Avatrade vs Interactive Brokers

AvaTrade vs Interactive Brokers Comparison Table 2024
AvaTrade Interactive Brokers
4.9
4.3

AvaTrade is a leading forex and CFD broker, established in 2006 and regulated across 9 jurisdictions. Over 400,000 users have signed up with the broker which processes over 2 million trades each month. The firm offers multiple trading platforms, including MT4, MT5, and a proprietary WebTrader. 1250+ financial instruments are available for day trading, alongside a comprehensive education center and multilingual customer support.

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a premier brokerage for experienced traders, providing access to 150 markets in 33 countries, along with a suite of comprehensive investment services. With over 40 years of experience, this Nasdaq-listed firm adheres to stringent regulations by the SEC, FCA, CIRO, and SFC, amongst others, and is one of the most trusted brokers for trading around the globe.

Customer Reviews
4.3
4
Comment by Reviewer
"AvaTrade offers the full package for short-term traders. There is powerful charting software, reliable execution, transparent fees, and fast account opening with a low minimum deposit." "Interactive Brokers is one of the best brokers for advanced day traders, providing powerful charting platforms, real-time data, and customizable layouts, notably through the new IBKR Desktop application. Its superb pricing and advanced order options also make it highly attractive for day traders, while its diverse range of equities is still among the best in the industry."
Pros
  • WebTrader is well-suited to beginners and features a strong suite of technical analysis tools and market research for day traders
  • The broker’s unique risk management tool, AvaProtect, protects against losses up to $1 million and is easy to activate in the platform
  • Automated trading is supported through MetaTrader Expert Advisors (EAs), as well as the AvaSocial and DupliTrade tools
  • There's a great range of fee-free deposit methods, including bank wire, credit cards and popular e-wallets like Skrill
  • The broker offers reliable 24/5 multilingual customer support with fast response times during testing
  • AvaTrade is a heavily regulated and trustworthy broker with licenses from the ASIC, CySEC and more
  • Day traders can access stable spreads and zero commissions with no hidden fees
  • IBKR is one of the most respected and trusted brokerages and is regulated by top-tier authorities, so you can have confidence in the integrity and security of your trading account.
  • The TWS platform has clearly been built for intermediate and advanced traders and comes with over 100 order types and a reliable real-time market data feed that rarely goes offline.
  • The new IBKR Desktop platform takes the best of TWS while adding bespoke tools like Option Lattice and Screeners with MultiSort to create a genuinely impressive trading experience for day traders at every level.
  • There's a vast library of free or paid third-party research subscriptions catering to all types of traders, plus you can enjoy commission reimbursements from IBKR if you subscribe to Toggle AI.
  • IBKR continues to deliver unmatched access to global stocks with tens of thousands of equities available from 100+ market centres in 24 countries.
  • While primarily geared towards experienced traders, IBKR has made moves to broaden its appeal in recent years, reducing its minimum deposit from $10,000 to $0.
  • With low commissions, tight spreads and a transparent fee structure, IBKR delivers a cost-effective environment for short-term traders.
Cons
  • A high $2000 minimum investment is required to use DupliTrade, which will be out of reach for many beginners
  • There’s an above-average $50 inactivity fee after three months, though this won't impact active day traders
  • It’s a shame that there are no rebate schemes for serious traders looking for additional perks - CMC Markets would be a better choice here
  • There is no ECN account with raw spreads
  • Traders from the US are not accepted
  • TWS’s learning curve is steep, and beginners may find it challenging to navigate the platform and understand all the features. Plus500's web platform is much better suited to new traders.
  • IBKR provides a wide range of research tools, but their distribution across trading platforms and the web-based 'Account Management' page lacks consistency, leading to a confusing user experience.
  • Support can be slow and frustrating based on tests, so you might find it challenging to reach customer service representatives promptly or encounter delays in resolving issues.
  • You can only have one active session per account, so you can’t have your desktop program and mobile app running simultaneously, making for a sometimes frustrating trading experience.
Awards
  • Best Mobile Trading Platform 2023 - Finance Derivative
  • Best Educational 2023 - Global Business Magazine
  • Best Overall Broker 2022 - DayTrading.com
  • Best Trading App 2021 - DayTrading.com
  • Best Forex Broker 2019 - DayTrading.com
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, Crypto, Spread Betting Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, CFDs, Cryptocurrencies
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0
Trading Platforms
  • WebTrader
  • AvaTradeGO
  • AvaOptions
  • MT4
  • MT5
  • AlgoTrader
  • TradingCentral
  • DupliTrade
  • Trader Workstation (TWS)
  • IBKR Desktop
  • GlobalTrader
  • Mobile
  • Client Portal
  • AlgoTrader
  • OmniTrader
  • eSignal
  • TradingCentral
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots $100
Regulator
ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, ISA, CBol, FSA, FSRA, BVI, ADGM FCA, SEC, FINRA, CFTC, CBI, CIRO, SFC, MAS, MNB
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
2% 1.55 - 2.59%
STP Account
Yes Yes
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
Yes Yes
MAM Account
Yes Yes
PAMM Account
Yes No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No Yes
Robo Advisor
No Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
Yes No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
App Review

AvaTradeGO consistently impresses with its comprehensive mobile trading experience, boasting an interface that’s not just easy to use, but genuinely intuitive. Navigating the app is a breeze, ensuring fast access to hundreds of markets, including forex, stocks, indices, commodities, ETFs, and bonds. However, what sets AvaTradeGO apart is its AvaProtect™ feature, offering an unmatched level of risk protection that’s rare to find elsewhere.

The IBKR Mobile app, available on both iOS and Android devices, makes your phone a powerful gateway to your IBKR accounts, offering you the freedom to keep an eye on portfolios, initiate trades, and dive into real-time quotes and charts, all while managing your account activities on the fly. This app stands out for its intuitive design, making it especially welcoming for those just starting their trading journey, providing a smoother and more accessible experience than the more complex TWS platform.

Android App Rating
4
4.5
iOS App Rating
4.3
4.3
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Capitalise.ai & TWS API
Copy Trading
Yes No
Copy Trading Platform
AvaTrade maintains a top position when it comes to social and copy trading tools. Traders can access the proprietary AvaSocial app as well as popular third-party platforms, DupliTrade and ZuluTrade. The comprehensive performance metrics can help you find the right strategy provider for your goals and risk appetite.
Social Trading
Yes No
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No Yes
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Inactivity Fee
$50 $0
Islamic Account
Yes No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • INR
  • JPY
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • AED
  • HUF
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
AvaTrade's 1250+ leveraged CFD products span a wide range of asset classes including stocks, indices, commodities, bonds, crypto, and ETFs. You can speculate on underlying assets in the broker’s feature-rich web and mobile platforms with market-leading research tools to help discover opportunities. Over 8,000 CFDs are offered on a vast array of instruments, encompassing stocks, indices, forex, and commodities. Moreover, the TWS platform lends itself to seasoned day traders, offering a comprehensive selection of over 100 order types and algorithms, alongside premium market data sourced from reputable sources such as Reuters and Dow Jones.
Leverage
1:30 (Retail) 1:400 (Pro) 1:50
FTSE Spread
0.5 0.005% (£1 Min)
GBPUSD Spread
1.5 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Oil Spread
0.02 0.25-0.85
Stocks Spread
0.13 0.003
Forex Trading
AvaTrade offers 50+ currency pairs with competitive spreads from 0.9 pips and zero commissions. You can trade majors, minors and exotics around the clock on industry-leading platforms, including MT4 and MT5. Traders can also access beginner-friendly trading tools and comprehensive forex education. IBKR presents an extensive range of over 100 major, minor, and exotic forex pairs, surpassing the offerings of nearly all leading alternatives, though not CMC Markets. Forex trading occurs over multiple platforms and boasts institutional-grade spreads starting from 0.1 pips and 20 complex order types, including brackets, scale, and one-cancels-all (OCA) orders.
Forex App

AvaTrade provides AvaTradeGo for mobile trading. The app offers 1000+ markets, the ability to create watchlists and make trades. The AvaProtect™ feature even adds another layer of risk protection. Rated 4.2* , it is one of the more popular trading apps. Download it today.

GBPUSD Spread
1.5 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURUSD Spread
0.9 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
EURGBP Spread
1.5 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Assets
50+ 100+
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
Regulated in five continents, AvaTrade offers a secure way to access crypto markets. There's a great range of digital currencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple, plus a crypto index. You can access competitive crypto spreads in the broker's wide choice of platforms as well as 1:2 leverage. IBKR lets you purchase and hold Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin at competitive commission rates and without needing a crypto wallet. Additionally, there is a range of other diverse assets to explore, such as crypto indices like the NYSE Bitcoin Index, as well as futures contracts like the BAKKT Bitcoin Futures.
Spread
BTC <1%, ETH 2% 0.12%-0.18%
Coins
  • BCH
  • BTC
  • BTG
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XRP
  • EOS
  • DASH
  • BTC
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
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