Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index 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.
City Index and AvaTrade are both established online brokers, each with distinct regulatory credentials. City Index, a publicly traded company since its founding in 1983, is recognized for its exemplary trustworthiness, boasting the highest possible ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99. This veteran broker holds 7 Tier-1 licenses, representing the highest level of regulatory compliance, along with 1 Tier-2 license. In comparison, AvaTrade, established in 2006, operates privately and holds an impressive Trust Score of 94. AvaTrade maintains a solid regulatory portfolio with 4 Tier-1 licenses and 3 Tier-2 licenses.
While neither City Index nor AvaTrade operates as a bank, both brokers uphold strong regulatory standards. City Index is noteworthy for its extensive range of Tier-1 licenses, indicating a broad global regulatory approval, which is pivotal for investors prioritizing high trust. AvaTrade, although younger and not publicly listed, still benefits from a substantial number of regulatory endorsements, ensuring a high level of trust for its users. Both brokers cater well to traders with an eye for regulation and security but stand apart in their market tenure and public ownership.
| Feature |
City Index
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
City Index and AvaTrade both deliver commissions and fees that sit around the industry average, each earning 4.5 out of 5 stars for pricing. In our category rankings, AvaTrade places #13 out of 63 brokers, while City Index comes in at #15. The headline difference: AvaTrade’s typical spreads are about 0.9 pips on EUR/USD (June 2024), whereas City Index averages 0.74 pips (July 2023) when using its own platforms or MetaTrader.
City Index’s pricing is competitive for CFDs, forex, and spread betting, though still trails the very lowest-cost brokers like Tickmill and FP Markets. Active traders may qualify for the Premium Trader account by depositing more than £10,000, unlocking exclusive pricing and dedicated support. High-volume traders can also earn rebates: in the U.K., £4 per million when trading over £25M per month, scaling up to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, the rebate ranges from AUD $4.5 to $14.5 per million depending on tier.
AvaTrade’s standard spreads hover just under one pip (0.9), which is slightly higher than entry-level accounts at CMC Markets and Tickmill. If you qualify as an elected professional, AvaTrade’s Professional account tightens spreads to about 0.6 pips on EUR/USD—comparable to FP Markets—making it a compelling option for eligible high-skill, high-volume traders.
| Feature |
City Index
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 0.93 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.61 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
City Index and AvaTrade both let you trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts, and both support copy trading. Neither broker offers exchange-traded stocks on U.S. or international exchanges, so you can’t buy actual shares like Apple or Vodafone through them. For crypto, both brokers allow trading via derivatives but do not offer direct purchase of actual cryptocurrencies.
City Index delivers a wider selection overall, with 13,500 tradeable symbols and 66 forex pairs, compared with AvaTrade’s 1,260 symbols and 53 pairs. Reflecting this breadth, City Index earns 5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers for Range of Investments, while AvaTrade holds 4 stars and ranks #33. If you want the broadest market coverage, City Index is the stronger pick, while AvaTrade still covers key markets with copy trading available.
| Feature |
City Index
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1260 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 53 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
City Index and AvaTrade both check key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo (paper) account for practice, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. They both support MetaTrader 4 (MT4); only AvaTrade adds MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which could sway you if you prefer the newer MetaTrader experience.
Both brokers include copy trading and let you place trades directly from charts. For Trading Platforms and Tools, ForexBrokers.com rates each at 4.5 out of 5 stars. City Index ranks #11 out of 63 brokers in this category, while AvaTrade ranks #13. If you need MT5, AvaTrade has the edge; otherwise, the decision may come down to which platform layout you like best.
| Feature |
City Index
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 80 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
City Index and AvaTrade both offer well-made mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts and keeps your watchlists in sync across devices and the web, so changes you make in one place show up everywhere. That makes it easy to track markets and act quickly while you’re on the move.
For charting, City Index includes 88 technical studies versus AvaTrade’s 73, and both let you draw trendlines. City Index also auto-saves your chart drawings, while AvaTrade does not. Both apps earn 4.5 out of 5 stars, but City Index ranks higher for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com (#9 out of 63) compared with AvaTrade (#13). If you value more built-in indicators and saved drawings, City Index has the edge; otherwise, the two are closely matched for everyday mobile trading.
| Feature |
City Index
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 73 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
City Index vs AvaTrade research comparison: City Index stands out by offering daily market commentary, while AvaTrade does not. Both brokers deliver forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and both integrate Trading Central for technical and fundamental insights. Each provides a sentiment tool that shows long/short positioning and an economic calendar for upcoming events. Neither broker includes Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading (Signal Centre) tools.
On performance, City Index holds a higher research score at 4.5/5 and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with AvaTrade’s 4/5 score and #35 ranking. If you want daily commentary and a higher-rated research experience, City Index has the edge; if you just need core research features like premium news, sentiment data, and Trading Central, AvaTrade covers the essentials.
| Feature |
City Index
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing education for beginners at City Index vs. AvaTrade: both brokers run online client webinars at least once a month, which is helpful for learning in real time; however, it isn’t specified whether either site offers a searchable archive of past sessions. Each broker provides at least 10 beginner-friendly trading videos and 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to deepen your skills. It’s not specified whether either broker meets a 10-piece threshold for dedicated forex/CFD education or offers an investor dictionary with 50+ terms.
City Index is rated 4.5/5 for Education, while AvaTrade is rated 4/5. Even so, ForexBrokers.com ranks AvaTrade higher in the Education category (#2 of 63) compared with City Index (#9 of 63). If you want a higher category placement, AvaTrade leads; if you prefer the slightly higher star score, City Index has the edge. For beginners, both brokers’ video libraries and live webinars provide a straightforward starting path; check each site for details on archived webinars, glossaries, and forex/CFD course libraries.
| Feature |
City Index
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that City Index is better than AvaTrade. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #13.
Backed by StoneX Group, City Index is a trusted brand known for its versatile trading platforms, excellent mobile app, diverse market research, and extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
City Index
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AvaTrade
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 94 |
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Both City Index and AvaTrade provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither offers the ability to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies.
Comparing deposit and withdrawal methods, City Index supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire transfers but not Skrill, while AvaTrade offers PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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 | City Index | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 94 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | AvaTrade | |
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| Regulation | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 94 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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) | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1260 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 53 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 0.93 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.61 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 80 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 73 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | City Index Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Overall | City Index | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 94 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | AvaTrade Review |
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