Page Summary
This guide helps users to find the best trading platforms in UAE for advanced traders. Due to the numerous online brokers (transparent and nontransparent) that offer advanced trading options, it can be tough to choose the ideal platform for individual trading styles and personalities.
Traders who skip researching, comparing, and gathering information about brokers tend to pick platforms that lack customization options, professional trading tools & features, competitive fee structures, and reliable order execution.
This guide assesses 125 online brokers in UAE for users to review and find the ideal platform for their needs. To help them make an informed decision, a list of the best advanced trading platforms in UAE is shared below, followed by detailed reviews and comparisons.
Top 6 Trading Platforms in UAE for Advanced Traders
- Interactive Brokers – Best for Stocks and ETFs
- AVAtrade – Ideal for Forex and CFDs
- eToro – Best Copy Trading Platform for Advanced Users
- TradeStation – Great for Options and Futures
- IG Trading – Top Forex Trading Platforms
- IC Markets – Lowest Fees Platform
Best Trading Platforms in UAE for Advanced Traders Reviewed
The best trading platforms in UAE for advanced traders are reviewed in more detail below.
1. Interactive Brokers – Best Advanced Trading Platform in UAE for Stocks and ETFs
Min Deposit: $0
Fees: 4.9
Assets available: 4.9
Total Fees:
All trading involves risk. More than 80% of investors lose in spread bet and CFD trading. As these complex instruments allow for the use of leverage, there is a high risk of losing more money than you have deposited. Before attempting to participate in spread bets and CFDs, consider how well you understand them and if you can afford to lose your money.
Interactive Brokers is the best advanced trading platform for stocks and ETFs. They offer a wide range of trading tools for advanced traders including detailed watch lists, charting tools, multiple timeframes, custom indicators, and full trading history. The platform is accessible as a desktop, web and mobile app. It has a slick designed user interface.
The Interactive Brokers platform offers access to 150 markets covering stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds. Users can trade with 100 different order types and built-in algorithms. Market research is available through IBKR GlobalAnalyst, PortfolioAnalyst, and Interactive Advisors.The platform also supports different trading styles including: scalping, swing trading, investing, and algorithmic trading.
Interactive Brokers charges 0% commission on stocks and ETFs. They charge low fees and commission on all other asset classes.
The Interactive Brokers customer support is available 24/7 in English via e-mail, live chat, and by phone.
Interactive Brokers Key Features for Advanced Traders:
- Great Choice of Different Markets – access to a broad range of investment products, including global stocks, options, futures, currencies, cryptocurrencies, US spot gold, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds.
- Competitive Trading Fees – zero commission trading on stocks and ETFs. Competitive trading fees on other financial instruments.
- Professional Trading Tools – including fundamental analysis tools, charting tools, and custom indicators.
- 100 Different Order Types – access to 100 different order types including Fill or Kill, Good After Time, and Immediate or Cancel.
- Wide Range of Market Research Tools – IBKR GlobalAnalyst, PortfolioAnalyst, and Interactive Advisors
- Access to Algorithmic Trading via APIs – Expert Advisors, Robo-Advisors, and other forms of automated trading software.
- IBKR GlobalTrader and IBKR Mobile trading platforms – Trading is accessible through desktop, web and mobile app.
Pros
- Best market coverage in the industry (100k+ assets on different instruments)
- Access to 16,500 shares and 8,000 stocks as CFDs
- Professional trading platform suitable for different types of traders
- Intuitive and easy to use mobile trading app
- Industry leading fee structure
- Compatible features for casual and professional traders
- Responsive customer support
Cons
- Few deposit and withdrawal options
- Research and education materials missing
All trading involves risk. More than 80% of investors lose in spread bet and CFD trading. As these complex instruments allow for the use of leverage, there is a high risk of losing more money than you have deposited. Before attempting to participate in spread bets and CFDs, consider how well you understand them and if you can afford to lose your money.
2. AVAtrade – Best CFD Platform For Advanced
Avatrade is an online broker with a license from the DFSA. They offer access to a wide range of markets including CFDs on forex, stocks, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies and options. Avatrade charges a low spread of 0.6pips on most forex pairs. Stock and crypto CFDs are available commission free.
Avatrade has 5 trading platforms:
- WebTrader – web based platform
- AvaTradeGo – mobile trading app
- AVAoptions – options platform
- AVAsocial – social copy trading app
- Mac Trading – MAC trading app
All platforms offer access to a variety of advanced trading tools including: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Trading Central, ZuluTrade, DupliTrade, and Capitalise.ai. Traders are allowed to implement advanced trading strategies such as manual trading, short selling, scalping and automated trading (social/copy). Leverage trading at Avatrade is available at a rate of 1:400.
The AvaTrade customer service is available via e-mail, live chat, and by phone in English and Arabic.
AvaTrade Key Features for Advanced Traders:
- Wide range of Financial Instruments – CFDs on forex, stocks, cryptocurrencies, indices, commodities and vanilla options
- Variety of Third Party Integrations – MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Trading Central, ZuluTrade, DupliTrade, and Capitalise.ai
- Option Trading Platform – access to options trading via AvaOptions
- Advanced Proprietary WebTrader – Users can trade directly from their browser with AvaTrade’s proprietary web-based trading platform.
- Support for Automated Trading – Traders are allowed to use Expert Advisors, Robo-Advisors, and other forms of automated trading software.
- Advanced Research Tools – access to in-depth technical and fundamental analysis
Pros
- Great Research and Educational tools
- Great Customer support
- Good choice of social trading options
Cons
- Comparing others relatively few trading instruments are offered; offers Forex, CFDs and Binary Options
71% of retail CFD accounts lose money
3. eToro – Copy Trading For Advanced Users
Min Deposit: $200
Fees: Commission-free stocks and ETFs, 0,50% stamp duty fees, spreads
Assets available: 3,000+ CFDs on stocks, indices, ETFs, cryptos, and forex pairs
Total Fees: $5 withdrawal fees, USD conversion fees, $10/month inactivity fees
51% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
eToro is an Israeli multi-asset broker founded in 2007, where users can trade more than 3,000 financial instruments, including stocks, ETFs, CFDs, cryptos, and forex with up to 30:1 or 500:1 leverage as retail or professional traders, respectively.
eToro’s proprietary trading platform is primarily known for its excellent copy trading features, allowing users to copy professional traders’ trades from their accounts. Alternatively, other traders can copy users’ trades to generate additional income.
Other advanced trading platform features include improved TradingView charting, custom chart layouts, Dark Mode to reduce eye strain and improve battery life while trading, and Pro Charts, which provides comprehensive analysis tools and technical indicators.
Pros
- Commission-free stock and ETF trading and investing
- Access to over 3,000 financial instruments
- Copy trading features to automate your trades
- The option to trade set own leverage ratios
- Negative balance protection
- ESG investment opportunities
- Access to a wide range of educational materials and research tools
Cons
- No access to free forex VPS, algorithmic trading software, Expert Advisors, PAMM/MAMM accounts
- Relatively high non-trading fees
- No level 2 order book data
- Not compatible with third-party trading platforms like MetaTrader 4, 5, and cTrader
Key features
- More than 50 different charting and drawing tools, 100 indicators, and dozens of customizable account settings
- Trade directly from TradingView charts
- Wide range of analytical and research tools
- Full-fledged copy trading platform with over 30 million members from 100+ countries
- 24/7 customer service via phone, email, and live chat
- Islamic swap-free and demo accounts are available
- Join the eToro Club for advanced benefits and perks, such as lower fees, trading discounts, and an eToro-branded debit card
51% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
4. TradeStation – Best Futures and Options Platform
Min Deposit: $0 ($2000 – Margin account; $25000 – Day Trading account; $5000 – Futures account)
Fees: 4.8
Assets available: 5.0
Total Fees:
TradeStation is a USA based brokerage firm, founded in 1982. Their FuturesPlus trading platform allows access to international exchanges and liquidity platforms like CME and ICE. The trading dashboard is easy to use. It allows users to access a variety of advanced trading tools such as Autofit Vol Curve, Options Chain, RFQ viewer, and Market Grid. Users have many customisations options that allow them to view implied volatility, theoretical prices, and create Greeks.
TradeStation charges competitive trading fees of $0,60 on options contracts. They charge low fees of $0,85 per contract per side on futures contracts. Stocks are offered commission free.
TradeStation has extensive research tools in the form of trading ideas (accessible through market news and research center), custom indicators and technical analysis tools. Trier trading platform offers fast trade execution speeds of under 40ms.
The TradeStation customer service is available via e-mail, live chat, and by phone.
TradeStation Key Features for Advanced Traders:
- Broad Range of Financial Instruments – access to stocks, bonds, ETFs, futures, options, and cryptocurrencies.
- Options and Futures Trading Platform – TradeStation has two proprietary trading platforms: FuturesPlus and TSCrypto
- Access on Multiple Devices – desktop, web, and mobile trading platforms
- Automated Trading – Access to Expert Advisors, Robo-Advisors, and other forms of automated trading software through TradeStation’s APIs.
- In-depth Market Insights and Research Tools – in-depth market insights and research through articles, videos, podcasts, webinars, and analytical reports.
Pros
- Great choice of trading instruments offered
- Great mobile trading platform
- Very professional trading platform
Cons
- Research and education section could be better
5. IG Trading – Best Forex Trading Platforms
IG Trading is an online broker regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). The broker has a great variety of advanced trading platforms including WebTrader, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer and MetaTrader 4. The platform user interface is intuitively designed. It allows users to view current market prices, spreads, and margins from the same window.
IG’s proprietary platform is fully customisable. Traders can add or remove columns, tabs, watchlists, and enable one-click trading. The platform has multiple advanced order types including stops, limits, and set price alerts. It also features a broad range of technical indicators and trading signals that help users to identify investment opportunities.
IG’s education section (IG Academy) features educational articles, videos, webinars, seminars, and an extensive trading glossary.
IG Trading’s customer service is available via e-mail, live chat, and phone in English and Arabic.
IG Trading Key Features for Advanced Traders:
- Broad Range of Assets– access to forex, CFDs, stocks, ETFs, bonds, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
- Wide Variety of Trading Platforms – IG’s list of trading platforms includes MetaTrader 4, ProRealTime, and L2 Dealer.
- Accessibility Through Multiple Devices – Trading platforms are accessible through a desktop, web and mobile version.
- Algorithmic Trading Supported – IG Trading’s API allows the usage of Expert Advisors and other forms of automated trading software.
- Access to Trading Signals – support for technical and fundamental trading signals through AutoChartist and PIAfirst.
Pros
- Access to over 17,000 markets
- Cutting-edge mobile and desktop trading platforms
- Excellent customer support and broad range of educational material
Cons
- High fees on CFDs
- Few banking options
75% of retail CFD accounts lose money
6. IC Markets – Lowest Fees Platform
Min Deposit: $200
Fees: 4.7
Assets available: 3.6
Total Fees:
Risk Warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71,65% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
IC Markets is an Australian brokerage, founded in 2007. Their trading platform offers access to a wide range of assets including forex, CFDs, indices, bonds, stocks, futures, and cryptocurrencies. IC Markets charges low spreads from 0,0 pips on ECN accounts. Advanced traders can trade with up to 500:1 leverage.
IC Markets has 4 trading platforms:
- MetaTrader 4
- MetaTrader 5
- cTrader
All platforms are available as a desktop, web and mobile version. Users have access to 20 MetaTrader extensions including Correlation Trader, Market Manager, and Tick Chart Trader.
IC Markets offers support for different trading styles such as day trading, swing trading, and scalping. Trading execution on the platforms is fast (under 40ms).
The platforms has a broad range of educational materials in the form of articles, videos, webinars, seminars, podcasts, and weekly analysis reports.
The IC Markets customer support is available via e-mail, live chat, and phone in English and Arabic.
IC Markets Key Features for Advanced Traders:
- Vast Coverage of Forex Pairs– 2,250 forex and forex CFDs
- Multiple Trading Platforms – MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and cTrader.
- Algorithmic Trading Supported – Users are allowed to deploy Expert Advisors, custom indicators, and make use of other forms of automated trading software.
- Fast Order Execution – Under 40ms
- Low Trading Fees – 0,0 pips on ECN accounts
- Access to high leverage – 1:500
Pros
- Multiple account types and trading platforms
- Trade with up to 1:500 leverage
- Unlimited demo account
- Free access to Equinix NY4 VPS server
Cons
- No educational material
- Only CFD, forex, and crypto trading
- No research and analysis tools
Risk Warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71,65% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Tips To Find The Optimal Platform For Professional Traders in UAE
The most important criteria for finding a broker with the ideal platform for advanced traders in UAE are listed below.
- Availability of a desktop trading platform
- Availability of advanced charting tools, watchlist and support for custom indicators
- Availability and support for automated trading
- Wide range of quality research features and tools (Market research, daily news update, market in-depth analysis, trading signals)
- Competitive fees and commission tiers for high volume trading
- Responsive customer support
- Islamic account availability
Top Online Brokers For Professional Traders Compared
Key features of the 5 highest rated broker in UAE for advanced traders are compared in the table below.
Broker | IBKR | AVAtrade | eToro | TradeStation | IG trading | IC Markets |
Universal Trading Platform | – | MT4, MT5 | – | – | MT4, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer | MT4, MT5, cTrader |
Proprietary Trading Platform | IBKR Global Trader, Client Portal, IBKR Mobile, TraderWorkstartion, IBRR EventTrader, Impact | WebTrader, AVAGo, AVAOptions | Desktop, Mobile, Web | TradeStation, TS Futures Optioins, TS Crypto | IG Trader | – |
Shares | 83 markets | – | 5 markets | 1000+ | – | |
ETFs | 13000 | – | 264 Funds and ETFs | 2300 | 1000+ | – |
Bonds | 1M+ | – | 2621 | 630 | – | – |
Mutual Funds | 400 providers | – | – | 55 providers | – | – |
Cryptos | 4 | – | 32 | 11 | – | – |
Options | 34 markets | 50+ | – | 10 markets | 100+ | – |
Futures | 32 markets | – | – | 11 markets | – | – |
Forex | 105 | 50+ | 49 | – | 80+ | 60+ |
CFDs | 7000+ | 750+ | 2800 stocks as CFDs | – | 12000+ | 800+ |
Scalping | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Automated Trading | APIs | MT4, MT5 | Recurring Deposits | TradeStation, APIs | MT4, ProRealTime, APIs | MT4, MT5, cTrader |
VPS | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
US Shares | From $0 | – | – | From $0 | $0.02 per share (min $15) | – |
Futures | From $0.25 per contract | – | – | $1.5 per contract | – | – |
Options | From $0.15 per contract | Spread from 7 | – | $0.6 per contract | Spread from 6 | |
Commissions Forex | Spread from 2 | Spread from 6 | 1 | – | 1,2 | $3 |
Inactivity Fee | – | $50 after 3 months | $10 per month | $50 after 1 year | $18 after 24 months | – |
Deposit & Withdrawal fee | 1% deposit | – | $5 withdrawal fees, $0 deposit fee | $35 per wire for withdrawal | – | – |
What Are The Most Common Trading Features For Advanced Traders?
Some of the most important trading features for advanced traders include:
- Advanced Charting Tools – include dynamic charting tools combined with technical analysis, multiple time frames, custom indicators, and an extensive drawing toolkit.
- Customizable Order Types – include limit orders, stop orders, and conditional orders to manage trades and minimize risks
- Algorithmic Trading – allows traders to apply pre-defined trading strategies and rules to execute trades automatically. Algorithmic trading tools include backtesting and EA optimization features.
- Advanced Risk Management Tools – include stop losses, take profits, and position sizing tools. Risk management tools allow traders to minimize their losses and maximize their gains.
- Real-Time Market Data – include level 2 quotes and news feeds which allow traders to make more accurate trade decisions.
- Fast Order Execution and Low Latency – is provided through VPS services and allows fast and reliable trade execution.
- High Maximum Leverage
- Support for Different Trading Styles – including day trading, swing trading, and scalping.
- Personal Account Assistance – includes fast-track access to support
Conclusion
The large number of online brokers in UAE offering different platforms and advanced features, it can be hard to find the ideal choice for individual trading preferences. Comparing and evaluating the services of different providers requires time and knowledge.
This guide worked hard to evaluate and compared the top platforms for professional trader requirements and investment goals. The results of our analysis and comparison of the best advanced trading platforms in UAE are wrapped up in the table below.
RANK | BROKER | PLATFORM SCORE | BEST FOR | WEBSITE |
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Interactive Brokers | 4,9/5 | Stocks and ETFs | Official website |
#2 | AVAtrade | 4,1/5 | Forex and CFDs | Official website |
#3 | eToro | 4,0/5 | Best Copy Trading | Official website |
#4 | TradeStation | 4,0/5 | Options and Futures | Official website |
#5 | IG Trading | 4,0/5 | Forex Trading Platforms | Official website |
#6 | IC Markets | 4,0/5 | Low Fees | Official website |
Disclaimer
eToro is a multi-asset platform which offers both investing in stocks and cryptoassets, as well as trading CFDs.
Please note that CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 51% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money
This communication is intended for information and educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or investment recommendation. Past performance is not an indication of future results.
Copy Trading does not amount to investment advice. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more
eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro.