Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets 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.
CMC Markets and AvaTrade are both established online brokers, but CMC Markets stands out on trust and regulation. Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is publicly traded, is not a bank, and holds 6 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, giving it a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99. Under ForexBrokers.com’s rating scale, that places CMC Markets in the highly trusted category.
AvaTrade, founded in 2006, is not publicly traded and is also not a bank. It holds 4 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses, with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 96 out of 99, which also puts it in the highly trusted range. While both brokers score well, CMC Markets has the stronger regulatory profile and a higher trust rating overall.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 4 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
CMC Markets comes out ahead of AvaTrade on commissions and fees, making it the better pick for traders focused on keeping costs low. CMC Markets earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees at ForexBrokers.com. It is known for consistently low spreads across all account types, with typical EUR/USD spreads around 0.61 pips, and its FX Active pricing can bring the all-in cost on some major pairs down to 0.5 pips after commission.
AvaTrade is still competitive, but its pricing is a bit higher overall. It receives 4.5 stars and ranks #14 out of 36 brokers for Commissions and Fees. Its standard spreads are close to the industry average at about 0.9 pips on EUR/USD, while professional traders who qualify may see tighter pricing around 0.6 pips.
For most traders, CMC Markets offers the stronger value on trading costs, especially for frequent forex trading and those who qualify for its active trader discounts. AvaTrade may still appeal to traders who want a simple pricing setup, but CMC Markets is the clearer winner for commissions and fees.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.93 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 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.
CMC Markets offers a wider range of investments than AvaTrade, making it a stronger choice for traders who want more variety. Both brokers support forex trading and copy trading, and both let you trade cryptocurrency CFDs. However, CMC Markets stands out with 12,029 tradable symbols and 141 forex pairs, compared with AvaTrade’s 1,260 symbols and 53 forex pairs. CMC Markets also gives clients access to exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while AvaTrade does not offer these share-buying options.
In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments category, CMC Markets earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers, while AvaTrade receives 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #27. For investors looking for a broader mix of markets and more direct access to stocks, CMC Markets has the edge. AvaTrade still covers the basics well, but its selection is much smaller overall.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 1260 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 53 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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.
CMC Markets and AvaTrade both give traders a wide set of platform choices and tools, making each a strong pick for different kinds of users. Both brokers offer free demo accounts for paper trading, their own in-house platform, web and Windows desktop platforms, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. They also let users trade directly from charts, which is helpful for quick order entry and easier market analysis.
When it comes to overall trading platform quality, CMC Markets has the edge. ForexBrokers.com rates CMC Markets 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks it #6 out of 36 brokers, while AvaTrade earns 4.5 stars and ranks #13. Since both brokers provide similar core features, the better choice may come down to which platform layout and trading experience feels easier to use.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
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) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 80 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and AvaTrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each supports price alerts, watchlist syncing, and trendline drawing on charts. That means either broker lets you monitor markets, keep your lists updated across devices, and do basic chart analysis while on the go. For everyday mobile trading needs, both platforms cover the main features most traders look for.
Where they differ is in charting depth and overall mobile app ratings. AvaTrade offers more technical studies in its app, with 73 compared with CMC Markets’ 29, but CMC Markets stands out for auto-saving chart drawings, which AvaTrade does not offer. CMC Markets is also rated higher for mobile trading apps, earning 5 out of 5 stars and ranking #5 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade holds a 4.5-star rating and ranks #13.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 73 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, CMC Markets has the edge over AvaTrade. CMC Markets offers daily market commentary, forex news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Autochartist tools, sentiment data, and an economic calendar. AvaTrade also provides forex news, sentiment data, and an economic calendar, but it does not include daily market commentary or Autochartist. Instead, AvaTrade stands out with Trading Central research tools, which CMC Markets does not offer.
Overall, CMC Markets is rated higher for research, with 5 stars and a #6 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with AvaTrade’s 4 stars and #29 ranking. Neither broker offers TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools, so the main differences are the extra commentary and Autochartist access at CMC Markets versus Trading Central at AvaTrade.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to beginner-friendly learning, both CMC Markets and AvaTrade give new traders plenty of material to work through. Each broker offers at least 10 beginner videos, along with a large set of forex and CFD education, including more than 10 resources focused on those markets. CMC Markets also provides at least 10 advanced videos for more experienced traders, making it a solid place to keep learning as your skills grow. In ForexBrokers.com’s Education category, CMC Markets earns 5 stars and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers.
AvaTrade is also a strong choice for beginners and goes a step further with live educational webinars offered at least once a month, which CMC Markets does not provide. Like CMC Markets, AvaTrade has at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, plus a large forex and CFD education library. AvaTrade is rated 4 stars for Education and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers, making it especially appealing if you want regular live learning alongside a wide range of study materials.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | 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 CMC Markets is better than AvaTrade. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #15.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
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AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 |
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CMC Markets vs AvaTrade: both online brokers do not allow buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
CMC Markets vs AvaTrade: for deposits and withdrawals, CMC Markets supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire transfers (but not Skrill), while AvaTrade supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires (but not ACH/SEPA); Visa/Mastercard availability was not specified for either.
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 | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 4 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 1260 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 53 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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 | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.93 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.61 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $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 | CMC Markets | 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 80 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | 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 | 29 | 73 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | AvaTrade Review |
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