My Review of the AvaTrade Platform (April 2025)

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Founded in 2006, AvaTrade is an online broker specializing in CFD and vanilla options trading. Present in the markets for over 15 years, it is regulated by several recognized financial authorities including the Central Bank of Ireland and ASIC in Australia.

I have spent several months thoroughly testing AvaTrade, analyzing its tools, fees, and the overall quality of its user experience with the aim of answering these questions: Is AvaTrade reliable? What are its advantages and disadvantages? Is it suitable for beginner traders or experienced investors? What are its features compared to other regulated brokers in the Philippines?

To get a clearer picture, I examined every aspect of the broker: registration and account opening, fees and trading conditions, diversity of available assets, platform ergonomics, analysis tools and services offered to traders.

So here is my complete review of AvaTrade in comparison to the other online brokers that I have tested.

What to think of AvaTrade?

My general opinion on AvaTrade

After several months of testing, I can say that AvaTrade is a reliable and well-structured broker, especially suited to active traders who want to speculate via CFDs. What I particularly appreciated was the diversity of platforms: MetaTrader 4 and 5 for classic trading, AvaTradeGO for mobile (fluid and ergonomic), and AvaOptions for working on more complex strategies with vanilla options.

The broker is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and ASIC, and properly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Philippines, which immediately reassured me. The 4.5/5 rating on Trustpilot (based on over 9,000 reviews) also reflects this solidity.

On the asset side, you have access to over 1,250 instruments – Forex, stocks, indices, commodities, cryptos – only via CFD. It is therefore an environment clearly designed for short-term trading with leverage. If you are looking to invest long-term in physical stocks or ETFs, this will not be the right platform. I advise you in this case to turn to a broker like eToro or an online broker like Degiro.

Finally, the spreads are competitive (0.9 pip on EUR/USD in standard), and the absence of direct commissions makes the trading experience easy to follow.

=> In summary, if like me you trade regularly and are looking for a serious platform with a good range of tools, AvaTrade is an option that I recommend.

Which trader profiles is AvaTrade suitable for?

In my opinion, AvaTrade is particularly suitable for: 

=> For beginner traders who want to train and take their first steps in the world of trading with personalized support from a dedicated advisor and the possibility of accessing a free demo account giving access to a fictitious capital of ₱10,000. Beginner traders also benefit from the possibility of practicing copy trading and copying the strategies of the best traders with the Duplitrade and Zulutrade platforms. Finally, AvaTrade also provides new traders with webinars, guides and market analyses. 

=> For active and regular traders with a wide selection of CFD assets, competitive spreads and no commission on transactions. The MetaTrader 4 & 5 platforms as well as the AvaTrade Go application also offer fast order execution and advanced risk management tools ideal for swing trading and day trading.

=> For copy traders with the DupliTrade and ZuluTrade platforms accessible at no additional cost.

On the other hand, AvaTrade will not be suitable for long-term investors who will not find stocks or ETFs for direct purchase, nor for scalpers and high-frequency traders who may be hampered by certain spreads slightly above average.

AvaTrade in a few seconds is:

My Opinion on the Security and Reliability of the Broker AvaTrade

I found AvaTrade to be a particularly reassuring broker to use, mainly due to the quality of its regulation and the clarity of its commitments regarding the protection of funds. Here are the key elements to remember:

My opinion on the fees, spreads and commissions applied on AvaTrade

From my experience, AvaTrade offers simple and quite competitive pricing, especially if you are looking to avoid fixed fees. The broker does not charge any commission on CFDs, which makes the fee structure clearer: everything goes through the spreads. For me, this is a real strong point, especially for active traders who want to keep control of their costs.

I also appreciated that Copy Trading is completely free, whether via AvaSocial, ZuluTrade or DupliTrade. This allows you to follow other traders without additional fees, which is far from the case with all brokers.

Now, let's look together at the fees item by item to see what it gives concretely.

What are the account fees?

I found the conditions to be quite fair overall. The minimum deposit of ₱ 5,888 remains accessible, especially compared to brokers like FXCM or Pepperstone. Withdrawals are free, which is rare and appreciated. 

On the other hand, the inactivity fees surprised me: ₱ 2,944 every 3 months is clearly above average.

Tip #1

Easily avoid inactivity fees. If you don't trade regularly, consider placing an order or withdrawing your funds before the 3 months of inactivity. Personally, I simply open a small position or withdraw my balance to avoid losing ₱200 per year unnecessarily.

What are the fees on stocks and ETFs?

AvaTrade does not offer stocks or ETFs for direct purchase. All these assets are negotiable only in the form of CFDs, which implies specific fees related to this type of product.

If your goal is to hold stocks or ETFs directly for the long term, AvaTrade will not be suitable. Personally, for this type of investment, I prefer eToro or DEGIRO. However, for short-term trading with leverage, the fees at AvaTrade remain competitive.

What are the fees on cryptocurrencies?

At AvaTrade, cryptocurrency trading is done exclusively through CFDs. No actual purchase, no wallet, and therefore no custody or transfer fees like on a traditional exchange.

Personally, I found the fees reasonable for short-term trading, but if you're looking to buy and hold your cryptos, it's better to go through a specialized platform like Binance or Kraken.

AvaTrade remains a good option if you want to speculate on price variations with leverage (up to 1:2 for retail traders in the Philippines).

What are the CFD fees?

Overall, I found AvaTrade's spreads to be very fair, especially on Forex and indices. On gold, oil, and cryptos, the conditions remain competitive, even if some specialized brokers offer a bit tighter spreads. What I appreciated is that everything is clear and displayed in advance: no nasty surprises. For short-term strategies, it's a solid environment.

✅Good to know

The maximum leverage depends on the asset and is subject to local regulations: in the Philippines, it is limited according to the regulations for retail traders.

Overnight fees apply to CFDs for all positions held open after market close. These fees vary depending on the underlying asset and market conditions.

My opinion on the assets & markets available on AvaTrade

I found AvaTrade's offer to be well-balanced for a CFD broker. The choice of assets is more than sufficient to build strategies on the main asset classes, including Forex, indices and international stocks. The addition of vanilla options via AvaOptions is a real plus if you have a more technical profile, as few general brokers offer this type of instrument.

That said, if you are looking to invest long-term in physical stocks or ETFs, AvaTrade will not be suitable. Here, everything is designed for active trading with leverage. Personally, I have used it for Forex and indices, and I found the market depth and responsiveness to be very good.

Vanilla Options on AvaTrade

One of the aspects of AvaTrade that intrigued me the most at first was the possibility of trading vanilla options, a product rarely offered by classic CFD brokers. I tested this feature via their dedicated platform AvaOptions, and I must say that if you have a slightly more technical profile, it's a powerful tool.

Vanilla options allow you to speculate or hedge on Forex pairs (and some precious metals such as gold or silver), by choosing a strike price and an expiration date. Unlike CFDs, you can structure complex strategies (such as straddles, strangles, or spreads), which gives you more flexibility in risk management.

The AvaOptions platform is well-designed: clear interface, volatility charts, premium analysis, automatic calculation of potential P&L... everything is there to build your scenarios. But be careful, this is not a product for beginners: it is better to have some solid basics in risk management and market reading before you start.

My opinion on the platform

Frankly, I found AvaTrade very complete on the platform side. If you are already familiar with MetaTrader, you will find your way around right away. For those who prefer a more modern interface, AvaTrade GO does the job well, especially on the go. Order placement is smooth: I choose my asset, I set my stops, leverage, and off I go. Special mention to the AvaOptions platform if you want to test more advanced strategies with vanilla options.

Tip #2

Test it out in demo before risking your capital. With ₱100,000 virtual money on the demo account, I was able to try the different order types and refine my settings without pressure. It's ideal for understanding the impact of leverage or Forex volatility before going live. A really useful break-in period, especially if you're new to MetaTrader or options.

Customer Reviews: What Users Think of AvaTrade

AvaTrade enjoys an excellent reputation with its users, with an average of 4.5/5 on over 9,000 reviews on Trustpilot. The most frequently mentioned positive points are the quality of customer service, the speed of withdrawals and the ease of use of the AvaTrade GO platform. Many also appreciate the smooth registration process and the availability of advisors.

Regarding criticisms, the inactivity fees (₱ equivalent of 50 after 3 months) are regularly highlighted as a drawback, especially for occasional users. Some comments also mention longer delays for account validation, particularly during periods of high demand.

Examples of customer reviews:

• Jean-Luc (February 20, 2025) « Top-notch customer service. Quick and efficient response by phone. Very satisfied with the follow-up. »
• Mickaël (March 15, 2025) « Intuitive and easy-to-use application. Ideal for beginners in trading. I recommend it! »
• Marc (January 3, 2025) « I requested a withdrawal on a Monday, and the money was in my bank account on Wednesday. No complaints. »

Opening an Account, Deposits, and Withdrawals on AvaTrade

Opening an Account

Opening an account with AvaTrade is 100% online and quite fast. In a few minutes, you can create a demo account and start exploring the platform.

Steps to open an account:

• Fill out the registration form: name, email, phone number, and password.
• Access the demo account: ₱100,000 virtual funds available without deposit.
• Complete the profile: choose the account type, questionnaire about your trading experience.
• Verify your identity: send a piece of identification + proof of address (less than 3 months old).
• Receive validation: generally within 24 to 72 hours.
• Make a first deposit: minimum ₱100 by credit card, bank transfer, Skrill, Neteller, or PayPal.

✅ Good to know

You can use the demo account even before validation, which allows you to test AvaTrade's tools without obligation.

Deposits and withdrawals on AvaTrade

Accepted currencies: EUR, USD, GBP, AUD (automatic conversion if needed)

Tip #3

Deposit via card or e-wallet for faster transactions. For immediate credit and to react quickly to market opportunities, I recommend using a bank card or an e-wallet such as PayPal or Skrill. Personally, I avoid bank transfers, which are too slow when timing is tight.

Account Types Available on AvaTrade

AvaTrade is a broker specializing in CFD trading. Therefore, it does not allow the direct purchase of stocks or ETFs through a regular securities account. All instruments are accessible via CFDs or vanilla options.

✅ Note

The Standard account is the most common at AvaTrade, with access to all CFD instruments and no commission fees. The professional account is reserved for traders meeting certain criteria (experience, available capital, trading frequency).

Conclusion: Should you invest with AvaTrade?

After several weeks of testing AvaTrade, I can say that it is a reliable broker, well-regulated, and delivers on its performance promises. I particularly appreciated the user-friendliness of the AvaTrade GO application, the quality of the tools offered on MetaTrader and WebTrader, as well as the copy trading options with ZuluTrade and DupliTrade. For those who like to go further, the AvaOptions platform also allows you to embark on more advanced strategies via vanilla options.

Of course, the fact that it only offers CFDs may deter some long-term investors who want to hold securities directly. But if you are an active trader with a dynamic management of your positions, AvaTrade offers competitive spreads, good execution and an overall solid trading environment. The customer service in English is a real plus, especially when compared to other brokers who are often less accessible.

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.