AvaTrade vs IC Markets vs Oanda - Fees Review included
| Feature | AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda |
|---|---|---|---|
Overall |
4.6 |
4.7 |
4.4 |
4.7 |
5 |
5 |
|
4.4 |
4.9 |
4.5 |
|
4.4 |
4.6 |
3.5 |
|
Investment Instruments |
4.2 |
4.9 |
4.1 |
Platforms and Charting Tools |
4.6 |
4.4 |
4.8 |
Deposit and Withdrawal |
4.7 |
4.6 |
4.2 |
Research |
4.4 |
4.3 |
4.7 |
Education |
4.8 |
4.4 |
4.5 |
Support |
4.6 |
4.6 |
4.8 |
Bonuses |
3.9 |
2.5 |
4.6 |
|
|
|
|
AvaTrade vs IC Markets vs Oanda: Pros and Cons
AvaTrade was founded in 2006 in Dublin, Ireland. The company has offices in 150 countries. It currently has over 200, 000 registered users and processes more than 2 million transactions every month. These factors contribute to AvaTrade being a reliable and trusted broker. They are accredited across five continents and are one of the market leaders. The broker is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), the Japanese FSA, and the South African FSCA. AvaTrade holds accreditation by the Central Irish Bank, the Abu Dhabi Financial Services Regulatory Authority, and the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission. AvaTrade allows traders to trade stocks, securities, indices, cryptocurrencies, and currency pairs. In total, the offer more than 250 tools to customers.
IC Markets Trading Company was founded in 2007 in Sydney, Australia. The broker is licensed under the Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). The broker is also a member of the Australian Financial Complaint Authority (AFCA), the governing body that sets the industry standard for the resolution of disputes between consumers and financial service providers, and regularly undertakes audits.
Olsen & Associates, also known as OANDA, is a US-registered company set up to offer a plethora of financial services to clients around the world. Its history goes as far back as 1996, and it is now under regulation in four jurisdictions. The broker has licenses from different regulators, of which the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the major one.
| AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Pros | Highly regulated broker, licenced on the territory of 5 continents | World biggest Forex broker, over 180,000 clients and $1.11 trln monthly turnover in 2022 | Regulated by a range of reputable financial bodies |
| a wide range of trading instruments | Advanced ECN trading | Real-time news and fundamental analysis tools | |
| Swap-free account | Order execution speed 40 mc | localized and multilingual phone support | |
| Advanced copy trading tools | Free VPS | User-friendly platform for new forex traders | |
| A lot of educational content | Trading servers in New York and London | Outstanding research tools | |
| Low fees | Strong regulation | Financial information publicly available | |
| Optioins trading | 2000+ trading assets, 60+ currency pairs | High educational value through written content and videos | |
| EURUSD Average spread 01 pip | Orders get executed with no requotes | ||
| Deposit minimum as low as $1 | |||
| Overall Cons | customer service efficiency and response time | No forex bonuses | No programs offering bonus |
| There is no ECN account | World biggest Forex broker, over 180,000 clients and $1.11 trln monthly turnover in 2022 | Slow withdrawal of funds | |
| Market maker(dealing desk) type of broker |
AvaTrade vs IC Markets vs Oanda: Safety and Regulation
| Regulated By: | AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda |
|---|---|---|---|
Max. Regulation Level |
Tier-1 |
Tier-1 |
Tier-1 |
Investor protection |
€20,00 |
€20,000 |
€20,000 |
FCA UK Regulation |
No |
No |
No |
FINRA (U.S) |
No |
No |
No |
BaFin (Germany) |
No |
No |
No |
ASIC (Australia) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
CFTC (U.S) |
No |
No |
No |
MAS |
No |
No |
No |
FSCA SA |
Yes |
No |
No |
BVI FSC |
Yes |
No |
No |
VFSC |
No |
No |
No |
FSA (Seychelles) |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
AvaTrade vs IC Markets vs Oanda: Trading Conditions
| Trading Conditions | AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda |
|---|---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit |
$100 |
$200 |
No minimum deposit |
Trading Platforms |
MT4, MT5, AvaTradeGo, AvaOptions |
MT4, MT5, cTrader |
MT4, OANDA, TradingView |
Max Leverage (Futures) |
1-400 |
1-500 |
1-50 |
Supported Markets |
Currency pairs, Forex Options, CFDs on stocks, cryptocurrencies, indices, metals, commodities |
Forex, futures, CFDs on indices, commodities, metals, stocks and bonds |
Forex, CFDs (not for all entetities): Forex, Indexes, Commodities, Metals, Bonds, Cryptocurrencies |
Trading assets |
100+ |
2000+ |
120+ |
Trading Accounts |
Standard, Professional account |
cTrader, Raw Spread, Standard |
Standard, Core, and Swap-free |
Base Account Currencies |
EUR, USD |
USD, AUD, GBP, CHF, JPY, NZD, SGD, CAD, HKD, BTC |
USD, EUR, HKD, SGD |
AvaTrade vs IC Markets vs Oanda: Fees
| Fee | AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda |
|---|---|---|---|
Standard acc. spread EUR/USD, min pips |
0,6 |
0,8 |
0,8 |
Standard acc. spread EUR/USD, max pips |
0,9 |
1,0 |
1,0 |
ECN Commission |
3,5 |
3,5 |
|
ECN Spread EUR/USD |
0,1 |
0,1 |
|
Deposit fee, % |
No |
No |
No |
Withdrawal fee, % |
No |
No |
No |
Withdrawal fee, USD |
No |
No |
No |
Inactivity fee, $ |
16,66 |
No |
No |
AvaTrade vs IC Markets vs Oanda: Trading Assets
| Asset Name | AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda |
|---|---|---|---|
Overall |
1000+ |
2000+ trading assets |
120+trading assets |
Forex |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Stocks |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
No |
Metals |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Cryptocurrencies |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Energy |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Indices |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
ETFs |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
No |
Bonds |
Yes (CFD) |
Yes (CFD) |
No |
Mutual funds |
No |
No |
No |
Stock options |
No |
No |
No |
Futures Trading |
Yes |
Yes (CFD) |
No |
Binary Options |
No |
No |
No |
AvaTrade or IC Markets or Oanda: Investment Programs
| Asset Name | AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda |
|---|---|---|---|
Copy Trading |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
MAM/PAMM |
No |
Yes |
No |
Managed Accounts |
Yes |
No |
No |
Other |
Bonds |
No |
No |
Trading Platforms: AvaTrade or IC Markets or Oanda
| AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda | |
|---|---|---|---|
MT4 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
MT5 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
cTrader |
No |
Yes |
No |
Appropriate platform |
AvaTradeGo, AvaOptions |
IC Markets terminal |
Oanda |
Others |
No |
No |
No |
|
|
|
|
AvaTrade vs IC Markets vs Oanda: Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
| Deposit and Withdrawal Method | AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda |
|---|---|---|---|
Bank Wire |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Bank Card |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Neteller |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
BTC |
Yes |
No |
No |
Wise |
No |
No |
No |
Payoneer |
No |
No |
No |
USDT |
Yes |
No |
No |
AvaTrade vs IC Markets vs Oanda: Research
| Research Type | AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda |
|---|---|---|---|
News Feed |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Fundamental Data |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Chart Analysis |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Trading Ideas |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
E-Mail Reports |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
AvaTrade vs IC Markets vs Oanda: Education
| Education Type | AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda |
|---|---|---|---|
Demo-account/Paper Trading |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Webinars |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Articles |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Videos |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Cent account |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
AvaTrade vs IC Markets vs Oanda: Support
| Support Features | AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda |
|---|---|---|---|
Working Days |
24/5 |
24/5 |
24/5 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Phone |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Online chat |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
No |
No |
No |
AvaTrade vs IC Markets vs Oanda: Forex Bonuses and Promo
| Promo | AvaTrade | IC Markets | Oanda |
|---|---|---|---|
Forex Bonus |
The broker offers its customers a one-time bonus upon first deposit (not for all markets) |
Not offered |
Yes (Not for all countries) |
Affiliate Program |
A trader can receive up to 400 US dollars for inviting friends. |
% of trading commissions |
Yes |
Other Promos |
Rebates and commission markdowns |
||
|
|
|
|
Top 5 Reviews on AvaTrade
-
Comment
AvaTrade stands out from competitors due to its geographic range of regulation — the broker is licensed in Ireland, Australia, Japan, South Africa, and the UAE. Client funds are protected through segregated accounts. Customer support is available 24/7, but the platform’s user interface, especially the mobile version, needs updating. For beginners, educational resources are provided, including webinars and guides.
-
Comment
For passive investors, integration with DupliTrade — a trade-copying service — is available. Users can connect their accounts to the platform and follow strategies tested by other participants. The selection of signal providers is limited, but their data is transparent: performance, risk level, and number of followers are clearly shown. Access to the service is granted after opening an account with a minimum of $100.
-
Comment
Trading conditions at AvaTrade suit both conservative and active traders. Leverage up to 1:400 allows for scaling strategies, and the availability of swap-free accounts is beneficial for Islamic clients. The minimum lot is 0.01, which is convenient for cautious trades. However, customer support is not as fast as expected.
-
Comment
Among the 250+ available instruments, AvaTrade offers trading in currencies, cryptocurrencies, indices, metals, and stocks. The company is regulated by several authorities, including ASIC, FSA, FSCA, and the British Financial Services Commission. Support is available 24/7 and operates in 14 languages. On the downside, the web-based platform interface looks outdated and could use improvement.
-
Comment
I’ve used AvaTrade, and I really like its smooth interface and variety of trading options. The spreads are decent, and having multiple platforms like MT4 and AvaTradeGO makes it flexible. I also appreciate the strong regulations, which add a sense of security. The only downside I noticed is that withdrawals can take a bit longer than expected, but overall, it’s been a solid experience.
Top 5 Reviews on IC Markets
-
Comment
I decided to use the services of IC Markets not long ago. Now I think that not all negative reviews are justified. This is a good broker and I have already withdrawn profits several times, everything went without problems. IC Markets’ rates differ from those of other brokers. But you can adapt to this problem.
-
Comment
I initially paid $3000 to start with and an account manager demonstrated a growth of $500 in quick time. A specialist then came in and tried to get me to invest $25000 to which I bluntly denied and they tried with $20K, then $10K and even $5K to all of which I refused! They have now kept me hanging and I asked for a refund to which they are asking for more money from me and I don't know what more to do! Also as of yesterday, the site itself is DOWN!! I cannot log in anymore and the email contact i had from there, when i sent the email to check it came back saying that domain does not exist anymore!! I am at loss of words and my hard earned money unfortunately i was able to recover my money back with the help of Olivia teams get in touch with them oliviatrader 44 at gmail com WhatApp +1 (423) 248 - 2140
-
Comment
I was looking for a reliable broker and noticed the long existence and good reputation of ICMarkets. Moreover, my friend, who has been trading for a long time, recommended contacting them. After several years, I have become a more experienced trader and I am satisfied with the work of the broker.
-
Comment
I have been trading with IC Markets for some time now and I can draw some conclusions. The platform works stably, which indicates a serious approach to its work. Spreads are quite optimal, although for cryptocurrencies they are higher than average as compared to those of its competitors. Slippages occur, there is nothing you can do about it. But there are no problems with requotes at all. In general, I think it’s possible to rate IC Markets “good”.
-
Comment
There are many advantages to IC Markets broker. First, of course, is the presence of a license from a reputable regulator. Accounts can be opened for citizens of many countries. Second, the platform works very well. Order execution speed is high, and you can actively trade manually or with the help of an advisor. I am quite satisfied with IC Markets as a broker.
Top 5 Reviews on Oanda
-
Comment
I tested different account types: Standard, Core, and Premium. The conditions vary in terms of spreads and execution speed. In my case, I chose the Core account — it's the best balance between commission and execution quality. On the downside, there are no cent accounts, and the entire website is only available in English, which may not suit everyone.
-
Comment
I considered Oanda as a platform for portfolio diversification. What attracted me was its stability — the broker has been operating since 1996 and is regulated in four jurisdictions. Liquidity is provided by major banks, including JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank, which adds confidence in order execution without slippage.
-
Comment
The Oanda platform offers a solid range of instruments, including currency pairs, cryptocurrencies, metals, indices, and commodities. The minimum order size starts from 0.01 lots, and spreads for major pairs begin at 0 pips. These are favorable conditions for traders using intraday or scalping strategies.
-
Comment
When choosing a broker, I paid close attention to leverage. OANDA offers up to 1:200, which provides enough flexibility for active trading. You can trade on MetaTrader 4, 5, as well as the proprietary fxTrade platform. The stop-out level is fixed at 50%, which is in line with industry standards.
-
Comment
The conditions at OANDA are average, so I can give this broker a decent rating.
FAQs
What should I start Forex trading with?
It is desirable for novice traders to explore trading using a demo account to learn the market and how to work on the trading platform without the risk of suffering losses. At the same time, it is advisable to review the educational materials of the broker, learn trading basics. Then you can deposit the minimum required amount to perform a small number of transactions. If you manage to close several months in a row in the black, without substantial drawdowns on the account, then you can try increasing your deposit. Also trying to copy trades automatically is a good option for a start.
What amount should I start trading with?
The minimum deposit of $10 may be enough to trade on the cent account. However, for trading on Standard/ECT accounts, experts recommend starting with at least $200-500. With this amount, you can use not a very big leverage. Remember, getting carried away with the margin is the main cause of losses among beginners.
What should I take into consideration when choosing a broker?
Experts recommend looking at the broker’s reliability first and foremost. The other important features include basic trading conditions, commissions and fees, customer reviews. If brokers are approximately the same in terms of basic criteria, you need to choose based on your experience and tasks. One broker may be good for professionals and another – for novice traders.
Is it possible to be scammed by a broker with a license from a reputable regulator?
In theory, yes. But in practice, it takes so much time and money to comply with the requirements of reputable regulators that it is not worth it for scammers to bother obtaining a legitimate license.
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Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.
Olga Shendetskaya has been a part of the Traders Union team as an author, editor and proofreader since 2017. Since 2020, Shendetskaya has been the assistant chief editor of the website of Traders Union, an international association of traders. She has over 10 years of experience of working with economic and financial texts. In the period of 2017-2020, Olga has worked as a journalist and editor of laftNews news agency, economic and financial news sections. At the moment, Olga is a part of the team of top industry experts involved in creation of educational articles in finance and investment, overseeing their writing and publication on the Traders Union website.