CFD
Anyone looking to trade CFDs in real-time will also find plenty to love about AvaTrade. CFD trading is powered on AvaTrade by MetaTrader 4, one of the most comprehensive CFD trading tools on the market. Users can trade a total of 17 commodity CFDs with AvaTrade. In addition, CFDs on 500 individual stocks and shares are also available, as well as NASDAQ 100 CFD trading. Two bond CFDs are also offered by AvaTrade.
Opening an AvaTrade Account
People in dozens of countries and territories around the world can legally trade with AvaTrade, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong, Germany, France, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
People residing in the United States, Belgium, Zimbabwe, Iran, Iraq, India, and Afghanistan cannot open an account with AvaTrade.
What Are the Different Types of Account?
In this AvaTrade broker review it keeps coming up that the platform offers several accounts that will appeal to different types of traders and investors. Here are their most popular account types:
- Demo Account: a 21-day free trial account that you can access all of AvaTrade’s features and trade with dummy money.
- Retail Account: An EU version of their ‘standard’ account.
- Professional Account: A specialized account tailored to users who meet a high threshold for trading volumes.
- VIP Account: Low spreads for those who may a deposit of €10,000 or higher.
- Standard Account: The regular account for traders outside of the EU.
- Spread Betting Account: An account with a specific focus on spread betting. Only available to EU-based traders.
- Partner Account: An account for those wishing to work as a broker affiliate for AvaTrade and earn commission by referring friends.
- Corporate Account: An account for those who trade under a registered company.
- Islamic Account: An account for traders who wish to follow principles of Shariah Law when trading. Cyptocurrencies are not available.
How to Open an Account with AvaTrade
Opening an account with AvaTrade is a relatively simple and straightfoward process. To begin, your best bet is to head to click the links on the banners you see on this page and click the register button on the AvaTrade site
Once you have done this, you will be invited to enter your name and email address, as well as a password to setup the account.
Before you can start trading, you will also need to provide AvaTrade with additional personal information, including your occupation, total estimated annual income, net worth, and the source of the money you will be using for trading (options are: employment, investments, inheritance, real estate, or savings).
Next, all you need to do is wait for AvaTrade to verify your account, which typically takes a few minutes. From here, simply make your first deposit and you can begin trading. The whole registration process can be done in less than ten minutes.
AvaTrade Fees
WhileAvaTrade does not charge commissions on trades, there are some non-trading fees and other fees that you’ll incur as a user of the platform, which you should be aware of:
Trading Fees
AvaTrade does not charge any commission on trades whatsoever. However, they do charge spreads which are generally quite competitive. AvaTrade offers typically spreads of 0.9 pips. Users will find that AvaTrade’s spreads are more competitive for those who have deposited less money. Those with thousands of dollars in their account will likely find more competitive spreads elsewhere.
Non-Trading Fees
There are a number of non-trading fees that AvaTrade can impose and that you should be aware of before creating an account. There are:
Inactivity Fee: €50 per quarter of inactivity
Overnight Fee: Variable fees on trades made after 10pm GMT
Administrative Fee: €100 after 12 months of inactivity
Fees for optional add-on services.
AvaTrade Deposits & Withdrawals
There is a range of currencies available for trading and investing at AvaTrade, as well as a wide range of deposit and withdrawal methods.
Base Currencies
When you open an account with AvaTrade, you can make deposits and withdrawls with the following currencies:
- US Dollar
- Great British Pound
- Euro
- Swiss Franc
This is, admittedly, more limited than what we would expect from such an established trading platform.
What is the minimum deposit at AvaTrade?
The minimum deposit amount is, unfortunately, one of the highest we have ever seen. All traders must make a minimum deposit of €100/$100/£100. This applies no matter what method or account you are signing up for.
Deposit Methods and Fees
There are no deposit fees charged by AvaTrade. Whether you deposit $100 or $10,000, that money is not subject to any fees whatsoever. Deposits can be made via credit and debit card, or wire transfer (e-wallets are available for non-EU and non-Australian customers).
Withdrawal Methods and Fees
There are no withdrawal fees charged by AvaTrade, which is something that many competitor platforms do not offer. Withdrawals can be made via credit or debit card, wire transfer, Skrill, Neteller, and WebMoney. Withdrawal requests typically take between one and five days to process.
Customer support
Given that AvaTrade is subject to regulation by some of the world’s leading financial conduct authorities, the scope and availability of their customer support is extensive and impressive. If you have any questions or issues with your AvaTrade account, you can contact their support team during GMT trading hours via a variety of means:
- Telephone
- Social Media
Furthermore, support in a local language is available in English, German, Danish, French, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, and Slovenian.
AvaTrade Review – Conclusion
If you’re looking for a trading platform that has more experience than virtually any other company out there and one of the strongest industry reputations, then AvaTrade is the platform for you.
Not only does AvaTrade offer a dizzying array of forex, CFD, and crypto trading options, but also a competitive and generous rewards system for those who upgrade to premium-tier trading accounts.
That being said, the minimum deposit amount is high and administrative and inactivity fees are certainly more punitive that we have seen from other brokers. In addition, those who have a lot of money to play with will definitely find better Pips elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the total lack of financial news or analyst services is particularly jarring at a time when every other major platform offers these for free. Nonetheless, AvaTrade is reliable, trustworthy, and has plenty to offer.