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Interactive Brokers vs AvaTrade 2026

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025
  Fact Checked

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs AvaTrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 8500
AvaTrade
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $100
  • Trust Score: 96
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 1260

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.

Regulation

Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade are both well-known online brokers, but they differ in age, ownership, and regulatory standing. Interactive Brokers was founded in 1977 and is publicly traded, while AvaTrade was founded in 2006 and is not listed on a stock exchange. Neither broker is a bank, but both are regulated in multiple regions, which helps support trader confidence.

In terms of regulation, Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, giving it a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, which places it in the highly trusted category. AvaTrade holds 4 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses and has a Trust Score of 96, which also puts it among the highly trusted brokers. For traders comparing safety and oversight, Interactive Brokers has the stronger regulatory profile overall, though AvaTrade also scores very well.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Year Founded info 1977 2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 8 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 4
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1

Fees

Interactive Brokers stands out for low forex trading costs, especially for active traders. In Q3 2024, its average EUR/USD spread was 0.19 pips, which works out to an estimated all-in cost of 0.59 pips after commission. Its forex commissions start at 0.00002, or 0.2 basis points, of the U.S. dollar trade value per side, with a minimum of $2 per order, and can get even lower for very high-volume traders. Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.

AvaTrade keeps pricing fairly simple, with spreads that are close to the industry average. As of June 2024, its EUR/USD spread was 0.9 pips, while eligible professional traders can access spreads as low as 0.6 pips on the Professional account. Compared with Interactive Brokers, AvaTrade is generally a bit more expensive for standard forex trading, though its pricing is still competitive in the broader market. AvaTrade is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #14 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.

In short, Interactive Brokers is the better pick for traders looking for lower commissions and tighter pricing, especially if they trade often or in larger sizes. AvaTrade may appeal to traders who want straightforward spread-based pricing, but its standard costs are higher than IBKR’s. Overall, both brokers are strong choices, but Interactive Brokers has the edge on fees.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Minimum Deposit info $0 $100
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.226 info 0.93 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.226 info 0.61 info
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

Interactive Brokers offers a much wider range of investments than AvaTrade. It provides access to around 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, along with exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international markets. It also lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, which can be useful for investors who want to hold the real asset rather than trade a derivative.

AvaTrade covers the basics well, including forex trading and a smaller list of about 1,260 tradeable symbols and 53 forex pairs. It does not offer exchange-traded stocks on U.S. or international exchanges, but it does support copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. For range of investments, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 36 brokers, while AvaTrade is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #26.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 1260
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 53
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes No
Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info No 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.

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade both give traders a choice of a free demo account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop app, and a web-based platform, so each broker covers the basics well for different trading styles. Both also let users trade directly from charts, which can make placing orders quicker and easier. For trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers earns a 5-star rating and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers, while AvaTrade scores 4.5 stars and ranks #13, showing that Interactive Brokers has the edge overall in this area.

Where AvaTrade stands out is in its extra trading options: it supports copy trading plus both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which may appeal to traders who want a more familiar setup or want to follow other traders. Interactive Brokers does not offer these features, so it may feel more focused on its own platform ecosystem. If you want a broker with strong platform choices and built-in trading tools, both are solid, but AvaTrade is better for copy trading and MetaTrader users, while Interactive Brokers is stronger for overall platform quality.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 80
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts. Each app also lets users sync watchlists with their online account, so changes made on one device show up on the other. Both platforms support trendline drawing on charts, but neither app auto-saves those drawings.

Where Interactive Brokers stands out is charting depth, with 155 technical studies in its mobile app compared with AvaTrade’s 73. That broader chart toolset likely helps explain why Interactive Brokers earns a 5-star Mobile Trading Apps rating and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade holds a 4.5-star rating and ranks #13.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 155 73
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers has a clear edge over AvaTrade for market research. It offers daily market commentary, news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, Trading Central tools, sentiment data, TipRanks, Acuity Trading, and an economic calendar. AvaTrade also provides forex news from top-tier sources, Trading Central tools, sentiment data, and an economic calendar, but it does not include daily commentary, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. Neither broker offers Autochartist research tools.

That stronger mix of research features is reflected in the ratings and rankings. Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade is rated 4 stars and ranks #28. For traders who want more built-in market analysis and news support, Interactive Brokers is the better choice.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes Yes
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes No
Acuity Trading info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade both give beginners plenty of learning tools, including forex and CFD education with at least 10 dedicated resources, monthly educational webinars, and a large library of beginner and advanced trading videos. This means new traders can find lessons that cover the basics, while more experienced users can also keep learning through more detailed content. Both brokers make education easy to access, but Interactive Brokers has a slight edge for learners who want the strongest overall support.

That edge shows up in the ratings and rankings: Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade scores 4 stars and ranks #2. In simple terms, both are good choices for education, but Interactive Brokers comes out ahead as the better pick for beginners who want the most complete set of learning resources.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than AvaTrade. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #15.

Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or AvaTrade?

Interactive Brokers vs AvaTrade: Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency (not a CFD) but does not offer crypto CFDs, while AvaTrade does not support buying real, delivered crypto yet provides cryptocurrency CFD trading.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Comparing online brokers Interactive Brokers and AvaTrade: Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA and bank wires but not PayPal or Skrill, while AvaTrade supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA; Visa/Mastercard availability was not specified for either broker.

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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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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review AvaTrade Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
IBKR mobile watchlist. IBKR Desktop platform charts. Interactive Brokers research Traders Insight daily analysis article detail Interactive Brokers IBKR Podcast video.
AvaTradeGo mobile app chart view AvaTrade web trader platform chart layout trading signals AvaTrade research within web platform new headlines AvaTrade Academy educational courses overview.
Regulation Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Trust Score info 99 96
Year Founded info 1977 2006
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 8 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 4
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes Yes
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info Yes Yes
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info Yes
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info Yes No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info Yes
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No Yes
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) info Yes Yes
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 1260
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 53
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info Yes No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes No
Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info No 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 Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 0.226 info 0.93 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.226 info 0.61 info
Inactivity Fee info No Yes
Order execution: Agency info Yes No
Order execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Minimum Deposit info $0 $100
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 80
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 155 73
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info No No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review Interactive Brokers Review AvaTrade Review
Overall Interactive Brokers AvaTrade
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review AvaTrade Review
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