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AvaTrade vs IG Markets: Comparison and Analysis

Written by Filippo Ucchino Fact-Checked by Luca Puddu Publication Date Last Updated
Our verdict · CFD/FX trading

IG Markets is better than AvaTrade for CFD trading by a small margin, because it has TradingView, ProRealTime and more tradable symbols (17,000 against 1,250), along with execution in 14 ms and faster withdrawals (1 day against 10 days). AvaTrade, on the other hand, offers MetaTrader 5, which IG Markets does not. IG Markets is regulated by BaFin, the FCA and ASIC, with an offshore company regulated by the BMA (Bermuda) and a Japanese company registered with the JFSA, while AvaTrade is regulated by the CBI (Ireland), ASIC, the JFSA and the ADGM FSRA, with an offshore company regulated by the FSC (British Virgin Islands). IG Markets charges 8.50 USD per lot to trade EUR/USD, against 9.00 USD at AvaTrade, and both brokers offer a demo account with no expiry. IG Markets asks for no minimum deposit. AvaTrade asks for 100.00 USD at its European, UAE and offshore companies, 70.00 USD at its Australian company and no minimum deposit at its Japanese company. Crypto CFDs are offered by all of AvaTrade's companies and by IG Markets' companies except the UK and Japanese ones.

Our verdict · Real stock investing

AvaTrade and IG Markets cannot be compared for real stock investing, because AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks to buy. Between the two, IG Markets is the better option if you want to invest in real stocks, because it lets you own stocks and ETFs outright, offers options and charges no fees on US stocks.

Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of AvaTrade's Ireland entity and IG Markets' Germany entity. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers (real shares and ETFs you own outright), using the data of AvaTrade's Ireland entity and IG Markets' Germany entity.

AvaTrade

CFDCFD AvaTrade offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD/FX to rate it on that. FXFX AvaTrade offers forex trading: currency pairs such as EUR/USD, traded with leverage. Forex is rated together with CFDs, on the CFD/FX side.
AvaTrade review ›
85CFD/FXOverall score AvaTrade scores 85/100 for CFD/FX trading. The overall score is calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas. not offeredStocksOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above.
Open Account

76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Best overall Best overall

IG Markets

CFDCFD IG Markets offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD/FX to rate it on that. FXFX IG Markets offers forex trading: currency pairs such as EUR/USD, traded with leverage. Forex is rated together with CFDs, on the CFD/FX side. StocksStocks IG Markets lets you buy real assets that you own outright. Switch the comparison to Stocks to rate it on that.
IG Markets review ›
89CFD/FXOverall score IG Markets scores 89/100 for CFD/FX trading. The overall score is calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas. 88StocksOverall score IG Markets scores 88/100 for stock investing. The overall score is calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas.
Open Account

74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Best for

What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders AvaTrade and IG Markets are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in .
1 / 12

AvaTrade is better than IG Markets for futures traders, while IG Markets is better for long-term investors. Both are a good fit for professional traders, high-volume traders and scalpers.

Best for
Overall score AvaTrade 85 -4 not offered IG Markets 89 Best 88
Day trading i
Long-term investing i
Professional traders i
High-volume traders i
Scalpers i
Swing traders i
News traders i
Algo traders i
Stock traders i
Crypto traders i
Futures traders i
Options traders i

Regulation

What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise AvaTrade and the ones that supervise IG Markets.
2 / 12

AvaTrade and IG Markets are both regulated by top-tier authorities, AvaTrade by CBI Ireland, ASIC (Australia) and the CIRO (Canada) and IG Markets by BaFin, ASIC (Australia) and the FCA (United Kingdom).

Regulation
Section score AvaTrade 100 not offered IG Markets 100 100
Tier-1 regulators
ESMA (European Union) i CBI (Ireland) BaFin (Germany)
FCA (United Kingdom) i
ASIC (Australia) i
CFTC (United States) i
NFA (United States) i
SEC (United States) i
CIRO (Canada) i
MAS (Singapore) i
SFC (Hong Kong) i
JFSA (Japan) i
FINMA (Switzerland) i
Tier-2 regulators
FMA (New Zealand) i
CBR (Russia) i
FSCA (South Africa) i
DFSA (Dubai) i
CSRC (China) i
ISA (Israel) i
LFSA (Malaysia) i
JSC (Jordan) i
CMA (Kenya) i
Tier-3 regulators
FSA (Seychelles) i
MMA (Maldives) i
SCB (Bahamas) i
FSC (Mauritius) i
VFSC (Vanuatu) i
FSC (Belize) i
CIMA (Cayman Islands) i
SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i
FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i
BMA (Bermuda) i
BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i
EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i

Safety

What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that AvaTrade and IG Markets have in place to protect your money in .
3 / 12

AvaTrade and IG Markets both offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme. IG Markets is also a licensed bank.

Safety
Section score AvaTrade 78 -13 not offered IG Markets 91 Best 91
Company info
Is it publicly traded i
Is it a bank i
Year founded i 2006 1974
Parent company i Ava Trade Ltd IG Group Holdings plc
CEO i Dáire Ferguson Breon Corcoran
Money safety
Segregated client funds i
Two-factor authentication i
Investor compensation scheme i
Additional money insurance i
Partner bank i National Westminster Bank, J.P. Morgan SE UniCredit Bank AG, UniCredit S.p.A., J.P. Morgan SE, CaixaBank, Citigroup, BNP Paribas
Brand power
Number of customers worldwide i 9,000,000 320,000
Annual revenue i USD 987,300,000
Monthly website search traffic i 97.1K monthly visits

Costs

What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with AvaTrade and with IG Markets in , both on each trade and on holding the account.
4 / 12

IG Markets is better than AvaTrade for CFD/FX costs, because IG Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 8.5 USD per lot (against AvaTrade's 9 USD), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.4 points (against AvaTrade's 0.5 points), and has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.3 points (against AvaTrade's 0.34 points). Neither AvaTrade nor IG Markets charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.

There is no like-for-like comparison for real stock costs, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Costs
Section score AvaTrade 66 -9 not offered IG Markets 75 Best 75
Broker fees
Deposit fees i
Withdrawal fees i
Overnight fees i
Inactivity fees i
Currency conversion fees i
Discounts on volume i
Real time market data fee i
Dividend withholding i
Account opening fees i
Account maintenance fee i
Portfolio management fee i
Fees on CFDs
Forex commission per lot i Free FreeAbout this value. This is the forex commission per lot at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: USD 6 (Australia, other accepted countries), Free (the UK, Japan).
EUR/USD average standard spread i
0.9 pips
0.85 pips
EUR/USD average raw spread i
EUR/USD average fixed spread i
EUR/USD total cost per lot i USD 9 USD 8.5
S&P 500 fees (CFD) i 0.5 points 0.4 points
Gold fees (CFD) i 0.34 points 0.3 points
Bitcoin fees (CFD) i USD 36
US stocks fees (CFD) i Free USD 0.02
Fees on stocks
Stock fee type i Spread Commission
US stocks fees (real) i Free
ETF fees (real) i Free
Management costs i
Connection costs i
Fees on futures
Futures fees per contract i USD 1.75 USD 2
Platform fees i
Fees on options
Options fees per contract i Free USD 2
Event fees i
Fees on savings plans
IRA opening fee i
IRA maintenance fee i
401k opening fee i
401k maintenance fee i

Available markets

What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with AvaTrade and with IG Markets in , and of how many instruments each one gives access to.
5 / 12

AvaTrade and IG Markets are equally good for CFD/FX markets, since AvaTrade offers futures on commodities, crypto, forex and indices. On the other hand, IG Markets gives access to 17,000 tradable symbols (against AvaTrade's 1,250), and lets you own stocks and ETFs outright. Both AvaTrade and IG Markets offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, ETFs, forex, indices and stocks, and offer options on forex.

IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be compared for real stock markets, because IG Markets is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while AvaTrade is a CFD broker.

Available markets
Section score AvaTrade 100 not offered IG Markets 100 100
Total tradable symbols i 1,250 17,000
Currency pairs i
Indices i
Commodities i
Stocks i
ETF i
Cryptocurrencies i
Bonds i
Interest rates i
Portfolios i
CFDs i Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks
Futures i Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices
Options i Forex Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks
Assets you can own i Stocks, ETF

Platform

What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that AvaTrade and IG Markets make available to their clients in .
6 / 12

AvaTrade and IG Markets are equally good for platforms, since AvaTrade offers MetaTrader 5 and social trading. On the other hand, IG Markets offers TradingView and AutoChartist. Both AvaTrade and IG Markets offer a proprietary platform and MetaTrader 4.

AvaTrade does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be compared for platforms.

Platform
Section score AvaTrade 92 not offered IG Markets 91 -1 91
Proprietary platform i
MetaTrader 4 i
MetaTrader 5 i
cTrader i
Social trading platform i
Copy trading platform i
ZuluTrade i
TradingView i
Duplitrade i
Mirror Trader i
NinjaTrader i
AutoChartist i
Real time pricing i
5 digit pricing i
One-click trading i

Mobile

What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of AvaTrade and IG Markets in , and of what each one lets you do from your phone.
7 / 12

AvaTrade is better than IG Markets for mobile trading, because AvaTrade offers the MetaTrader 5 app, a social trading app and a copy trading app, which IG Markets does not. Both AvaTrade and IG Markets offer a proprietary mobile app and the MetaTrader 4 app.

AvaTrade does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be compared for mobile trading.

Mobile
Section score AvaTrade 100 Best not offered IG Markets 93 -7 93
Proprietary app i
Social trading app i
Copy trading app i
MetaTrader 4 app i
MetaTrader 5 app i
cTrader app i
Mobile trading signals i
Mobile alerts i
Mobile charting tools i
Mobile drawing tools i
Mobile watchlist i
Smartwatch app i

Trading features

What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that AvaTrade and IG Markets allow on their platforms in .
8 / 12

IG Markets is better than AvaTrade for CFD/FX trading features, given that IG Markets offers guaranteed stop losses, tier-1 liquidity providers and API access, which AvaTrade does not. Both AvaTrade and IG Markets offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.

AvaTrade does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be compared for real stock trading features.

Trading features
Section score AvaTrade 84 -5 not offered IG Markets 89 Best 85
Trade execution
Broker type i Agency Agency
Average execution time i 14 ms
Slippage occurrence i 11%
Requotes occurrence i
Tier-1 liquidity providers i
PFOF i
Leverage
Major FX pairs leverage i 30:1About this value. This is the major fx pairs leverage at AVA Trade EU Ltd (CBI). At AvaTrade's other companies: 30:1 (Australia, the UAE), 25:1 (Japan), 400:1 (other accepted countries). 30:1About this value. This is the major fx pairs leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 30:1 (Australia, the UK), 200:1 (other accepted countries), 25:1 (Japan).
Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i 20:1About this value. This is the minor/exotic fx pairs leverage at AVA Trade EU Ltd (CBI). At AvaTrade's other companies: 20:1 (Australia, the UAE), 25:1 (Japan), 400:1 (other accepted countries). 20:1About this value. This is the minor/exotic fx pairs leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 20:1 (Australia, the UK), 133:1 (other accepted countries), 25:1 (Japan).
Major indices leverage i 20:1About this value. This is the major indices leverage at AVA Trade EU Ltd (CBI). At AvaTrade's other companies: 20:1 (Australia, the UAE), 200:1 (other accepted countries). 20:1About this value. This is the major indices leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 20:1 (Australia, the UK), 200:1 (other accepted countries), 10:1 (Japan).
Minor indices leverage i 10:1About this value. This is the minor indices leverage at AVA Trade EU Ltd (CBI). At AvaTrade's other companies: 10:1 (Australia, the UAE), 100:1 (other accepted countries). 10:1About this value. This is the minor indices leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 10:1 (Australia, the UK, Japan), 200:1 (other accepted countries).
Gold leverage i 20:1About this value. This is the gold leverage at AVA Trade EU Ltd (CBI). At AvaTrade's other companies: 20:1 (Australia, the UAE), 200:1 (other accepted countries). 20:1About this value. This is the gold leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 20:1 (Australia, the UK, Japan), 200:1 (other accepted countries).
Commodities leverage i 10:1About this value. This is the commodities leverage at AVA Trade EU Ltd (CBI). At AvaTrade's other companies: 10:1 (Australia, the UAE), 200:1 (other accepted countries). 10:1About this value. This is the commodities leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 10:1 (Australia, the UK), 67:1 (other accepted countries), 20:1 (Japan).
Equities leverage i 5:1About this value. This is the equities leverage at AVA Trade EU Ltd (CBI). At AvaTrade's other companies: 5:1 (Australia, the UAE), 10:1 (other accepted countries). 5:1About this value. This is the equities leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 5:1 (Australia, the UK, Japan), 20:1 (other accepted countries).
Cryptocurrency leverage i 2:1About this value. This is the cryptocurrency leverage at AVA Trade EU Ltd (CBI). At AvaTrade's other companies: 2:1 (Australia, the UAE), 100:1 (other accepted countries). 2:1About this value. This is the cryptocurrency leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 2:1 (Australia), 10:1 (other accepted countries).
Risk management
Stop losses i
Take profits i
Limit orders i
Trailing stop i
Margin call i
OCO orders i
Guaranteed stop loss i
Negative balance protection i
Minimum trade size (FX) i 0.01 lots 0.01 lots
Minimum trade size (stocks) i USD 0 USD 0
Fractional stocks i
Trading compliance
Scalping strategies allowed i
Hedging strategies allowed i
Automated trading strategy allowed i
EAs use allowed i
HFT strategy allowed i
VPS use allowed i
API use allowed i
Price scraping allowed i
FIFO rule applies i

Account types

What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at AvaTrade and at IG Markets in , and of who each one is meant for.
9 / 12

AvaTrade is better than IG Markets for CFD/FX account types, as AvaTrade offers an Islamic account, a copy trading account and a swap-free account, which IG Markets does not. Both AvaTrade and IG Markets offer a demo account and a professional traders account.

AvaTrade does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be compared for real stock account types.

Account types
Section score AvaTrade 72 Best not offered IG Markets 48 -24 35
Demo account i
Unlimited demo account i
Standard account i
Micro account i
Cent account i
Nano account i
Raw spread account i
ECN account i
Swap-free account i
Islamic account i
Professional traders account i
Fixed spread account i
Spread betting account i
Copy trading account i
Corporate account i
Managed account i
Stock investing account i
Margin investing account i
Savings account i
Retirement account i

Account opening

What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with AvaTrade and with IG Markets in .
10 / 12

AvaTrade is better than IG Markets for account opening, given that AvaTrade offers 6 account base currencies (against IG Markets' 1), has no minimum withdrawal (against IG Markets' 150 USD), and offers local payment methods, which IG Markets does not. However, IG Markets does not require a minimum deposit at all (against AvaTrade's 100 USD).

IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be set side by side for account opening, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike IG Markets.

Account opening
Section score AvaTrade 72 Best not offered IG Markets 65 -7 65
Minimum deposit i USD 100About this value. This is the minimum deposit at AVA Trade EU Ltd (CBI). At AvaTrade's other companies: USD 70 (Australia), USD 0 (Japan), USD 100 (other accepted countries, the UAE). USD 0
Minimum withdrawal i USD 0 USD 150
Wire transfers i
Credit cards i
Debit cards i
eWallets i PayPal
Local payment methods i
Account base currencies i AUD, EUR, GBP, JPY, USD, ZARAbout this value. This is the account base currencies at AVA Trade EU Ltd (CBI). It is different at AvaTrade's companies in Australia. EURAbout this value. This is the account base currencies at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). It is different at IG Markets' companies in Australia, other accepted countries, the UK and Japan.
Deposit waiting time i Instant Instant
Withdrawal waiting time i up to 10 business days up to 1 business days
Bonus program i

Customer care

What we compare A comparison of the customer support of AvaTrade and IG Markets in , in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.
11 / 12

IG Markets is better than AvaTrade for customer care, given that IG Markets offers a dedicated account manager, which AvaTrade does not. AvaTrade and IG Markets both offer phone support and live chat.

There is no like-for-like comparison for customer care, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Customer care
Section score AvaTrade 67 -11 not offered IG Markets 78 Best 78
Number of languages supported i 22 12
Website languages i Afrikaans, Arabic, German, English, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Mongolian, Malay, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Chinese Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish
Website available in English i
Customer support languages i Afrikaans, Arabic, German, English, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Mongolian, Malay, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Chinese Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish
Customer support in English i
Call back request i
Email support i
Phone support i
Live chat i
Priority customer support i
Dedicated account manager i
Cash sweep i
Stock lending i
Distributes proceeds i
Tax withholding agent i
Tax assistance i

Learning

What we compare A comparison of the educational material that AvaTrade and IG Markets provide to their clients in .
12 / 12

IG Markets is better than AvaTrade for learning, since IG Markets offers professional reports and traders' sentiment, which AvaTrade does not. Both AvaTrade and IG Markets offer education for advanced traders and webinars.

There is no like-for-like comparison for learning, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Learning
Section score AvaTrade 83 -17 not offered IG Markets 100 Best 100
Education
Education center i
Education for beginners i
Education for advanced traders i
Webinars i
Tutorials i
Glossary i
Research
Economic calendar i
Traders' sentiment i
Daily market commentary i
Daily trading ideas i
News via social media i
Professional reports i
Watchlist i
AvaTrade
Open Account 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
IG Markets
Open Account 74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Our verdict

AvaTrade vs IG Markets: which one should you choose?

AvaTrade

CFD/FX Choose AvaTrade if you want a CFD and forex broker with MetaTrader 5.

Open Account 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
IG Markets

CFD/FX Choose IG Markets if you want an online CFD broker with TradingView, ProRealTime and a wide choice of markets.

Stocks Choose IG Markets if you want a broker for securities investing with commission-free US stocks, no minimum deposit and options.

Open Account 74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

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