Written by ForexBrokers.com
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.
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Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade are both well-known online brokers, but they differ in age, ownership, and regulatory standing. Interactive Brokers was founded in 1977 and is publicly traded, while AvaTrade was founded in 2006 and is not listed on a stock exchange. Neither broker is a bank, but both are regulated in multiple regions, which helps support trader confidence.
In terms of regulation, Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, giving it a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, which places it in the highly trusted category. AvaTrade holds 4 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses and has a Trust Score of 96, which also puts it among the highly trusted brokers. For traders comparing safety and oversight, Interactive Brokers has the stronger regulatory profile overall, though AvaTrade also scores very well.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 4 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Interactive Brokers comes out ahead of AvaTrade on commissions and fees, especially for forex traders who want lower trading costs and tighter pricing. IBKR does not publish average forex spreads, but in Q3 2024 its EUR/USD spread was measured at 0.19 pips, with an all-in cost of about 0.59 pips after commission. Its forex pricing starts at 0.00002, or 0.2 basis points, of the U.S. dollar trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order, and the rate can fall further for very active traders. Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 36 for commissions and fees.
AvaTrade is still reasonably priced, but its trading costs are generally higher than Interactive Brokers. Its spreads were just under 1 pip, or 0.9 pips as of June 2024, which is close to the industry average but above some lower-cost competitors. For eligible professional traders, AvaTrade’s Professional account can offer spreads around 0.6 pips, which is more competitive. AvaTrade is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #14 out of 36 for commissions and fees.
In simple terms, Interactive Brokers is the better pick if your main goal is saving on forex trading costs, while AvaTrade is more of a middle-of-the-pack choice on pricing. IBKR’s commission-based model can be especially attractive for active traders and larger trade sizes, while AvaTrade’s spread-only pricing may appeal to traders who prefer a simpler setup.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | N/A | 0.93 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.626 | 0.61 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers offers a wider range of investments than AvaTrade, making it a stronger choice for traders who want more markets in one place. It provides around 8,500 tradeable symbols and 100 forex pairs, compared with AvaTrade’s 1,260 symbols and 53 forex pairs. Interactive Brokers also lets clients buy real shares on U.S. and international exchanges, such as Apple or Vodafone, while AvaTrade does not offer exchange-traded stocks.
There are also differences in crypto and trading features. Interactive Brokers allows clients to buy actual cryptocurrency, but not crypto CFDs, while AvaTrade offers crypto CFDs instead of the real asset. AvaTrade does include copy trading, which Interactive Brokers does not. Still, for overall range of investments, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, ahead of AvaTrade’s 4 stars and #27 ranking.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1260 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 53 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | No | 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.
Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade both give traders a choice of a free demo account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop app, and a web-based platform, so each broker covers the basics well for different trading styles. Both also let users trade directly from charts, which can make placing orders quicker and easier. For trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers earns a 5-star rating and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers, while AvaTrade scores 4.5 stars and ranks #13, showing that Interactive Brokers has the edge overall in this area.
Where AvaTrade stands out is in its extra trading options: it supports copy trading plus both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which may appeal to traders who want a more familiar setup or want to follow other traders. Interactive Brokers does not offer these features, so it may feel more focused on its own platform ecosystem. If you want a broker with strong platform choices and built-in trading tools, both are solid, but AvaTrade is better for copy trading and MetaTrader users, while Interactive Brokers is stronger for overall platform quality.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 80 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts. Each app also lets users sync watchlists with their online account, so changes made on one device show up on the other. Both platforms support trendline drawing on charts, but neither app auto-saves those drawings.
Where Interactive Brokers stands out is charting depth, with 155 technical studies in its mobile app compared with AvaTrade’s 73. That broader chart toolset likely helps explain why Interactive Brokers earns a 5-star Mobile Trading Apps rating and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade holds a 4.5-star rating and ranks #13.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 73 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers stands out for market research, especially for traders who want frequent updates and a wide mix of tools. It offers daily market commentary, news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Trading Central tools, sentiment data, TipRanks insights, Acuity Trading research, and an economic calendar. AvaTrade also provides forex news from major sources, Trading Central tools, sentiment data, and an economic calendar, but it does not offer daily market commentary or research from TipRanks or Acuity Trading.
In terms of overall research quality, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com Research category. AvaTrade is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30 out of 36, making Interactive Brokers the stronger choice for traders who place a high value on market research.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade both give beginners plenty of learning tools, including forex and CFD education with at least 10 dedicated resources, monthly educational webinars, and a large library of beginner and advanced trading videos. This means new traders can find lessons that cover the basics, while more experienced users can also keep learning through more detailed content. Both brokers make education easy to access, but Interactive Brokers has a slight edge for learners who want the strongest overall support.
That edge shows up in the ratings and rankings: Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade scores 4 stars and ranks #2. In simple terms, both are good choices for education, but Interactive Brokers comes out ahead as the better pick for beginners who want the most complete set of learning resources.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 Interactive Brokers is better than AvaTrade. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #15.
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
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AvaTrade
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 |
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Interactive Brokers vs AvaTrade: Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency (not a CFD) but does not offer crypto CFDs, while AvaTrade does not support buying real, delivered crypto yet provides cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing online brokers Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade: Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA and bank wires but not PayPal or Skrill, while AvaTrade supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA; Visa/Mastercard availability was 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 | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 4 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 1260 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 100 | 53 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | No | 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) - Spread-only account | N/A | 0.93 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.626 | 0.61 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 80 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 73 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | AvaTrade Review |
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