Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AvaTrade vs Pepperstone, 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 and Pepperstone are both private brokers that are not listed on a stock exchange and are not banks. AvaTrade was founded in 2006, while Pepperstone started in 2010. In terms of trust, AvaTrade has the edge with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 96 out of 99, compared with Pepperstone’s 94, and both fall in the highly trusted range.
Looking at regulation, AvaTrade holds 4 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses, while Pepperstone holds 3 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses. Since Tier-1 licenses are viewed as highly trusted and Tier-2 licenses are considered trusted by ForexBrokers.com, AvaTrade has a slightly stronger regulatory profile overall.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
AvaTrade earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #14 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com in this category. Its spreads are close to the industry average, coming in at about 0.9 pips as of June 2024, though this is still a bit higher than some low-cost entry accounts at brokers like CMC Markets and Tickmill. For professional traders who qualify, AvaTrade’s Professional account offers more competitive pricing, with spreads around 0.6 pips, which is similar to FP Markets.
Pepperstone scores a perfect 5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #5 out of 36 brokers. Its Razor account is the standout for pricing, especially for active traders, with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.10 pips as of July 2024. After adding the commission-equivalent cost of 0.70 pips, the all-in cost is about 0.80 pips, which is close to the industry average. Pepperstone’s Standard account is commission-free but less attractive on cost, with a higher average EUR/USD spread of 1.1 pips.
Overall, Pepperstone has the edge on commissions and fees, mainly because of its low-cost Razor account and active trader rebates. AvaTrade still offers reasonable pricing, especially for professional clients, but Pepperstone is the better pick if keeping trading costs down is your top priority.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.93 | 1.1 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.61 | 0.8 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, both AvaTrade and Pepperstone let you trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts, and both support copy trading and crypto CFDs. Neither broker offers exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international stock exchanges, so you cannot buy real stocks like Apple or Vodafone through either platform. Both are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments, which means they each offer a decent selection for everyday traders.
Pepperstone has the wider choice overall, with 2,631 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, compared with AvaTrade’s 1,260 symbols and 53 forex pairs. Pepperstone also stands out because it lets you buy actual cryptocurrency, while AvaTrade only offers crypto CFDs. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings for Range of Investments, Pepperstone places higher at #23 out of 36 brokers, ahead of AvaTrade at #27.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 2631 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 65 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
AvaTrade and Pepperstone both give traders a wide range of platform choices, making each a strong pick for people who want flexibility. Each broker offers a free demo account for simulated trading, its own in-house platform, desktop and web-based platforms, copy trading, and access to both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. They also let users place trades directly from charts, which can be helpful for faster decision-making.
For platform quality, AvaTrade has the edge overall. ForexBrokers.com gives AvaTrade 4.5 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, compared with Pepperstone’s 4 stars. In the same category, AvaTrade ranks #13 out of 36 brokers, while Pepperstone ranks #21, suggesting AvaTrade may be the better choice for traders who place extra value on platform features and tools.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 90 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
AvaTrade and Pepperstone both offer iPhone and Android apps, plus useful features like price alerts, watchlist syncing, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. For everyday mobile trading, each broker gives users the basics needed to monitor markets and manage trades on the go. AvaTrade stands out for its larger charting toolkit, with 73 technical studies compared with Pepperstone’s 30, which may appeal to traders who rely on more in-depth chart analysis.
There are a few important differences in the mobile app experience. Pepperstone’s app can auto-save chart drawings, while AvaTrade’s does not. However, AvaTrade scores higher overall for mobile trading apps, with a 4.5-star rating and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #13 out of 36 brokers, compared with Pepperstone’s 4-star rating and #19 ranking. If you want more chart tools, AvaTrade has the edge; if auto-saving drawings matters more, Pepperstone may be the better fit.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
AvaTrade and Pepperstone both give traders access to useful market research, including forex news from major sources, a sentiment tool, and an economic calendar for tracking upcoming global events. Neither broker offers Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools, but AvaTrade does stand out by including Trading Central research, while Pepperstone does not. The bigger gap is daily market commentary: Pepperstone provides it, while AvaTrade does not.
When it comes to research quality, Pepperstone has the edge overall. It earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research and is ranked #13 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with AvaTrade’s 4 stars and #30 ranking. In simple terms, both brokers cover the basics well, but Pepperstone offers a slightly stronger research offering, especially for traders who value daily commentary.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
AvaTrade and Pepperstone both give beginners plenty of learning material, including more than 10 forex or CFD education pieces, monthly online webinars, and at least 10 beginner and 10 advanced videos. That means new traders can find a solid mix of articles, videos, and live sessions on both platforms to help them understand the basics and build confidence over time.
When comparing the two, Pepperstone gets a slightly higher Education rating at 4.5 out of 5 stars, while AvaTrade is rated 4 out of 5. Still, AvaTrade stands out in the broader broker rankings, coming in at #2 out of 36 brokers for Education, compared with Pepperstone at #15. For beginners, both are useful, but AvaTrade appears stronger overall for educational depth, while Pepperstone also offers a good range of learning tools.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 AvaTrade is better than Pepperstone. AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #15, while Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #17.
AvaTrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering an extensive selection of trading platforms for forex and CFD traders, along with strong educational resources and copy trading support.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 94 |
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When comparing AvaTrade vs Pepperstone for cryptocurrency trading, both brokers offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but only Pepperstone also allows clients to buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency, while AvaTrade does not provide access to real crypto purchases.
AvaTrade vs Pepperstone: Pepperstone supports ACH/SEPA transfers (AvaTrade does not), and both brokers offer PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire funding and withdrawals; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | Pepperstone | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 94 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | Pepperstone Review |
| Broker Screenshots | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
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| Regulation | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 94 | |
| 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 | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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 | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 2631 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.93 | 1.1 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.61 | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 90 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 73 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | AvaTrade Review | Pepperstone Review |
| Overall | AvaTrade | Pepperstone | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 94 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | Pepperstone Review |
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