AvaTrade: Review and Guide to Getting Started

AvaTrade is a safe, legitimate broker. It’s been around since 2006 and is known for being one of the most secure trading platforms in the industry. They have over 300,000 customers around the world and execute over 2 million trades every single month.

As of this writing, their trading values surpass $70 billion per month.

Their vision is to empower people to invest and trade with confidence. They value innovation, personal service, integrity, fairness, and self-improvement.

This platform has won numerous awards. In 2021 they won the Best Retail Broker UAE award from Global Business Review Magazine. They won the Best Trading App and the Best Fixed Spread Broker award from Investingoal and the Best Forex Broker Ireland from Finance Derivatives. Forex Broker Awards gave them the No. 1 Innovation award and DayTrading gave them the best trading app.

They’ve also won awards from the year 2009 onward, several from highly prestigious organizations such as World Finance, Daily FX, and International Business Magazine, just to name a few. Because they are constantly innovating, they have gained a reputation for being a leader in the online trading market.

In short, if you’re looking for a broker and trading platform to work with then you’ve got a solid, trustworthy choice in AvaTrade. Here are more details about this platform that you can use to make your final decision.

Account Types Offered

AvaTrade offers four types of accounts.

The first type is a demo account. This is an excellent option for new day traders who are still getting the hang of terms and techniques. It’s also a great way to see if you enjoy navigating around their platform. Demo accounts are open to all users.

The second type is a standard account. Standard accounts are open to all users and allow you to perform trades on your own behalf.

The third type is the Swap Free Account. This is an account specifically designed for Muslim traders. The Swap Free Account allows Muslims to buy and sell in accordance with the Islamic Sharia Principle of interest-free trading.

The fourth type is the MAM account, open only to professional traders. These accounts let you create multiple sub trading groups and make order placements from an unlimited number of client accounts. They even make it easy by offering a master account where you can trade order placements for all of your clients at once.

Trade Types Offered

While AvaTrade is known primarily as a Forex broker they do allow you to trade in CFDs, bonds, stocks, indices, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, and commodities. They also offer options trading. This makes it easy for you to diversify your portfolio and trading strategy.

Trading Platforms & Tools

AvaTrade offers several trading platforms to choose from depending on your needs and goals.

WebTrader

WebTrader is AvaTrade’s web-based interface. There’s nothing to download. You just log in and start using the platform. You get all of the critical functions and get access to real-time market sentiment data. You can also take advantage of the AvaProtect™ risk-reduction tools.

You can view how it works by watching the video below.

<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/350725227″>4 webtrader positions NEW</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/avatrade”>AvaTrade</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com“>Vimeo</a>.</p>

AvaTradeGo

AvaTradeGo is the phone app, and it’s available on both Google Play and the iPhone App Store. AvaProtect™ is available on this platform as well. This has been voted the number one Best Forex Trading App in 2020 because the interface is so smooth and easy to use. Like WebTrader, AvaTradeGo puts real-time market data at the user’s fingertips.

MetaTrader4

If you’re looking for a seriously sophisticated experience, reach for MetaTrader4. This platform is available for download, for a web-based experience, for Macs, for iPhone or for Androids. It’s a customizable, comprehensive platform aimed at market pros and includes trading signals from top providers, expert advisors for algorithmic trading, and a free risk-assessment tool known as Guardian Angel which delivers instant feedback on your trading actions so that you can learn and improve your strategy.

If you want to include hedging in your strategy you will need this platform. You’ll also need this platform if you want to create and use automated trading strategies.

Another interesting feature of this platform is the fact that you can do it within 9 timeframes (M1, M5, M15, M30, H1, H4, Daily, Weekly, and Monthly). That is, 1 minute, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, daily, weekly, and monthly. You can also use pending orders like buy stop, sell stop, buy limit, and sell limits.

It even has a built-in news feature so you can keep track of all the news that might impact your trades.

MetaTrader5

MetaTrader5 is an evolution of MetaTrader4 that’s meant to be even more powerful, offering even more advanced features.

AvaOptions

AvaOptions is an app-based platform for traders who are primarily interested in options trading. This includes Forex options that allow you to choose from over 40 currency pairs in any combination of call and put options. It’s also built with money managers in mind, allowing traders to trade multiple accounts from a single location.

AvaOptions also includes risk management tools like portfolio simulations that will let you refine your strategies.

AvaSocial

The perfect platform for beginners, designed exclusively to shorten the learning curve. AvaSocial allows you to learn from expert traders. Yet even experienced traders enjoy using it because they can get a clear view of the market from other experts. You can still automate your trades with AvaSocial. You can even ask other traders questions 1 on 1 or in a group chat, all while receiving real-time updates on trading signals.

Customer Support

One thing that makes AvaTrade unique is the fact that they’ve invested in a 24/7/364 multilingual support desk. It’s little wonder that they’re known for providing white-glove service as you don’t see this kind of above-and-beyond commitment from most brokers.

Their customer service team is trained to ensure each representative has a deep understanding of the financial markets. This means that they’re not just tech support personnel or people you can call when you have a problem with your username and password. They actually know what’s going on with the markets. In addition, if you deposit over $1000 then you get your own dedicated Account Manager. This person will guide you through your first trades, teach you how to use the platforms, and inform you on market matters.

The entire company is committed to providing a hassle-free trading experience and continues to take steps to make the entire platform more accessible. They’ve even invested in the creation of an Expert Advisor AI that allows you to analyze your trades without forcing you to be either a master programmer or an experienced trader.

They also make themselves accessible via social channels. Forget dealing with a platform through shadowy, impersonal email addresses. They’re tweeting live from their Dealing Room and have a Facebook page where you can reach out.

Liquidity

One of the most important considerations when choosing a trading account is how quickly you can get your money in and out of the account when you need to. Another consideration is the number of options you have for funding your account, or for receiving money.

In some countries, AvaTrade is a little slow on the withdrawal front. They can take up to 5 business days to process requests. If you choose this platform and are in one of those nations, you’ll need to include those longer withdrawal times in your planning. Yet there is a workaround: the Ava Debit Mastercard. You can just use the card like a debit or credit card and get instant access to your funds.

In some countries, the withdrawal happens immediately. Much will depend on where the withdrawal is being sent and the policies and rules of your own financial institution.

Deposit options include PayPal, Skrill, NETELLER, and WebMoney. You can also use bank wire transfers and credit cards.

The most common problem with both deposits and withdrawals is attempting to do so from countries where the platform is not supported. If you are traveling to a country where AvaTrade is not legal you will need to make your withdrawal before you go.

It’s also worth noting that client funds are held in separate accounts for increased security. This additional step means your money is even safer with AvaTrade than it otherwise would be.

Spreads

Spreads are another consideration, because you don’t want to spend too much money making your trades.

AvaTrade’s spreads are reasonable, and they do make an effort to reduce them. Recently they’ve reduced cryptocurrency spreads by a considerable margin.

Regulation

AvaTrade is regulated by the laws of four separate countries, and each of them are known for having rigorous laws and standards.

• The Central Bank of Ireland (license #C53877).
• Australia’s ASIC (license #406684).
• Japan’s FSA (license #1662) and Japan’s FFA (#1574).
• South Africa’s FSB (license #45984).

Australia, in particular, is known as an ideal place to play the Forex markets. Their rules and regulations are particularly strict, and each broker must have at least $1 million in working capital to make sure they can withstand volatility in the market.

Reputation

As mentioned, AvaTrade has won numerous awards. It really does have a reputation for being one of the best trading platforms in the industry. It’s known for being extremely trustworthy and competent, and is probably one of the safest options out there.

It’s not just the industry that has given AvaTrade major kudos. They have dozens of great reviews from real users on Trustpilot.

Accepted Countries

Traders can use AvaTrade in a number of different countries, including:

• Australia
• Thailand
• Canada
• The United Kingdom
• South Africa
• Singapore
• Hong Kong
• France
• Germany
• Norway
• Sweden
• Italy
• Denmark
• The United Arab Emirates
• Saudi Arabia
• Kuwait
• Luxembourg
• Qatar

As you can see there are many countries on this list where trading is highly regulated and monitored for customer safety.

There are still some countries where AvaTrade is not considered to be a legal trading platform.

You cannot use AvaTrade if you are trading from:

• The United States of America
• Belgium
• Zimbabwe
• Iran
• Iraq
• India
• Pakistan
• Spain

Alternatives

In terms of features, reputation, and regulation, the brokers that are closest to AvaTrade are:

• EToro
• Forex.com

If none of these suit, there are of course many other brokers that you can choose from.

Bonuses & Promos

Right now AvaTrade is offering a new trader bonus on your initial deposit. You can use the bonus calculator to find out how much money they will give you. It seems to be a 20% bonus: that is, if you deposit $1000 then AvaTrade will give you $200.

The minimum deposit to get any kind of bonus is $200.

The bonus will only be credited after you finish submitting identification documents, and you won’t be able to withdraw it until you execute a minimum trading volume of 10,000 base currency for every one base currency bonus within six  months.

If you fail trade the required amount AvaTrade will remove your bonus from your account. Make sure you are able, ready, and willing to make those trades before you claim it!

FAQs

Is AvaTrade a safe, legitimate trading platform?

Yes. In fact it is especially trustworthy for four key reasons.

The first is its longevity. It’s been around since 2006. Shady platforms come and go, but AvaTrade’s business has grown, built itself up, and has continued to hire people around the world for a substantial amount of time.

The second is the regulatory oversight its submitted itself to. It hasn’t run to countries with very little regulation, but has sought oversight in Ireland, Australia, Japan, and South Africa. These are not easy environments to get licensed in. The force of the law will come down on AvaTrade if they don’t play fair.

The third is the reputation they’ve gained from their traders. You just don’t get the kinds of rave reviews that are showing up on TrustPilot without being a safe, legitimate, trustworthy platform.

Finally there’s the long list of industry awards they’ve been winning since 2009. Again, this only happens when the trading platform itself is exceptional.

Is AvaTrade properly regulated?

It is. It is regulated in Australia, Ireland, South Africa, and Japan. These are all strict regulatory environments where brokers like AvaTrade are watched very closely. 

What is AvaTrade’s minimum deposit?

AvaTrade’s minimum deposit is $100,  €100, or  £100.

Is AvaTrade good for beginners?

AvaTrade is excellent for beginners, and not just because the platform is easy to use. They’ve taken the time to put together an extensive library of educational resources for beginner and intermediate traders, covering everything from market terms to strategies.

They’ve even put together a free ebook that will teach you everything you need to know about becoming a day trader. The ebook explains financial markets, the rules of trading, various trading strategies, and tips for successful trading.

There’s also the demo account, where you can start testing your strategies without spending any money.

In addition, they’ve created ways for traders to mentor one another. AvaSocial is truly an outstanding resource for the budding day trader.

AvaTrade claims that they want their traders to succeed, and on the whole they’ve certainly taken every possible step to ensure that their customers do.

Does AvaTrade give a bonus?

As of this writing AvaTrade will give a 20% bonus on initial deposits of $200 or more, subject to terms and conditions.

What leverage does AvaTrade offer?

Leverage depends on where your account is based and what assets you’re trading. European regulation caps AvaTrade’s leverage at 1:30, other countries allow leverage at a ratio of 1:400.

Professional accounts can also take advantage of additional leverage.

Who owns AvaTrade?

AvaTrade is owned by founder Emanuel Kronitz. Prior to founding AvaTrade, he served as COO of TTR Technologies, a NASDAQ-traded company specializing in anti-piracy software. He has an MBA and a law degree from York University in Toronto. He remains very active in the day-to-day operation of AvaTrade.

Where is AvaTrade located?

AvaTrade has ten offices nationwide. Their primary office is in Dublin, but they also have offices in Australia, Chile, China, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, Poland, and South Africa.

The number of real, physical office locations truly sets AvaTrade apart. This isn’t a shadowy trading platform operating out of a country you’ve never heard of. It is, instead, a worldwide operation with brick and mortar locations.

Is AvaTrade a broker or a market maker?

AvaTrade is a broker. You can read about the difference here.

How can I deposit funds at AvaTrade?

You can use credit cards and wire transfers. In some places you can use Skrill, WebMoney, and Neteller. It can take up to 10 days for funds to reflect in your AvaTrade account if you use a wire transfer.