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Head to head

AvaTrade vs WM Markets

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. WM Markets has no licence we could confirm on a regulator's register. 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 WM Markets. Only WM Markets offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

Facts last checked: AvaTrade on 20 October 2026, WM Markets on 20 October 2026.

AvaTrade profileWM Markets 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
WM MarketsRead the profile
Comparing
AvaTradeEuropean Union
WM Markets

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Not yet checked
Fomboni, Mwali (Comoros)
Official websites
  • avatrade.com
  • wmmarkets.com
  • en.wmmarkets.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
AVA Trade EU Limited
No licence listed
Regulator
Central Bank of Ireland
European Union
No licence listed
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
No licence listed
Licence number
C53877
Check the register
No licence listed
Clients this company serves
Residents of EU and EEA countries
No licence listed
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)
None listed
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
Yes
Compensation scheme
Depends on the company named in your client agreement
None

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
Yes

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
Up to 1:2000 (dynamic, set per instrument)
Retail leverage by asset class
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Margin call level
Not yet checked
100%
Stop-out level
Not yet checked
20%

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
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • WM Markets mobile app
  • MT4 WebTrader
Markets
Currency pairs, stocks, crypto, commodities, indices, ETFs, bonds and FX options as CFDs
CFDs on forex, metals, indices, energies, commodities, treasuries, shares, ETFs and cryptocurrencies
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Yes
Yes
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Not yet checked
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
Not yet checked
Withdrawal fee
Not yet checked
Not published; the agreement allows transfer-related and termination fees
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
Accounts with no trading for six months are disabled and may pay maintenance charges (amount not published)

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
24/5 multilingual support by 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
  • Negative balance protection is written into the client agreement
  • The agreement says client money is kept apart from the company's own funds
  • Says it holds a client funds insurance policy of up to $1,000,000
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
  • Says WM Markets Ltd holds MISA licence BFX2024009; we could not confirm it on MISA's register on 2026-10-20 (the register blocked automated access).
  • The agreement gives the company a lien over client assets and lets it pledge or reinvest assets held for clients
  • Leverage up to 1:2000, and payment methods and withdrawal fees are not listed on the public website
  • Inactive accounts are disabled after six months and may be charged maintenance fees that are not published

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.
  • WM Markets: Contracts for Difference (CFD) are complex financial instruments carrying a substantial level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors, as may result in the loss of all invested capital rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, your investment objectives, level of experience, risk appetite, and, if necessary, seek advice from an independent financial advisor.

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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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