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Head to head

AvaTrade vs FXCM

AvaTrade is licensed by Central Bank of Ireland in the European Union, ASIC in Australia, JFSA in Japan, FSRA (ADGM) in the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi Global Market), CMA (Kenya) in Kenya, FSCA in South Africa and CySEC in the European Union, and also has an offshore registration. FXCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom, CySEC in the European Union and ASIC in Australia. The licence that applies to you depends on where you live, so check which company you would contract with before comparing anything else.

Minimum deposits start at $0 at AvaTrade and $50 at FXCM. Neither offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

Facts last checked: AvaTrade on 20 October 2026, FXCM on 20 October 2026.

AvaTrade profileFXCM profile
Broker 1
Broker 2
Broker 3

Monthly cost uses the account chosen in each slot: cost per lot × your lots. Swap and other fees are extra. The lowest monthly cost is highlighted only as a fact about cost, not as a recommendation.

Broker
AvaTradeStrictly regulatedRead the profile
FXCMStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
AvaTradeEuropean Union
FXCMUnited Kingdom

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
1999
Headquarters
Not yet checked
London, United Kingdom (Stratos Group)
Official websites
  • avatrade.com
  • fxcm.com
  • tradu.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
AVA Trade EU Limited
Stratos Markets Limited
Regulator
Central Bank of Ireland
European Union
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
C53877
Check the register
217689 (applied to cancel)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Residents of EU and EEA countries
Existing UK clients; FXCM's UK site sends new accounts to Trade Nation
All licences held
  • Central Bank of Ireland (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • JFSA (Japan)
  • FSRA (ADGM) (United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi Global Market))
  • CMA (Kenya) (Kenya)
  • FSCA (South Africa)
  • FSC (BVI) (British Virgin Islands)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
No
Compensation scheme
Depends on the company named in your client agreement
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK company); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus company); none for the St Vincent company

Costs

Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Spread from
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical EUR/USD spread
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Commission per lot (round turn)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Swap-free account
Yes
Not yet checked

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
Up to 400:1 on forex (Ava Trade Markets Ltd, BVI); 1:30 on major pairs for EU and Australian retail clients
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia); up to 1:1000 at the St Vincent company
Retail leverage by asset class
Not yet checked
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30
  • Non-major currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
  • Crypto CFDs: 1:2
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Base currencies
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Execution
No accounts listed
No accounts listed

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • WebTrader
  • AvaTrade app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • AvaOptions
  • DupliTrade
  • AvaSocial
  • Trading Station
  • MetaTrader 4
  • TradingView
Markets
Currency pairs, stocks, crypto, commodities, indices, ETFs, bonds and FX options as CFDs
Forex, index, commodity, share and crypto CFDs, plus FXCM baskets
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Yes
Not yet checked
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Yes
News trading allowed
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
  • Credit or debit card
  • Wire transfer
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • WebMoney
  • Debit card
  • Credit card
  • Bank wire
  • Google Pay
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Crypto
Withdrawal fee
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Inactivity fee
$50 (or €50/£50) after 3 months without use, then every 3 months; plus a $100 (€100) annual administration fee after 12 months without use, unless prohibited by law
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
24/5 live chat

Our notes

Strengths
  • Licensed by strict regulators in Ireland, Australia and Japan, plus the ADGM's FSRA, Kenya's CMA and South Africa's FSCA
  • Spreads on EUR/USD from 0.9 pips with no separate commission on the global site
  • A wide range of platforms, including MetaTrader, AvaOptions and copy-trading tools
  • Long-running brand (since 1999) with companies licensed by the FCA, CySEC and ASIC
  • Its own Trading Station platform alongside MetaTrader 4, TradingView and API access
  • Low first deposit of 50 in the account currency on the international site
Watch out for
  • Clients of the global site join Ava Trade Markets Ltd, which holds only an offshore licence from the BVI FSC, and South African clients also trade with that company
  • Inactivity fee of $50 after just 3 months without use, plus a $100 annual administration fee after 12 months
  • No minimum deposit is published as a fixed figure; AvaTrade says it depends on your base currency and payment method
  • We did not find negative balance protection stated for the BVI company; EU and Australian retail rules require it for those companies
  • The UK company, Stratos Markets Limited, has applied to cancel its FCA authorisation (shown on the FCA register since 15 October 2026), and FXCM's UK site says new trading accounts are now provided through Trade Nation.
  • FXCM's EU site says new trading accounts are now provided through AvaTrade, a separate broker
  • International clients join Stratos Global LLC in St Vincent and the Grenadines, which holds no financial licence; leverage there goes up to 1:1000 and losses can exceed deposits
  • Says Stratos South Africa (Pty) Ltd is FSCA FSP 46534 and Stratos Light Limited is supervised by the Israel Securities Authority; we could not confirm either on the regulator's register on 2026-10-20 (the FSCA FSP register could not be reached).

Risk warnings

The buttons to a broker’s website above the table are partner links: we may earn a commission if you open an account through them. That never changes the facts shown here. Trading leveraged products such as forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money rapidly, and most retail accounts lose money. Each broker’s own warning:

  • AvaTrade: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
  • FXCM: Our products are traded on leverage which means they carry a high level of risk and you could lose more than your deposits. These products are not suitable for all investors. Please ensure you fully understand the risks and carefully consider your financial situation and trading experience before trading. Seek independent advice if necessary.

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Other head-to-head pages

Cost per lot is the typical EUR/USD spread in busy hours × $10, plus any round-turn commission, for one standard lot. “Not yet checked” means we have not confirmed that fact yet. This page compares facts; it does not rank the brokers or recommend either. Confirm costs and licences on each broker’s site and the regulator’s public register before opening an account: see how we review brokers and check a broker yourself.

Nothing on this page is financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.

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