AvaTrader is a Dublin based broker founded in 2006 that offers spread betting but is the only broker we compared that is not FCA regulated. We compared their fees, trading platform and range of markets to benchmark their spread bet offering.
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AvaTrade Summary
We tested the 16 top spread betting platforms and ranked AvaTrade as the 5th worst broker primarily because it’s not FCA regulated. We strong recommend UK traders choose a locally regulated provider due to the protections and safeguards offered to UK traders.
On the plus side, AvaTrade does have several good features, including a decent range of markets, a choice of MetaTrader platforms, and an excellent collection of educational resources with AvaAcademy. The broker’s fixed spread are another unique feature with spreads starting from 0.90 pips on EUR/USD.
66% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
AvaTrade offers a spread-only pricing model, and charges no commissions for using its spread betting account. All spread betting brokers do this, but AvaTrade is still unique among the brokers I tested – it’s the only spread betting provider to offer fixed spreads on currency pairs.
During my tests, I found you can spread bet on EUR/USD at 0.90 pips with AvaTrade, which is a competitive spread – the rest of the industry averages around 0.99 pips.
So AvaTrade’s spread beats the industry average, but the thing about averages is that they will fluctuate over and under. With AvaTrade’s fixed spreads, you don’t get this kind of fluctuation.
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Spread Bet Spreads
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0.90 | 1.20 | 1.30 | 1.10 | 1.80 |
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0.60 | 1.10 | 1.00 | 0.70 | 1.30 |
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0.90 | 1.20 | 1.40 | 1.10 | 1.80 |
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0.80 | 1.20 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 1.90 |
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0.85 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 0.82 | 1.77 |
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1.40 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.00 | 2.40 |
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1.10 | 1.30 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 1.60 |
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0.60 | 1.50 | 1.30 | 0.60 | 2.00 |
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0.90 | 1.70 | 1.00 | 0.80 | 1.90 |
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0.80 | 2.20 | 1.40 | 0.80 | 1.90 |
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1.20 | 1.80 | 1.70 | 1.10 | 2.70 |
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0.80 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.50 |
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1.40 | 1.10 | 1.60 | 1.40 | 1.00 |
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1.90 | 1.20 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.70 |
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0.80 | 1.20 | 1.10 | 1.10 | 1.90 |
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1.40 | 1.60 | 1.80 | 2.10 | 1.80 |
Avg. spreads are taken from each broker's website and updated monthly. Last update on 07/01/2025
AvaTrade’s fixed spreads on currency pairs stay at 0.90 pips throughout the major trading sessions (London and New York). So your costs will be the same during these times.
| AvaTrade Average Spread | Average Industry Spread | |
|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | 0.9 | 1.0 |
| AUD/USD | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| EUR/GBP | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| GBP/USD | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| USD/JPY | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| AUD/JPY | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| EUR/JPY | 1.8 | 2.2 |
| USD/CAD | 1.8 | 1.9 |
| USD/SGD | 3.9 | 3.6 |
To help calculate how spreads impact trading fees, use the fee calculator I created to compare AvaTrade with its main competitors.
Calculate Your Cost To Spread Bet
Total Cost of Spread Bet
Total Cost of Spread Bet
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Total Cost of Spread Bet
Their fees for trading shares are slightly higher than average. Take a look at the table below to learn more about the charges applied to these instruments.
| Share Category | AvaTrade Spread | Industry Average |
|---|---|---|
| UK Shares | 5pt | 5.19pt |
| US Shares | 0.13% | 0.16% |
| Geman Shares | 0.20% | 0.15% |
| Hong Kong Shares | 0.25% | 0.20% |
| Australian Shares | 0.20% | 0.17% |
Verdict on AvaTrade’ Spreads
Considering that AvaTrade offers fixed spreads on its currency pairs, I was surprised to find them so competitive. I think AvaTrade gives you a pretty good balance of reliability and cost-effectiveness. The fixed spreads could help you lower your costs if you use them in the right way.
AvaTrade offers the MetaTrader 4 and MT5 platforms for spread betting – both solid choices that provide a range of trading tools to fit different trading styles, from algorithmic to scalping.
I found that MetaTrader 4 is the main spread betting platform for AvaTrade. It offers over 30 technical indicators, such as moving averages, Stochastic RSI, and Keltner Bands, along with drawing tools such as Fibonacci retracements and trendlines, which form the basis of technical analysis.
One standout feature of MT4 is the ability to automate spread bets using Expert Advisors (EAs), which is rare for a spread betting platform. You can program your EA to look for opportunities, execute bets, and manage risks. EAs are on reason MT4 is still such a popular platform, even years after its launch.
Here’s what our senior analyst Ross Collins thought about MT4 and AvaTrade:
“I think AvaTrade made the right choice by offering MT4 for spread betting, as it’s a versatile platform suitable for both new and experienced bettors,” Ross said.
“However, one downside is that MT4 cannot support share dealing, so if you want to bet on stocks, the MT5 is the better option.
MetaTrader 5 is an upgraded version of MT4, offering similar capabilities (like automated trading) but with more advanced trading tools and the ability to deal with shares. It has 34+ technical indicators, including the Ichimoku Kinko Hyo, and Zig Zag – this is a little more than MT4.
I found that MT5 also offered new features, like the native economic calendar. This can be overlaid on your charts to help you visualise upcoming economic announcements.
If you are more technically-minded, the depth of market tool allows you to gauge market liquidity to find hidden support and resistance levels based on the order books. Both are valuable additions to the platform. They also add enhanced technical and trade management facilities, which MT4 lacks.
I believe the MT5 platform is better suited for more advanced traders, because it offers a true multi-asset trading platform experience.
You can access your AvaTrade spread betting account on the go by downloading the MT4 and MT5 mobile apps on iOS or Android. While the apps have similar features, they are limited compared to the desktop versions – you won’t find any trade automation features or custom indicators.
I found the apps useful for managing my existing bets and executing new ones. The best aspect for me is that you can set up price alerts to receive push notifications. These notifications let me react to any alerts that occurred while I was away from my desk.
One downside I found is that your chart setups do not sync between the mobile and desktop platforms. So the best use case for the MT4/MT5 apps is on-the-go trade management, rather than in-depth analysis.
While using AvaTrade with my live account, I encountered no hiccups with my orders. All were executed immediately. I didn’t experience any slippage or requotes either – while this is kind of what you’d expect from a higher-ranking broker, it’s still nice to see.
AvaTrade is a market maker broker, so you place your bets directly with AvaTrade instead of other market participants. This is why the execution speeds feel so fast when you trade.
Our Verdict On AvaTrade Trading Platforms
I’m a fan of brokers who choose tried and tested trading platforms for spread betting, like MetaTrader 4 and MT5, which is why I rate AvaTrade highly for this category.
Both platforms offer a good range of technical analysis tools you can use out of the box while allowing you to automate your strategies.
Yes, AvaTrade is safe and is a large forex broker with over 400,000 clients. While AvaTrade is the only broker on this list that is not regulated directly by the FCA, the brokerage has achieved approval from multiple regulatory jurisdictions around the world. This is why I gave it a trust score of 77.
AvaTrade is headquartered in Dublin, and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. This means you will be signing up through its European company, Ava Trade EU.
The broker can offer financial services like spread betting to UK customers, even though the UK is no longer in the EU nor the EEA.
It may appear odd not to be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Still, AvaTrade offers protections like Negative Balance Protection for all retail bettors, so you’ll never lose more than you deposit.
This protection is excellent, especially during volatile markets that may liquidate your positions. Knowing you won’t owe more than you’ve funded can give you peace of mind should you hit a bad run when spread betting. It’s also a standard FCA requirement, so it’s good to see it here too.
What also reinforces the broker’s trustworthiness is that it is overseen by other regulators around the world, all with strict frameworks. Adhering to multiple frameworks shows that AvaTrade’s operations are reliable and above board.
AvaTrade is regulated in the following jurisdictions:
Since its launch in 2006, AvaTrade has had over 400,000 traders, making it a popular broker in the UK. Plus, having such a large client base reinforces the broker’s reputation, as it would be difficult to maintain a high number if the services were poor.
Part of my testing includes seeing how other customers find the broker, and using TrustPilot is a solid indicator of the broker’s reputation.
Impressively, AvaTrade scores a 4.8/5 “Excellent” rating on Trustpilot in July 2025, based on more than 10,000 reviews. With a rating this high from the broker’s clients, I’d say it affirms my trading experience using the broker.
Verdict On AvaTrade Trustworthiness
AvaTrade is a trustworthy broker with some of the best financial regulators backing it up, plus it has an excellent reputation for supporting its clients, which is impressive.
Not being directly regulated by the FCA may be a sticking point for some – but it’s worth remembering the FCA still permits AvaTrade to provide service to UK traders.
AvaTrade has no deposit fees, and you can fund your trading account using a debit card, bank transfer, Neteller, or Skrill.
I found that AvaTrade has a minimum deposit of £100 across all its deposit options. I think this is a sensible starting amount, as it’s low enough for smaller budgets to get started but still ensures you have sufficient capital to place meaningful trades.
By default, your base currency for the spread betting account is GBP, which makes sense considering that spread betting is only available in the UK.
However, if you live outside the UK and receive income in another currency, you can still open a spread betting account with the broker using USD or EUR. This flexibility is great for UK citizens who want to spread bet in their local currency.
AvaTrade offers a decent range of payment methods, including debit cards, bank transfers, or e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller, making it easy to fund your account.
During my review, I found that depositing with a debit card is instant, allowing me to trade my funds immediately, while e-wallets take just a few minutes to process the funds. The wire transfer option is the slowest, taking up to 5 business days. Importantly, AvaTrade doesn’t charge any deposit fees when using a debit card, which is a plus.
You will request a withdrawal online through your spread betting account. The funds will be returned using the same method for depositing, so if you deposit with a bank transfer, the funds will be returned to your bank.
The withdrawal times vary depending on the method:
| Method | Withdrawal Time |
|---|---|
| Debit Cards/Credit Cards | Up to 5 business days |
| e-Wallets | Up to 3 business days |
| Wire transfers | Up to 10 business days |
Opening an account with AvaTrade is an online process with helpful instructions guiding you through each step. I thought this really made the application easier to complete.
The questions asked during the process are fairly standard, asking for your personal details, employment/financial info, and experience with trading.
After submitting, you’ll need to verify you are human by completing the action specified by the portal. Once you’ve done that, you just wait for the application to be approved. This only took a couple of hours in my case.
Verdict On AvaTrade Funding
AvaTrade offers some of the best options for funding its spread betting account with a low minimum £100 deposit. I found the deposit and withdrawal processes fast, and the fact that there are no fees when depositing or withdrawing is a bonus.
AvaTrade offers a modest range of 150+ financial instruments, from stocks to forex trading, each benefiting from the broker’s low spreads and good trading conditions.
I found AvaTrade offered a decent selection of 55 currency markets, covering the majors (EUR/USD, AUD/USD), minors, and a select few exotic pairs. It may not have the most markets, but you have fixed spreads on all major forex pairs, which is a solid payoff.
AvaTrade offers 27 commodity markets to spread bet, with access to 9 energy markets, eight metals (silver and gold), and 10 soft commodities, like wheat and coffee.
With AvaTrade, I found you can spread bet on 33 indices, including NASDAQ, Dow Jones and FTSE 100. Interestingly, you can also bet on other basket indices like the dollar index, which allows you to hedge or speculate on the strengthening or weakening of the USD.
I found that AvaTrade offers 50+ shares, which isn’t the largest choice among the brokers I’ve tested.
You can spread bet on popular shares like Apple, Google, and Facebook without paying commissions or currency conversion fees. These conditions could make share spread betting a cost-effective approach compared to traditional investing.
Our Verdict On AvaTrade Trading Products
If you like to focus on the major financial markets, its range will suit you. However, I’m surprised that a broker of this size and popularity offers only a limited selection of 150 markets. Also the lack of instruments like ETFs is strange, as these have become popular in recent years.
AvaTrade’s primary support channel is Live Chat, which operates 24/5 and allows easy access to customer support throughout the trading week. I found the support agents to be friendly and knowledgeable, providing accurate answers to my questions without requiring extensive back-and-forth.
One feature I particularly liked was the WhatsApp support service. This service is convenient for traders who prefer to communicate via mobile devices or want to have a record of their conversations easily accessible on their phones.
In addition to Live Chat and WhatsApp, AvaTrade offers phone support – something I like to see brokers do. Speaking with someone directly can be invaluable when dealing with complex issues or questions, allowing more detailed explanations and more personalised support.
For less urgent matters, you can email customer service. While response times may be slower than Live Chat or phone support, email is still a reliable option for assistance.
AvaTrade also provides a Knowledge Base where you can search for answers to common questions. This self-service method is handy for basic inquiries. It can save you time, quickly finding the information you need without waiting to be connected with customer support.
Verdict On AvaTrade Customer Service
I like that AvaTrade offers multiple channels to get your support, such as Live Chat, WhatsApp, telephone, email, and a self-service knowledge base. Being 24/5 support and having access to immediate assistance during trading hours is crucial, and AvaTrade delivers on this front.
Trading Central
Trading Central is a market research provider that offers technical and fundamental analysis to help validate betting ideas. It uses chart patterns as signals, which go in-depth with analysis commentary and show the charts, helping you decide whether the signal is valid.
You can also sign up for the newsletter, which delivers regular market updates and trading opportunities straight to your inbox before the London market opens. I found this newsletter helpful as it digested all the overnight trading news while providing a daily market outlook and some markets to watch for the day.
AvaTrade Educational Centre
I was impressed by the resources available in the AvaTrade Educational Centre – over 250 tutorials covering everything from beginner topics, to complex lessons on things like central banks. AvaTrade goes above and beyond to provide value, and help you become a better trader.
However, this content is mostly text-and-image based, which some may find difficult to digest. To be honest, while there is good stuff here, it’s not the most user-friendly way to learn these days. If you prefer more engaging learning materials, I recommend checking out the AvaAcademy instead.
AvaAcademy
The AvaAcademy offers a more interactive learning experience than the Educational Centre. With 18 online courses and over 150 lessons covering various markets, technical analysis, spread betting strategies, and risk management, I found the content comprehensive.
I liked the inclusion of multiple-choice quizzes, which help reinforce the lessons, while the video format makes learning more engaging.
AvaTrade Demo Account
AvaTrade’s demo account is a great way to practice spread betting, risk-free. With £10,000 in virtual funds and a 60-day duration, you have plenty of time to familiarise yourself with the MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 platforms.
Here’s what my fellow SpreadBet co-founder Noam Korbl thought about the AvaTrade demo:
“I think the demo is a valuable tool if you are new to spread betting,” Noam said.
“You have the chance to gain confidence before transitioning to real money trading. The demo account also allows experienced traders to test new strategies without risking their capital.”
Verdict On AvaTrade Research and Education
I don’t think I’ve seen many brokers invest as much into their education as AvaTrade has, offering an excellent set of online trading courses through AvaAcademy.
You also can’t go wrong with Trading Central for a market research provider, as they provide top-class analysis throughout the day, making it a great companion for day trading.
Overall, I think AvaTrade is a top spread betting broker that has done an excellent job providing decent trading conditions. Fixed spreads are rare in spread betting, so providing this while remaining competitive makes AvaTrade an attractive option.
By offering MetaTrader 4 and 5, AvaTrade gives you the best tools to analyse the spread betting markets. These platforms also give you the opportunity to automate your spread bets, which is unavailable with most other brokers.
I think the broker rounds off its trading services nicely with a decent choice of 200+ markets, low minimum deposits, and an excellent catalogue of 18+ online trading courses.
Open a demo accountVisit AvaTrade
66% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Yes, AvaTrade has fixed spreads only in its forex markets. Fixed spreads mean the broker doesn’t widen (or narrow) the spread relative to the current market’s liquidity/volatility, keeping the costs the same throughout the trading day.
Other instruments have an “over market” price. This is derived by adding AvaTrade’s own spread to the market’s spread, which can vary throughout the day.
No, you cannot spread bet options with AvaTrade. Even though the broker provides options trading through AvaOptions, this is for its CFD trading account only.
Yes, spread betting is safe. Most brokers are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, which ensures your broker offers protective measures for derivatives (like spread betting and CFDs).
AvaTrade is the only exception from the brokers we’ve reviewed, as of July 2025. It is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, but is approved by the FCA. Most of the same protections are applied.
These protections include protecting client funds and Negative Balance Protection, which forces your broker to exit all your losing bets to prevent you from owing the broker money.
Spread betting is not taxed in the UK in most cases. You do not pay capital gains tax or stamp duty when you speculate using spread betting.
Yes, AvaTrade is good for beginners as the broker offers fixed spreads on its currencies, keeping your trading costs simple and limited during volatile trading periods.
Additionally, the broker supports a decent range of educational materials like AvaAcademy, which goes in-depth to teach you how to spread bet. View our full list of beginner spread betting brokers.
AvaTrade offers MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, two of the best customisable trading platforms, for its spread betting markets. The broker also offers AvaTrade GO, AvaTrade Web Trader, AvaSocial, and AvaOptions for its CFD markets.
No, you cannot spread bet cryptocurrencies as a UK trader. Crypto markets like Bitcoin are prohibited for retail traders by the Financial Conduct Authority.
If you are an elective professional, then you can spread bet cryptocurrencies, but only with Spreadex. Otherwise, you need to choose from the other spread bet markets available for retail UK traders.
No, copy trading is unavailable when you spread bet with the Avatrade platform, even though the AvaTrade CFD broker offers this service along with its social trading features.
Ask an Expert
How reliable is AvaTrade’s customer support?
AvaTrade’s customer support is generally reliable, offering assistance via phone, email, and live chat.
How does AvaTrade’s platform perform for spread betting?
AvaTrade’s platform performs well for spread betting, offering a good balance of functionality and ease of use.
Can I use AvaTrade’s platform on mobile devices?
Yes, AvaTrade has a mobile app available for iOS and Android for traders to manage their accounts on the go.