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.
Saxo and AvaTrade are both well-known online brokers, but Saxo stands out on trust and regulation. Founded in 1992, Saxo is also a bank, while AvaTrade was founded in 2006 and is not a bank. Neither broker is publicly traded, but Saxo holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, compared with AvaTrade’s 4 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses.
Based on ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale, both brokers fall in the highly trusted range, but Saxo scores higher at 99 out of 99, while AvaTrade scores 96 out of 99. In simple terms, both are considered very safe choices, though Saxo has the stronger regulatory profile overall.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 4 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Saxo stands out for commissions and fees, especially for active and high-volume traders. Its overall pricing is excellent, with a 5-star rating and a #8 ranking out of 36 brokers for this category. Forex trading is commission-free at Saxo, with costs built into the spread, and its average EUR/USD spread in November 2023 was 1.1 pips for Classic, 1.0 pips for Platinum, and 0.9 pips for VIP. The Classic account is the most expensive of the three, while Platinum and VIP are closer to the industry average. Saxo also offers no minimum deposit for Classic, a $200,000 minimum for Platinum, and a $1,000,000 minimum for VIP, though some traders can qualify for upgrades through Saxo’s loyalty program.
AvaTrade also offers fairly simple pricing, with spreads that were just under 1 pip on average, or 0.9 pips as of June 2024. That puts AvaTrade near the industry average, though still a bit higher than some lower-cost rivals like CMC Markets and Tickmill. For professional traders who qualify for the elected Professional account, spreads are more competitive at 0.6 pips, which compares well with FP Markets. AvaTrade earns a 4.5-star rating and ranks #14 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
Overall, Saxo has the edge over AvaTrade on pricing, especially for traders who can qualify for its higher account tiers. Both brokers keep forex costs mainly in the spread, but Saxo’s VIP and Platinum accounts offer better value than AvaTrade’s standard pricing. If you want the stronger pick for commissions and fees, Saxo is the better choice.
| 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 offers a much wider range of investments than AvaTrade, making it a stronger choice for traders who want more variety. Saxo provides access to about 71,000 tradeable symbols and 190 forex pairs, while AvaTrade offers around 1,260 symbols and 53 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both also offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency.
The biggest difference is in shares and market access. Saxo lets clients buy exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, such as Apple and Vodafone shares, while AvaTrade does not offer direct access to listed stocks. AvaTrade does, however, offer copy trading, which Saxo does not. Overall, Saxo earns a 5-star rating for range of investments and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers, compared with AvaTrade’s 4-star rating and #27 ranking.
| 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 give traders a strong set of platform choices, including free demo accounts, their own in-house platforms, web-based access, and Windows desktop downloads. Each also lets you place trades directly from a stock chart, which can make order entry quicker and easier. In terms of Trading Platforms and Tools, Saxo is rated 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #13.
The main differences come down to extra features. AvaTrade supports copy trading and also offers MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which may appeal to traders who want familiar third-party platforms and social trading options. Saxo does not offer copy trading, MT4, or MT5, so its platform lineup is more focused on its own tools and trading experience. For traders comparing platform choice and flexibility, AvaTrade has more variety, while Saxo stands out for its higher overall platform rating and stronger category ranking.
| 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 make it easy to trade on the go with iPhone and Android apps, plus stock and forex price alerts and watchlist syncing between mobile and online accounts. Each app also lets you draw trendlines on charts, so both are well suited for traders who want core tools in a simple mobile setup.
The main differences show up in charting and overall mobile app quality. AvaTrade offers more technical studies in its mobile charts, with 73 compared with Saxo’s 64, but Saxo has the edge in convenience because its app automatically saves chart drawings, while AvaTrade does not. Saxo also scores higher overall, earning 5 stars and ranking #3 out of 36 brokers for mobile trading apps, while AvaTrade holds 4.5 stars and ranks #13.
| 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, offering daily market commentary, news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Autochartist tools, a sentiment indicator, and an economic calendar. This helped Saxo earn a 5-star Research rating and the #1 spot out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. AvaTrade also gives traders forex news, sentiment data, and an economic calendar, but it does not include daily market commentary or Autochartist. Instead, AvaTrade features Trading Central tools, which Saxo does not.
Overall, Saxo has the edge for traders who want more built-in research and analysis in one place. AvaTrade still covers the basics well, but its research offering is less complete, which is reflected in its 4-star Research rating and #29 ranking out of 36 brokers. Neither broker includes TipRanks or Acuity Trading research tools.
| 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.
For beginners looking for learning support, both Saxo and AvaTrade offer a wide range of forex and CFD education, including at least 10 pieces of content focused on these markets. Each broker also provides online educational webinars at least once a month, along with 10 or more beginner videos and 10 or more advanced videos, so traders at different skill levels can find useful material. In short, both platforms give new traders plenty of ways to learn the basics and keep building their knowledge over time.
When it comes to overall education quality, Saxo is rated 5 stars and ranks #12 out of 36 brokers in the Education category, while AvaTrade is rated 4 stars but holds a much higher #2 ranking. That means Saxo scores slightly better on star rating, but AvaTrade places near the top in the broader industry comparison. For beginners, both are strong choices for learning resources, with AvaTrade standing out in ranking and Saxo leading in star rating.
| 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 #15.
Saxo is a 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 | 96 |
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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 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
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| Regulation | Saxo | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| 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 | 4 | |
| 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) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA 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 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | AvaTrade Review |
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