AvaTrade vs XM (2026): regulation, platforms and costs compared
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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
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…
XM is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker providing online access to multiple markets on widely used platforms, along with research tools, education, and multilingual support.
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. XM (Cyprus, founded 2009) holds 5 regulatory licences (ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, IFSC), 2 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5 and sits in our low-fee bracket. The two overlap in 214 countries; AvaTrade is available in 2 countries where XM is not, and XM in 15 where AvaTrade is not.
Verdict at a glance
AvaTrade leads on trust rank, track record, regulatory coverage, platform choice, instrument range and tier-1 licences.
XM leads on country coverage.
Level on 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 XM: side-by-side data
Criteria
AvaTrade
XM
Trust rank
#12
#26
Founded
2006
2009
Headquarters
Ireland
Cyprus
Regulators
ADGM FSRA, ASIC, BVI FSC, CBI, FFAJ, FSCA, ISA, JFSA
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
XM
CySEC and ASIC regulation
Low $5 minimum deposit
MT4/MT5 platform support (desktop/web/mobile)
Negative balance protection
Low-spread account options (commission-free and commission-based)
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)
XM
Offshore regulation via IFSC Belize
CFDs only (no real stocks/ETFs ownership)
MT4/MT5 only; no proprietary platform
Inactivity fee applies
No ECN/DMA accounts
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
XM
Multi asset CFD trading Forex Indices Commodities Equities Metals Energies
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 with algorithmic trading and VPS support
Negative balance protection and segregated client funds
Multi jurisdiction regulation CySEC ASIC DFSA IFSC
Multiple account types Micro Standard Ultra Low with tight spreads
Market execution low latency and high fill rates with no requotes
Country availability: AvaTrade vs XM
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 AvaTrade (2): Canada, Israel.
Only XM (15): Afghanistan, Algeria, Belgium, Guernsey, India, Iraq, Isle of Man, Jersey, Lebanon, Libya, New Zealand, Somalia, South Sudan, United Kingdom, Yemen.
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 XM?
AvaTrade is the older of the two, founded in 2006; XM was founded in 2009.
Are AvaTrade and XM available in the same countries?
They overlap in 214 countries. AvaTrade is additionally available in 2 countries (Canada, Israel) and XM in 15 countries (Afghanistan, Algeria, Belgium, Guernsey, India, Iraq and 9 more).
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.