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AvaTradePlus500 Review
Written by Steven Hatzakis
Edited by John Bringans
Fact-checked by Joey Shadeck
Last modified September 12, 2022
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to share trading and a thorough selection of CFDs.
Plus500’s simplified trading platform attracts beginners looking for a user-friendly experience, but its limited educational content and narrow selection of market research will leave active traders wanting more.
-
Minimum Initial Deposit:
€100 -
Trust Score:
99 -
Tradeable Symbols (Total):
1896
Plus500 pros & cons
Pros
- Founded in 2008, Plus500 is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: PLUS) and is part of the FTSE 250 Index.
- Plus500 is regulated in three tier-1 jurisdictions and five tier-2 jurisdictions, making it a safe broker (low-risk) for online trading.
- I found the Plus500 web-based trading platform to be extremely user-friendly, making it a solid choice for beginner traders. Disclosure: A trading platform recommended for beginners does not make it easy to make money. Trading is risky.
- Plus500’s web platform and mobile app feature robust charting, with a consistent experience across devices.
- Offers a good range of nearly 2,000 tradeable symbols, including CFDs.
- Plus500 appears to offer spreads close to the industry average on most of its major forex pairs.
- CFD option contracts are available on 24 popular symbols.
- Provides cash rebates for active traders in its Professional Account.
Cons
- The Plus500 platform offers only basic features, making it far less attractive for active traders.
- Plus500 does not offer comprehensive educational content to learn financial markets.
- Despite its integrated economic calendar, news headlines are absent from the Plus500 platform suite.
- Plus500’s research content consists of just a few daily articles, and its video content lacks market updates or analysis.
Overall summary
| Feature |
Plus500
|
| Overall Rating | |
| Trust Score | 99 |
| Offering of Investments | |
| Commissions & Fees | |
| Platform & Tools | |
| Research | |
| Mobile Trading | |
| Education |
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Is Plus500 Safe?
Plus500 is considered low-risk, with an overall trust score of 99 out of 99. Plus500 is publicly traded and does not operate a bank. Plus500 is authorised by four tier-1 regulators (high trust), four tier-2 regulators (average trust), and zero tier-3 regulators (low trust). Plus500 is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC), Financial Markets Authority (FMA) - New Zealand, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Learn more about Trust Score.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
| Year Founded | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes |
| Bank | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 |
Offering of investments
Unlike brokers who offer non-deliverable spot forex as a rolling contract, all forex trading at Plus500 is done by way of CFDs. Plus500 launched shares trading in 2021 via Plus500 Invest, and also acquired a futures firm in the U.S. The table below summarizes the different investment products available to Plus500 clients.
Cryptocurrency: Cryptocurrency trading is available through CFDs, but not available through trading the underlying asset (e.g., buying Bitcoin). Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents.
The table below summarizes the CFD investment products available at Plus500. Non-CFD shares are only available through the broker's Plus500 Invest platform.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
| Forex Trading | Yes |
| Trading - Forex or CFDs | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1896 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFD) | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
Commissions and fees
Overall, Plus500's pricing is in line with the industry average but trails the best forex brokers when it comes to active trader pricing (see IG or Saxo Bank for comparison). Plus500 does not provide discounts to retail clients, but does offer cash rebates (akin to an active trader program) if you qualify and are designated as a Professional client.
Spreads: For the EUR/USD, the Plus500 platform displays a dynamic spread of 0.00008 (0.8 pips). Accordingly, the average spread from Plus500 for the EUR/USD during August 2021 was 0.8 pips, which is in line with the industry average.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
| Minimum Initial Deposit | €100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.6 (as of Aug 2018) |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes |
Mobile trading apps
The look, feel, and functionality of the Plus500 trading app closely mirrors the WebTrader browser platform, offering a satisfyingly seamless transition between platforms.
That said, like its WebTrader counterpart, the Plus500 trading app lacks the advanced tools and all-around functionality to challenge industry leaders. As an example, Plus500’s web charts do not sync with the mobile app – a feature you’ll find within the trading apps available at Saxo Bank and TD Ameritrade (U.S. residents only).
Trading tools: Plus500 has significantly improved its charting, offering 109 indicators and over 20 drawing tools. However, there remains plenty of room for improvement, and I’d like to see an increase in the number of features, such as news, research, and advanced trading tools – all of which are currently absent from Plus500’s mobile app.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
| Android App | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 9 |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 110 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 21 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | No |
| Forex Calendar | Yes |
Other trading platforms
The Plus500 web trading platform, WebTrader, is an excellent choice for casual investors due to its ease of use and its focus on providing just the essentials. Plus500 has continued to make minor improvements to its platform over the years, and as those enhancements have stacked up, Plus500 has edged closer to competing with the industry leaders in this category.
Platforms overview: Plus500’s web trading platform continues to be refined, and features pre-defined watchlists, the ability to add alerts on client sentiment data, and an economic calendar that displays related news powered by Dow Jones, and instrument information from Yahoo Finance that appears when viewing a given symbol.
While the desktop version of the app is no longer supported, the web version meets the requirements of a progressive web app and is installable as a Chrome app.
Charting: The Plus500 web platform features 110 indicators, over 20 drawing tools, and 13 different chart types. Though indicators are not automatically saved within the platform, you bypass this issue by instead saving your chart templates. It’s also worth noting that your chart settings won’t sync with the Plus500 mobile app, so they won’t carry over across devices. Overall, I was impressed, and I found Plus500 charts to be a smooth, responsive experience.
Ease of use: For newer traders, Plus500’s browser-based WebTrader is a great starting point before graduating to a more advanced platform. WebTrader is cleanly designed and focuses on simplicity. The few advanced features available within Plus500's flagship platform include trailing stops and guaranteed stop-loss orders (GSLO), which can be helpful risk management tools for casual traders.
MetaTrader, algo trading, copy trading: Plus500 does not support algorithmic trading, social copy trading, or the MetaTrader suite of platforms – though it does provide its own proprietary trading platform.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No |
| Web Platform | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No |
| DupliTrade | No |
| ZuluTrade | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 110 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 21 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 9 |
Market research
Investment research at Plus500 leaves much to be desired, especially when compared to research leaders such as CMC Markets, Saxo Bank, and IG. Plus500 has begun adding to this category with daily articles covering market analysis and commentary, but still lacks forex news headlines and weekly webinars.
Research overview: Research in the Plus500 web trading platform consists of client sentiment data, and an economic calendar powered by Dow Jones with links to Yahoo Finance for each trading symbol. There are no news headlines or technical and fundamental analysis.
Market news and analysis: Plus500 publishes a daily article Sunday through Thursday as part of its News and Market Insights category, which features good quality reporting. That said, I found the content to be mostly focused on fundamental analysis and lacking charts and technical analysis – features and information you’ll find with the best brokers in this category.
Alerts: Plus500’s alert features allow for both precision and creativity in how you track your data. For example, you can place alerts on percentage changes within client sentiment data. I found this to be an imaginative addition, and a step above the basic price alerts you’d normally find. It would be great to see Plus500 take the next logical step, and offer alerts for indicators.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No |
| Autochartist | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes |
Education
Plus500 does not offer an extensive array of educational content for traders when compared to education leaders such as City Index, IG, or CMC Markets. No question, Plus500 should strive to expand its offering of educational content in this category to match its industry peers.
Learning center: Plus500 has a Trader’s Guide section where there are a handful of articles and roughly a dozen educational videos. Beyond a few articles and an eBook, there isn’t much else of substance at Plus500 for financial markets education, especially when compared to the best brokers in this category.
Room for improvement: Increasing the range of videos and articles would help Plus500 expand its otherwise light educational offering. Adding interactive courses that feature progress tracking and quizzes would be a logical next step for Plus500 to further enhance its educational content. It’s worth noting that while the videos in the Trader’s Guide series are good, many of them feel like platform tutorials.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
| Has Education - Forex or CFDs | No |
| Client Webinars | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No |
Final thoughts
Despite a lack of educational content, Plus500 is a winner for less-experienced traders who desire ease of use and simplicity. For 2022, Plus500 finished Best in Class across three categories, including Ease of Use (1st place), Trust Score, and Best for Beginners (1st place).
The integrated economic calendar and enhanced charts have improved the Plus500 web platform, but active traders looking for market research – which is mostly absent at Plus500 – will be left wanting more. For a more advanced trading experience, consider IG, and CMC Markets.
With nearly 2,000 CFDs available alongside a low minimum deposit requirement for opening a live account, Plus500 provides new market entrants an easy way to explore the world of online trading.
What is the minimum deposit for Plus500?
The minimum deposit at Plus500 is generally 100 units of currency ($100 or equivalent) depending on your account denomination and the payment method you select from the client dashboard.
For example, if your account balance is in euros, the minimum deposit will be 100 euros if you choose either Skrill, PayPal, or debit/credit cards, whereas a bank transfer (wire) requires a $500 minimum deposit when you fund your Plus500 account.
Is Plus500 good for beginners?
While Plus500 currently has a limited array of educational materials, it remains a good choice for beginners due to its software’s ease-of-use factor. The design simplicity of the Plus500 trading platform makes it easy for a beginner to navigate and learn the software, compared to the complex trading platforms offered by other brokers.
While this is no guarantee that you will succeed, using a trading platform that is less complex is important for beginners that want to avoid a steep learning curve.
Is Plus500 a good broker?
Plus500 is a well-rounded broker that continues to improve its offering for beginners as well as advanced traders, with a growing selection of trading tools and advanced charting on its trading platform suite.
Plus500 is also a trusted broker thanks to its years of operation — dating to 2008 — and numerous regulatory licenses in Tier-1 jurisdictions, including the U.K., EU, Australia, and Singapore. The broker was listed on the London Stock Exchange (ticker symbol LSE: PLUS) in 2013, subjecting itself to reporting requirements, and is today among the largest 250 public companies on the FTSE 250 index.
About Plus500
Founded in 2008, Plus500 is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: PLUS) and is part of the FTSE 250 Index. Plus500 serves online traders through its regulated subsidiaries that hold licenses in major financial hubs, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and Singapore. In 2019, Plus500 serviced over 430,000 active customer accounts that opened 85 million positions, totaling $1.7 trillion in traded value. For more on the company, see Plus500's Wikipedia page.
Plus500AU Pty Ltd (ACN 153301681) is licensed by: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) in Australia, (AFSL #417727), Financial Markets Authority (FMA) in New Zealand, (FSP #486026); Authorised Financial Services Provider in South Africa, (FSP #47546). When trading CFDs at Plus500, you do not own or have any rights to the underlying assets. Please refer to the Disclosure documents available on the website.
2022 Review Methodology
For our 2022 Forex Broker Review we assessed, rated, and ranked 39 international forex brokers over a three-month time period resulting in over 50,000 words of published research.
Each broker was graded on 113 different variables, including our proprietary Trust Score algorithm. This innovative scoring system ranks the level of trustworthiness for each broker based on factors such as licenses, regulation and corporate structure. Read about Trust Score here.
As part of our annual review process, all brokers had the opportunity to provide updates and key milestones and complete an in-depth data profile, which we hand-checked for accuracy.
Ultimately, our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .1% each year, providing site visitors with quality data they can trust. Learn more about how we test.
Forex Risk Disclaimer
There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities. With respect to margin-based foreign exchange trading, off-exchange derivatives, and cryptocurrencies, there is considerable exposure to risk, including but not limited to, leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection and market volatility that may substantially affect the price, or liquidity of a currency or related instrument. It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable, or that they will not result in losses. Read more on forex trading risks.
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Show allAbout the Author
Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Research for ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. A forex industry expert and an active fintech and crypto researcher, Steven advises blockchain companies at the board level and holds a Series III license in the U.S. as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA).
John Bringans is the Senior Editor of ForexBrokers.com. An experienced media professional, John has close to a decade of editorial experience with a background that includes key leadership roles at global newsroom outlets. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from San Francisco State University, and conducts research on forex and the financial services industry while assisting in the production of content.
Joey Shadeck is the Content Strategist and Research Analyst for ForexBrokers.com. He holds dual degrees in Finance and Marketing from Oakland University, and has been an active trader and investor for close to ten years. An industry veteran, Joey obtains and verifies data, conducts research, and analyzes and validates our content.