Compare Avatrade and Degiro side by side and assess which might be the best broker for you. Take a look at important aspects of both brokers, including the products available and the user experience offered.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Investing involves risks. You can lose (a part of) your deposit. We advise you to only invest in financial products which match your knowledge and experience.
AvaTrade offers clients a zero-commission model, with fees taken from the spreads, which are pretty reasonable. On the EURUSD, for example, 0.9 pips is the average spread during peak trading hours. There is also an inactivity fee of $50 per quarter, which kicks in after an account has been inactive for 12 months, along with an admin fee of $100 annually.
Degiro is known as a discount broker that offers a flat fee structure that varies depending on the asset class you are trading. Fees are clearly laid out on the website, and you can use the Degiro on-site cost calculator to work out your annual investment costs. There are no deposit or withdrawal costs, no inactivity fee and no custody fee. Currency conversion is charged at 0.25%.
Both AvaTrade and Degiro are multi-asset brokers offering a range of financial instruments. At AvaTrade, you can trade via CFDs on forex, stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies and indices. You can also trade ETFs, bonds and treasuries. AvaTrade offers more than 50 forex pairs, and there is a relatively wide range of cryptocurrencies available, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dash, Litecoin, Ripple and Shiba Inu.
Degiro offers the opportunity to invest in shares, currencies, ETFs, bonds, options and futures, but it is not possible to trade via CFDs or to carry out general forex trading or crypto trading. The broker is considered an excellent choice for stock trading, but the limitation in the number of products offered means that the firm may not be suitable for all traders. Forex and CFD traders, or multi-asset traders who want access to forex and CFD trading, may be better off with AvaTrade.
AvaTrade offers quick and easy account opening, whether you want to go with a demo account or go straight to a live account. Live accounts will need to be verified, but this is a fairly quick process, usually done within one business day. Mobile apps are available for those who want to trade on the go or simply prefer using a mobile device. A range of funding options is available, including PayPal and Neteller, and it is quick and easy to fund your account. An account at AvaTrade is pretty accessible, with a minimum deposit of just $/£/€100 required.
We found the AvaTrade website very intuitive and easy to find your way around. The broker offers a good selection of trading platforms, including MT4, MT5, WebTrader and AvaTradeGO. There is also the option of automated trading via the AvaSocial app, ZuluTrade, and DupliTrade.
At Degiro, account opening is also simple and fast. There is a choice of funding methods and no minimum deposit. Degiro offers a choice of accounts, including a Basic account for beginners and a specialist Day Trader account, so users should be able to find something that suits them. You can sign up online, and there is also the opportunity to download the Degiro app from the Apple and Google Play stores for easy mobile trading.
The Degiro site is clean, simple and easy to navigate, with handy drop-down menus in the top bar that cover essential information on things such as fees and investing options, including the platforms available, along with access to the knowledge centre, where you will find details on products and strategies, and the Degiro Investor’s Academy.
AvaTrade is regulated by various authorities in the different jurisdictions in which it operates. AvaTrade EU is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, but the firm also operates under the relevant regulatory bodies in Cyprus, Australia, Japan, South Africa, Abu Dhabi, the British Virgin Islands and Israel.
Degiro is based in the Netherlands and is subject to integrity supervision by the Dutch Central Bank, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), and conduct supervision by the independent market conduct authority, the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). The DEGIRO Bank Dutch Branch is also registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Amsterdam. For traders operating in the UK, Degiro is also authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
When you sign up at AvaTrade, you will be offered the choice of a live account or a demo account. To register for a demo account, you will only need to provide some very basic information, which makes the whole process very quick and easy. You can then select the platform you want to use with your demo account, which should, of course, be the one you intend to use when you trade for real. The AvaTrade demo account offers a trading experience that’s very much in line with live trading, so you will be able to find your way around, practice trading strategies, and familiarise yourself with the platform.
One of the drawbacks of Degiro is that the broker does not currently offer a demo account. This will no doubt discourage some traders. However, it should be noted that there is a lot of information on the site about how to trade with the broker, including animated tutorials that take you through the process of trading using the Degiro trading platform.
While both of these brokers are reputable, they are suitable for different types of traders. Forex and CFD traders will want to use AvaTrade, as will crypto traders, who will possibly be surprised at the range of altcoins available. For stock traders and those trading other assets, Degiro may well be the best choice, especially for those starting out small as there is no minimum deposit. There is also a dedicated Day Trader account at Degiro, so day traders may find that this is a sensible choice for them.