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Head to head

AvaTrade vs XS.com

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. XS.com is licensed by CySEC in the European Union, ASIC in Australia and Labuan FSA in Malaysia (Labuan), and also has an offshore registration. 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 $0 at XS.com. Only XS.com offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

Facts last checked: AvaTrade on 20 October 2026, XS.com on 20 October 2026.

AvaTrade profileXS.com 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
XS.comOffshore registration onlyRead the profile
Comparing
AvaTradeEuropean Union
XS.comInternational

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Not yet checked
Eden Island, Seychelles (group companies in Cyprus, Australia, Malaysia and elsewhere)
Official websites
  • avatrade.com
  • xs.com
  • xsmarkets.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
AVA Trade EU Limited
XS Ltd
Regulator
Central Bank of Ireland
European Union
FSA Seychelles
International
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Offshore registration only
Licence number
C53877
Check the register
SD089 (Securities Dealer)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Residents of EU and EEA countries
Clients who open an account through xs.com
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)
  • FSA Seychelles (International)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • Labuan FSA (Malaysia (Labuan))
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
Yes
Compensation scheme
Depends on the company named in your client agreement
None for clients of XS Ltd (Seychelles); EU clients of XS Markets Ltd are covered by Cyprus's Investor Compensation Fund

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 (XS Ltd, dynamic); 1:30 on major pairs for EU retail clients
Retail leverage by asset class
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Margin call level
Not yet checked
40%
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
  • XS Trading App
Markets
Currency pairs, stocks, crypto, commodities, indices, ETFs, bonds and FX options as CFDs
CFDs on forex, metals, energies, indices, cryptocurrencies, futures and shares
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Yes
Yes
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
  • Bank transfer
  • Visa and Mastercard
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
Withdrawal fee
Not yet checked
No XS fee; a fee of up to 3% can apply where there was no trading or abusive trading
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
Email support@xs.com and phone +248 432 3314

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
  • Group companies licensed by CySEC (412/22), ASIC (374409) and Labuan FSA, all checked on the regulators' registers
  • Negative balance protection and segregated client accounts are in the XS Ltd client agreement
  • No minimum deposit on Standard, Cent and Micro accounts, and published average EUR/USD spreads for each account
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
  • Clients of xs.com join XS Ltd in Seychelles, an offshore licence with leverage up to 1:2000 and no compensation scheme
  • The ASIC licence covers wholesale clients only, and the CySEC company serves the EU through a different website
  • Says group companies hold licences from the FSCA (FSP 53199), FSC Mauritius (GB25204786), the UAE Capital Market Authority (20200000339) and Kuwait (513918); we could not confirm these on the regulators' registers on 2026-10-20 (FSCA and FSC sites unreachable, UAE and Kuwait not checked).

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.
  • XS.com: Our products are traded on margin and carry a high level of risk and it is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved.

Open this comparison in the full tool to share a link with your own accounts and companies chosen.

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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