Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Saxo vs AvaTrade, 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.
Founded in 1992, Saxo is a well-established online broker with a reputation for trustworthiness. Holding seven Tier-1 licenses, Saxo is considered highly reliable by ForexBrokers.com, earning a perfect Trust Score of 99. Additionally, Saxo operates as a bank, further bolstering its credibility. Although it is not publicly traded, its comprehensive regulatory credentials make it a go-to choice for many investors.
On the other hand, AvaTrade was founded in 2006 and is not a bank, but it still offers a solid level of security in the online trading world. AvaTrade holds four Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, earning a commendable Trust Score of 94 from ForexBrokers.com. Like Saxo, AvaTrade is privately held. With multiple trusted licenses, AvaTrade provides a reliable platform for traders seeking safe and secure investment opportunities.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Saxo and AvaTrade both deliver competitive pricing, but they cater to slightly different needs. Saxo shines for active and high‑volume traders who can unlock lower spreads through higher-tier accounts, while AvaTrade offers simple, industry-average pricing that gets sharper if you qualify as a professional. Ratings and rankings: Saxo earns 5/5 stars and ranks #9 out of 63 for Commissions & Fees, while AvaTrade earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #13 out of 63 (ForexBrokers.com).
Saxo’s EUR/USD average spreads (Nov 2023) are 1.1 pips on Classic, 1.0 on Platinum, and 0.9 on VIP, with minimum spreads about 0.2 pips lower (e.g., Classic minimum 0.9). The Classic account now has a $0 minimum deposit. Platinum requires $200,000 (AUD 300,000 in Australia for forex), or you can upgrade by earning Loyalty points (for example, trading $40M in forex earns 120,000 points—enough for a 12‑month Platinum upgrade). VIP is for deposits of $1,000,000 or by qualification through trading roughly $167M in forex over a year, and it includes access to exclusive events and Saxo analysts; Saxo also won the 2024 award for the #1 VIP Client Experience. Forex trading at Saxo is commission-free, though trading under 50,000 units per month incurs a $3 per side ticket fee, and custody fees on share trading are waived if you opt into securities lending.
AvaTrade’s spreads are close to the industry average at about 0.9 pips on EUR/USD (June 2024), which is comparable to Saxo’s VIP average and narrower than Saxo’s Classic average. If you qualify as an elected professional, AvaTrade’s Professional account tightens spreads to around 0.6 pips, placing it among the more competitive options for experienced traders. Overall, choose Saxo if you can meet higher tiers or trade large volumes to maximize savings; pick AvaTrade if you want straightforward, near‑industry‑average pricing with the option to go lower on a professional account.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.0 | 0.93 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.61 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Saxo vs AvaTrade: for range of investments, Saxo offers far more choice. Saxo lists about 71,000 tradable symbols and 190 forex pairs, and lets you buy exchange‑traded stocks on both U.S. and international exchanges. It also supports forex trading and crypto via CFDs (not actual coins). AvaTrade offers around 1,260 symbols and 53 forex pairs, does not provide direct share dealing on U.S. or international exchanges, but does offer forex trading and crypto CFDs, plus copy trading (which Saxo does not).
If you want the widest menu of markets and the ability to own real shares alongside CFDs, Saxo is the stronger fit. That breadth helps explain its 5-star rating and #3 rank out of 63 for Range of Investments. AvaTrade earns 4 stars and ranks #33, appealing to CFD-focused traders who value copy trading even if the overall selection is smaller.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 71000 | 1260 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 53 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| 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.
Saxo and AvaTrade both check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo account for paper trading, an in-house proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform. Traders can place orders directly from charts with both brokers, and each provides technical indicators along with customizable watchlists to help monitor markets efficiently.
Where they differ is in third-party and social tools. AvaTrade supports copy trading and offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which can appeal to users who want expert advisors and a large plugin ecosystem. Saxo does not offer copy trading or MetaTrader, but earns higher marks overall for platform quality: Saxo is rated 5 stars and ranked #1 for Trading Platforms and Tools by ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #13. If you want MetaTrader and copy trading, AvaTrade has the edge; if you want top-rated, in-house platforms, Saxo stands out.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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) | 61 | 80 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Saxo and AvaTrade both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, synced watchlists (so changes carry over between the app and your online account), and drawing tools like trendlines. For charting, Saxo offers 64 technical studies (indicators), while AvaTrade includes 73, giving indicator-focused traders a bit more choice.
When it comes to ease of use and recognition, Saxo’s app auto-saves your chart drawings, while AvaTrade’s does not. Saxo also earned a higher score for mobile trading apps: 5 stars and a #2 ranking out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with AvaTrade’s 4.5 stars and #13 ranking. In short, pick Saxo if you value top-rated design and saved chart work, or choose AvaTrade if you want more built-in indicators on mobile.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 73 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Saxo stands out for market research: it’s rated 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared to AvaTrade’s 4 stars and #35 ranking. Saxo offers daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (e.g., Bloomberg/Reuters/Dow Jones), Autochartist tools for technical and fundamental insights, a sentiment gauge showing long/short positioning, and a full economic calendar.
AvaTrade counters with Trading Central tools (which Saxo doesn’t provide), plus the same access to high-quality forex news, a sentiment tool, and an economic calendar. However, AvaTrade lacks daily commentary and Autochartist. Both brokers do not offer TipRanks or Acuity Trading integrations. If you value frequent in-house commentary and Autochartist-driven ideas, Saxo is the stronger choice; if you prefer Trading Central’s analytics within a solid research lineup, AvaTrade can fit the bill.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Saxo and AvaTrade both make learning to trade approachable for beginners. Each runs online educational webinars at least once a month and offers sizable video libraries tailored to newcomers, with 10 or more beginner-focused videos apiece. They also go beyond the basics, providing at least 10 advanced videos for experienced traders at both brokers. Topics span forex and CFD concepts, platform walkthroughs, and practical trading tips.
For recognition, ForexBrokers.com rates Saxo’s Education at 5 out of 5 stars and AvaTrade’s at 4 out of 5. Interestingly, in the Education category rankings across 63 brokers, AvaTrade places #2 while Saxo sits at #13. In short, Saxo shines for its top education rating, while AvaTrade stands out for its high category ranking—both offering frequent webinars and beginner-friendly learning paths.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 Saxo is better than AvaTrade. Saxo finished with an overall rank of #3, while AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #13.
Saxo is an exclusive multi-asset broker with brilliant research and a superb trading platform experience – as well as a stunning selection of over 40,000 securities.
| Feature |
Saxo
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AvaTrade
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 94 |
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In this comparison, online brokers Saxo and AvaTrade do not support purchasing actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading for investors seeking exposure without owning the underlying asset.
Saxo vs AvaTrade: both brokers do not support ACH or SEPA transfers but do accept bank wire transfers, while only AvaTrade supports PayPal and Skrill; Visa/Mastercard availability is 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 | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 94 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
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| Regulation | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 94 | |
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | 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) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 71000 | 1260 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 53 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| 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 | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.0 | 0.93 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.61 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Saxo | 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 | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Saxo | 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 | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 61 | 80 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 73 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Saxo Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Overall | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 94 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | AvaTrade Review |
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