Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AvaTrade vs IronFX, 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.
When comparing online brokers AvaTrade and IronFX, both firms are not publicly traded and do not operate as banks. AvaTrade, established in 2006, stands out with a higher ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 94, indicating a highly trusted service. This rating reflects its impressive regulatory standing, with AvaTrade holding 4 Tier-1 licenses and 3 Tier-2 licenses, which suggests strong regulatory compliance and reliability.
IronFX, founded in 2010, holds a Trust Score of 83, categorizing it as a trusted broker according to ForexBrokers.com. While it also maintains a strong regulatory position with 3 Tier-1 licenses, it does not hold any Tier-2 licenses. While both brokers are considered reliable, AvaTrade's higher number of licenses and superior Trust Score may offer additional peace of mind for traders prioritizing regulatory oversight.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
AvaTrade offers competitive trading conditions with spreads that are close to the industry average, clocking in at just under one pip (0.9 pips as of June 2024). While these spreads are slightly higher compared to the entry-level accounts of brokers like CMC Markets and Tickmill, elected professional traders can find favorable conditions with AvaTrade’s Professional account, which boasts spreads at a competitive rate of 0.6 pips. This makes AvaTrade a solid choice, reflected in its commission and fees rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, and a ranking of #12 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, IronFX's pricing structure provides opportunities for improvement. The typical spread listed for their Standard variable spread account is 1.8 pips, which is higher than the industry average. Moreover, their zero fixed-spread account starts at zero but includes a $18 per lot commission, and overnight spreads broaden to 3 pips. These factors contribute to IronFX’s rating of 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, placing it at #46 among 63 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com rankings.
Ultimately, while both brokers provide various account types to cater to different trading needs, AvaTrade stands out with its more favorable pricing structure and higher rankings in both star rating and industry ranking for commissions and fees. In comparison, IronFX's higher spreads and additional commission fees present an area where further enhancements could provide more competitive conditions for traders.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.93 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
AvaTrade and IronFX both provide a platform for forex trading, offering it as a CFD or spot contract. However, AvaTrade presents a wider range of tradeable symbols, boasting 1260 options compared to IronFX's 340. When it comes to forex pairs, IronFX takes the lead, offering 83 pairs in contrast to AvaTrade's 53. Neither broker offers exchange-traded U.S. or international securities, such as shares of well-known companies like Apple or Vodafone.
Both platforms allow traders to engage in copy trading and trade cryptocurrency derivatives, although they do not provide options to purchase actual cryptocurrencies. In terms of ratings, AvaTrade scores higher with a 4-star rating for its range of investments, positioning it at 32nd place out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. IronFX, slightly behind, earns a 3.5-star rating and is ranked 51st. While both platforms share several features, AvaTrade edges out as a more versatile option for a broader selection of tradeable symbols.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 83 |
| 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 AvaTrade and IronFX for their trading platforms and tools, both brokers offer a simulated trading experience with free virtual demo accounts. AvaTrade presents traders with a proprietary platform developed in-house, whereas IronFX does not have its own proprietary platform. Both AvaTrade and IronFX provide Windows-based desktop platforms and web-based platforms, allowing for flexible trading environments. Additionally, each broker supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4); however, only AvaTrade offers MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Both brokers enable copy trading, but AvaTrade goes further by including third-party platforms like DupliTrade and ZuluTrade, which IronFX does not offer.
In terms of charting tools and trading features, AvaTrade provides 13 drawing tools compared to IronFX's 15, but both brokers facilitate trading directly from stock charts. They also offer the same number of columns for watch lists. When rated for trading platforms and tools, AvaTrade holds a 4.5-star rating, which is significantly higher than IronFX's 3.5-star rating. According to ForexBrokers.com, AvaTrade ranks 13th out of 63 brokers for its trading platforms and tools, whereas IronFX ranks much lower at 61st, highlighting AvaTrade's more favorable position among traders.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | Yes | No |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 13 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When choosing a mobile trading platform, both AvaTrade and IronFX offer apps for iPhone and Android users, effectively covering the major smartphone operating systems. Both platforms also provide essential features like price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. However, AvaTrade distinguishes itself with watchlist symbol syncing, ensuring seamless updates between the mobile app and online account, while IronFX lacks this feature. In terms of technical studies available for charting, AvaTrade offers a considerable advantage with 73 studies compared to IronFX's 30, catering to traders who rely on detailed technical analysis.
AvaTrade and IronFX both allow users to view multiple time frames on charts and provide the functionality to create watchlists with real-time quotes. Despite this, IronFX offers one unique advantage: its app can auto-save chart drawings, a feature missing from AvaTrade's platform. In terms of overall satisfaction, AvaTrade stands out with a 4.5-star rating and is ranked #13 by ForexBrokers.com, whereas IronFX holds a lower 3.5-star rating and is ranked at #62. These ratings reflect user experiences and the broader feature sets available in each app, guiding potential users in choosing a platform that best suits their trading needs.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 and IronFX for market research offerings, there are a few key differences and similarities to consider. While IronFX provides daily market commentary and AvaTrade does not, both platforms deliver forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Both AvaTrade and IronFX also provide technical analysis tools from Trading Central. On the downside, neither broker offers tools from Autochartist or Acuity Trading’s Signal Centre, nor do they subscribe to market research from TipRanks.
In terms of unique features, AvaTrade offers a sentiment-based trading tool that gives insights into the ratio of long versus short positions, which IronFX lacks. Both brokers, however, provide an economic calendar to keep traders informed about global news events. Rated four stars each for their research services, AvaTrade is ranked #34 while IronFX ranks slightly higher at #28 among 63 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com. This suggests that while both offer quality resources, IronFX slightly edges out AvaTrade in terms of overall research capabilities according to rankings.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing educational resources for beginners, AvaTrade distinguishes itself from IronFX. Both brokers provide over ten educational pieces on forex and CFD trading, with a mix of articles, videos, and archived webinars. However, AvaTrade enhances its offerings through regular, monthly online webinars that are not a feature of IronFX. Both brokers maintain searchable archives for their past webinars, providing a valuable resource for learners who prefer self-paced education. Additionally, both AvaTrade and IronFX offer substantial content tailored to beginners, with over ten educational videos each that focus on foundational trading topics.
For traders seeking advanced knowledge, AvaTrade offers more comprehensive resources with over ten videos tailored for experienced traders, something that IronFX does not match. Both brokers provide an investor dictionary with definitions of over 50 investment terms, helping users get comfortable with industry jargon. Rated four stars in education, both brokers deliver quality content; however, AvaTrade's overall ranking is significantly higher at number two, compared to IronFX's position at forty-four according to ForexBrokers.com. This highlights AvaTrade as a strong choice for beginner traders valuing diverse and accessible learning options.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 IronFX. AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #13, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.
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
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 83 |
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Both AvaTrade and IronFX do not provide the ability to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but they do offer the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
While both AvaTrade and IronFX support Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires for deposits and withdrawals, AvaTrade distinguishes itself by also offering PayPal, whereas neither broker provides ACH or SEPA transfer options.
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 | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | AvaTrade | IronFX | |
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| Regulation | AvaTrade | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 83 | |
| 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 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | AvaTrade | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | AvaTrade | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 83 | |
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.93 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | AvaTrade | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $50 | |
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | Yes | No | |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | AvaTrade | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 13 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | AvaTrade | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | AvaTrade | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | AvaTrade | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Overall | AvaTrade | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review |
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