AVAtrade logo

AvaTrade Review

BEST FOR: Low Fixed Spreads

TRADER LEVEL: Average and Advanced

Nr. OF CURRENCY PAIRS:  55 forex and 44 forex options

MAX LEVERAGE: 1:400

Rating: 4,9/5

Open account

71% of retail CFD accounts lose money

Page Summary

Below is an AvaTrade review for traders and investors in the UAE. It breaks down all aspects of this online broker and compares them with other brokers from the industry. We paid attention to how their platform and features perform for the customers in the UAE to help you get the complete picture of their offering.

Review summary:

In short, Avatrade is a trusted broker with a long operational history, regulated by 4 top tier regulators including the DFSA and ADGM.

Users have access to 8 trading platforms (including MT4, MT5, and Tradingview), which are available on multiple devices and offer support for different trading styles: casual trading, automated trading, short selling, scalping and hedging.

This broker offers a great variety of tradable instruments including stocks & ETFs, currencies, commodities, indices, cryptos and options. Most of them are available only as CFDs.

AvaTrade charges low fixed spreads on most currency pairs (from 0.9pips) and offers commission-free CFD stock and crypto trading. While deposits and withdrawals are free, users must deposit at least $100 to start trading. They charge fees for inactivity, conversions and overnight financing.

Below is a detailed review of Avatrade’s services in each of the different categories starting with assets.

Assets (Best CFDs And Options Broker)

Avatrade users can trade on 1,464 financial instruments including:

  • 55 Forex pairs
  • 44 FX Options
  • 612 Stocks as CFDs
  • 20 Cryptocurrency CFDs
  • 31 Indices as CFDs
  • 60 ETFs as CFDs
  • 18 Commodities as CFDs
  • 2 Bonds as CFDs

Although the overall number of assets is low compared to other broker, AVAtrade offers a great variety of forex currency pairs, forex options and and CFDs. This makes them rank among the top recommended brokers for forex, options and CFDs.

Note that some asset classes are only tradable with certain platforms, like options on AvaOptions for example. 

See how Avatrade performs compared to brokers based on market coverage:

Avatrade eToro Interactive Brokers
Stock CFDs 612 1300 1800
Forex 55 47 50
Indices CFDs 20 13 30
ETF CFDs 60 145 80
Commodities 18 14 25
Crypto 14 16 12
Bonds 2
FX Options 44

Commission, Fees and Spreads

AvaTrade doesn’t charge any commissions on stocks and CFDs, plus charges low fixed spreads (starting at 0.9 pips EUR/USD) on forex trades. This makes AvaTrade a cheap broker for trading with stocks and CFDs, and industry average for trading with forex.

Below is a detailed break down of Avatrade’s trading and non-trading fees:

Trading fees:

Trading Fee AvaTrade eToro Interactive Brokers
Stocks $0 commission $0,00 $0,00
Cryptocurrencies 0.35% 1% 0,18%
Forex 0.9pip (EUR/USD) 1pip (EUR/USD) 1.4 pip (EUR/USD)
CFD Varies 0.5 to 1pip/trade 0.05%

Users can get their exact costs calculated up front using AvaTrade in-house calculator.

* Islamic swap-free account holders pay fixed fees instead of percentage-based fees.

Non Trading Fees:

Type of Fee AvaTrade eToro Interactive Brokers
Inactivity Fees $50/quarter after 3 months of inactivity $10/month after 12 months of inactivity No inactivity fees
Conversion Fees $25/conversion 0.0050 pips $50/conversion
Deposit Fees None
Withdrawal Fees None $5 None
Management/Administration Fees $100 after 12 consecutive months of non-use None None
Social Copy Trading Fees None None N/A
Overnight Funding Additional fee when holding a position after a certain time None None

With charges for inactivity ($50/quarter), the administration fee ($100 after 1 year of non-use), overnight funding fee, and free deposits/withdrawals, AvaTrade’s non-trading fees are industry average.

Deposits and Withdrawals

AvaTrade offers a variety of deposit and withdrawal options including Credit cards, Debit cards, Wire transfers, and several forms of e-payment (Neteller, Skrill, WebMoney). Deposits and withdrawals are free of charge.

The minimum deposit at AvaTrade to open an account is $100.

Withdrawals are only available using the same payout methods as they were used to deposit money.

AvaTrade deposits and withdrawals compared with other brokers

Broker AvaTrade eToro Interactive Brokers
Bank Wire
Credit/Debit card
E-Wallets
Crypto
Account Minimum $100 $200 $0,00
Deposit Charges None None None
Withdrawal Charges None $5 1-free, next $10

Account types

AvaTrade offers 5 different types of accounts:

  • Retail Account and Standard Account allow users to trade forex, CFD, and cryptos with up to 1:30 leverage
  • Islamic account: this swap-free account enables Muslim traders to trade according to Sharia law. It does not allow you to trade or invest in Haram companies or cryptocurrencies!
  • Demo account: this virtual money account does not require any account approval and allows users to test their trading strategies before investing real money.
  • Professional account: allows you to trade up to 1:400 leverage and is meant for advanced traders. It requires the user to meet at least two of the following criteria:
    • Sufficient trading activity in the last 12 months,
    • Relevant experience in the financial services sector,
    • Financial instrument portfolio greater than €500,000.

Opening an account is fast and simple and requires to verify your identity and residence in order to use all account functions.

Trading Platforms & Tools (Best Trading Platform For CFD and Forex Options)

After many reviews, AvaTrade finishes as the best trading platform for CFD and Forex Options in UAE, combining 8 different platforms available on multiple devices and a hand-full of third-party integrations, including Trading Central, Trading View, VPS Hosting, and AvaProtect. Their platform suite supports different trading methods, including short selling, scalping, and hedging. It is also compatible with MT4 and MT5, which enables users to use trading bot scripts and other trading software for auto trading.

AvaTrade users have access to the following platforms and integrations:

  • WebTrader is an easy-to-use platform accessible from any web browser and designed specially for novice traders.
  • AvaTradeGO is an iOS & Android mobile app that is mirroring all the features available on the desktop version. It comes with all the MetaTrade 4 features, default watchlists, detailed charts with 93 indicators, and a premium volatility protection feature called AvaProtect.
  • AvaOptions is a mobile app for trading with Forex options that reinvent how traders can select their desired strike price, time horizon, and strategy, from a single screen.
  • MetaTrader 4 & MetaTrader 5: Both MetaTrader versions are powerful platforms that offer a wide range of technical analysis tools, order types, and automated trading software integrations via APIs and Expert Advisors.
  • Mac Trading: is the platform designed for MAC users and comes with integrated MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5.
  • AvaSocial: is their proprietary social copy platform which allows users to copy trades or even whole portfolios from professional traders. It is available as an app on desktop PCs, laptops, smartphones, and tablets.
  • Zulutrade & Duplitrade: are third-party integrations that offer users additional social copy trading features and are compatible with WebTrader, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5
  • Capitalise.ai: is a third-party integration allowing you to automate your trading with the help of AI and without the use of code.
all platforms of AvaTrade

Here is how AvaTrade’s platforms &tools perform compared to other brokers in the industry:

Broker AvaTrade eToro Interactive Brokers
Desktop Platform
Web Platform
Mobile Platform
Easy to Use
Watchlist
Market Depth/Level 2
Advanced Charting
Trading Alerts
Demo Account
MT4/MT5
TradingView
Other non-Proprietary
Proprietary
Social/Copy Trading
Strategy Tester
Scalping

The various platforms offer simple to advanced order types, analytics tools, indicators and charts, making AvaTrade suitable for casual to advanced traders.

Research and Education

AvaTrade has an extensive research and education section segmented into beginner, intermediate, and advanced topics. While users can learn about the basics of trading, different trading strategies, the meaning of certain market terms, and how to apply technical analysis, they also find a daily blog and economic calendar sharing the latest market updates.

The latter is a great feature for casual and beginner traders.

Customer Service

AvaTrade’s customer service is available 24/5 through phone, email, or live chat in English, Arabic, and over 20 other languages. Because Avatrade is not available on weekends, they offer a comprehensive FAQ that addresses most common user inquiries.

Regulation

AvaTrade is a globally operating broker regulated by multiple tier-1 regulators, including the ASIC, CySEC, and FCA. In the Middle East, they are licensed by two local regulatory bodies: the Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) and Financial Regulatory Services Authority (FRSA). This makes AvaTrade a safe end reliable broker to trader with in the UAE.

avatrade-regulators

The broker holds licenses and regulations in the following areas:

  • European Union: AVA Trade EU Ltd is incorporated in Ireland and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
  • Australia: Ava Capital Markets Australia Pty Ltd is licensed in Australia by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.
  • International: Ava Trade Ltd is a registered financial services company in the British Virgin Islands. It is fully licensed and regulated by the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission.
  • Japan: Ava Trade Japan K.K. is licensed and regulated in Japan by the Financial Services Agency.
  • South Africa: Since 2016, AvaTrade is part of the South African market. The trading name is ‘Ava Capital Markets Pty Ltd’. They are regulated by the South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA No.45984).
  • Middle East (Abu Dhabi) is regulated under Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) and Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This covers the United Arab Emirates.

AvaTrade UAE Special Features

UAE users can access an Islamic swap-free account where no interest or riba is charged on open positions, which allows them to trade in compliance with Sharia Law.

With a license from UAE financial regulators (the ADGM and the FSRA), UAE users’ account balance, open positions and investments are protected by the UAE Central Bank compensation scheme in case of AvaTrade’s insolvency.

Although AvaTrade does not have a physical office in the Middle East, UAE and Dubai users can reach English and Arabic-speaking customer support by calling a local number: 97-145-285-110.

AvaTrade Review – The Good and Bad

Pros

  • Access to 1400+ tradable symbols
  • Advanced trading tools MT4, MT5, AvaTradeGO, AvaSocial
  • Free deposits and withdrawals
  • No trading commissions on stock CFDs
  • Low fixed spreads (0.9 pips EUR/USD)
  • Fast and simple account opening
  • Negative balance protection (AVAprotect)
  • Support for scalping, short selling, automated trading

Cons

  • Most assets are available only as CFDs
  • Inactivity fee of $50/90days
  • Beginner features are missing

Conclusion

Being licensed by multiple tier-one regulators, AvaTrade is a reputable forex and CFD broker known for its various trading platforms, support for different trading styles (automated, copy trading, bot integration), and low fixed spreads.

Following their offer of trading tools and features, AvaTrade is a compelling choice for casual and advanced traders looking to trade on various CFDs, currency pairs, and options.

Licensed by both local UAE regulators (ADGM & FRSA), AvaTrade is a safe and reliable broker that offers UAE users protection even in insolvency.

If you want to compare the AvaTrade with other brokers, read the following:

Disclaimer

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site is registered on wpml.org as a development site.