Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AvaTrade vs XM Group, 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 deciding between AvaTrade and XM Group, it's important to consider their regulatory standing and trust ratings. Founded in 2006, AvaTrade holds a total of four Tier-1 licenses, denoting high trustworthiness, alongside three Tier-2 licenses. This strong regulatory framework contributes to AvaTrade's impressive Trust Score of 94 out of 99 as per ForexBrokers.com, categorizing it as highly trusted. Although AvaTrade isn't publicly traded or a bank, its regulatory credentials suggest a reliable platform for potential traders.
On the other hand, XM Group, established in 2009, also boasts four Tier-1 licenses, signifying a solid level of trust. However, it holds just one Tier-2 license compared to AvaTrade's three. Despite this, XM Group maintains a commendable Trust Score of 93, close on the heels of AvaTrade. Like its counterpart, XM Group is neither publicly traded nor a bank. These factors together make XM Group a trustworthy choice, although AvaTrade slightly edges out in trust ratings and regulatory licensing variety.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
AvaTrade’s commissions and fees are competitive for most traders. Average spreads sit just below one pip (around 0.9 pips as of June 2024), which is close to the industry average, though a bit wider than entry-level accounts at CMC Markets and Tickmill. If you qualify as an elected professional, the Professional account tightens spreads to about 0.6 pips—comparable to FP Markets. For Commissions and Fees, AvaTrade is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #13 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
XM Group’s pricing is less appealing on its Standard account, where spreads are considered expensive. The broker also does not publish average spreads for its commission-based XM Zero account, making direct cost comparisons more difficult. In this category, XM Group holds a 4 out of 5 stars rating and is ranked #34 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Bottom line on costs: AvaTrade generally offers lower typical spreads than XM Group’s Standard account and provides even tighter pricing if you qualify for its Professional account. Based on ratings and rankings, AvaTrade holds the edge on commissions and fees.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $5 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.93 | 1.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | 0.8 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
AvaTrade and XM Group both let you trade forex as CFDs or spot, offer copy trading, and support cryptocurrency trading via CFDs (neither offers direct, delivered crypto). In terms of breadth, AvaTrade lists 1,260 tradeable symbols with 53 forex pairs, while XM Group offers 1,394 symbols and 55 pairs, giving XM Group a slight advantage for instrument choice.
Where they differ most is stock access: XM Group lets you buy real exchange-traded shares on both U.S. and international exchanges (think Apple on NASDAQ and Vodafone in London), while AvaTrade does not offer real share dealing. Reflecting this, ForexBrokers.com rates AvaTrade 4 stars and ranks it 33rd out of 63 for Range of Investments, versus XM Group’s 4.5 stars and 25th place. If you want real stock ownership alongside a wider symbol list, XM Group stands out; if you’re focused on CFDs, forex, and crypto CFDs with copy trading, AvaTrade covers those needs.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 1394 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 55 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
AvaTrade and XM Group both offer free demo accounts for simulated trading, along with web (browser) and Windows desktop platforms. Each supports copy trading and the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can place trades directly from charts at both brokers. The key difference is platform choice: AvaTrade adds an in-house proprietary platform, while XM Group sticks to third-party platforms.
When it comes to trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates AvaTrade 4.5 stars and ranks it #13 out of 63 brokers, while XM Group earns 4 stars and ranks #33. If you want a broker that combines a proprietary platform with MT4 and MT5, AvaTrade is a strong pick. If you prefer a MetaTrader-focused setup with similar essentials like a demo account and copy trading, XM Group fits the bill. Try their free demos to see which interface and tools suit your style.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
AvaTrade and XM Group both deliver mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, complete with price alerts and watchlists that sync with your online account. That means changes you make on your phone or desktop carry over automatically. Both apps let you draw trendlines on charts, but neither app auto-saves those drawings.
For charting, AvaTrade offers 73 technical studies, while XM Group provides 30. In third-party evaluations, AvaTrade earns 4.5 stars for its mobile app and ranks #13 out of 63 brokers in the Mobile Trading Apps category at ForexBrokers.com. XM Group earns 4 stars and ranks #31 out of 63. If you want deeper charting and higher-rated mobile performance, AvaTrade has the edge; if you need the essentials with alerts and syncing, both choices fit the bill.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
AvaTrade and XM Group both check the key boxes for market research. Each offers top-tier forex news (from sources like Bloomberg or Reuters), Trading Central tools for technical analysis, a sentiment gauge showing long vs. short positions, and an economic calendar. Neither broker includes Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. The biggest difference is daily market commentary: XM Group publishes regular commentary, while AvaTrade does not, giving XM users more day-to-day guidance to put news and data into context.
Independent ratings back this up: XM Group earns 5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers for Research on ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade holds 4 stars and ranks #35. If you want fresh commentary alongside news, sentiment, and Trading Central ideas, XM Group has the edge. If daily commentary isn’t a priority, AvaTrade still delivers strong forex research basics with quality news and core analysis tools.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| 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 XM Group both deliver beginner-friendly forex and CFD education. Each broker runs monthly client webinars and offers large video libraries that include at least 10 beginner lessons plus 10 advanced videos, so new traders can start with basics and progress to more complex topics. You’ll find a mix of formats—videos, webinars, and other learning materials—making it easy to learn at your own pace.
When it comes to third-party scores, AvaTrade earns 4 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com Education category. XM Group earns a higher 5 out of 5 stars, while ranking #7 out of 63. In short, XM shines on star rating, and AvaTrade places higher in the category ranking. Either way, beginners get strong forex and CFD education, frequent webinars, and plenty of step-by-step videos.
| Feature |
AvaTrade
|
XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 XM Group. AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #13, while XM Group 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, 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
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XM Group
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 93 |
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In the AvaTrade vs XM Group comparison, neither broker allows buying real (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
Online brokers AvaTrade and XM Group both support Skrill and bank wire transfers and do not support ACH or SEPA for deposits or withdrawals, but only AvaTrade offers PayPal, while 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 | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | XM Group Review |
| Broker Screenshots | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
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| Regulation | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 94 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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) | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1260 | 1394 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 53 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.93 | 1.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.61 | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $5 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 80 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 73 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | XM Group Review |
| Overall | AvaTrade | XM Group | |
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| Trust Score | 94 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | AvaTrade Review | XM Group Review |
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