Page Summary
This guide helps users to find the best platforms in UAE for margin trading. With the growing number of online brokers available in the UAE for trading with margin, it can be hard for investors to select a suitable platform based on their goals, needs and personality. Researching, comparing and reviewing different brokers can help traders to avoid choosing a platform with low margin requirements, high fees, poor customer support and limited trading features.
This guide assesses 55 online brokers in UAE that allow trading with margin. To help users find the ideal option for their trading goals and personality, the best margin trading platforms are listed, reviewed and compared based on assets, fees, mobile trading apps, customer support, platforms, regulation, deposits & withdrawals, research & education, and Islamic account availability.
Best 5 Margin Trading Platforms in UAE
- Interactive Brokers – Best For Experienced Traders
- Capital.com – Ideal For Mobile Trading
- TradeStation – Optimal for active traders
- AVAtrade – Best For Forex and CFDs
- eToro – Top For Beginners
Top 5 Trading Platforms for Margin Trading Reviewed
Online brokers with the highest rated platforms in UAE for margin trading are reviewed below.
1. Interactive Brokers – Best For Experienced Traders
Min Deposit: $0
Fees: 4.9
Assets available: 4.9
Total Fees:
All trading involves risk. More than 80% of investors lose in spread bet and CFD trading. As these complex instruments allow for the use of leverage, there is a high risk of losing more money than you have deposited. Before attempting to participate in spread bets and CFDs, consider how well you understand them and if you can afford to lose your money.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted global broker with a well-rounded offer of tradable markets, great educational content and sophisticated order type configuration. It is a high trusted and well capitalize company with an industry leading trading platform, a competitive fee structure and great global market access. Their low entry level and the Global Trader platform, which is intuitive and easy to use trading station, make this broker s great choice for beginners and advanced forex traders.
Professional and seasoned traders will appreciate the great selection of advanced trading tools and order type configurations available on their proprietary Trader Workstation desktop platform (TWS).
Pros
- Wide range of leveraged trading instruments
- Professional trading platforms with useful tools for margin trading
- Competitive trading fees for margin trading
- Different order types and algos for margin trading
Cons
- Fees on some research tools for margin trading
Key features
- Margin loan rates on stocks of 1.3%
- Access to 135+ global markets
- Advanced order types, tools and features
- Access to frictional shares
- Lowest commissions in the industry
All trading involves risk. More than 80% of investors lose in spread bet and CFD trading. As these complex instruments allow for the use of leverage, there is a high risk of losing more money than you have deposited. Before attempting to participate in spread bets and CFDs, consider how well you understand them and if you can afford to lose your money.
2. Capital.com – Best Mobile trading platform
Min Deposit: $20
Fees: 4.8
Assets available: 4.7
Total Fees:
Capital.com is a top choice for traders looking for a discount broker with great educational content and resources, advanced research tools and a premium trading interface. They offer a wide range of tradable assets including CFDs on cryptos, stocks, indices, commodities and forex pairs.
Founded in 2016, Capital.com is an international fintech company which has group of entities authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (“CySEC”), and the Financial Services Authority of Seychelles (“FSA”). It does not operate a bank and is not publicly traded.
Choose Capital.com if you are looking for a great mobile trading experience, professional web trading interface, day trading features. Beginner traders will like the low minimum deposit ($20), industry leading commission structure, and award winning education section.
Pros
- MT4 platform (The best for Forex and CFD trading) is available; TradingView charting platform for trading
- Research and Education tools for Forex and CFD trading
- Fast and reliable order execution and choices for algorithmic Forex and CFD trading
Cons
- Futures are not available
Key features
- Access to 6.000 tradable symbols and 477 cryptocurrency CFDs
- High quality research and educational content
- Patented AI trade bias system
- $20 minimum deposit
- No inactivity fees
79.17% of retail CFD accounts lose money
3. TradeStation – Best for active traders and for futures
Min Deposit: $0 ($2000 – Margin account; $25000 – Day Trading account; $5000 – Futures account)
Fees: 4.8
Assets available: 5.0
Total Fees:
Tradestation is a reputable online broker known for its technology-leading trading platforms, great selection of tools and zero commission stock and ETF trading. Their industry leading trading platform suite combines a desktop, web and mobile version which are all performing above industry average. Tradestation offers a great selection of most popular asset classes including stocks, cryptos, options, futures, ETFs and IRAs.
Their trading fees vary based on account selection. Pricing is below industry average on the most used accounts (select and GO). Minimum deposit is $2000 and there are no monthly charges.
Pros
- Offers Futures Plus – advanced set of tools developed for futures trading
- Powerful futures research tools
- Fast trade execution for margin trading
- Competitive fees and good trading platform for futures trading
Cons
- Forex and CFDs not available
Key features
- Access to over 20,000 stocks, ETFs, options, futures, mutual funds, bonds, and other financial instruments.
- Early-access to newly listed securities via TradeStation’s IPO trading platform
- Broad range of research and analysis tools for advanced traders like FuturesPlus, TSCrypto, Discover, and Insights
- Fully paid stock lending and margin trading available
- Low floating spreads, commissions, and other trading fees
- Perfect for both beginner and advanced traders
4. AVAtrade – Best For Forex and CFDs
Min Deposit: $100
Fees: 4.9
Assets available: 4.9
Total Fees: 0.9 pip
AVAtrade is a well trusted global online broker for forex and CFD trading. Their multi-asset trading platform and mobile trading app enable traders to access 1365+ tradable symbols overall, including 1200+ CFD’s, major currency pairs with low forex spreads and premium options.
Beside their proprietary platform AVAtradeGo and MetaTrader, AVAtrade has great selection of copy trading solutions including ZuluTrade, DupliTrade and AVAsocial.
Account opening is fast, deposits and withdrawals are free of charge. The minimum deposit is $100.
Choose AVAtrade if you are a beginner or semi advanced forex trader, looking to trade major forex currency pairs, options or CFDs as stocks, cryptos, indices or commodities with premium services. You can find more detailed insights on AVAtrade in this review.
Pros
- MT4 platform (The best for Forex and CFD trading) is available; MT5 also available
- Margin trading instruments offered for social trading platforms (ZuluTrade, DupliTrade)
- Low spreads and good trading conditions for CFDs
- Offers useful analytical tools for margin trading
Cons
- Futures are not available
Key features
- Access to 1250 CFDs and 44 forex options
- Excellent copy trading features
- Advanced mobile trading app (AvaOptions)
- Industry average pricing
- Perfect for casual and advanced traders
- Access to the full meta trader suite
71% of retail CFD accounts lose money
5. eToro – Best For Beginners
Min Deposit: $100
Fees: 4.8
Assets available: 4.8
Total Fees:
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
eToro is a reputable global brand and industry leading broker for copy trading. Their robust and cutting edge copy trading platform and social trading features allow users to copy trades and portfolios from professional traders and investors.
As a CFD multi asset broker, eToro allows users to trade on over 3075 different symbols including stocks, forex, cryptos, indices and commodities. Trading spreads are wide, deposits are free and account minimum is low. There are conversion and inactivity fees. eToro provides a comprehensive list of technical tools, charts, and newsfeeds. Their customer support is available through email and live chat in Arabic and English.
eToro is a well established market maker broker with a clean history record, regulated by top tier regulators. Read the detailed eToro review.
68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Pros
- Social trading service (you can trade margin trading products by following popular traders)
- Detailed Research and Educational tools for Margin trading instruments, suitable for less experienced traders
- Low Forex and CFD trading fees
Cons
- Futures are not available
- Margin trading platform lacks features for experienced traders
Key features
- Sophisticated social-copy trading features
- Multiple different payment options
- Crypto exchange and brokerage services on the same dashboard
- Super fast registration and KYC on-boarding process
- Zero commission stock trading
- Great ease of use level
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
How To Find The Ideal Margin Trading Platform?
Criteria that need to be considered for finding the best suited platforms for trading with margin are listed below.
- Assets: Margin trading assets vary based on the broker you choose. Look for a broker that offers margin trading with indices, ETFs, commodities, mutual funds, forex, bonds, futures, and cryptos.
- Mobile Trading: There are mobile trading platforms that offer investors margin trading capabilities. Make sure your broker has the right kind of mobile trading platform for your smartphone.
- Fees: Fees matter for margin trading, and investors have to pay a fee for both trading, and for the margin loan. Look for the lowest rates possible, including 0% trading fees.
- Trading platforms: Trading on a margin is different from normal stock trading. Make sure you understand the design of the trading platform you use. The platform should also include access to breaking news and historic data.
- Deposit & Withdrawal: Deposits and withdrawals with your broker should be free. When you choose a broker, look for what payment methods it supports before opening an account.
- Regulation: Only trade on a margin with brokers who are compliant with the FCA, CySEC, and ASIC regulations. We recommend trading with brokers that comply with regulations in top-tier markets.
- Research & Education: The losses on margin debt will be higher than a cash position, so make sure that your broker has educational assets for you to learn about how margin trading works.
- Customer support: You need to work with a broker with a full-time customer support staff. Make sure you have 24/7 customer support in a language you understand.
The Top Brokers For Margin Trading Compared
Assets, accounts and fees of online brokers with the highest ranked margin trading platforms are compared in the table below.
| Broker | IBKR | Capital.com | TradeStation | Ava Trade | eToro |
| Forex | 105 | 129 | – | 59 | 49 |
| CFDs | 7100+ | 6100+ | – | 150+ | 3000+ |
| Futures | 32 markets | – | 11 markets | – | – |
| Accounts | |||||
| Standard Account | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ECN Account | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Swap Free Account | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum Deposit | 2000 | 20 | 0 | 100 | 200 |
| Max leverage | 20:1 | 500:1 | 4:1 | 400:1 | 400:1 |
| Fees | |||||
| Standard account min spread (in points) | – | From 7 | – | From 6 | From 9 |
| ECN Account Comission | $2,00 | – | – | – | – |
| ECN Account min spread (in points) | From 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Commision Futures | From $0.25 per contract | – | $1.5 per contract | – | – |
What is margin trading?
Margin trading means that a trader uses debt, also known as a margin loan, to buy assets that are worth more than the amount they have invested in an asset. When a trader uses margin debt, they amplify both the gains and losses of a position. Trading on a margin means taking on more risk, as the change in the asset value rises relative to a cash position.
For example, if a trader wanted to buy 100 shares in a stock trading at $50 per share, they would need $5000. But, when a trader uses margin debt, they can buy that position with less money. The amount needed to buy a specific asset with margin debt varies based on the asset and the broker.
In this example, suppose the broker requires a deposit of 50% of the asset’s value to secure the margin loan. The trader would need $2500 to buy a position worth $5000. If the stock goes up by 10% and the trader sells it, they would profit $500. But, because the trader used $2500 for the margin loan, the 10% gain in the stock translates to a 20% gain based on the capital risked.
Advantages and Disadvantages of margin trading in UAE
Margin trading allows an investor greater profits from smaller amounts of money risked. It also amplifies losses when a trade goes wrong. For traders who understand risk management, margin trading makes taking on larger positions possible. Day traders use leverage, creating greater opportunities from smaller market moves.
Difference between margin trading and leverage trading
Margin trading allows a trader to use less than 100% of their capital to secure a loan, but leverage gives traders multiples of their investment capital. For example, a broker offering margin debt of 50% would mean that a 50% fall in the value of the security would wipe out the capital pledged to secure the loan. When using 4x leverage, a 25% fall in the value of the position would wipe out the capital securing the position.
Which markets are most popular for trading with margin?
Investors use margin trading in stock, ETF, and commodity trading, and when a trader wants to use more leverage, they would move into futures or CFDs. Brokers offer different options for trading on a margin, and investors can obtain funding at lower rates by using margin trading, opposed to futures or CFDs.
Can you negotiate a lower margin rate?
Frequent traders may be able to negotiate a lower rate with a broker. Also, the margin rate falls as investors borrow more money, so the larger a position is, the cheaper it is to hold.
Conclusion
The various online brokers in UAE offering different platforms and margin requirements make finding the ideal option for individual needs tough. Reviewing and analyzing the services of different providers can be stressful and requires time and knowledge.
This guide does the tough work by comparing and evaluating top choices for different trading needs and goals. The results of our analysis of the best margin trading platforms in UAE are wrapped up in the table below.
Leveraged and speculative product. Not suitable for all investors. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Capital is at risk.
| RANK | BROKER | PLATFORM SCORE | BEST FOR | WEBSITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Interactive Brokers | 4,5/5 | Best Fees | Official website |
| #2 | Capital.com | 4,8/5 | Best For Mobile Trading | Official website |
| #3 | TradeStation | 4,9/5 | Best For Forex overall | Official website |
| #4 | AVAtrade | 4,2/5 | Best Trading Platform | Official website |
| #5 | eToro | 4,1/5 | Best Speed of execution | Official website |
After analysing and comparing 67 online brokers that offer margin trading in UAE across 9 different categories, we consider Interactive Brokers as the best trading platform for margin trading in UAE. They offer up to 50% margin rates, a great variety of assets available for margin trading and competitive trading fees.
FAQ
Is margin trading risky?
Margin trading amplifies the potential for profit, but also the risk of losing money. Investors that trade with margin can loose more money compared to trading on cash positions.
Is trading with margin legal in UAE?
Yes, trading with margin is legal in the UAE. The legal framework for margin trading in UAE is overseen by the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA).
What assets trade on a margin?
Stocks, commodities, ETFs, and mutual funds trade with margin loans.
What is a margin call?
When the value of the cash position securing a margin loan falls below a given level, a broker issues a margin call. The investor must pledge more money to keep the position open.
Is margin trading a long term strategy?
Margin loans fix the rate, so investors know how much they will cost to carry over the long term.
Disclaimer
eToro is a multi-asset platform which offers both investing in stocks and crypto assets, as well as trading CFDs.
Please note that CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 51% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
This communication is intended for information and educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or investment recommendation. Past performance is not an indication of future results.
Copy Trading does not amount to investment advice. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more
eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro.
Braden Chase is an investor, trading specialist, and former research specialist for Forex.com who helps aspiring investors develop the confidence and habits they need to make an income from the market. Braden has served as a registered commodity futures representative for domestic and internationally-regulated brokerages and has also spoken & moderated numerous forex and finance industry panels across the globe.