A head-to-head comparison of AvaTrade and Exness across regulation, trading costs, platforms, and editorial scoring.
Heavily regulated across 6+ jurisdictions with a unique AvaOptions platform for vanilla options trading and strong educational content.
Exceptional value for developing-market traders - instant withdrawals, $1 minimum deposit, and ultra-competitive raw spread pricing.
AvaTrade and Exness are extremely closely matched with scores of 4.4/5 and 4.4/5. The right choice depends on your individual trading priorities.
Which broker wins for each type of trader, based on costs, safety, platforms, and editorial scoring.
Exness offers tighter spreads from 0.3 pips vs 0.9 pips for AvaTrade, reducing trading costs.
Exness has a stronger safety profile: top-tier regulation, compensation scheme, segregated funds, negative balance protection.
Exness has a cost edge: raw/ECN spreads, tighter spreads from 0.3 pips.
AvaTrade offers more exclusive platform options: Proprietary Web/Mobile, a proprietary platform.
Both brokers share the same editorial score of 4.4/5, but Exness requires a lower minimum deposit ($1 vs $100 for AvaTrade), making it more accessible for new traders.
| Editorial score | 4.4/ 5 | 4.4/ 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Score Breakdown | ||
Trust & Regulation 40% weight | 4.4 / 5▲ | 4.3 / 5 |
Fees & Spreads 30% weight | 4.4 / 5 | 4.6 / 5▲ |
Platforms & Tools 20% weight | 4.3 / 5 | 4.4 / 5▲ |
Customer Support 10% weight | 4.4 / 5▲ | 4.3 / 5 |
| Founded | 2006 | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ireland | Limassol, Cyprus |
| Min deposit | $100 | $1 |
| Spreads from | 0.9 pips | 0.3 pips |
| Commission / lot | N/A | $3.5/lot |
| Max leverage | 400:1 | 2000:1 |
| Withdrawal fee | Free | Free |
| Regulators | FSCA ASIC ADGM CBI MFSA | FCA FSCA CySEC OJK |
| Platforms | MetaTrader 4 MetaTrader 5 Proprietary Web/Mobile | MetaTrader 4 MetaTrader 5 |
| Active bonuses | ||
| Visit broker | Visit AvaTrade | Visit Exness |
Pros
Heavily regulated across 6+ jurisdictions
AvaOptions platform for vanilla options trading
Strong educational content and structured courses
Multiple platforms including MT4, MT5 and proprietary AvaTradeGo
Regulated by top-tier authorities (FCA, ASIC, CySEC)
Client funds held in segregated accounts
Negative balance protection
No deposit fees
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 supported
Mobile trading app available
Advanced charting tools included
Transparent pricing with clear cost disclosure
24/5 live chat support
Phone support available
Multilingual customer support
Pros
Near-unlimited leverage on offshore entity
Extremely low $1 minimum deposit on Standard account
Instant withdrawals available 24/7 including weekends
One of the world's highest-volume retail FX brokers
Regulated by top-tier authorities (FCA, ASIC, CySEC)
Client funds held in segregated accounts
Negative balance protection
Investor compensation scheme coverage
No deposit fees
No inactivity fee
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 supported
Mobile trading app available
Advanced charting tools included
Transparent pricing with clear cost disclosure
24/5 live chat support
Phone support available
Multilingual customer support
Cons
Inactivity fee of $50 after 3 months of no trading
Not available to US residents
Spread-only model means no raw ECN pricing
No investor compensation scheme
Cons
Not available to US residents
EU clients face significant leverage restrictions
Unlimited leverage carries extreme risk for inexperienced traders
No proprietary platform
A closer look at the specific criteria each broker meets or misses within each scoring category.
| Criteria | AvaTrade | Exness |
|---|---|---|
| Trust & Regulation | ||
| Top-tier regulator (FCA, ASIC, CFTC, etc.) | Pass | Pass |
| Segregated client funds | Pass | Pass |
| Negative balance protection | Pass | Pass |
| Compensation scheme (e.g. FSCS) | Fail | Pass |
| Fees & Spreads | ||
| Raw/ECN spreads available | Fail | Pass |
| No deposit fee | Pass | Pass |
| No inactivity fee | Fail | Pass |
| Transparent pricing page | Pass | Pass |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| MT4/MT5 available | Pass | Pass |
| Proprietary platform | Pass | Fail |
| Mobile app | Pass | Pass |
| Advanced charting tools | Pass | Pass |
| Customer Support | ||
| 24/5 live chat | Pass | Pass |
| Phone support | Pass | Pass |
| Multilingual support | Pass | Pass |
AvaTrade and Exness share the same editorial score of 4.4/5. The right choice depends on your priorities: trading costs, platform preference, or regulatory coverage.
Exness offers tighter spreads starting from 0.3 pips, compared to AvaTrade's spreads from 0.9 pips. Tighter spreads lower the cost per trade, particularly valuable for high-frequency and scalping strategies.
Exness has a lower minimum deposit of $1, while AvaTrade requires at least $100. This makes Exness more accessible for traders with limited starting capital.
Both AvaTrade and Exness hold licences from top-tier regulators, indicating a high standard of regulatory oversight. Both are considered safe. Check each broker's specific regulatory bodies to confirm coverage in your jurisdiction.
For beginners: Exness has a lower minimum deposit ($1), lowering the barrier to entry; both brokers offer negative balance protection. Also weigh up educational resources and customer support quality before deciding.
AvaTrade offers maximum leverage of 400:1, while Exness offers up to 2000:1. Available leverage varies by account type, instrument, and jurisdiction. Higher leverage amplifies both potential profits and losses. Always use appropriate risk management.
Exness charges $3.5 per lot on commission-based accounts. Commission details for the other broker are not currently available. Check their website for up-to-date pricing.
AvaTrade supports MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Proprietary Web/Mobile and Exness offers MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5; both support MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5; AvaTrade exclusively offers Proprietary Web/Mobile.
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Score 4.4 / 5
Score 4.4 / 5
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