Admirals vs AvaTrade (2026): regulation, platforms and costs compared

Advertiser disclosure: some links on this page may be affiliate links, meaning BrokerCatalogue may earn a commission if you open an account. This never affects the data shown here, which is drawn from our catalogue and compared mechanically. How we make money.

Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan

Admirals

Trust rank #13 · Founded 2001

Admirals is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker offering broad market access, user-friendly platforms, and integrated research and education. It provides a range of account options and risk management tools under established…

Read the Admirals review

AvaTrade

Trust rank #12 · Founded 2006

AvaTrade is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker offering multiple trading platforms, broad market access, and educational resources. It provides market research and risk management tools with an emphasis on platform reliability…

Read the AvaTrade review

Admirals (Estonia, founded 2001) holds 5 regulatory licences (ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA, JSC), 2 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5 and sits in our low-fee bracket. AvaTrade (Ireland, founded 2006) holds 8 regulatory licences (ADGM FSRA, ASIC, BVI FSC, CBI, FFAJ…), 3 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5, Proprietary and sits in our low-fee bracket. The two overlap in 214 countries; Admirals is available in 14 countries where AvaTrade is not, and AvaTrade in 2 where Admirals is not.

Verdict at a glance

  • Admirals leads on track record and country coverage.
  • AvaTrade leads on trust rank, regulatory coverage, platform choice and tier-1 licences.
  • Level on instrument range and fee level.

Scored on 8 measurable dimensions where both brokers have verified data. Dimensions missing for either side are excluded rather than guessed. This is a data summary, not a recommendation.

Admirals vs AvaTrade: side-by-side data

CriteriaAdmiralsAvaTrade
Trust rank#13#12
Founded20012006
HeadquartersEstoniaIreland
RegulatorsASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA, JSCADGM FSRA, ASIC, BVI FSC, CBI, FFAJ, FSCA, ISA, JFSA
Broker typeMarket Maker, STPMarket Maker
PlatformsMT4, MT5MT4, MT5, Proprietary
InstrumentsCommodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, MetalsCommodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, Metals
Countries accepted228 countries216 countries
Fee levelLowLow
Trading typesCFD Trading, Spot TradingCFD Trading
Best-for use casesProfessional Trading, Retail TradingCopy Trading, Retail Trading

Highlighted cells mark the stronger value where a direction is objectively better (e.g. more licences, lower fees). "Not verified" means the field is not yet in our catalogue for that broker — we never fill gaps with estimates.

Pros

Admirals

  • FCA, ASIC, CySEC regulation
  • MT4/MT5 with MetaTrader Supreme Edition
  • Zero Accounts with raw spreads and low commissions
  • Wide multi-asset range (FX, indices, commodities, stocks, ETFs, crypto CFDs)
  • Volatility Protection and negative balance protection

AvaTrade

  • Multi-jurisdiction regulation
  • MT4/MT5, AvaTradeGO, WebTrader, AvaOptions support
  • Fixed-spread account option
  • ZuluTrade and DupliTrade copy trading
  • AvaProtect trade-loss protection

Cons

Admirals

  • Charges inactivity fee
  • Limited free withdrawals
  • No cTrader platform support
  • Leverage capped at 1:30 for EU/UK retail
  • Not available to U.S. residents

AvaTrade

  • Market-maker model (no ECN/DMA)
  • Higher spreads than ECN brokers
  • Inactivity and administration fees
  • Not available to U.S. residents
  • Not FCA-regulated (UK)

Key features

Admirals

  • Forex and CFD trading on MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
  • Invest MT5 real stocks and ETFs
  • Multi jurisdiction regulation and segregated client funds
  • Negative balance protection and volatility protection
  • Zero account raw spreads with market execution
  • MetaTrader Supreme Edition and premium analytics

AvaTrade

  • Multi jurisdiction regulation client fund segregation and negative balance protection
  • MetaTrader 4 MetaTrader 5 AvaTradeGO and WebTrader platforms
  • Forex and CFD trading on indices commodities metals equities and cryptocurrencies
  • Vanilla FX options trading with AvaOptions
  • Copy trading with ZuluTrade DupliTrade and AvaSocial
  • AvaProtect risk management for loss protection

Country availability: Admirals vs AvaTrade

Available at both (214): Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia and 174 more.

Only Admirals (14): Afghanistan, Algeria, Guernsey, India, Iraq, Isle of Man, Jersey, Lebanon, Libya, New Zealand, Somalia, South Sudan, United Kingdom, Yemen.

Only AvaTrade (2): Canada, Japan.

Availability reflects the countries each broker declares it serves. Local rules change; confirm on the broker's own site before signing up.

Admirals vs AvaTrade: common questions

Which broker is more regulated, Admirals or AvaTrade?

AvaTrade holds more regulatory licences: Admirals (ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA, JSC) versus AvaTrade (ADGM FSRA, ASIC, BVI FSC, CBI, FFAJ, FSCA, ISA, JFSA). Tier-1 licences: Admirals 2, AvaTrade 3.

Which trading platforms do Admirals and AvaTrade offer?

Admirals offers MT4, MT5; AvaTrade offers MT4, MT5, Proprietary.

Which has lower fees, Admirals or AvaTrade?

Both sit in the same fee bracket (low) in our catalogue; compare the spreads and commission rows above for detail.

Which is older, Admirals or AvaTrade?

Admirals is the older of the two, founded in 2001; AvaTrade was founded in 2006.

Are Admirals and AvaTrade available in the same countries?

They overlap in 214 countries. Admirals is additionally available in 14 countries (Afghanistan, Algeria, Guernsey, India, Iraq, Isle of Man and 8 more) and AvaTrade in 2 countries (Canada, Japan).

Keep comparing

Admirals

AvaTrade

Risk warning: CFDs and forex are complex, leveraged instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly. A majority of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Nothing on this page is financial advice; verify licence status on the regulator's register before depositing. Full risk disclosure.