Avatrade : broker review 2026
A broker operating since 2006, regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Offers CFD trading, Forex, vanilla options and futures. Suited to active traders, with a €100 minimum deposit.
Who is this broker for?
Avatrade may suit you if you:
- Want to actively trade CFDs, Forex, futures or vanilla options with a regulated broker.
- Are looking for a reliable broker.
- Want to automate your trading or copy other traders’ positions.
Avatrade may be less suitable if you:
- Are looking for a French PEA or standard securities account (CTO).
- Want to invest long term by buying actual stocks or ETFs.
- Don’t plan to trade regularly, as inactivity fees are high.
Broker features
Markets and products
Platforms
Regulation
AvaTrade’s platform
AvaTrade offers more platforms than most brokers: WebTrader, MT4, MT5, its mobile app, AvaOptions and AvaSocial.
WebTrader runs straight from your browser, with nothing to install. MT4 and MT5 are the two industry standards for manual and automated trading. MT5 is the newer version, with more tools and order types.
The mobile app runs on iOS and Android. You can monitor your positions, place orders and manage your account from your phone.
AvaOptions is dedicated to trading vanilla Forex options.
AvaSocial focuses on copy trading: you can follow other traders and copy their positions.
Before opening a live account, you can use AvaTrade’s demo account to try out the platforms with no time limit.
AvaTrade’s fees
AvaTrade doesn’t charge commission on orders. It earns its revenue through the spread, which is built into the price shown on the platform.
To find the spread for a specific instrument, log in to your account and open that instrument’s details.
Overnight fees
Any position held past the financing cutoff incurs an overnight charge.
The amount depends on the instrument and the direction of your position. You can check it on the platform before placing an order.
Inactivity fees
After 3 months without activity: a €50 charge, repeated every 3 months for as long as the account stays inactive.
After 12 months without activity: an additional €100 annual administration fee.
If you open an account but don’t trade regularly, these quarterly and annual fees can add up to a significant amount on a small balance.
The fees apply while the account remains open and inactive. Under AvaTrade’s terms, negative balance protection applies: the fees cannot leave you owing more than your account balance.
If you no longer intend to trade, the solution is to close your account by contacting AvaTrade’s customer support directly.
Regulation and security
AvaTrade operates in France through AVA Trade EU Ltd, based in Dublin and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland since 2009. It operates in France under the MiFID II European passport.
Because the account is held in Ireland, French tax residents must declare it each year to the French tax authorities using form 3916-bis. You also need to report your gains and losses yourself, using the annual statement AvaTrade provides.
Your funds are kept in accounts separate from AvaTrade’s own money. If the broker fails, European protection covers up to 90% of losses, capped at €20,000.
My review
AvaTrade has been around since 2006, making it one of the longest-established brokers in the industry.
That shows in the strength of its offering and the trust it has built over the years.
The broker won several awards in 2024, including "Best Educational Broker" and "Best Forex Trading Platform in Europe".
AvaTrade is a solid, regulated broker, in the same vein as eToro or BoursoBank, but with a more flexible product range: CFDs, Forex, futures and options.
Leverage is capped at 20:1 on indices and 30:1 on Forex, as European rules require. Its spreads sit towards the higher end of the market: more competitive than eToro’s, but higher than those of unregulated brokers competing on this point.
If you want a regulated broker with a full trading offering and a solid track record, AvaTrade is a good choice.
If your only priority is the lowest possible spread, you’ll find cheaper options elsewhere.
Personally, it’s the broker I use to trade CFDs with my own money, and I recommend it for that purpose.
I'm a former financial engineer and spent seven years on trading floors and at a hedge fund. For over three years, I've been sharing my trading experience and what I know about finance.