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 competitive commissions and fees, each earning a 4.5 out of 5 stars for pricing. In ForexBrokers.com’s Commissions and Fees rankings, AvaTrade places #14 of 63, while City Index is #16 of 63. The gap is small, so your choice may hinge on the exact spreads you trade and whether you qualify for professional or active-trader perks.
City Index’s pricing for CFDs, forex, and spread betting is in line with the industry average, with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.74 pips (July 2023). You’ll generally get the best pricing on City Index’s own platforms or MetaTrader. Active clients can also benefit: the Premium Trader account (for deposits above £10,000, subject to eligibility) unlocks exclusive pricing and dedicated service. For higher-volume traders, rebates start at £4 per million in the U.K. when trading over £25M per month and rise to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, rebates range from AUD $4.5 to AUD $14.5 per million depending on tier.
AvaTrade’s typical EUR/USD spread is 0.9 pips (June 2024), which sits near the market average, though it’s a touch wider than some entry-level accounts at CMC Markets and Tickmill. If you qualify as an elected professional trader, AvaTrade’s Professional account offers tighter pricing at 0.6 pips—comparable to FP Markets—making it a compelling option for experienced, higher-volume traders.
| Feature |
City Index
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 0.93 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 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 vs AvaTrade: when it comes to range of investments, City Index offers a far wider selection of markets. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or as spot contracts, include copy trading, and offer cryptocurrency trading via CFDs (not actual coins). Neither broker lets you buy real, exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international stock markets.
City Index lists about 13,500 tradeable symbols and 66 forex pairs, while AvaTrade offers around 1,260 symbols and 53 pairs. Reflecting this breadth, ForexBrokers.com rates City Index 5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked 8th of 63 brokers), compared with AvaTrade’s 4-star rating (ranked 26th).
| 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 account for paper trading, a proprietary platform, a downloadable Windows desktop platform, and a web-based platform you can use in your browser. Copy trading is available at both brokers. MetaTrader 4 (MT4) is supported by both, while only AvaTrade also offers MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can place trades directly from charts with either broker.
Specific counts for built-in technical indicators and watchlist columns were not provided. In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, both brokers earned 4.5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, with City Index ranked #11 of 63 and AvaTrade ranked #13 of 63. In short: if you want MT5, AvaTrade has it; otherwise, both deliver similar platform breadth, strong chart trading, and easy access to copy trading and demo accounts.
| 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 full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts and watchlist syncing with your online account, so changes carry over across devices. Both let you draw trendlines on charts, making it easier to mark support and resistance or track trends while on the go.
For charting tools, City Index offers 88 technical studies, while AvaTrade provides 73. A key difference: City Index auto-saves your chart drawings, whereas AvaTrade does not. Despite both earning 4.5 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, City Index holds a higher position in ForexBrokers.com’s rankings (#9 of 63) compared with AvaTrade (#13 of 63).
| 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 |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing City Index and AvaTrade on market research, 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 provide Trading Central tools, a sentiment gauge showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. Neither broker includes Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools.
City Index is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, whereas AvaTrade earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #28. Choose City Index if you want frequent insights and higher-rated research features; pick AvaTrade if core news, sentiment, and calendar coverage are enough.
| 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.
City Index and AvaTrade both make it easy for beginners to learn forex and CFDs. Each broker offers at least 10 beginner-focused trading videos and runs client webinars at least once a month, so new traders can learn step-by-step and ask questions in real time. Both brands also provide 10+ advanced videos, giving you room to grow from basics to more complex strategies as your skills improve.
For education quality, City Index is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers, while AvaTrade is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63. If you want a slightly higher education score, City Index has the edge; if you prefer a broker that sits near the top of the field by ranking, AvaTrade stands out. Either way, beginners will find plenty of videos and ongoing webinars to get started with confidence.
| 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 #15.
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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In the City Index vs AvaTrade comparison for cryptocurrency trading, neither broker offers actual (delivered) crypto purchases, but both provide access to cryptocurrency CFDs.
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 (FSA 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 account | 1.4 | 0.93 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 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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