AvaTrade vs IFC Markets 2024

AvaTrade is not publicly-traded and does not operate a bank. AvaTrade is authorised by four Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), three Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). AvaTrade is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC), the Japanese Financial Services Authority (JFSA), the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) via Friedberg Direct, and regulated in the European Union via the MiFID passporting system.

IFC Markets is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. IFC Markets is authorised by zero Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). IFC Markets is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: BVI Financial Services Commission (FSC).

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 2024 Annual Awards.

IFC Markets is a well-established broker that has been in operation for 17 years. Forex traders at ICF Markets gain access to multiple trading platforms, a growing range of tradeable markets, and a balanced offering of research and educational content. However, IFC Markets’ Trust Score suffers due to the broker’s limited range of regulatory licenses.

To open a trading account with AvaTrade, you'll need to make an initial minimum deposit of $100.

IFC Markets requires a minimum deposit of $1 before you can open an account and start trading.

It's important to make sure that your forex broker accepts the funding options and deposit methods that work best for you. AvaTrade offers Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw), Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw) for banking, whereas IFC Markets provides Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) and Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw).

Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spread data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough, data-driven testing of each broker's commissions and fees, we found that AvaTrade offers better pricing overall for traders.

Methodology: When testing each broker's commissions, fees, and pricing, we analyze multiple trade scenarios and award points based on the expansiveness (or inexpensiveness) of the broker's spreads. We then run multiple scenarios for different investor types, incorporating any miscellaneous fees, to determine an "all-in" cost per trade. Learn more about how we test.

At ForexBrokers.com, we track over 110 international regulatory agencies and sort them by tiers (Tier-1, Tier-2, Tier-3, Tier-4, and Tier-5) to help you choose well-regulated, highly trusted forex brokers. Learn more about our proprietary Trust Score rating system. Based on our research on the regulatory status of over 60 brokers, we've found that AvaTrade holds 4 global Tier-1 licenses, while IFC Markets holds 0. AvaTrade holds 3 global Tier-2 licenses, while IFC Markets holds 1.

After evaluating each broker based on their number of held licenses, years in business, and a range of other data-driven variables, we've determined that AvaTrade (94) earned a higher Trust Score than IFC Markets (73).

To compare the trading platforms of both AvaTrade and IFC Markets, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, AvaTrade offers a better experience. With research, AvaTrade offers superior market research. Finally, we found AvaTrade to provide better mobile trading apps.

Here’s what trading platforms are available at AvaTrade:

• Proprietary Platform - Yes
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - No
• DupliTrade - Yes
• MT4 - Yes
• MT5 - Yes
• ZuluTrade - Yes
• TradingView - No

Here’s what trading platforms are available at IFC Markets:

• Proprietary Platform - Yes
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - No
• DupliTrade - No
• MT4 - Yes
• MT5 - Yes
• ZuluTrade - No
• TradingView - No

The MetaTrader trading platform suite is wildly popular among forex and CFD traders across the globe. Both AvaTrade and IFC Markets offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Forex traders also appreciate the ability to engage in social copy trading. AvaTrade and IFC Markets both offer copy trading.

AvaTrade provides traders 53 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to IFC Markets's 49 available pairs. If you are interested in trading a full range of securities, AvaTrade offers traders access to 1260 tradeable symbols, while IFC Markets offers access to 630 tradeable symbols; so AvaTrade offers 630 more tradeable symbols than IFC Markets.

We found in our testing that AvaTrade offers a more diverse selection of investment options than IFC Markets, allowing you to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), U.S. Stocks (CFD), Cryptocurrency (Derivative), Social Trading / Copy Trading and Spread Betting. Neither have Cryptocurrency (Physical).