Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Swissquote 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.
Swissquote and AvaTrade are both well-regulated online brokers, but Swissquote has the stronger trust profile on paper. Swissquote was founded in 1996, is publicly traded, and operates as a bank. It holds 5 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, giving it a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, which falls in the highly trusted range.
AvaTrade, founded in 2006, is not publicly traded and is not a bank. It holds 4 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses, and has a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 96 out of 99, which also places it in the highly trusted category. While both brokers score well, Swissquote stands out for its banking status, stock exchange listing, and slightly higher trust rating.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 4 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
When comparing Swissquote vs AvaTrade for commissions and fees, AvaTrade comes out ahead for most traders. Swissquote is a well-known Swiss banking broker, but that name recognition comes with higher trading costs than many low-cost forex brokers. Its pricing varies by entity, but even its better-rate accounts can still feel expensive for everyday forex trading. Swissquote is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #35 out of 36 brokers in this category.
Swissquote’s fees depend on where you open the account. In the U.K., active traders with enough deposit can access the Elite account, which charges a $5 round-turn commission and lower spreads, while other account types start around 1.3 pips on EUR/USD. In Luxembourg, spreads range from about 0.8 to 1.5 pips depending on the account. In Switzerland, forex accounts start at roughly 1.7 pips on the Standard account, with the Prime account near 1.1 pips but requiring a large minimum deposit. Custom pricing is available for high-volume traders, but it is not as simple or as low-cost as many competitors.
AvaTrade is easier to understand and generally cheaper for most retail traders. Its standard spreads are close to the industry average at about 0.9 pips, and professional traders who qualify may see spreads as low as 0.6 pips. That makes AvaTrade more competitive than Swissquote on pricing, especially for traders who want a clearer fee structure. AvaTrade is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #14 out of 36 brokers, making it the stronger choice on cost in this comparison.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 0.93 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.61 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Swissquote offers a wider choice for investors who want access to both trading and long-term holdings. It supports forex trading, copy trading, and a large mix of investment products, including 472 tradable symbols, 80 forex pairs, exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, plus the option to buy actual cryptocurrency as well as crypto CFDs. By comparison, AvaTrade also offers forex trading, copy trading, and crypto CFDs, but its product list is more limited for direct investing because it does not provide exchange-traded securities or actual cryptocurrency. Still, AvaTrade lists more total tradeable symbols overall, with 1,260 compared with Swissquote’s 472.
For range of investments, Swissquote stands out as the stronger all-round choice, earning 5 out of 5 stars and ranking #2 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. AvaTrade receives 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #26 out of 36, which reflects a narrower selection despite its larger number of total symbols. In simple terms, Swissquote is better suited to traders and investors looking for more variety across stocks, forex, and crypto, while AvaTrade focuses more on CFD-style trading.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 1260 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 53 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
Swissquote and AvaTrade both give traders a wide mix of platform choices, including a free demo account, a built-in proprietary platform, web-based access, and Windows desktop software. Each broker also supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, plus copy trading and the ability to place trades straight from a chart. In other words, both platforms cover the core needs of active traders as well as those who want to learn the ropes before risking real money.
When it comes to overall trading platforms and tools, both Swissquote and AvaTrade are rated 4.5 out of 5 stars, so neither has a clear edge on quality. Still, Swissquote holds a slightly better ranking in ForexBrokers.com’s category list, coming in at #12 out of 36 brokers, while AvaTrade places #13. That means the two brokers are very close, with Swissquote having a small lead based on the ranking data.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 86 | 80 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Swissquote and AvaTrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each includes stock or forex price alerts plus the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Both brokers also earn the same 4.5-star rating for mobile trading apps, so on overall app quality they are closely matched. Swissquote has a slight edge in the ForexBrokers.com ranking, placing #12 out of 36 brokers, while AvaTrade ranks #13.
The biggest differences show up in charting and watchlist features. AvaTrade lets users sync watchlists between the mobile app and their online account, which makes it easier to keep track of changes across devices, and it offers 73 technical studies compared with Swissquote’s 30. Swissquote, however, can auto-save chart drawings in its mobile app, while AvaTrade cannot. For traders who want more indicators, AvaTrade may appeal more, but Swissquote may suit users who value saved chart work.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 73 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Swissquote has the stronger market research offering overall, with daily market commentary, forex news from top names like Bloomberg and Reuters, Autochartist tools, and an economic calendar. It also earns a higher research rating from ForexBrokers.com, at 4.5 out of 5 stars, and places #15 out of 36 brokers in the Research category. By comparison, AvaTrade also provides forex news and an economic calendar, but it does not include daily market commentary or Autochartist. Its research suite is more focused on Trading Central and a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, giving traders a different but narrower mix of insights.
In short, Swissquote is the better choice for traders who want more built-in market analysis and commentary, while AvaTrade may appeal to those who value Trading Central and sentiment data. Both brokers cover the basics well, but Swissquote offers a wider range of research features and a higher research ranking overall. AvaTrade is still competitive, with a solid 4-star research rating and a #28 ranking, but it trails Swissquote in depth and variety.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Swissquote and AvaTrade both give beginners a solid set of learning tools for forex and CFD trading. Each broker offers at least 10 education pieces focused on forex or CFDs, monthly online webinars, 10 or more beginner videos, and 10 or more advanced videos. For new traders, that means both platforms provide helpful ways to learn the basics, build confidence, and move on to more detailed topics as skills improve.
When it comes to overall education quality, AvaTrade has the edge in the rankings, coming in at #2 out of 36 brokers for Education, while Swissquote places #19. That said, Swissquote still earns a strong 4.5 out of 5 stars, compared with AvaTrade’s 4 out of 5 stars, so both brokers are well suited for beginners who want easy-to-access trading education.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
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 Swissquote is better than AvaTrade. Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #11, while AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #15.
Traders choose Swissquote for its quality research and vast multi-asset offering – as long as they are willing to pay a premium to have their brokerage account held with a Swiss bank.
| Feature |
Swissquote
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AvaTrade
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 |
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Swissquote lets you buy actual, delivered cryptocurrencies and trade crypto CFDs, while AvaTrade offers cryptocurrency CFDs only and does not support purchasing real, delivered crypto.
Comparing online brokers, Swissquote and AvaTrade both support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire funding, but only Swissquote offers ACH/SEPA transfers for deposits and withdrawals.
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 | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
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| Regulation | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 4 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | 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) | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 1260 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 53 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 0.93 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.61 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Trading Tools | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 80 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 73 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Swissquote | 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 | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Swissquote Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Overall | Swissquote | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | AvaTrade Review |
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