Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Capital.com vs AvaTrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
When comparing online brokers Capital.com and AvaTrade, it's important to consider their regulatory standings and trust scores. Founded in 2016, Capital.com holds three Tier-1 licenses, considered highly trusted, and one Tier-2 license. According to ForexBrokers.com, their Trust Score is 87, categorizing them as a trusted broker. Capital.com, not publicly traded nor a bank, presents a reliable choice with significant regulatory oversight.
On the other hand, AvaTrade, established in 2006, boasts four Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, underlining their strong regulatory compliance. They achieve a Trust Score of 94, which places them in the highly trusted range according to ForexBrokers.com. Like Capital.com, AvaTrade is neither publicly traded nor a bank, offering a similarly stable environment for traders with even higher trust ratings based on their regulatory credentials.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
Choosing between Capital.com and AvaTrade on commissions and fees? Capital.com generally comes out cheaper. Its pricing is slightly better than the industry average, while AvaTrade sits close to the average.
Capital.com’s dynamic EUR/USD spread averaged 0.6712 pips in April 2024 (about 0.67 pips), which is low for retail forex trading. AvaTrade’s typical EUR/USD spread was about 0.9 pips as of June 2024—competitive, though not as tight as Capital.com. Both brokers offer retail and professional accounts: Capital.com has a universal retail account and a professional account for eligible traders (note: professional clients do not receive the same regulatory protections as retail). AvaTrade’s Professional account offers spreads around 0.6 pips for qualified traders.
Verdict on value: Capital.com is rated 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees at ForexBrokers.com. AvaTrade is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #13 out of 63. For most retail EUR/USD traders focused on the lowest spreads, Capital.com is the stronger pick, while AvaTrade becomes more attractive if you qualify for its Professional pricing.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.67 | 0.93 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.67 | 0.61 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Capital.com offers a wider range of investments than AvaTrade, with 5,585 tradeable symbols versus AvaTrade’s 1,260. Forex traders get more choice at Capital.com, too, with 125 currency pairs compared with 53 at AvaTrade. Both brokers support forex trading and let you speculate on cryptocurrencies through derivatives, but neither lets you buy actual crypto. Also note: neither broker provides direct share dealing on U.S. or international exchanges (no ability to buy real stocks like Apple or Vodafone).
If you want copy trading, AvaTrade has it while Capital.com does not. Based on the breadth of products, Capital.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked #23 of 63 by ForexBrokers.com), while AvaTrade scores 4 out of 5 stars (ranked #33 of 63). In short, Capital.com suits traders seeking more markets and forex pairs, whereas AvaTrade may appeal if copy trading is a priority.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5585 | 1260 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 125 | 53 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Capital.com and AvaTrade both offer users the chance to try their platforms with free virtual demo accounts, making them great choices for beginners seeking to hone their trading skills without risk. Each broker developed their own proprietary platform and also provides access to the popular MetaTrader 4. However, AvaTrade extends its offering to include MetaTrader 5 and features like DupliTrade and ZuluTrade, enabling a range of automated and social trading capabilities that Capital.com does not offer. When it comes to accessibility, both brokers ensure flexibility with platforms available on Windows desktops and via web browsers.
For traders interested in technical analysis, Capital.com stands out with a greater selection of drawing tools, boasting 60 compared to AvaTrade's 13. Both offer the convenience of trading directly from a stock chart. Watch list management is slightly more detailed at Capital.com with 11 columns available compared to AvaTrade’s 7. Both brokers have earned a commendable 4.5-star rating for their trading platforms and tools. Despite the similar ratings, Capital.com edges ahead in rankings by ForexBrokers.com, holding the 10th position out of 63 brokers, while AvaTrade is in the 13th spot, reflecting nuanced user preferences and potentially more versatile features at Capital.com.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | Yes |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 80 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 60 | 13 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Capital.com and AvaTrade provide solid mobile trading experiences, each offering apps for both iPhone and Android devices. Both mobile apps come equipped with essential features like stock or forex price alerts and the ability to view multiple time frames for stock and forex charts. They also allow drawing trendlines on charts, which is useful for technical analysis. However, users of Capital.com can enjoy the convenience of auto-saving their chart drawings, a feature absent from AvaTrade's app.
While both platforms have equally impressive 4.5-star ratings for their mobile trading apps, their offerings diverge in other areas. Capital.com supports creating watchlists with real-time quotes, but it lacks the ability to sync watchlists across devices, a convenience available to AvaTrade users. In terms of charting tools, Capital.com provides 30 technical studies, whereas AvaTrade outshines with 73. Even so, ForexBrokers.com ranks Capital.com slightly higher, at #11, compared to AvaTrade's #13 spot among 63 brokers. This makes each app suitable for different trader needs, depending on the features they prioritize.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 73 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing market research at Capital.com vs AvaTrade: Capital.com offers daily market commentary and integrates TipRanks research, giving traders frequent insights alongside stock-focused data. Both brokers stream forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, provide an economic calendar, and include a sentiment-based trading tool that shows long/short positioning. Neither broker features Autochartist or tools from Acuity Trading. AvaTrade’s key addition is access to Trading Central’s analysis tools, which Capital.com does not provide.
Bottom line: choose Capital.com if you want frequent in-house commentary plus TipRanks-powered research; pick AvaTrade if Trading Central’s technical analysis is a priority. According to ForexBrokers.com, Capital.com is rated 4.5/5 stars for Research and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers, while AvaTrade earns 4/5 stars and ranks #35.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing educational resources for beginners between Capital.com and AvaTrade, both online brokers offer a variety of educational materials. Capital.com provides over 10 educational pieces, including articles and videos focused on forex and CFDs. They also deliver a collection of beginner and advanced educational videos, as well as a comprehensive investor dictionary. Additionally, Capital.com offers a searchable archive of recorded webinars for easy access, although they do not host regular online educational webinars. With a 4.5-star rating in education, Capital.com is positioned as a strong option for those starting out, ranked #8 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
AvaTrade similarly offers a robust selection of educational resources for beginners and experienced traders alike, with more than 10 educational articles and videos dedicated to forex and CFDs. Their offerings include an investor dictionary and a plethora of beginner and advanced trading videos. AvaTrade stands out by providing regular monthly educational webinars and a searchable archive of past webinars to aid continuous learning. While AvaTrade is rated 4 stars for education, it holds a higher rank of #2 among 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, making it a noteworthy choice for educational support in trading.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Capital.com is better than AvaTrade. Capital.com finished with an overall rank of #10, while AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #13.
Capital.com stands out for its quality research, strong educational content, and innovative web platform. Capital.com holds fewer regulatory licenses and offers a narrower range of markets than some of the best brokers, but still significantly outperforms the industry average.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 87 | 94 |
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Both Capital.com and AvaTrade do not provide the option to purchase actual cryptocurrencies, but they do offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both Capital.com and AvaTrade provide the same range of deposit and withdrawal options, including PayPal, Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but neither offers ACH or SEPA transfers.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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| Trust Score | 87 | 94 | |
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| Review | Capital.com Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
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