My review of the AvaTrade platform (April 2025)

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Founded in 2006, AvaTrade is an online broker specialising in CFD trading and vanilla options. Present in the markets for over 15 years, it is regulated by several recognised financial authorities including the Central Bank of Ireland and ASIC in Australia.

I've spent several months thoroughly testing AvaTrade, analyzing its tools, fees, and the quality of its user experience overall, with the goal of answering these questions: Is AvaTrade reliable? What are its advantages and disadvantages? Is it suitable for beginner traders or experienced investors? What are its features compared to other regulated brokers in Ireland?

To get a clearer picture, I examined every aspect of the broker: registration and account opening, fees and trading conditions, diversity of available assets, platform ergonomics, analysis tools and services offered to traders.

Here is my complete review of AvaTrade in comparison to other online brokers that I have tested.

What to think of AvaTrade?

My general opinion on AvaTrade

After several months of testing, I can say that AvaTrade is a reliable and well-structured broker, especially suited to active traders who want to speculate via CFDs. What I particularly appreciated is the diversity of platforms: MetaTrader 4 and 5 for classic trading, AvaTradeGO for mobile (fluid and ergonomic), and AvaOptions for working with more complex strategies with vanilla options.

The broker is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and ASIC, and properly registered with the Central Bank of Ireland, which immediately reassured me. The score of 4.5/5 on Trustpilot (from over 9,000 reviews) also reflects this solidity.

Regarding assets, there is access to over 1,250 instruments – Forex, stocks, indices, commodities, cryptos – only via CFDs. It is therefore an environment clearly designed for short-term trading with leverage. If you are looking to invest long-term in physical stocks or ETFs, this will not be the right platform. I advise you in this case to turn to a broker like eToro or an online broker like Degiro.

Finally, the spreads are competitive (0.9 pip on EUR/USD in standard accounts), and the absence of direct commissions makes the trading experience easy to follow.

=> In summary, if like me you trade regularly and are looking for a serious platform with a good range of tools, AvaTrade is an option that I recommend.

Which trader profiles is AvaTrade suitable for?

In my opinion, AvaTrade is particularly suitable for: 

=> For beginner traders who want to train and take their first steps in the world of trading with personalized support from a dedicated advisor and the possibility of accessing a free demo account giving access to a fictitious capital of €10,000. Beginner traders also benefit from the possibility of practicing copy trading and copying the strategies of the best traders with the Duplitrade and Zulutrade platforms. Finally, AvaTrade also provides new traders with webinars, guides and market analysis. 

=> For active and regular traders with a wide choice of CFD assets, competitive spreads and no commission on transactions. The MetaTrader 4 & 5 platforms as well as the AvaTrade Go app also offer fast order execution and advanced risk management tools ideal for swing trading and day trading.

=> For copy traders with DupliTrade and ZuluTrade platforms accessible at no extra cost.

However, AvaTrade is not suitable for long-term investors who will not find direct purchase of stocks or ETFs, nor for scalpers and high-frequency traders who may be hampered by certain spreads slightly above average.

AvaTrade in a few seconds is:

My review of the security and reliability of the broker AvaTrade

AvaTrade is a broker that I found particularly reassuring to use, especially thanks to the quality of its regulation and the clarity of its commitments in terms of fund protection. Here are the key elements to remember:

My opinion on the fees, spreads and commissions applied to AvaTrade

From my experience, AvaTrade offers simple and fairly competitive pricing, especially if you are looking to avoid fixed fees. The broker does not charge any commissions on CFDs, which makes the reading of fees clearer: everything goes through the spreads. For me, this is a real strong point, especially for active traders who want to keep control of their costs.

I also appreciated that Copy Trading is completely free, whether via AvaSocial, ZuluTrade or DupliTrade. This allows you to follow other traders without additional fees, which is far from the case with all brokers.

Now, let's look at the fees item by item to see what it looks like in practice.

What are the account fees?

I found the conditions to be quite fair overall. The minimum deposit of €100 is still accessible, especially compared to brokers like FXCM or Pepperstone. Withdrawals are free, which is rare and appreciated. 

However, the inactivity fees surprised me: €50 every 3 months is clearly above average.

Tip #1

Avoid inactivity fees easily. If you don't trade regularly, consider placing an order or withdrawing your funds before 3 months of inactivity. Personally, I simply open a small position or withdraw my balance to avoid losing €200 per year unnecessarily.

What are the fees on stocks and ETFs?

AvaTrade does not offer direct stock or ETF purchases. All these assets are only tradable as CFDs, which implies specific fees related to this type of product.

If your goal is to hold stocks or ETFs directly for the long term, AvaTrade will not be suitable. Personally, for this type of investment, I prefer eToro or DEGIRO. However, for short-term trading with leverage, the fees at AvaTrade remain competitive.

What are the fees on cryptocurrencies?

At AvaTrade, cryptocurrency trading is done exclusively via CFDs. No actual purchase, no wallet, and therefore no custody or transfer fees like on a classic exchange.

Personally, I found the fees reasonable for short-term trading, but if you're looking to buy and hold your cryptos, you're better off going through a specialized platform like Binance or Kraken.

AvaTrade remains a good option if you want to speculate on price variations with leverage (up to x2 for retail clients).

What are the CFD fees?

Overall, I found AvaTrade's spreads to be very good, especially on Forex and indices. On gold, oil, and cryptos, the conditions remain competitive, even if some specialized brokers offer slightly tighter spreads. What I appreciated is that everything is clear and displayed in advance: no unpleasant surprises. For short-term strategies, it's a solid environment.

✅Good to know

The maximum leverage depends on the asset and is subject to local regulations: in Ireland, it is limited to 1:30 for major currency pairs, 1:20 for major indices and gold, and 1:5 for stock CFDs.

Overnight fees apply to CFDs for all positions held open after market close. These fees vary depending on the underlying asset and market conditions.

My opinion on the assets & markets available on AvaTrade

I found AvaTrade's offering to be well-balanced for a CFD broker. The choice of assets is more than sufficient to build strategies on the main asset classes, including Forex, indices and international stocks. The addition of vanilla options via AvaOptions is a real plus if you have a more technical profile, as few generalist brokers offer this type of instrument.

That said, if you are looking to invest long-term in physical stocks or ETFs, AvaTrade will not be suitable. Here, everything is designed for active trading with leverage. Personally, I have used it for Forex and indices, and I have found the market depth and responsiveness to be very good.

Vanilla options on AvaTrade

One of the aspects of AvaTrade that intrigued me the most at the beginning was the possibility of trading vanilla options, a product rarely offered by classic CFD brokers. I tested this feature via their dedicated platform AvaOptions, and I must say that if you have a slightly more technical profile, it is a powerful tool.

Vanilla options allow you to speculate or hedge on Forex pairs (and some precious metals such as gold or silver), by choosing a strike price and an expiration date. Unlike CFDs, you can structure complex strategies (such as straddles, strangles or spreads), which gives more flexibility in risk management.

The AvaOptions platform is well designed: clear interface, volatility charts, premium analysis, automatic calculation of potential P&L... everything is there to build your scenarios. But beware, this is not a product for beginners: it is better to have some solid basics in risk management and market reading before you start.

My opinion on the platform

Frankly, I found AvaTrade very comprehensive on the platform side. If you are already familiar with MetaTrader, you will find your way around it immediately. For those who prefer a more modern interface, AvaTrade GO does the job well, especially on the go. Order execution is smooth: I choose my asset, I set my stops, leverage, and off we go. Special mention to the AvaOptions platform if you want to test more advanced strategies with vanilla options.

Tip #2

Test the demo before risking your capital. With €100,000 virtual money on the demo account, I was able to try out the different order types and refine my settings without pressure. This is ideal for understanding the impact of leverage or the volatility of Forex before going live. A really useful running-in phase, especially if you are starting out on MetaTrader or options.

Customer Reviews: What Users Think of AvaTrade

AvaTrade enjoys an excellent reputation with its users, with an average of 4.5/5 based on over 9,000 reviews on Trustpilot. The most frequently mentioned positive points are the quality of customer service, the speed of withdrawals, and the ease of use of the AvaTrade GO platform. Many also appreciate the smooth registration process and the availability of advisors.

On the downside, the inactivity fees (50 € after 3 months) are regularly highlighted as a deterrent, especially for occasional users. Some comments also mention longer delays for account validation, particularly during periods of high demand.

Examples of customer reviews: 

• Jean-Luc (20th February 2025) « Top customer service. Quick and efficient response by telephone. Very satisfied with the follow-up. »
• Mickaël (15th March 2025) « Intuitive and easy to use application. Ideal for beginners in trading. I recommend it! »
• Marc (3rd January 2025) « I requested a withdrawal on a Monday, the money was in my bank account on Wednesday. No complaints. »

Account Opening, Deposits and Withdrawals on AvaTrade

Account opening

Opening an account with AvaTrade is 100% online and quite fast. In just a few minutes, you can create a demo account and start exploring the platform.

Steps to Open an Account:

• Fill out the registration form: name, email, phone number and password.
• Access the demo account: €100,000 virtual funds available without deposit.
• Complete your profile: choose your account type, questionnaire about your trading experience.
• Verify your identity: send a copy of your ID + proof of address (less than 3 months old).
• Receive validation: generally within 24 to 72 hours.
• Make a first deposit: minimum €100 by credit card, bank transfer, Skrill, Neteller or PayPal.

✅ Good to know

You can use the demo account even before validation, allowing you to test AvaTrade's tools without commitment.

Deposits and withdrawals on AvaTrade

Currencies accepted: EUR, USD, GBP, AUD (automatic conversion if needed)

Tip #3

Deposit via card or e-wallet for faster transactions. For immediate credit and the ability to react quickly to market opportunities, I recommend using a bank card or an e-wallet like PayPal or Skrill. Personally, I avoid bank transfers, as they are too slow when timing is tight.

Account Types Available on AvaTrade

AvaTrade is a broker specialising in CFD trading. Therefore, it does not allow the direct purchase of stocks or ETFs via a personal equity plan or a standard securities account in Ireland. All instruments are accessible via CFDs or vanilla options.

✅ Note

 The Standard account is the most common at AvaTrade, with access to all CFD instruments and no commission fees. The professional account is reserved for traders who meet certain criteria (experience, available capital, trading frequency).

Conclusion: Should you invest with AvaTrade?

After several weeks spent testing AvaTrade, I can say that it is a reliable broker, well-regulated from a regulatory point of view and which keeps its promises in terms of performance. I particularly appreciated the ergonomics of the AvaTrade GO application, the quality of the tools offered on MetaTrader and WebTrader, as well as the copy trading options with ZuluTrade and DupliTrade. For those who like to go further, the AvaOptions platform also allows you to embark on more advanced strategies via vanilla options.

Evidently, the fact that it only offers CFDs may deter some long-term investors who want to hold securities directly. However, if you are an active trader, with dynamic management of your positions, AvaTrade offers competitive spreads, good execution and an overall solid trading environment. The customer service is a real plus, especially when compared to other brokers who are often less accessible.

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.