Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of OANDA vs AvaTrade, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Overall
Overall
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.
OANDA and AvaTrade are both non-bank, privately held online brokers, and neither is listed on a stock exchange. OANDA was founded in 1996, while AvaTrade began in 2006. When it comes to trust and regulation, both score well with ForexBrokers.com: OANDA has a Trust Score of 92 out of 99, and AvaTrade scores 96, placing both in the highly trusted range.
Looking at regulatory coverage, OANDA holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses, while AvaTrade holds 4 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses. Since Tier-1 licenses are viewed as highly trusted and Tier-2 as trusted, both brokers show strong oversight, with OANDA standing out for more top-tier licenses and AvaTrade leading on overall Trust Score.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2006 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 4 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees, AvaTrade comes out ahead of OANDA. OANDA’s trading costs are generally higher, with average EUR/USD spreads of 1.61 pips on its standard pricing in July 2024. Its core pricing can lower spreads, but traders must also pay a commission of $5 per side per $100,000 traded, and the account requires a $10,000 minimum deposit. OANDA does offer very small trade sizes, rebate perks for active traders, and useful pricing transparency, but it is still not a low-cost broker overall. OANDA’s commissions and fees rating is 4 stars, and it ranks #31 out of 36 brokers.
AvaTrade’s fees are closer to the industry average and usually cheaper than OANDA’s for most everyday traders. Its spreads were about 0.9 pips as of June 2024, which is near the middle of the market but still better than OANDA’s standard pricing. For professional traders who qualify, AvaTrade’s Professional account can offer spreads around 0.6 pips, making it even more competitive. AvaTrade’s commissions and fees rating is 4.5 stars, and it ranks #14 out of 36 brokers.
In simple terms, if low trading costs are your main priority, AvaTrade is the stronger choice between the two. OANDA may appeal more to traders who value flexible trade sizing and execution features, but its spreads and overall cost structure are less attractive. AvaTrade offers the better balance of pricing and value for most traders.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.68 | 0.93 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.69 | 0.61 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
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OANDA offers a wider range of investments than AvaTrade overall, with 4,172 tradable symbols compared with AvaTrade’s 1,260. OANDA also provides more forex pairs, with 69 available versus 53 at AvaTrade. Both brokers support forex trading, whether as a CFD or spot contract, and both offer copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. In this area, OANDA stands out for giving traders more choices across markets.
Where OANDA pulls further ahead is in access to real, exchange-traded securities and crypto. OANDA lets clients buy actual shares on both U.S. and international exchanges, while AvaTrade does not offer these direct stock purchases. OANDA also allows customers to buy actual cryptocurrency, not just crypto CFDs, which AvaTrade does not. Reflecting this broader selection, OANDA is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #20 out of 36 brokers, while AvaTrade is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #27.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 1260 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 53 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | 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.
OANDA and AvaTrade both give traders a wide range of platform choices, including free demo accounts for simulated trading, their own in-house platforms, web-based access, Windows desktop downloads, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and copy trading. Both brokers also let you place trades directly from a chart, which can make it easier to act on market moves without switching screens. In short, each broker covers the main tools many beginners and active traders look for.
When it comes to overall quality, AvaTrade has a slight edge in trading platforms and tools. ForexBrokers.com rates OANDA 4 out of 5 stars and ranks it #16 out of 36 brokers, while AvaTrade earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #13. That makes both brokers strong choices, but AvaTrade appears to offer a somewhat better experience for traders who want extra platform support and tools.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 80 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
OANDA and AvaTrade both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. In day-to-day use, both apps cover the basics well for traders who want to monitor markets and manage trades from a phone or tablet. OANDA’s app also automatically saves chart drawings, which can make it easier to keep track of your analysis between sessions.
Where the two differ most is in charting and watchlist syncing. AvaTrade supports watchlist symbol syncing between its mobile app and online account, while OANDA does not. AvaTrade also gives traders access to more technical studies in its mobile app, with 73 compared with OANDA’s 30. Even so, OANDA earns a higher mobile trading apps score, rated 5 stars and ranked #7 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #13.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 73 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
OANDA has the edge for market research overall. It offers daily market commentary, news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Autochartist tools, sentiment data, and an economic calendar. It also earns a 5-star Research rating and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, which points to a stronger all-around research offering.
AvaTrade also gives traders access to top-tier forex news, sentiment tools, and an economic calendar, but it does not include daily market commentary or Autochartist. On the plus side, AvaTrade does offer Trading Central tools, which OANDA does not. Even so, AvaTrade’s Research score is 4 stars and its rank of #29 out of 36 suggests a more limited research lineup than OANDA’s.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for trading education, both OANDA and AvaTrade offer a wide range of learning materials focused on forex and CFDs. Each broker provides at least 10 educational resources on these topics, along with monthly online client webinars and a large library of beginner and advanced videos. That means new traders can find help on basic concepts as well as more experienced topics with either broker.
Where they differ is in their overall education ratings and rankings. OANDA earns 5 out of 5 stars for Education but is ranked #18 out of 36 by ForexBrokers.com, while AvaTrade is rated 4 out of 5 stars yet ranks much higher at #2 out of 36. In simple terms, both brokers support learning well, but AvaTrade is placed near the top for education overall, while OANDA still offers a strong set of learning tools for beginners.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that OANDA is better than AvaTrade. OANDA finished with an overall rank of #13, while AvaTrade finished with an overall rank of #15.
A trusted global brand, OANDA stands out for its reputation and quality market research. Its regulatory track record is strong, and its support for third-party features bolsters its overall offering.
| Feature |
OANDA
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AvaTrade
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 92 | 96 |
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OANDA vs AvaTrade: OANDA allows you to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas AvaTrade supports cryptocurrency CFDs only and does not offer direct ownership of coins.
Comparing online brokers OANDA and AvaTrade: both support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, but only OANDA offers ACH/SEPA transfers while AvaTrade does not.
Please note:
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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0 of 5| Overall Rating | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | AvaTrade Review |
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| Regulation | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 96 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2006 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 4 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 1260 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 53 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | 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 | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.68 | 0.93 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.69 | 0.61 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 80 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 73 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | OANDA Review | AvaTrade Review |
| Overall | OANDA | AvaTrade | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | AvaTrade Review |
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