AvaTrade is a regulated CFD broker that offers a smaller range of crypto products, but includes a few interesting altcoins plus crypto ETFs that may suit a specific trading style. The firm scored 75/100 during testing, with the limited crypto range balanced out by a wide variety of platforms, commission free trading, and top tier regulatory standards.
AvaTrade is a global CFD broker that offers crypto CFDs, forex, indices, and commodities under several regulatory jurisdictions. Founded in 2006 in Dublin, Ireland, AvaTrade operates as a margin-based, globally regulated CFD broker rather than a crypto exchange or prop trading firm. While it’s not available to US traders, the broker is regulated by a handful of top tier financial regulators in Europe, Australia, and the UK, among others.
AvaTrade’s core focus is providing leveraged CFD trading across forex, stocks, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrency CFDs. They have multi-region regulatory oversight, and a broad selection of trading platforms like MT4, MT5, WebTrader, as well as its features on AvaTrade’s mobile app.
Overall, AvaTrade is a practical, user-friendly option for traders seeking accessibility, and tightly regulated global markets. However, since AvaTrade is a CFD broker, clients do not gain ownership of assets. Crypto trading does not include wallet custody or transfers, and stock CFDs do not include voting rights or dividend ownership.
AvaTrade offers a commission-free retail CFD trading account with a 1:2 leverage cap and 50% margin. They have a simple fee structure as a spread only fee mode for crypto trading, so there’s no commission fees because they’re built within the spread.
AvaTrade does charge a significantly large $50 inactivity fee for traders who do not trade for three months, and if you’re inactive for a year, they charge you an additional $100 fee. AvaTrade also may charge an overnight funding fee when your positions remain open past 22:00 GMT.
If you want to test platforms, or just try out the features, you can also sign up for a risk-free demo account that uses virtual funds with a starting balance of up to $100,000.
Since AvaTrade operates on a commission-free model, the entire trading cost is embedded within the spread. Spreads are floating and changing based on market volatility and liquidity.
AvaTrade publishes that it has reduced crypto spreads and offers competitive pricing, but it does not publish a single static table of all of their crypto spreads.
The spreads are integrated into AvaTrade’s pricing model and change with market conditions, location, account type, and platforms.
| Instrument Pair | Margin | Spread (Over-market) |
|---|---|---|
| BTC/USD | 1% | 0.08% |
| ETH/USD | 2% | 0.10% |
| XRP/USD | 2% | 0.25% |
| LTC/USD | 2% | 0.30% |
| BCH/USD | 4% | 0.30% |
| DOGE/USD | 2% | 0.40% |
We would still advise to always consult with AvaTrade’s support team and read the fine prints because they frequently update the lists and rules.
The crypto spreads are slightly different on an MT5 platform.
| Crypto pair | Minimum spread (USD) | Typical spread (pips) |
|---|---|---|
| BTC/USD | $8 | 8-40 pips |
| ETH/USD | $0.8 | 5-20 pips |
| LTC/USD | $0.15 | 2-10 pips |
| XRP/USD | $0.008 | 1-6 pips |
| BCH/USD | $0.35 | 3-12 pips |
| DOGE/USD | $0.0008 | 0.5-4 pips |
AvaTrade offers a VIP account status for the most productive and successful traders.
This is a premium membership of four distinct VIP Account Tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond.
This benefits crypto traders with tighter spreads, reduced trading costs, faster withdrawals, priority customer support, and access to webinars, among others.
The status is auto-assigned to you when you meet a specific financial threshold in one of two ways:
By rewarding the most valuable traders, AvaTrade uses VIP tiers to incentivize high-volume trading and large deposits.
AvaTrade offers an Islamic account for Muslim traders who must adhere to Sharia-compliant trading principles without interest. AvaTrade’s Islamic account does not offer cryptocurrency trading.
While it’s not necessarily an altogether different account type, this is a retail account variant that’s also known as a ‘swap-free’ account without overnight interest/swap rates.
AvaTrade typically substitutes the swap fee with a fixed administration charge on trading positions.
How We Scored AvaTrade’s Crypto Fees
For crypto trading fees and account types, AvaTrade scores a 7/10 for its decent tiered cost structure, and essential account type choices. Though the standard account type offers commission-free trading, the spreads are wider, and the inactivity fee is notably high. However, the VIP account option offers much value and provides clear cost incentives for active traders, even though it makes the platform a bit less competitive on costs for less frequent retail traders.
AvaTrade offers a wide range of CFD markets that include forex pairs, global stock CFDs, commodities, major and minor indices, ETFs, bonds, and cryptocurrency CFDs.
AvaTrade generally offers a standard selection of around 25 cryptocurrency CFDs listings, including major coins and various altcoins.
| Group | Cryptocurrency | Symbol (vs USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Major Crypto | Bitcoin | BTC/USD |
| Ethereum | ETH/USD | |
| Alt Coins | Ripple | XRP/USD |
| Litecoin | LTC/USD | |
| Dash | DASH/USD | |
| Bitcoin Cash | BCH/USD | |
| Stellar (Lumen) | XLM/USD | |
| Niche/Platform Coins | EOS | EOS/USD |
| IOTA | MIOTA/USD | |
| Neo | NEO/USD | |
| Bitcoin Gold | BTG/USD |
Altcoins like Pepe, Polygon, Shiba Inu, MelaniaUSD, and TrumpUSD are available only on MT5.
Slippage Control: While AvaTrade aims for the quoted price, slippage and trading execution delays can occur. AvaProtect, their flagship feature, is a unique risk management tool that allows traders to hedge against losing trades up to one million dollars, but it comes with a premium price.
Liquidity: Major coins like BTC and ETH have the highest liquidity with tight spreads, while for altcoins and niche coins, the CFDs have wider spreads. This is a common industry standard reflecting the lower liquidity in the underlying markets for these assets. AvaTrade generally offers zero commission on crypto CFDs, so spreads are the primary cost of trading.
Trade Execution Speed: AvaTrade is generally known for near-instant execution for major coins, and it’s only slightly slower for altcoins and niche tokens. The orders are processed internally against the broker’s own liquidity pools.
Trading Hours: AvaTrade has 24/7 trading hours. All listed crypto CFDs are available for trading, including weekends. At Rock Trading, we firmly believe that this is an absolutely essential policy for every broker and platform for better risk management, and market news reaction time.
AvaTrade boasts a comprehensive selection of tradable instruments, presenting traders with many opportunities to diversify their investment portfolios.
| Asset Class | Number of instruments | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Bonds | 2 | Available through CFDs for portfolio diversification. |
| Commodities | 20 | Gold, silver, crude oil, natural gas, agricultural CFDs, etc. |
| Cryptocurrencies | 25+ | BTC, ETH, XRP, ADA, and LTC without owning the asset directly. |
| ETFs | 70 | Available through CFDs for portfolio diversification. |
| Forex | ~60 | Majors, minors, and exotics such as EUR/USD, GBP/JPY, and USD/ZAR. |
| Indices | 36 | NASDAQ, FTSE 100, S&P 500, DAX, etc. |
| Stocks | +650 | Apple, Tesla, Amazon, and Meta via CFDs |
Another perk is its forex trading platform, which offers numerous currency pairs across major and exotic options. Those keen on commodities can trade different items, including precious metals and agricultural products.
How We Scored AvaTrade’s Crypto Markets
AvaTrade delivers a great balance of major cryptocoins. However, because their coverage focuses on the most popular ones along with mid-cap assets, they lack the broad altcoin selection that can be found on most competitor tables. If you are experimenting with pairs, or you’re looking for exposure to more coins, AvaTrade’s market may feel slightly restrictive to you. We gave AvaTrade a 6/10 for this reason.
AvaTrade’s ecosystem includes both MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), their own proprietary web and mobile platforms, as well as dedicated options and futures platforms.
You also get access to advanced charting tools, automated trading via algorithms, as well as social and copy trading features.
| Platform / App | Key Add-ons & Tools |
|---|---|
| AvaTradeGO App | AvaProtect, Market Trends, Trading Signals for alerts |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Expert Advisors (EAs), Guardian Angel (trading feedback and improving decision making), Trading central for analysis |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Expert Advisors (EAs), Custom Indicators for algorithmic trading, six pending order types (both Buy Stop Limit, and Sell Stop Limit orders that are not available on MT4) |
| AvaSocial App | Copy Trading, socials |
| AvaOptions | 13 Option Strategies (straddles, spreads, and risk reversals), P&L Chart for visual risk updates |
| DupliTrade | Third-party Auto Trading Platform for mirroring strategies of expert traders |
The diverse choice of platforms and addons is obviously structured in a way to cater to multi-asset traders, as crypto trading on AvaTrade is available on MT4, MT5, WebTrader, and on the AvaTradeGO mobile app.
Launched in 2005, MetaTrader 4 remains one of the most widely used trading and charting platforms in the CFD industry. It supports technical analysis, copy-trading integration through third-party apps, Guardian Angel risk feedback tool, and algorithmic trading.
MT4’s lightweight interface, large library of custom indicators, and Expert Advisors make it a solid choice for crypto traders who want reliable execution and automated strategies.
You may occasionally experience random connection errors or 404 messages, but that’s commonly seen on other platforms as well.
MetaTrader 5 is the improved version of MT4 that supports a wider selection of asset classes, and lets you combine crypto with stocks, ETFs, and more.
MT5 is more resource heavy than MT4 because it has a programming language for highly advanced, complex automated crypto trading strategies. However, it has a multi-threaded strategy tester for more accurate backtesting of volatile crypto CFDs.
Like on MT4, crypto market volatility and lower weekend liquidity can increase risk of slippage, and it does not offer a guaranteed stop-loss.
Here is a table summarizing the features mentioned, highlighting the differences between MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4:
| Feature | MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pending Order Types | 4 types | 6 types | Two extra order types for execution flexibility. |
| Available Timeframes | 9 timeframes | 12 timeframes | More granular analysis options. |
| Technical Indicators | 30 indicators | 38 indicators | Eight additional built-in tools. |
| Graphical/Annotation Objects | 24 objects | 37 objects | Enhanced ability for charting and analysis annotation. |
All AvaTrade apps and platforms are Windows, OS, and Linux compatible. However, if you’re running complex EAs or multiple charts on MT5, AvaTrade recommends having at least 8GB RAM memory, or use the MT4 platform.
AvaTrade’s WebTrader is a secure, web-based trading platform with all the charting tools, a decent user interface, the AvaProtect feature, and includes three standard order types like market, stop orders, and limit.
AvaTrade’s WebTrader has an intuitive UI, and all the buttons are in their right place with a visible layout. Even the features for Trading Central are integrated with the web-based browser.
However, the AvaTrade web-based platform does not support algorithmic trading via Expert Advisors. The web trader lacks charting depth, indicators, and data for technical analysis.
AvaTradeGO is the proprietary mobile app with a sleek design, user interface, and functionality that’s basically integrated from their WebTrader.
The app has all the trading features, real-time feeds, trends and charts, custom watchlists, price alerts, AvaProtect and the other tools you’ll need if you’re a trader on the go, or if you’re just looking for ways to watch AvaTrade’s educational content.
In addition to the main app, AvaTrade has its own dedicated social app called AvaSocial. It’s mostly used for copy-trading, but you can also engage with other crypto traders to learn, connect, and engage with the trading community.
Though its application to crypto trading is limited, AvaOptions is a specialized platform that’s dedicated to trading Forex, commodities, and Vanilla Options on currency pairs.
Crypto traders can benefit from its tools for complex option strategies like straddles and spreads, as well as advanced risk simulation and analysis with ‘Greek letters’ risk parameters.
Although AvaTrade may not offer options on many cryptocurrencies, the platform is essential for traders who wish to hedge their crypto CFD risk using correlated FX or metal options.
As of June 2024, AvaTrade launched their futures trading platform called AvaFutures. Crypto traders can benefit from AvaFutures by gaining access to regulated CME futures contracts, including micro and e-mini sizes that suit different account balances.
This allows you to hedge crypto CFD exposure, diversify strategies, and manage risk with standardized futures pricing.
It’s best suitable for you if you’re transitioning from CFD to exchange-traded derivatives, or just want to explore futures markets. It also has educational support, making futures more accessible for beginner traders.
How We Scored AvaTrade’s Trading Platforms
AvaTrade scores 8/10 for their versatile ecosystem with all the essential crypto trading platforms and addons that cater for both novice and expert traders. Their AvaProtect risk management tool is a major feature that makes the firm stand out from competitors as a broker that proactively integrates safety into their platform.
AvaTrade offers a solid level of protection for their clients with an extended list of regulations and strict trading rules for different jurisdictions. Cryptocurrency trading is not available for UK-based retail accounts.
However, as of November, 2025, there are no public sources of information regarding their cash segregation methods, policy on pricing, execution speed, or any documented regulatory oversight.
AvaTrade operates through multiple, distinct regulated entities across nine global jurisdictions, ensuring the strict compliance standards are met. This multi-jurisdictional approach allows the broker to cater to diverse international clientele.
AvaTrade does not hold a license from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, but instead services UK clients via its CBI/CySEC authorization which subjects them to the EU’s leverage caps.
Since AvaTrade is not regulated in the US, it does not accept clients who reside in the United States, and it cannot open accounts or accept deposits originating from the US.
AvaTrade implements several crucial measures to safeguard client assets.
How We Scored AvaTrade’s Safety
We’ll give AvaTrade a score of 8/10 for its strong list of regulatory licenses across nine global jurisdictions. While there’s no access for US crypto traders, they offer convenient safety features like Negative Balance Protection.
Unlike most brokers, AvaTrade generally imposes no fees for deposits or withdrawals, and the minimum deposit to open a trading account is accessible at $100.
With AvaTrade, you don’t pay any deposit fees and the minimum deposit required to open an account is 100 units of the base currency like USD, EUR, GBP, which makes the entry point accessible to beginners.
AvaTrade also recommends that you deposit at least 1,000 to 2,000 units in your preferred base currency to adequately enjoy the full range of products on offer.
| Deposit Method | Waiting Period (to be credited) | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Credit/Debit Cards | Instant | Accepted cards include Visa and Mastercard. First-time card deposits may take up to 1 business day for security verification. Unavailable to Canadian traders. |
| E-Wallets | Within 24 hours | Includes methods like Skrill, Neteller, and WebMoney. Not available to clients under EU or Australian regulation. |
| Bank Wire Transfer | Up to 7 Business Days | The waiting period depends on your bank, country, and other factors. You can speed up the process by emailing a copy of your bank’s SWIFT confirmation to AvaTrade support. |
| Google Pay | Instant / Within 24 hours | Availability is region-specific. This method acts similarly to a credit/debit card transfer. |
Occasionally, AvaTrade may offer you a welcome bonus of 20% deposit when signing up with a $200 deposit for qualification. However, we do not know the exact method to trigger the bonus, as it appears at random.
Unlike brokers like IG which offers a volume-based rebate scheme, AvaTrade doesn’t offer any such bonuses which is clearly a missed opportunity for using an incentive to attract and retain quality traders.
You can withdraw funds using credit cards, bank transfer, or e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller. The broker doesn’t charge any additional expenses for withdrawals and it doesn’t charge extra for more than one withdrawal per calendar month. In comparison to brokers like eToro for example, they charge $5 for every withdrawal.
| Withdrawal Method | AvaTrade Processing Time | Funds Receipt Time (Total Wait) | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AvaTrade Processing (Internal) | Within 24 Business Hours | Instant | N/A |
| E-Wallets | Within 24 Business Hours | Up to 1 Business Day | Fast method for receiving funds (like Skrill, Neteller). Availability is restricted in some regions (like the EU/Australia). |
| Credit/Debit Cards | Within 24 Business Hours | Up to 5 Business Days | Withdrawals must be made back to the original card up to 100% of the deposit amount (due to AML rules). |
| Bank Wire Transfer | Within 24 Business Hours | 5 to 10 Business Days | Longest receipt time due to bank processing speed, as well as KYC/AML compliance checks. AvaTrade generally covers bank transfer fees up to 100 units of USD, EUR, or GBP. |
AvaTrade’s AML (anti-money laundering) method works by asking traders to return up to 100% of the deposited amount to the original payment method like credit or debit card. Once the initial deposit is refunded, they will be able to withdraw via other alternative methods like wire transfer or e-wallets.
How We Scored AvaTrade’s Funding Methods
For their diverse, no-fee methods, and near-instant processing time, we scored 8/10 for AvaTrade’s Funding section. The broker processes withdrawal requests within 24 to 48 business hours. On the downside, their strict anti money laundering policies require traders to return the initial deposit to the original source before withdrawing profits which can be less than ideal for most traders.
AvaTrade operates as a market maker for its CFD products, which directly influences execution quality. The margin and leverage terms for cryptocurrencies are dictated almost entirely by the regulatory body overseeing the trader’s account.
Because of volatility concerns, retail traders in regions like the EU and Australia are strictly limited to a maximum of 1:2 leverage. This is due to the ESMA rules which explicitly highlight the 50% margin requirement.
Conversely, offshore or lower tier regulators allow for higher leverage, allowing you to use 1:25 for major crypto pairs in some regions.
| Client Type / Jurisdiction | Maximum Leverage Ratio | Margin Requirement (%) | Crypto Asset Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU/Australia | 1:2 | 50% | All Crypto CFDs |
| International/Non-EU | Up to 1:25 | From 4% | Major Crypto CFDs |
As a standard margin policy, AvaTrade imposes strict limits on the maximum accumulated limit you can hold in open crypto CFD positions. These limits are set to manage the broker’s exposure to volatility and vary significantly by asset.
| Crypto Asset | Maximum Accumulated Limit |
|---|---|
| BTC Pairs | $1,500,000 |
| ETH Pairs, XRP | $400,000 |
| LTC, BCH | $200,000 |
| DASH | $25,000 |
Since the data is frequently updated, please consult the Trading Conditions and Charges section for more accurate numbers, and specific margin requirements for cryptocurrencies.
AvaTrade permits hedging and short selling, as well as automated trading tools like Expert Advisors which can be useful if you’re wanting to automate your trading strategies.
Scalping is allowed on MT4/MT5 and proprietary platforms, but only if the strategy doesn’t exploit system flaws. AvaTrade strictly prohibits transactions relying on unrealistic quotes, platform anomalies, latency-based arbitrage or any high-frequency order trading that capitalizes on delayed price feeds.
Any such manipulative practices can lead to AvaTrade to restrict your account, void profits, widen spreads, block trading, and even permanently ban your accounts.
While there are some key trading rules, compared to prop firm rules, you have much more freedom around things like news trading and copy trading.
AvaTrade offers standard risk management tools for all accounts like customizable Stop Loss and Take Profit orders, as well as the Negative Balance Protection feature that makes sure traders don’t lose more than their deposited funds.
Unlike some other crypto brokers like Kraken or Bybit, AvaTrade does not guarantee successful stop loss execution.
What separates AvaTrade from most crypto trading platforms is AvaProtect. It’s their flagship feature which is a unique, one-click insurance tool that allows you to pay a small fee to protect a specific trade against losses for a chosen time period.
If the protected trade closes at a loss or has unrealized losses at expiry, AvaTrade reimburses the loss with compensations up to one million dollars. To be eligible for AvaProtect, you must trade via the WebTrader or AvaTradeGO.
How We Scored AvaTrade’s Risk and Rules
AvaTrade earns a solid 8/10 for its leverage, risk, and operational mechanics that can be beneficial for traders looking to manage risks. The rule framework is heavily dictated by regulation with fair policies on protecting the system from exploitative traders. Retail EU and non-EU crypto traders are limited to 1:2 leverage and 1:25 respectively with sturdy protection but limited trading efficiency. As a market maker, AvaTrade’s execution quality is directly influenced which isn’t very easy on high-volume, algorithm traders.
AvaTrade earns a 75/100 score based on our testing across fees and accounts, platforms and tools, funding, markets, safety, and trading rules. AvaTrade is commendable for its impeccable regulation licenses, industry-standard platforms in combination with the essential tools, and its flagship feature, AvaProtect.
The score is slightly decreased because of their relatively limited cryptocurrency market diversity, and their Market Maker execution model and strict AML withdrawal rules makes them less appealing for quick-profit traders. The careful blend of AvaTrade’s tight security and trading tools is downgraded by its market restrictions which is why we gave this broker an above average score.
Yes, AvaTrade allows cryptocurrency CFD trading on 25 digital assets including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple. You can trade cryptocurrencies on AvaTrade by opening a retail or demo account, and choosing your preferred platform such as MT4, or MT5. Crypto CFDs allow you to speculate on price movements without owning the coins. After selecting position size and leverage, you place your order and manage it with stop loss functions or copy-trading tools. Trading on AvaTrade is available 24/7 except during maintenance hours.
Yes, you can trade crypto CFDs with AvaTrade in South Africa, but since these are CFDs, you do not own the underlying crypto. The crypto CFD broker is regulated locally under the FSCA and allows South African traders to access major cryptocurrencies as CFDs, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. These products let you speculate on rising or falling prices with leverage, usually up to moderate levels, depending on market conditions. You can use features like risk management tools, long and short positions, and you also get platform access to other CFD markets.
AvaTrade provides a handful of versatile cryptotrading platforms to fit any trading style. They have MetaTrader 4 (MT4), and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). For mobile users, they have the proprietary AvaTrade Go app that hasAvaProtect which is a unique fund protection tool. They also have the WebTrader for browser-based access. Additionally, specialized platforms like AvaOptions are available for Vanilla Options trading, as well as AvaSocial which is used for copy trading, and AvaFutures for exchange-traded futures.
AvaTrade allows a minimum deposit of 100 EUR, GBP, or AUD as available currency which is less than IC Markets’ $200 minimum deposit when compared. You can fund your account via wire transfer, credit and debit card, Skrill, WebMoney, and Neteller. However, credit and debit card payments are not available for Canadian residents, while Skrill, Neteller, and WebMoney are not available for the UK and Australian residents.
AvaTrade states that the withdrawal process takes one business day (24 hours) for fully verified retail accounts. Bank transfers are usually with longer waiting periods, while e-wallets like Skrill are one of the fastest methods with around 24 hours after processing. Credit and debit cards may take up to five business days. Wire transfers can take up to 10 business days or more depending on your bank’s processing speed.
No, AvaTrade is not legal for US residents to use for CFD or forex trading. AvaTrade does not accept clients who live in the United States because it isn’t authorised there for these products. In the US, brokers that offer leveraged retail trading usually need specific approvals and registration with local regulators. If you are US-based, you’ll need to use a crypto platform that is licensed to take US clients, otherwise you risk account closure and rejected deposits or withdrawals.
