Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AvaTrade vs HFM, 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.
AvaTrade, established in 2006, and HFM, founded in 2010, are both reputable online brokers known for their strong regulatory compliance. Neither company is publicly traded nor operates as a bank, yet each maintains significant regulatory credentials. AvaTrade holds four Tier-1 licenses, illustrating its high standard of trust and safety according to ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, HFM holds two Tier-1 licenses, still reflecting a commendable level of confidence in its operations.
In terms of Tier-2 licenses, both AvaTrade and HFM are on equal footing, each holding three licenses. This consistency contributes to their reliability. AvaTrade boasts a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 94 out of 99, placing it in the highly trusted category. Meanwhile, HFM has a Trust Score of 86, indicating that it is also trustworthy but slightly less so compared to AvaTrade. These scores help prospective clients gauge the level of security and trust they can expect from each broker.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, AvaTrade and HFM offer different cost structures for traders to consider. AvaTrade stands out with its competitive spreads, averaging just under one pip (0.9 pips as of June 2024), which aligns closely with the industry average. This makes AvaTrade an appealing choice for many traders. Specifically for professional traders, AvaTrade offers even more attractive conditions with its Professional account, where spreads go down to 0.6 pips, making it comparable to what FP Markets provides. Overall, AvaTrade has earned a favorable 4.5-star rating and is ranked 12th out of 63 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category by ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, HFM's trading costs tend to be slightly above the industry average. Their standard trading accounts typically offer spreads of about 1.2 pips, although they do not provide specific date ranges, which could indicate varied average spreads. For traders seeking potentially lower costs, HFM's Zero account presents an option with an effective spread of 0.7 pips after including commissions, though exact averages are not provided. HFM received a rating of 4 stars for its commission and fee structure, placing it 31st out of 63 brokers as ranked by ForexBrokers.com.
Choosing between AvaTrade and HFM largely depends on a trader's specific needs and account preferences. AvaTrade may be better suited for traders seeking slightly lower spreads and a well-regarded fee structure, particularly those qualifying for professional accounts. Meanwhile, HFM offers an alternative with its Zero account for those willing to manage slightly higher spreads in the typical account setup.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.93 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | 0.7 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| 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 AvaTrade and HFM, both online brokers provide forex trading as a CFD or spot contract. AvaTrade has a wider selection of tradeable symbols, offering 1,260 choices compared to HFM's 500. However, HFM shines in the specific number of forex pairs available, delivering 102 pairs compared to AvaTrade's 53. Neither broker facilitates the trading of exchange-traded securities, like Apple shares, on U.S. or international exchanges.
In terms of additional services, both AvaTrade and HFM offer the ability for investors to engage in copy trading and access cryptocurrency derivatives, although neither supports purchasing actual cryptocurrencies. With equal ratings of 4 stars for their range of investments, AvaTrade is slightly ahead in industry rankings at 32nd place, with HFM trailing at 36th out of the 63 brokers assessed by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 102 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools of AvaTrade and HFM, both brokers offer free virtual demo accounts to help traders practice and refine their strategies. While each offers a proprietary platform and supports popular MetaTrader options such as MT4 and MT5, AvaTrade stands out by also providing DupliTrade and ZuluTrade, beneficial for those interested in copy trading. On the other hand, HFM focuses on a greater number of charting drawing tools, offering 30 compared to AvaTrade's 13, allowing for more detailed technical analysis.
Both brokers cater to users who prefer different platforms, offering Windows-based desktop and browser trading options. Trading directly from stock charts is available with both AvaTrade and HFM, enhancing trading efficiency. Watch list management is equally accessible, with both featuring seven fields for customization. Overall, AvaTrade is rated higher with 4.5 stars compared to HFM's 4 stars and holds a higher position in platform rankings, demonstrating a more refined offering in trading technology and user experience.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | Yes | No |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 15 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 13 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
AvaTrade and HFM both offer iPhone and Android apps, making them accessible to a wide range of mobile users interested in trading. Both brokers provide features like stock or forex price alerts and real-time quotes on watchlists. AvaTrade stands out by offering watchlist syncing, allowing your watchlists in their mobile app to sync seamlessly with the online account, a feature HFM does not have. Additionally, AvaTrade leads the way in technical analysis, with 73 technical studies available in its app, compared to HFM's 30. Both brokers allow for trendline drawing on charts and enable traders to view multiple time frames, whether daily, weekly, or even intraday.
When considering the finer details, HFM's mobile app scores points for automatically saving chart drawings, a feature not available with AvaTrade. However, AvaTrade regains an edge with a higher overall rating of 4.5 stars compared to HFM’s 4 stars, and a substantial ranking lead, placed 13th out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, while HFM is ranked 39th. This suggests that AvaTrade offers a more feature-rich and user-approved mobile trading experience compared to its competitor, HFM.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing AvaTrade to HFM in terms of market research offerings, you'll find several differences yet some similarities as well. AvaTrade and HFM both provide access to forex news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, along with sentiment-based trading tools that offer insights into market positions. Both brokers include economic calendars for tracking significant global events. However, AvaTrade does not offer daily market commentary, whereas HFM provides this feature. Additionally, while AvaTrade utilizes technical analysis tools from Trading Central, HFM offers research tools powered by Autochartist.
Despite receiving an equal four-star rating for research, these brokers differ in their rankings on ForexBrokers.com, where HFM is placed at #20 and AvaTrade at #34 out of 63 contenders. This distinction highlights HFM's edge in comprehensive market commentary and unique tools, suggesting a preference for those seeking a broader array of research features. However, both brokers offer substantial benefits, and the ideal choice will depend on your particular research and analysis preferences.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both AvaTrade and HFM shine with an array of tools designed to enhance understanding of forex and CFD trading. Not only do both brokers offer a collection of over 10 educational pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars, but they also host monthly educational webinars, making learning accessible and engaging. Their searchable archives of recorded webinars allow learners to revisit past sessions at their convenience. Both platforms offer comprehensive educational video series tailored to beginners and advanced traders, alongside investor dictionaries with definitions for over 50 terms to aid in building a solid trading vocabulary.
While both AvaTrade and HFM boast commendable educational offerings, their rankings tell a different story. Despite each receiving a 4-star rating for education, AvaTrade stands out with a #2 ranking among 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, a testament to the quality and accessibility of its educational content. HFM, while providing a similar breadth of educational resources, holds the #37 spot. This discrepancy in rankings suggests that AvaTrade may offer a slightly more refined learning experience, despite both brokers having strong educational frameworks.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | 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 AvaTrade is better than HFM. AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #13, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #30.
AvaTrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering an extensive selection of trading platforms for forex and CFD traders, as well as exceptional educational content that helped it nab Best in Class honors for Beginners in the ForexBrokers.com 2025 Annual Awards.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
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HFM
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 86 |
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Both AvaTrade and HFM provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither platform offers the ability to purchase actual, delivered cryptocurrencies.
When comparing online brokers AvaTrade and HFM, both do not support ACH or SEPA transfers but offer Visa/Mastercard and bank wire options; however, AvaTrade uniquely accepts PayPal alongside both brokers offering Skrill for transactions.
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 | AvaTrade | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | AvaTrade | HFM | |
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| Regulation | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 86 | |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| 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) | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 102 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.93 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | 0.7 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | Yes | No | |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 15 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 13 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | 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 | AvaTrade | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | AvaTrade Review | HFM Review |
| Overall | AvaTrade | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | HFM Review |
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