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

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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan

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

Saxo Bank

Trust rank #4 · Editorial rating 10 / 10 · Founded 1992

Saxo Bank is a well-regarded forex broker with a proprietary multi-asset trading platform, broad access to currency pairs, advanced charting, and research-driven tools. It emphasizes robust technology, risk management features, and a…

Read the Saxo Bank review

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. Saxo Bank (Denmark, founded 1992) holds 6 regulatory licences (ASIC, DFSA, FCA, FINMA, MAS…), 5 of them tier-1, offers Proprietary, TradingView and sits in our low-fee bracket. The two overlap in 40 countries; AvaTrade is available in 176 countries where Saxo Bank is not, and Saxo Bank in 2 where AvaTrade is not.

Verdict at a glance

  • AvaTrade leads on regulatory coverage, platform choice and country coverage.
  • Saxo Bank leads on trust rank, track record 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.

AvaTrade vs Saxo Bank: side-by-side data

CriteriaAvaTradeSaxo Bank
Editorial ratingNot verified10 / 10
Trust rank#12#4
Founded20061992
HeadquartersIrelandDenmark
RegulatorsADGM FSRA, ASIC, BVI FSC, CBI, FFAJ, FSCA, ISA, JFSAASIC, DFSA, FCA, FINMA, MAS, SFC
Broker typeMarket MakerDMA, STP
PlatformsMT4, MT5, ProprietaryProprietary, TradingView
InstrumentsCommodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, MetalsCommodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, Metals
Countries accepted216 countries42 countries
Fee levelLowLow
Trading typesCFD TradingCFD Trading, Spot Trading
Best-for use casesCopy Trading, Retail TradingProfessional 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

AvaTrade

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

Saxo Bank

  • Proprietary pro-grade platforms (SaxoTraderGO/PRO)
  • Deep liquidity aggregation; competitive FX spreads
  • Wide FX product suite: spot, forwards, swaps, options
  • DFSA-regulated bank; segregated client funds
  • OpenAPI/FIX access for algorithmic trading

Cons

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)

Saxo Bank

  • - No MetaTrader (MT4/MT5) support
  • - Higher spreads/commissions for Classic-tier accounts
  • - Best pricing/features require high balances (Platinum/VIP)
  • - Not available to U.S. residents
  • - Netting-only FX positions (no true hedging)

Key features

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

Saxo Bank

  • Multi asset trading across forex cfds futures options stocks and bonds
  • Tier one regulation and banking license with segregated client funds and two factor authentication
  • SaxoTraderGO and SaxoTraderPRO platforms with advanced charting and depth of book
  • Forex spot forwards and vanilla options with multi source aggregated liquidity
  • OpenAPI and FIX connectivity for algorithmic trading and platform integration
  • Volume based pricing tiers classic platinum and vip with reduced costs for high volume

Country availability: AvaTrade vs Saxo Bank

Available at both (40): Australia, Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates.

Only AvaTrade (176): Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria and 151 more.

Only Saxo Bank (2): Belgium, United Kingdom.

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

AvaTrade vs Saxo Bank: common questions

Which broker is more regulated, AvaTrade or Saxo Bank?

AvaTrade holds more regulatory licences: AvaTrade (ADGM FSRA, ASIC, BVI FSC, CBI, FFAJ, FSCA, ISA, JFSA) versus Saxo Bank (ASIC, DFSA, FCA, FINMA, MAS, SFC). Tier-1 licences: AvaTrade 3, Saxo Bank 5.

Which trading platforms do AvaTrade and Saxo Bank offer?

AvaTrade offers MT4, MT5, Proprietary; Saxo Bank offers Proprietary, TradingView.

Which has lower fees, AvaTrade or Saxo Bank?

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

Which is older, AvaTrade or Saxo Bank?

Saxo Bank is the older of the two, founded in 1992; AvaTrade was founded in 2006.

Are AvaTrade and Saxo Bank available in the same countries?

They overlap in 40 countries. AvaTrade is additionally available in 176 countries (Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda and 170 more) and Saxo Bank in 2 countries (Belgium, United Kingdom).

Keep comparing

AvaTrade

Saxo Bank

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.