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 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Capital.com stands out with pricing that is slightly better than the industry average. Capital.com provides a universal account for retail traders and a professional account for those who qualify, though it's essential to note that professional clients do not receive the same regulatory protection. The platform's competitive edge is evident in its dynamic spread for the EUR/USD, which averages 0.67 pips, as verified in April 2024. This lower-than-average spread makes Capital.com an appealing option for those seeking affordable forex trading. The platform has earned a top-tier rating of 5 stars in this category and is ranked third out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
In comparison, AvaTrade offers competitive spreads that hover just under one pip (0.9 pips as of June 2024), aligning closely with the industry average. However, these spreads are slightly higher than those available through entry-level accounts from brokers like CMC Markets and Tickmill. For professional traders who qualify, AvaTrade offers even more competitive spreads at 0.6 pips, similar to what FP Markets offers. Despite its slightly higher average spreads for entry-level accounts, AvaTrade garners a solid 4.5-star rating and is ranked 12th in the Commissions and Fees category out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
| 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.
When comparing Capital.com and AvaTrade in terms of their range of investments, both platforms provide diverse options for traders. Capital.com stands out with an extensive array of 5,585 tradeable symbols, significantly more than AvaTrade's 1,260. In particular, Capital.com offers access to 125 forex pairs compared to AvaTrade's 53, giving forex traders a wider selection. Both platforms provide forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, but neither offers direct purchasing of exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international markets, such as Apple or Vodafone shares. For cryptocurrency enthusiasts, both brokers allow trading in cryptocurrency derivatives, though they don't offer the actual cryptocurrencies.
Another key difference is the availability of copy trading, which is supported by AvaTrade but not by Capital.com, giving AvaTrade an edge for those interested in mirroring the trades of successful investors. Despite this, Capital.com is rated slightly higher with 4.5 stars for its range of investments compared to AvaTrade's 4 stars. In rankings by ForexBrokers.com, Capital.com is positioned at #21 out of 63 brokers, surpassing AvaTrade, which is ranked at #32. Overall, Capital.com caters to traders seeking a broader range of investment opportunities, while AvaTrade appeals to those interested in copy trading functionalities.
| 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.
Capital.com and AvaTrade both provide valuable resources for traders seeking informed decision-making. Capital.com excels with its daily market commentary, delivering insights that keep users updated on market trends. Both platforms provide Forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders receive timely and reliable information. However, while Capital.com utilizes sentiment-based tools to show the ratio of long or short positions and features research from TipRanks, AvaTrade compensates with essential technical insights from Trading Central, offering diverse strategies for traders.
In terms of research tools and rankings, Capital.com receives a slight edge with a 4.5-star rating compared to AvaTrade's 4-star rating from ForexBrokers.com. Capital.com is also ranked #14 among 63 brokers, while AvaTrade holds the #34 position. Both brokers offer valuable economic calendars that help traders stay aware of global economic events. While neither uses tools from Autochartist or Acuity Trading, their offerings cater to various trading styles, making them solid choices for traders seeking comprehensive market research.
| 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
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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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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 87 | 94 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Capital.com Review | AvaTrade Review |
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| Regulation | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 87 | 94 | |
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | 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). |
| Cost | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | Yes | |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 80 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 60 | 13 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | 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 Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | 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 |
| Major Forex Pairs | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Capital.com Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Overall | Capital.com | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 87 | 94 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Capital.com Review | AvaTrade Review |
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