AvaTrade Experience 2021 - Serious Broker or Pure Scam?
Quality
speed
cost
The big AvaTrade test: What does the platform offer, how high are the fees and is the offer safe? You can find the answers in this AvaTrade review.
If you want to trade cryptocurrencies, there are countless platforms to choose from on the internet. With these so-called brokers, you have the possibility to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. Reputable providers allow the investor to create a portfolio that includes the different coins.
The question now arises as to which platform is the right one for trading bitcoin and co. One provider that enjoys some popularity is AvaTrade. AvaTrade is one of the larger providers on the market and, according to its own statement, has a dedicated user community.
But is AvaTrade really reputable? To answer this question, we took a closer look at the website and also took a look at the fee schedule. Unfortunately, there are often providers who are unprofitable for investors due to high fees. If you want to choose the right provider, you should take a close look at it in advance to make sure that the chosen broker is actually a good partner for trading cryptocurrencies. AvaTrade is only one of many providers, so it is worth analysing the advantages and disadvantages of this platform.
Is AvaTrade recommendable?
In principle, AvaTrade is a reputable provider, but it still has some weaknesses.
1) The registration process is much more complicated than with other brokers. 2) The fees at AvaTrade are comparatively high.
2) The fees at AvaTrade are comparatively high.
3). there are more user-friendly alternatives
Our recommendation is therefore to open an account with a trading platform that does not have these disadvantages. The test winner from our comparison is eToro.
The key data for AvaTrade
Key data | AvaTrade |
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Seat | Dublin, Ireland |
Minimum deposit | 100 euros |
regulation | Yes, IFSC |
Trading platforms | MT4, AvaTrader, Webtrader, Apps |
Deposit insurance | max. 50,000 EUR / customer |
bonus | Yes, when you open an account |
Spreads | from 0.25 |
Max. Leverage | 400: 1 |
What is behind AvaTrade?
AvaTrade, based in Dublin, specialises in trading foreign exchange and CFDs. The online broker offers its users its own trading platform, but trading is also possible via MT4, Webtrader and smartphone apps.
The trading offer includes foreign exchange and CFDs on shares, commodities, indices, bonds, cryptos, ETFs and index funds.
AvaTrade Review: Serious or to be taken with a grain of salt?
Is AvaTrade reputable? Often on the internet, especially in the field of cryptocurrencies, you come across providers who work with dubious methods. While some dubious trading platforms are designed directly for scam, others try to take advantage of investors through excessive fees and opaque trading methods.
Scam can be largely ruled out at AvaTrade. Nevertheless, there are still some doubts about the seriousness of AvaTrade. For example, the website states that AvaTrade is controlled by the financial authorities in Ireland, but it is not easy to find out exactly where the company is based. AvaTrade claims to have all the necessary licences and wants to be a solid partner in cryptocurrency trading.
AvaTrade - Background and History
Financial and web commerce experts founded the platform in 2006 with the intention of providing traders with a perfect online experience in the Forex market. AvaTrade was called Ava FX until 2013. With the name change, the founders wanted to express the expansion to a variety of financial services.
Already in 2013, AvaTrade's customers included more than 200,000 traders in over 160 countries. More than two million trades were executed via the platform at that time.
AvaTrade - The Offer
- If you are looking for a suitable broker with whom you can trade the various coins, you should first clarify a few other points in addition to the fee schedule before you create an account.
- Firstly, it is important that the online broker actually supports the selected cryptocurrencies that you intend to trade. Furthermore, the website should be user-friendly and not have any major problems with the registration process. You should also pay attention to how the deposit and withdrawal process works and whether there are any additional fees.
- Last but not least, customer support is an important factor, especially for newcomers to the world of cryptocurrencies. But experienced users should also benefit from this, in case any questions arise that you want to have answered quickly. Whether AvaTrade meets these factors will be clarified in the following in order to give investors an overview of whether AvaTrade can be the right online broker.
- Subsequently, opinions from other users must also be included for this AvaTrade review. Since every trading experience is subjective, it is always advisable not to rely solely on one judgement, but to also include other experiences.
The trading offer of AvaTrade
The other trading offerings include:
CFDs (on stocks, cryptos, bonds, indices ETFs, commodities, options, futures). |
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In total, traders can trade more than 1,250 assets at AvaTrade. In terms of crypto CFDs, traders can choose from the digital currencies Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, Ripple, Stellar, Dash - 10, NEO, Miota, Crypto10 Index, EOS - 14 as well as BTC/JPY and BTC/EUR.
CFDs at AvaTrade
AvaTrade allows its users to trade CFDs on shares and indices as well as commodities and other assets. Traders can benefit from a maximum leverage of 1:400. Trading with the underlying assets is uncomplicated, but it must be noted that business with contracts for difference is highly speculative.
AvaTrade charges neither administration nor exchange fees for CFD trading. Spreads start from 0.25 points and traders can trade via AvaTrader and also MetaTrader 4.
Cryptos at AvaTrade
AvaTrade also offers its customers trading in cryptos - around the clock! The offer includes:
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AvaTrade also does not charge any transaction fees when trading cryptos, but it does charge competitive spreads. The minimum trading amount is 100 euros and the trader can view live prices and charts at any time.
AvaTrade - Supported cryptocurrencies
On the homepage of AvaTrade there is a separate submenu explaining the supported cryptocurrencies. According to its own statement, AvaTrade specialises primarily in Bitcoin, Bitcoin Gold, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ripple and Ethereum. Thus, this platform is only interesting for investors who want to speculate primarily with these large cryptocurrencies.
If, on the other hand, you want to build up your portfolio more broadly, AvaTrade is not an option, as the trading platform also supports other coins, but is not specialised in them. Anyone who trades in cryptocurrencies should know relatively precisely which coins they want to focus on. For example, if you want to trade primarily with Ripple and Dogecoin, you should look for another provider, as AvaTrade fully supports Ripple, but trading with Dogecoin can already cause problems.
Other online brokers often offer a much larger selection. If, on the other hand, an investor is only interested in trading bitcoin, AvaTrade may be an option under certain circumstances. It could not be discussed exactly to what extent AvaTrade also supports other cryptocurrencies. However, the fact that only the aforementioned coins have their own entries on the homepage suggests that investors seem to be limited to these currencies.
The trading platforms at AvaTrade
The trading platforms at AvaTrade include:
AvaTrader |  |
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AvaTrader is user-friendly and is used by novice and professional traders alike. With this trading platform, additional offers are available, such as Auto Trading, where trading strategies can be legally adopted by professional traders. Thanks to "ZuluTrade", fully automated trading is also possible.
The MetaTrader 4 is also impressive, because this trading platform is also user-friendly and can be personalised. The MT4 offers a wide range of services, for example the programming of automatic strategies with Expert Advisors.
AvaTrade in the test: User-friendliness
The user-friendliness of a trading platform does not only mean how easy it is to trade, but also how simple the registration procedure is. In addition, you should not have to do a lot of work if you want to transfer your cryptocurrencies from a hardware wallet to the platform, for example.
In our test, you could quickly create your own account, even if some details were necessary. However, if you then wanted to trade with this account, the website could sometimes seem a little confusing to newcomers. It took some time to familiarise oneself with the various settings and trading options. AvaTrade is also not necessarily a pioneer in terms of design. For some, the website may often seem a bit cluttered, so it can take some time to get to the desired menu item.
However, trading itself is relatively smooth. It should be noted that you should check the fee schedule in advance.
On the whole, the conclusion regarding user-friendliness is slightly positive. Although there are trading platforms that make it much easier for newcomers, if you are already somewhat experienced in handling the website, you will quickly make progress without major complications.
The step-by-step guide to opening an account with AvaTrade
Traders can open an account on the AvaTrade website within minutes with a few personal details.
To open an account, click on "Open account" in the top right-hand corner and enter your first and last name, email address and telephone number. However, it is also possible to simply register with your Google or Facebook account.
Anyone who wants to trade with real money via AvaTrade must provide proof of identity and address, for example via an ID and a utility bill showing the address.
AvaTrade Deposit and Withdrawal
The deposit and withdrawal procedure depends on the trader that is ultimately chosen. At AvaTrade, there are various options to choose from when trading cryptocurrencies. For example, Metatrader 4 or AvaOptions can be selected alongside several others. Every single platform is designed differently, either you download a software directly or you trade online.
For newcomers, the easiest way to make a deposit will be to choose the credit card. Apart from that, there are various alternatives to choose from depending on the platform. It may seem a little confusing at first which platform offers what exactly. However, various explanations have been placed on the AvaTrade homepage, which should make the choice easier.
Here, too, it becomes apparent that the platform can often seem confusing, especially for newcomers. Anyone who decides to use AvaTrade will have to invest quite a bit of time in looking through the various options before they can actually start trading. Those who want to do without too much decision-making and prefer to have all the options available on one platform should rather try another online broker.
Leverage and conditions at AvaTrade
The maximum possible AvaTrade leverage for Forex trading is 1:200. When trading CFDs, even a leverage of 1:400 is possible. In the EUR / USD area, the leverage is rather high at 3 pips.
The training offered by AvaTrade
AvaTrade's educational offerings include:
- Trading webinars (registration required)
- Useful e-books and topic pages for newbies
AvaTrade's training offer makes a professional impression and is clearly laid out. However, trading FAQs, seminars, an encyclopaedia or manuals on trading software are missing. The transfer of know-how is clearly oriented towards trading novices. This is particularly evident in the topic pages.
However, e-books are available to traders free of charge, which can be downloaded by every registered user.
The AvaTrade demo account
The Avatrade demo account is a free and non-binding opportunity to test and get to know the broker without risk. The demo version is equipped with play money of 100,000 euros and is limited to 21 days. During three weeks, the trader can simulate trades and practice strategies; the trading conditions are real.
Even in the test version, users can choose between AvaTrader or MetaQuotes' MT4. AvaTrade scores here with the order types and order add-ons. Apart from stop orders, entry orders and trailing stops, traders also have essential limit order types at their disposal.
With "If done" and "One cancels the other" (OCO), the trader can also choose useful order additions. These are easy to find on the website.
The bonus at AvaTrade
Although there is a bonus when opening an account, this is not available to registered traders on a permanent basis. However, traders have certain benefits depending on the account model, such as trading webinars, live market news, online courses and access to the autochartist.
In addition, there are time-limited bonuses such as the deposit bonus, which was 35% during the federal election.
The AvaTrade account models
AvaTrade's account models include:
Silver
Gold
Platinum
AVA Select
The Silver Account
While the Silver Account is geared towards newbies, it must be clearly stated that Forex and CFD trading is not suitable for beginners.
The minimum deposit for this account type is 100 euros and after three months of inactivity, AvaTrade charges a fee of 20 euros. Because the broker acts as a market maker, as with all other account models, a conflict of interest arises here between the platform and the trader. AvaTrade therefore earns via the spreads.
The trading platform here includes AvaTrader and MT4.
The Gold Account
According to the provider, the Gold Account is tailored to advanced traders. In contrast to the silver account, however, the minimum deposit here is 1,000 euros. The trader has access to daily trading signals via the Autochartist tool.
The Platinum Account
The platinum account is suitable for frequent traders. Here, the minimum deposit is 10,000 euros. In return, the trader receives access to the "direct trading room". However, this is not a professionally oriented ECN or STP brokerage offer.
The AVA Select account
For this account, the trader even needs at least 100,000 euros. We could not determine any actual added value for the user in our AvaTrade test. The only thing that caught our eye was the possibility to further increase the leverage after consulting AvaTrade. However, professional traders hardly want to increase a leverage between 1:200 and 1:400 any further.
AvaTrade Review: Customer Support
In the area of customer support, AvaTrade makes a decent impression. For almost every country, a telephone number in the respective home language is available and AvaTrade also has a live chat. Live chats are the gold standard in the area of customer support, as they are able to answer any questions quickly and easily. The important thing here is that the employee is competent, but this can only be verified in individual cases.
On the AvaTrade homepage, you also have the option of consulting the various FAQs and the glossary. This gives you the opportunity to quickly find out about the most common questions yourself and to have some of AvaTrade's special features explained to you. In addition to further education on cryptocurrencies, you can also get information on classic forex trading or CFDs.
When visiting the website, you can see that a lot of emphasis was apparently placed on functioning customer support and answering questions that arise. However, whether this makes up for the rather average user-friendliness, especially the confusion of the homepage, remains to be seen. Nevertheless, AvaTrade has done a lot right in terms of customer support and wants to live up to its role as a partner for investors.
Security and regulation at AvaTrade
AvaTrade is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, and is therefore regulated by the Irish Financial Services Commission (IFSC). The online broker also has offices in other European cities as well as South Africa, Australia, Japan and the British Virgin Islands.
The login area and the website are secure thanks to SSL encryption. Negative press reports cannot be found, but in terms of security tips and danger warnings, there is clearly room for improvement at AvaTrade. The online broker does not offer any notification service in this regard.
At least deposits are protected thanks to the regulation with the AvaTrade margin call of 50,000 euros per customer.
AvaTrade - What are the reviews?
Our AvaTrade review has highlighted a number of points that speak both for and against using this trading platform. Now we need to see what other users think of this trading platform provider. To do this, we go to the relevant forums that deal with the various providers. We quickly find reports of experiences with AvaTrade.
Many experiences show that it was not entirely clear to many users at the beginning that AvaTrade is not an online broker in the narrower sense, but only provides various trading platforms of its own. Here and there, it is seen as cumbersome to first have to decide on an option. There are different opinions about the user-friendliness of the respective platforms. While the "Meta Trader", for example, is often described as relatively clear and easy to use, users seem to be somewhat more biased towards the "Mactrader".
It is almost impossible to make a comprehensive judgement about the different user experiences, as these ultimately depend strongly on the respective platform. However, the customer support, which was able to quickly answer questions that arose for many investors, stands out positively here as well. If you want to summarise the different opinions that exist about AvaTrade, the picture is quite mixed.
While some swear by this broker, others are convinced that there are much easier ways to trade cryptocurrencies. It should be noted that most reviews do not deal with cryptocurrencies, but rather with classic forex or CFD trading.
If you search for reviews on the net, you will read both positive and negative ones, but AvaTrade is a reputable platform. However, one should be aware of the various weaknesses that AvaTrade has.
Reviews of AvaTrade on the internet
Here is an AvaTrade Review by Michael Becker who wrote the following on 1/22/2019:
"Have been stalled for days with new ticket numbers as I cannot debit the full amount. It has supposedly been forwarded to the appropriate office. Could try to debit the partial amount, but could imagine that I would then be the same as someone else. They want to have the same account, but don't offer a payout through it at all. I paid in with Paypal. I don't think they want to pay out at all."
M.H., who wrote an AvaTrade review on 2 Jan 2019, also left no good marks on the broker:
"It's very simple. You give them money and you never see it again. The place should just be shut down."
An anonymous user, on the other hand, who left a review on 28/02/2018, was convinced by AvaTrade:
"1% p.a. on most stocks convinced me, and I was looking for that for a long time. I am not a day trader. My positions sometimes stay open for three months. That's why I need cheap swaps. The customer service seems to have improved massively since the last reviews.
The opinions on AvaTrade are therefore different. Those who prefer not to open an account with AvaTrade have a good AvaTrade alternative with our test winner eToro.
eToro is especially known for its social trading function, with which traders can profit from experienced traders and legally copy their strategies. The regulated broker also convinces with many other features and low fees.
Advantages and disadvantages of AvaTrade
Our AvaTrade test was able to provide a first insight into this online broker. It turned out that AvaTrade often seems a bit overloaded and not very user-friendly, especially for newcomers. In the meantime, there are countless providers that allow trading with cryptocurrencies. Therefore, the competitive pressure is naturally high and allows investors to approach a platform with high expectations.
AvaTrade is also only recommended for users who are primarily interested in trading Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, Ripple, Ethereum and Litecoin. According to their own statement, these cryptocurrencies are particularly supported. If you want to trade other coins, however, AvaTrade can only be recommended to a limited extent. A plus point, on the other hand, is the customer support area. As soon as questions arise, it is quickly possible to fall back on this.
Particularly noteworthy is the existence of a live chat, which can make it easy for investors to quickly access answers. If one is looking for a suitable online broker, one can definitely give AvaTrade a chance. Nevertheless, one has to reckon with some working time that is necessary before one has actually understood the various trading platforms that are offered.
Pros
Cons
AvaTrade experience: The conclusion
On the whole, AvaTrade made a thoroughly reputable impression. However, if you decide to use this platform, you should first be prepared to get to grips with the various sub-platforms that are offered. AvaTrade is therefore recommended more for advanced users who also want to trade primarily with the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Bitcoin Gold, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin and Ripple. These cryptocurrencies are particularly supported.
AvaTrade makes a good impression in the area of customer support. Nevertheless, newcomers in particular are advised not to use this site, as it can be difficult to decide on the right strategy and thus the right AvaTrade sub-platform. Nevertheless, you can't go wrong with an AvaTrade account for the time being, even though more attractive online brokers can be found as alternatives.
Recommended alternative to AvaTrade: eToro
If you want to buy Bitcoin quickly, we recommend the broker eToro. Besides a clear user interface, government regulation and copy trading, the big advantage of the platform is that both Bitcoin CFDs and real Bitcoin are available for trading. Moreover, with ~1.8% total costs, eToro also proves to be the top dog in terms of price.
Exchange and wallet in one
Regulated provider
Deposit with PayPal, credit card, SOFORT transfer and more
Over 14 other cryptos tradable
Equities and ETFs also available
FAQ
AvaTrade is a foreign exchange and CFD broker. Through AvaTrade, it is therefore possible to trade currency pairs and contracts for difference, where you do not own real securities but speculate on the performance. However, AvaTrade also enables trading with CFDs on shares, cryptos, commodities and other financial instruments.
Yes, the broker is regulated by the Irish Financial Services Commission (IFSC) and operates seriously.
Under certain circumstances, yes; making profits is absolutely possible and the platform is reputable.
The prerequisite is knowledge about the financial instrument in which one invests. Basically, it must be noted that cryptocurrencies are highly volatile and trading is therefore always risky. However, for those who are familiar with trading, the luck of the brave is not far away!
