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Below is an AvaTrade review for traders and investors in the UAE. It breaks down all aspects of this online broker and compares them with other brokers from the industry. We paid attention to how their platform and features perform for the customers in the UAE to help you get the complete picture of their offering.
Review summary:
In short, Avatrade is a trusted broker with a long operational history, regulated by 4 top tier regulators including the DFSA and ADGM.
Users have access to 4 trading platforms (including MT4 and MT5), which are available on multiple devices and offer support for different trading styles: casual trading, automated trading, short selling, scalping and hedging.
This broker offers a great variety of tradable instruments including stocks & ETFs, currencies, commodities, indices, cryptos and options. Most of them are available only as CFDs.
AvaTrade charges low fixed spreads on most currency pairs (from 0.9pips) and offers commission-free CFD stock and crypto trading. While deposits and withdrawals are free, users must deposit at least $100 to start trading. They charge fees for inactivity, conversions and overnight financing.
Below is a detailed review of Avatrade’s services in each of the different categories starting with assets.
Overview of AvaTrade’s reputation
AvaTrade is a well-established broker with over a decade of experience in the industry. It is recognized for adhering to regulatory standards across seven global regions, including North America, Europe, South Africa, Asia, and China. AvaTrade also implemented ESMA regulations and MiFID II to protect client funds from extreme volatility in crypto trading.
In the past, AvaTrade has faced challenges with slower withdrawals and service interruptions but quickly resolved these issues by expanding and training its customer service team. The company remains highly rated, focusing on protecting client funds and exceeding customer expectations.
Key Highlights
- Platform Variety: AvaTrade offers a range of trading platforms, including MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), AvaTradeGO (mobile app), and AvaOptions, catering to different trading preferences and styles.
- Educational Content: AvaTrade provides extensive educational resources such as webinars, video tutorials, trading guides, and market analysis to help traders enhance their skills and knowledge.
- Regulation and Safety: AvaTrade is regulated by major financial authorities worldwide.
- Demo Accounts: Free demo accounts are available for practice, allowing traders to test strategies and get familiar with the platform using virtual funds.
- Various Assets: AvaTrade supports trading in a variety of assets including forex, CFDs, stocks, cryptocurrencies, etc.
- Customer Support: AvaTrade offers 24/5 customer support through email, phone, and live chat, with some services available 24/7, depending on the region.
- Digital Account Opening: The account opening process is fast and fully digital, requiring minimal paperwork and allowing for a quick start to trading.
Account Opening
Opening an account with AvaTrade is quick and convenient with its digital process. Here’s how it works:
- Visit the Website: Go to AvaTrade’s official website.
- Fill Out the Form: Complete the online registration form with your details.
- Submit Documentation: Upload required identification documents for verification.
- Verification: Wait for the account to be verified, which usually takes a short time.
- Fund Your Account: Deposit funds into your account to start trading.
The entire process is streamlined to ensure you can start trading immediately.
Assets (Best CFDs And Options Broker)
Avatrade users can trade on 1,464 financial instruments including:
- 55 Forex pairs
- 44 FX Options
- 612 Stocks as CFDs
- 20 Cryptocurrency CFDs
- 31 Indices as CFDs
- 60 ETFs as CFDs
- 18 Commodities as CFDs
- 2 Bonds as CFDs
Although the overall number of assets is low compared to other broker, AVAtrade offers a great variety of forex currency pairs, forex options and and CFDs. This makes them rank among the top recommended brokers for forex, options and CFDs.
Note that some asset classes are only tradable with certain platforms, like options on AvaOptions for example.
See how Avatrade performs compared to brokers based on market coverage:
| Avatrade | eToro | Interactive Brokers | |
| Stock CFDs | 612 | 2000 | 8500 |
| Forex | 55 | 52 | 100 |
| Indices CFDs | 20 | 20 | 13 |
| ETF CFDs | 60 | 264 | |
| Commodities | 18 | 32 | |
| Crypto | 14 | 74 | |
| Bonds | 2 | ||
| FX Options | 44 |
Commission, Fees and Spreads
AvaTrade doesn’t charge any commissions on stocks and CFDs, plus charges low fixed spreads (starting at 0.9 pips EUR/USD) on forex trades. This makes AvaTrade a cheap broker for trading with stocks and CFDs, and industry average for trading with forex.
Below is a detailed break down of Avatrade’s trading and non-trading fees:
Trading fees:
| Trading Fee | AvaTrade | eToro | Interactive Brokers |
| Stocks | $0 commission | $0,00 | $0,00 |
| Cryptocurrencies | 0.35% | 1% | 0,18% |
| Forex | 0.9pip (EUR/USD) | 1pip (EUR/USD) | 1.4 pip (EUR/USD) |
| CFD | Varies | 0.5 to 1pip/trade | 0.05% |
Users can get their exact costs calculated up front using AvaTrade in-house calculator.
* Islamic swap-free account holders pay fixed fees instead of percentage-based fees.
Non Trading Fees:
| Type of Fee | AvaTrade | eToro | Interactive Brokers |
| Inactivity Fees | $50/quarter after 3 months of inactivity | $10/month after 12 months of inactivity | No inactivity fees |
| Conversion Fees | $25/conversion | 0.0050 pips | $50/conversion |
| Deposit Fees | None | ||
| Withdrawal Fees | None | $5 | None |
| Management/Administration Fees | $100 after 12 consecutive months of non-use | None | None |
| Social Copy Trading Fees | None | None | N/A |
| Overnight Funding | Additional fee when holding a position after a certain time | None | None |
With charges for inactivity ($50/quarter), the administration fee ($100 after 1 year of non-use), overnight funding fee, and free deposits/withdrawals, AvaTrade’s non-trading fees are industry average.
Deposits and Withdrawals
AvaTrade offers a variety of deposit and withdrawal options including Credit cards, Debit cards, Wire transfers, and several forms of e-payment (Neteller, Skrill, WebMoney). Deposits and withdrawals are free of charge.
The minimum deposit at AvaTrade to open an account is $100.
Withdrawals are only available using the same payout methods as they were used to deposit money.
AvaTrade deposits and withdrawals compared with other brokers
| Broker | AvaTrade | eToro | Interactive Brokers |
| Bank Wire | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Credit/Debit card | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| E-Wallets | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Crypto | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Account Minimum | $100 | $200 | $0,00 |
| Deposit Charges | None | None | None |
| Withdrawal Charges | None | $5 | 1-free, next $10 |
Account types
AvaTrade offers 5 different types of accounts:
- Retail Account and Standard Account allow users to trade forex, CFD, and cryptos with up to 1:30 leverage
- Islamic account: this swap-free account enables Muslim traders to trade according to Sharia law. It does not allow you to trade or invest in Haram companies or cryptocurrencies!
- Demo account: this virtual money account does not require any account approval and allows users to test their trading strategies before investing real money.
- Professional account: allows you to trade up to 1:400 leverage and is meant for advanced traders. It requires the user to meet at least two of the following criteria:
- Sufficient trading activity in the last 12 months,
- Relevant experience in the financial services sector,
- Financial instrument portfolio greater than €500,000.
Opening an account is fast and simple and requires to verify your identity and residence in order to use all account functions.
Trading Platforms & Tools (Best Trading Platform For CFD and Forex Options)
After many reviews, AvaTrade finishes as the best trading platform for CFD and Forex Options in UAE, combining 8 different platforms available on multiple devices and a hand-full of third-party integrations, including Trading Central, Trading View, VPS Hosting, and AvaProtect. Their platform suite supports different trading methods, including short selling, scalping, and hedging. It is also compatible with MT4 and MT5, which enables users to use trading bot scripts and other trading software for auto trading.
AvaTrade users have access to the following platforms and integrations:
- WebTrader is an easy-to-use platform accessible from any web browser and designed specially for novice traders.
- AvaTradeGO is an iOS & Android mobile app that is mirroring all the features available on the desktop version. It comes with all the MetaTrade 4 features, default watchlists, detailed charts with 93 indicators, and a premium volatility protection feature called AvaProtect.
- AvaOptions is a mobile app for trading with Forex options that reinvent how traders can select their desired strike price, time horizon, and strategy, from a single screen.
- MetaTrader 4 & MetaTrader 5: Both MetaTrader versions are powerful platforms that offer a wide range of technical analysis tools, order types, and automated trading software integrations via APIs and Expert Advisors.
- Mac Trading: is the platform designed for MAC users and comes with integrated MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5.
- AvaSocial: is their proprietary social copy platform which allows users to copy trades or even whole portfolios from professional traders. It is available as an app on desktop PCs, laptops, smartphones, and tablets.
- Zulutrade & Duplitrade: are third-party integrations that offer users additional social copy trading features and are compatible with WebTrader, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5
- Capitalise.ai: is a third-party integration allowing you to automate your trading with the help of AI and without the use of code.
Here is how AvaTrade’s platforms &tools perform compared to other brokers in the industry:
| Broker | AvaTrade | eToro | Interactive Brokers |
| Desktop Platform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web Platform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile Platform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Easy to Use | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Watchlist | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Market Depth/Level 2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Advanced Charting | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Trading Alerts | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Demo Account | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MT4/MT5 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| TradingView | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Other non-Proprietary | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Proprietary | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Social/Copy Trading | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Strategy Tester | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Scalping | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
The various platforms offer simple to advanced order types, analytics tools, indicators and charts, making AvaTrade suitable for casual to advanced traders.
Research and Education
AvaTrade has an extensive research and education section segmented into beginner, intermediate, and advanced topics. While users can learn about the basics of trading, different trading strategies, the meaning of certain market terms, and how to apply technical analysis, they also find a daily blog and economic calendar sharing the latest market updates.
The latter is a great feature for casual and beginner traders.
Maintaining a Solid Reputation
Longevity in the Online Trading Industry
AvaTrade has established a strong presence in the online trading industry and is backed by over a decade of experience. In an industry where many companies face challenges, AvaTrade’s ability to thrive highlights its commitment to maintaining a solid operational structure and evolving to meet the demands of a dynamic market.
Global Regulatory Compliance
AvaTrade stands out as one of the most strictly regulated brokers in the industry, meeting regulatory standards across seven global regions. This includes the tough requirements of North America, Europe, South Africa, and Asia, with a significant foothold in the challenging Chinese market. By following these diverse regulations, AvaTrade ensures top-level safety, transparency, and client protection, making it a trusted choice for traders worldwide.
Positive Feedback from Third-Party Review Sites
AvaTrade has built a solid reputation with consistently positive feedback on third-party review sites. AvaTrade has established itself as a leading and trustworthy broker in the online trading industry by actively listening to and acting on customer feedback.
Handling Challenges
Issues During the 2017-2018 Crypto Crisis
During the volatile cryptocurrency market of 2017-2018, AvaTrade experienced a surge in new clients eager to trade cryptocurrencies. This influx led to a few challenges, such as:
- Increased withdrawal times: During the period, the volume of transactions increased drastically, which increased the AvaTrade withdrawal processing time.
- Intermittent suspension of trading: Due to events or news, we can see high fluctuations, and in this high volatility condition, investors can lose big amounts. So, the extreme price fluctuations necessitated temporarily suspending trading for certain cryptocurrencies to mitigate risks.
Steps Taken to Resolve Challenges
To address these challenges, AvaTrade implemented several measures, including:
- Expanded customer service: The broker significantly increased its staff and invested in professional training to ensure timely responses to client inquiries and requests.
- Risk management: AvaTrade used several measures to control the harm to traders and investors. It limited the position size and leverage on cryptocurrencies to reduce the impact of extreme volatility and protect client funds.
- Regulatory compliance: The broker adopted the latest ESMA regulations and MiFID II to align with industry standards and enhance risk management practices.
Commitment to Customer Satisfaction
AvaTrade is a customer-centric platform, and its priority is to consider customers’ wants and satisfaction. Its exceptional service and problem-handling techniques during crises have helped its users avoid major losses. One standpoint of AvaTrade reviews clients’ problems by taking feedback very seriously and identifying areas for improvement, ensuring their offerings remain tailored to client needs. It continuously invests in resources and technology, such as increased customer communication regarding problems and personnel to maintain high customer satisfaction.
Customer Service
AvaTrade’s customer service is available 24/5 through phone, email, or live chat in English, Arabic, and over 20 other languages. Because Avatrade is not available on weekends, they offer a comprehensive FAQ that addresses most common user inquiries.
Additional Resources
AvaTrade provides educational blogs, which have helped investors learn the basics about the markets and what is happening around them. It also has various other channels through which It tries to educate retailers. For more information, you can visit their site AvaTrade.com.
Mobile Trading
You might not have access to your desktop system, and your profitable trades can turn into losses. AvaTradeGO is AvaTrade’s mobile application for mobile trading. This trading app allows users to trade virtually anywhere with an internet connection and is designed so that any beginner can use it easily. The AvaTradeGo app is fully functional on mobile devices and ensures that you take advantage of every trading opportunity, no matter where you are.
Regulation
AvaTrade is a globally operating broker regulated by multiple tier-1 regulators, including the ASIC, CySEC, and FCA. In the Middle East, they are licensed by two local regulatory bodies: the Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) and Financial Regulatory Services Authority (FRSA). This makes AvaTrade a safe end reliable broker to trader with in the UAE.
The broker holds licenses and regulations in the following areas:
- European Union: AVA Trade EU Ltd is incorporated in Ireland and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
- Australia: Ava Capital Markets Australia Pty Ltd is licensed in Australia by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.
- International: Ava Trade Ltd is a registered financial services company in the British Virgin Islands. It is fully licensed and regulated by the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission.
- Japan: Ava Trade Japan K.K. is licensed and regulated in Japan by the Financial Services Agency.
- South Africa: Since 2016, AvaTrade is part of the South African market. The trading name is ‘Ava Capital Markets Pty Ltd’. They are regulated by the South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA No.45984).
- Middle East (Abu Dhabi) is regulated under Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) and Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This covers the United Arab Emirates.
AvaTrade UAE Special Features
UAE users can access an Islamic swap-free account where no interest or riba is charged on open positions, which allows them to trade in compliance with Sharia Law.
With a license from UAE financial regulators (the ADGM and the FSRA), UAE users’ account balance, open positions and investments are protected by the UAE Central Bank compensation scheme in case of AvaTrade’s insolvency.
Although AvaTrade does not have a physical office in the Middle East, UAE and Dubai users can reach English and Arabic-speaking customer support by calling a local number: 97-145-285-110.
Additional Information
Withdrawal Times: AvaTrade is committed to efficient withdrawal processing. Generally, withdrawal requests are processed within 1-3 business days, depending on the payment method chosen. However, the actual time it takes for funds to reach your account can vary depending on your bank or payment provider.
Minimum Deposits: The AvaTrade minimum deposit is $100; this initial deposit allows you to begin trading on their platform with a manageable investment.
Safety of Funds: In addition to other requirements, AvaTrade prioritizes the safety and security of your funds. The company has stringent regulatory oversight and employs advanced security measures to protect client funds. Client deposits are held in segregated accounts, separate from the company’s funds, ensuring your money is safeguarded. Additionally, AvaTrade is regulated by several financial authorities worldwide, providing an extra layer of confidence and protection for your trading activities.
Product Selection
Forex Trading: AvaTrade is rated 4.9 out of 5 because of its forex trading facilities. It offers extensive 55 forex pair trading options featuring major, minor, and exotic currency pairs. AvaTrade forex variety ensures that traders can access a wide range of global markets and take advantage of diverse trading opportunities. With the forex trading, you can also use max 1:1400 AvaTrade leverage.
CFDs (Contracts for Difference): CFDs are becoming a constantly growing market; AvaTrade provides a comprehensive array of CFDs, including:
- Indices: You can trade popular global indices to speculate on the performance of major stock markets.
- Commodities: You can access commodities like gold, oil, and natural gas, allowing you to hedge or profit from price movements.
- Stocks: Stocks are the most famous asset amongst traders, and AvaTrade provides CFD trading on various stocks from leading companies worldwide.
- Cryptocurrencies: With AvaTrade, you can invest in popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others, with the flexibility to trade based on market volatility.
Other Products:
- ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds): AvaTrade offers CFDs on various ETFs, providing exposure to asset classes and market sectors.
- Futures: You can trade futures contracts on various commodities, indices, and financial instruments for more advanced trading strategies.
- Options: If you are an options trader, AvaTrade has you covered. It offers various options trading to implement strategic trades with the potential for high returns and risk management.
Review Methodology
At business24-7.ae, we take a comprehensive and systematic approach to conducting reviews, and we did the same for the AvaTrade review. Our methodology ensures that each review is thorough, unbiased, and informative. We establish specific criteria for evaluation based on the nature of the product or service. These criteria include performance, features, ease of use, customer support, pricing, and overall value.
Where applicable, we conduct hands-on product or service testing to assess its performance against our established criteria. For services, we may evaluate user experience through direct interaction or simulations. Our analysis is objective and focused on real-world functionality and effectiveness.
We regularly update our reviews to reflect new developments, product updates, or changes in the market. This ensures that our content remains current and relevant.
AvaTrade Review – The Good and Bad
Pros
- Access to 1400+ tradable symbols
- Advanced trading tools MT4, MT5, AvaTradeGO, AvaSocial
- Free deposits and withdrawals
- No trading commissions on stock CFDs
- Low fixed spreads (0.9 pips EUR/USD)
- Fast and simple account opening
- Negative balance protection (AVAprotect)
- Support for scalping, short selling, automated trading
Cons
- Most assets are available only as CFDs
- Inactivity fee of $50/90days
- Beginner features are missing
Conclusion
Being licensed by multiple tier-one regulators, AvaTrade is a reputable forex and CFD broker known for its various trading platforms, support for different trading styles (automated, copy trading, bot integration), and low fixed spreads.
Following their offer of trading tools and features, AvaTrade is a compelling choice for casual and advanced traders looking to trade on various CFDs, currency pairs, and options.
Licensed by both local UAE regulators (ADGM & FRSA), AvaTrade is a safe and reliable broker that offers UAE users protection even in insolvency.
If you want to compare the AvaTrade with other brokers, read the following:
FAQ
Q. Is AvaTrade regulated?
A. Yes, AvaTrade is regulated by multiple financial authorities around the world, including the Central Bank of Ireland, ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission), and others, depending on the region.
Q. What trading platforms does AvaTrade offer?
A. AvaTrade offers several trading platforms, including Webtrader, MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), AvaSocial, AvaOptions, and AvaTradeGO, among others, its proprietary mobile app.
Q. What is the minimum deposit for AvaTrade?
A. The minimum deposit requirement of AvaTrade is $100.
Q. Is AvaTrade legit?
A. Yes, AvaTrade is a multi-asset broker regulated by many reputed authorities.
Q. Can I trade cryptocurrencies on AvaTrade?
A. Yes, AvaTrade offers trading in various cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Q. What educational resources does AvaTrade provide? A
A. AvaTrade offers various educational resources such as webinars, trading guides, video tutorials, and market analysis to help traders improve their skills and knowledge.
Q. How can I contact AvaTrade’s customer support? AvaTrade provides customer support via email, phone, and live chat. Their support team is available 24/5, with some services available 24/7, depending on the region.
Q. Does AvaTrade offer a demo account?
A. Yes, AvaTrade offers a free demo account that allows you to practice trading with virtual money before using a live account.
Disclaimer
Stefan Grasic (Dipl.-Jur) is the owner of Business24-7 and has considerable experience in the financial and investment niche, but also enjoys writing articles for the general readership. Stefan is an active stock, CFD, crypto and general investment researcher, advising blockchain companies such as Blockbird, GoCrypto, Hive Terminal at their start up level. Stefan began trading in 2010 as a college student. Money was tight,…