Overview
AvaTrade is a forex and CFD broker that's been around since 2006 and is run out of Dublin. It suits newer traders who like fixed costs and plenty of platform choice, and people who want to trade vanilla FX options next to their CFDs. The group holds licences from the Central Bank of Ireland, ASIC in Australia, the FSCA in South Africa, the Polish KNF, Japan's FSA, the Abu Dhabi FSRA and the BVI FSC. Which company you sign up with depends on where you live, and so do your protections.
Accounts and costs
Most people get the standard retail account. It needs $100 to open, charges no commission and builds the cost into fixed spreads that start around 0.9 pips on EUR/USD. Professional clients see spreads from about 0.6 pips, and there's a swap-free Islamic version. Watch out for the inactivity fee, which reviewers flag as the most common complaint. Leverage outside the EU goes up to 1:400, while EU, ADGM and ASIC retail clients get 1:20 on indices.
Platforms and markets
You can trade on MT4, MT5, a browser WebTrader, the AvaTrade app or AvaOptions. Copy trading runs through DupliTrade and AvaSocial. The range covers more than 250 instruments: over 60 currency pairs, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs, bonds and crypto, which trades around the clock on MetaTrader accounts. MT5 also offers fractional share sizes on some stocks.
Money in and out
You can fund by bank wire, card, e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller, or crypto, though e-wallets aren't offered to EU or Australian clients. AvaTrade doesn't charge for deposits or withdrawals, but money sent in a different currency to your account costs 0.5% to convert. Withdrawals go back the way they came, and most land within a couple of business days.
Good
- Licensed in many places, including Ireland, Australia, South Africa and Japan
- MT4, MT5, a web platform, the AvaTrade app and AvaOptions for vanilla options
- Fixed spreads with no commission, so costs are easy to work out
- No broker fees on deposits or withdrawals
- Copy trading through DupliTrade and AvaSocial, plus swap-free accounts
Watch for
- Charges an inactivity fee if you stop trading for a while
- Spreads from 0.9 pips are wider than raw-spread ECN accounts elsewhere
- The demo account only lasts 21 days
- Deposits in a currency other than your base currency cost a 0.5% conversion fee
- Withdrawals must go back to the method you deposited with
Accounts and costs
What each account needs to open and what you pay to trade on it.
| Account | Min deposit | Pricing | Max leverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail account | $100 | No commission, fixed spreads from 0.9 pips on EUR/USD, overnight swap fees | Up to 1:400 outside the EU; 1:20 on indices for EU, ADGM and ASIC retail clients |
| Professional account | — | No commission, spreads from 0.6 pips on EUR/USD | Up to 1:200 on indices |
| Islamic account | $100 | Swap-free version of the retail account | — |
Regulation
Which entity holds which licence. Your protection depends on the entity you open an account with.
Platforms and markets
Platforms
Markets
Deposits and withdrawals
- Methods
- Bank transfer, Card, Skrill, Neteller, Crypto
- Minimum deposit
- $100
What traders say
Scores from the sites traders use, and our summary of what they're saying, checked 6 October 2026.
AvaTrade's reviews split sharply by site. It holds 4.8 on Trustpilot from about 13,400 reviews, where most reviewers describe quick onboarding and easy deposits. The smaller complaint sites look very different: SmartCustomer shows 1.4 from just 16 reviews, and the Forex Peace Army page and forum carry a long run of withdrawal disputes. Forex Peace Army's own score did not appear in what we collected.
What traders like
Fast onboarding. Many Trustpilot reviewers say verification, funding and the first trade happened within a short time.
Easy money movement. Several say deposits and withdrawals are quick, and some like trading in their local currency, such as South African rand.
Helpful support. Customer service gets regular praise, including help with sorting out verification documents.
Platform choice. A few Myfxbook and Forex-Ratings reviewers mention MT4, low spreads and a low $100 minimum deposit as reasons they stayed.
Common complaints
Withdrawals. The most repeated complaint. Forex Peace Army threads and complaint sites describe withdrawals held for compliance review, money routed back to old credit cards under anti-money-laundering rules, and one reviewer who says a withdrawal marked as sent never arrived.
Sales calls. Several Reddit and Forex Peace Army posters say account managers phoned them to deposit more, which they read as a warning sign.
Automated trading. One Reddit poster says AutoTrading was switched off on their MT5 Expert Advisor mid-trade, leaving stops unmanaged.
Doubts about the Trustpilot score. Some Reddit users say the positive reviews look too uniform to trust. That is their opinion, not something we could check.
Forex Peace Army also notes that since 2013 it has advised against news-trading software with AvaTrade, over how off-market fills are judged.
Recently
Nothing in the evidence is clearly dated within the last 90 days.
Where this comes from
Trustpilot: the main review page and largest pool of reviews.
Forex Peace Army: trader reviews and the broker's long-standing FPA note.
Forex Peace Army forum: withdrawal complaint threads.
Myfxbook: trader reviews.
SmartCustomer: a small set of mostly negative reviews.
Forex-Ratings: trader reviews, including a disputed withdrawal.
Reddit search: threads in r/Daytrading and r/Forex.
Verified reviews
Reviews from traders who've connected an account at AvaTrade to Chartnaut, so you know they actually traded there. Opening soon.