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Interactive Brokers vs AvaTrade 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs AvaTrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 8500
AvaTrade
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $100
  • Trust Score: 94
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 1260

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.

Regulation

Interactive Brokers, founded in 1977, stands out as a highly trusted online broker with a stellar Trust Score of 99 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com. It is publicly traded, which adds an additional layer of transparency for investors. Although it is not a bank, Interactive Brokers is reinforced by 9 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, ensuring a well-regulated trading environment for its users.

AvaTrade, established in 2006 and not publicly traded, still maintains a reputable status with a Trust Score of 94. Like Interactive Brokers, AvaTrade is not a bank but is supported by 4 Tier-1 licenses and 3 Tier-2 licenses. This regulatory framework positions AvaTrade as a trusted option for online trading, providing secure channels for users to engage in the financial markets.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Year Founded info 1977 2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 3
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1

Fees

Comparing commissions and fees, Interactive Brokers (5/5 stars; ranked #2 of 63) is built for low-cost forex trading at scale, while AvaTrade (4.5/5 stars; ranked #13 of 63) keeps things straightforward with spread-based pricing. AvaTrade’s typical EUR/USD spread is about 0.9 pips (June 2024), or 0.6 pips if you qualify as a Professional client. Interactive Brokers charges a commission instead of marking up spreads, which can deliver a lower all-in cost—especially on standard lots and higher volumes.

Interactive Brokers doesn’t publish average forex spreads broadly, but during Q3 2024 we recorded an average EUR/USD spread of 0.19 pips, translating to an effective all-in cost of about 0.59 pips after commission. Commissions start at 0.00002 of the USD trade value per side (0.2 bps) with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), roughly $16–$40 per million round turn. On a $100,000 EUR/USD trade, the commission-equivalent is about 0.40 pips on top of the spread. Note the $2-per-side minimum makes sub-100k trade sizes proportionally pricier. Discounts are available for active traders: the minimum drops to $1.50 per order above $1B in monthly volume and to $1 above $5B. Prices are aggregated from 17 top interbank dealers, and large orders can be handled via RFQ. IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro both support forex, but neither is commission-free.

AvaTrade’s pricing centers on spreads that are near the industry average: about 0.9 pips on EUR/USD for retail traders, which is a bit higher than entry-level accounts at CMC Markets and Tickmill. If you qualify as an elected professional, AvaTrade’s Professional account tightens EUR/USD to around 0.6 pips, comparable to FP Markets. For traders who value a simple, spread-only setup, AvaTrade is easy to understand; for those chasing the lowest possible all-in costs on larger or more frequent trades, Interactive Brokers can come out ahead.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Minimum Deposit info $0 $100
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info 0.93 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info 0.61 info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts [DELETED] info
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

Interactive Brokers vs AvaTrade: for range of investments, Interactive Brokers offers far more choice. You get about 8,500 tradeable symbols at Interactive Brokers, versus roughly 1,260 at AvaTrade. Forex is available at both brokers as CFDs and/or spot, with 90 currency pairs at Interactive Brokers and 53 at AvaTrade. A key difference is stock access: Interactive Brokers lets you buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. markets (like Apple) and on international exchanges (like Vodafone), while AvaTrade does not offer direct share dealing.

Feature extras also diverge. AvaTrade supports copy trading, while Interactive Brokers does not. For crypto, Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual cryptocurrency and trade crypto derivatives; AvaTrade offers crypto derivatives but not actual coins. Reflecting this breadth, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5/5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks it #1 out of 63 brokers, while AvaTrade earns 4/5 stars and ranks #33.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 1260
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 53
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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.

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers vs AvaTrade: both brokers check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free paper trading/demo account, proprietary platforms built in-house, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. You can place trades directly from charts with both. The biggest split is platform choice: AvaTrade adds copy trading and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Interactive Brokers does not offer copy trading and does not support MT4 or MT5. That makes AvaTrade appealing if you want social trading and MetaTrader, while IBKR suits traders who prefer its own platform suite.

For overall quality, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #3 of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools; AvaTrade earns 4.5 stars and ranks #13. In short, choose IBKR if you want top-rated in-house platforms and chart-trading on desktop and web, and pick AvaTrade if you value MetaTrader compatibility plus copy trading alongside its proprietary and browser-based platforms.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
DupliTrade [DELETED] info
ZuluTrade [DELETED] info
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 80
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) [DELETED] info
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields [DELETED] info

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

When comparing the mobile trading apps of Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade, both platforms offer impressive features for traders using iPhones or Android devices. Each app provides stock and forex price alerts, real-time quotes, and the ability to create syncable watchlists, ensuring seamless updates across devices. Interactive Brokers edges ahead with 97 technical studies for charting enthusiasts, compared to AvaTrade's 73. Both allow drawing of trendlines and viewing of multiple time frames on charts; however, neither app auto-saves drawings.

Interactive Brokers receives a perfect 5-star rating for its mobile app, earning it a #4 ranking out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, AvaTrade’s app boasts a commendable 4.5-star rating, placing it at #13. For traders seeking comprehensive tools and features, Interactive Brokers seems to offer a slight advantage, particularly for those who rely heavily on charting capabilities in their trading strategy. Both apps promise user-friendly experiences catering to various trading needs.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 73
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No No
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers vs AvaTrade for market research: Interactive Brokers delivers daily market commentary, while AvaTrade does not. Both brokers stream forex news from top‑tier sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, include Trading Central tools, offer a sentiment tool showing long vs. short positioning, and feature an economic calendar. Neither broker provides Autochartist. Where Interactive Brokers pulls ahead is in extra third‑party research: it adds TipRanks and Acuity Trading (Signal Centre), which AvaTrade lacks.

These differences show up in the scores. Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. AvaTrade earns 4 stars and ranks #35. If you want daily commentary and added research from TipRanks and Acuity, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; if you mainly need Trading Central, sentiment data, and headline news, AvaTrade covers the essentials.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Daily Market Commentary info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes No
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

For beginners comparing education at Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade, both brokers deliver frequent learning touchpoints: each hosts client webinars at least monthly and offers 10-plus beginner-focused videos, with additional advanced videos available as you progress. Details weren’t provided about whether either broker meets a strict threshold of 10 or more forex/CFD-specific lessons, whether they maintain a searchable archive of past webinars, or whether they provide an investor dictionary with 50+ terms—so if those matter to you, check each broker’s education hub directly.

On quality signals, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade earns 4 stars and ranks #2 out of 63. In plain terms, both are strong choices for beginner traders seeking videos and webinars; Interactive Brokers edges ahead on star rating, whereas AvaTrade holds a slightly higher category rank.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Education (Forex or CFDs) info
Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) [DELETED] info
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) [DELETED] info

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than AvaTrade. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #13.

Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 94
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or AvaTrade?

Interactive Brokers provides investors with the opportunity to buy both actual delivered cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas AvaTrade only offers the ability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives, not the actual cryptocurrency.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade offer distinct options for depositing and withdrawing account funds; Interactive Brokers supports ACH, SEPA, and bank wire transfers, whereas AvaTrade provides PayPal, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire options.

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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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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 94
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review AvaTrade Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
IBKR mobile watchlist. IBKR Desktop platform charts. Interactive Brokers research Traders Insight daily analysis article detail Interactive Brokers IBKR Podcast video.
AvaTradeGo mobile app chart view AvaTrade web trader platform chart layout trading signals AvaTrade research within web platform new headlines AvaTrade Academy educational courses overview.
Regulation Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Trust Score info 99 94
Year Founded info 1977 2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 3
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes Yes
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info Yes
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info Yes No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No Yes
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 1260
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 53
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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 Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info 0.93 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info 0.61 info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts [DELETED] info
Inactivity Fee info No Yes
Execution: Agency Broker info Yes No
Execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Minimum Deposit info $0 $100
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
cTrader info No No
DupliTrade [DELETED] info
ZuluTrade [DELETED] info
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields [DELETED] info
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 80
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) [DELETED] info
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 73
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No No
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Daily Market Commentary info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Education (Forex or CFDs) info
Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) [DELETED] info
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) [DELETED] info
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
GBP/USD info Yes Yes
USD/JPY info Yes Yes
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF info Yes Yes
USD/CAD info Yes Yes
NZD/USD info Yes Yes
AUD/USD info Yes Yes
Review Interactive Brokers Review AvaTrade Review
Overall Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 94
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review AvaTrade Review
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