CM Trading versus AvaTrade

Traders get the core MT4 trading platform and the CM Trading Webtrader at CM Trading, while the proprietary CopyKat service serves social traders well. Beginner traders get quality third-party educational videos, while NewFactory publishes actionable trading recommendations. CM Trading caters best to beginner and social traders in Africa.

AvaTrade delivers its proprietary WebTrader, its mobile app AvaTradeGO, and its options platform Ava Option. Ava Social caters to social traders together with ZuluTrade and DupliTrade. AvaTrade also features the MT4/MT5 trading platforms upgraded with the Trading Central plugin. Unlike the four backward CM Trading account types, AvaTrade provides one competitive account type to all clients.

We have conducted an in-depth review of CM Trading and AvaTrade to determine which one presents the better overall choice and which traders will benefit the most at either broker.

• Features and Platforms
• Available Markets
• Typical Spreads and Fees
• Security and Trust
• CM Trading versus AvaTrade- Verdict

Headquarters	Ireland	South Africa
Regulators	ASIC, BVI, Central Bank of Ireland, FFAJ, FSCA, KNF, MiFID	FSA, FSCA
Tier 1 Regulator(s)?
Owned by Public Company?
Year Established	2006	2012
Execution Type(s)	Market Maker	ECN/STP, Market Maker
Minimum Deposit	$100	$250
Negative Balance Protection		N/A
Trading Platform(s)	Other, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Proprietary platform, Web-based+	MetaTrader 4, Sirix
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD	0.9 pips	1.5 pips ($15.00)
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD	1.5 pips	2.6 pips ($26.00)
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil	$0.03	$0.06
Average Trading Cost Gold	$0.29	$0.50
Retail Loss Rate	77.82%	N/A
Minimum Raw Spreads	Not applicable	N/A
Minimum Standard Spreads	0.9 pips	N/A
Minimum Commission for Forex	Commission-free	N/A
Islamic Account
Signals
US Persons Accepted?		N/A
Managed Accounts
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Features and Platforms

MT4
MT5
MT4/MT5 Add-Ons		N/A
cTrader
Proprietary Platform
Automated Trading
Social/Copy Trading		N/A
DOM?
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Scalping
Hedging
One-Click Trading
OCO Orders
Interest on Margin
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Noteworthy:

The educational division of AvaTrade, SharpTrader, remains one of the highest quality services industry-wide, widening its advantage over CM Trading.

Available Markets

Currency Pairs
Cryptocurrencies
Commodities
Crude Oil
Gold
Metals
Equity Indices
Stocks (non-CFDs)
Bonds
ETFs
Options		N/A
Futures
Synthetics
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The asset selection at CM Trading remains limited but sufficient for beginners with smaller portfolios, the core trader base for CM Trading, where Forex and cryptocurrency traders get the best sector exposure. AvaTrade maintains a balanced asset selection with cross-asset exposure. Options trading is also available at AvaTrade, increasing its edge over CM Trading.

Typical Spreads and Fees

Average Trading Cost EUR/USD	0.9 pips	1.5 pips ($15.00)
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD	1.5 pips	2.6 pips ($26.00)
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil	$0.03	$0.06
Average Trading Cost Gold	$0.29	$0.50
Average Trading Cost Bitcoin	$39	N/A
Minimum Raw Spreads	Not applicable	N/A
Minimum Standard Spreads	0.9 pips	N/A
Minimum Commission for Forex	Commission-free	N/A
Deposit Fee		N/A
Withdrawal Fee		N/A
Inactivity Fee	$50 quarterly after 3 months	N/A
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The costs at CM Trading are a bit high, with minimum spreads of 1.2 pips or $12.00 per lot for a deposit of $1,000. Traders with portfolios above $10,000 get a reduction to $9.00. AvaTrade offers minimum Forex fees from $9.00 to all traders, while its overall cost structure ranks better.

Security and Trust

Country of the Regulator	United Arab Emirates, Australia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, British Virgin Islands, South Africa	Seychelles, South Africa
Name of the Regulator	ASIC, BVI, Central Bank of Ireland, FFAJ, FSCA, KNF, MiFID	FSA, FSCA
Regulatory License Number	C53877, SIBA/L/13/1049, 406684, 45984, 1662, 190018, 514666577	38782, SD070
Regulatory Tier	N/A	2, 4
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Both brokers have a trustworthy operational record and segregate client deposits from corporate funds. Negative balance protection exists at AvaTrade.

AvaTrade vs CM Trading – Verdict

CM Trading

Pros	Cons
Quality education for beginner traders plus actionable trading recommendations	High trading costs and backward account structure
Proprietary copy trading service	High minimum deposit requirement
20+ cryptocurrencies, including mini contracts for smaller portfolios
Leading African broker for five consecutive years

AvaTrade

Pros	Cons
High-quality educational offering via SharpTrader	Higher trading costs typical of commission-free brokers
Excellent choice of trading platforms catering to various trading needs
Broad asset selection and cross-asset diversification opportunities
Well-regulated and trusted broker with oversight from a central bank

Cryptocurrency and social traders benefit the most from CM Trading. Beginners benefit from third-party educational videos and actionable trading signals, but higher costs are a notable drawback. AvaTrade established itself as a trusted broker for its growing client base. A broad choice of trading platforms, a balanced asset selection, and an acceptable commission-free pricing environment place AvaTrade ahead of CM Trading.

You might also be interested in reviewing the below broker comparisons:

• CM Trading vs HotForex
• Avatrade vs Forex.com

Read full AvaTrade Review

Read full CM Trading Review