Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers: leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers: real shares and ETFs you own outright.
AvaTrade
Regulated in your country AvaTrade is allowed by ASIC to onboard clients residing in Australia.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
XM
Not regulated in your country XM does not accept residents in Australia because it is not regulated by ASIC.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders AvaTrade and XM are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in Australia.AvaTrade is better than XM for professional traders, high-volume traders and futures traders. XM, on the other hand, is better for long-term investors. Both are a good fit for scalpers, swing traders and news traders.
| Overall score | AvaTrade 82 Best not offered | XM 74 -8 73 |
|---|---|---|
| Day trading i | ||
| Long-term investing i | ||
| Professional traders i | ||
| High-volume traders i | ||
| Scalpers i | ||
| Swing traders i | ||
| News traders i | ||
| Algo traders i | ||
| Stock traders i | ||
| Crypto traders i | ||
| Futures traders i | ||
| Options traders i |
Regulation
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise AvaTrade and the ones that supervise XM.Only AvaTrade is regulated in Australia, by ASIC. XM holds no licence in Australia and is regulated by CySEC.
| Section score | AvaTrade 100 Best not offered | XM 90 -10 90 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | ||
| FCA (United Kingdom) i | ||
| ASIC (Australia) i | ||
| CFTC (United States) i | ||
| NFA (United States) i | ||
| SEC (United States) i | ||
| CIRO (Canada) i | ||
| MAS (Singapore) i | ||
| SFC (Hong Kong) i | ||
| JFSA (Japan) i | ||
| FINMA (Switzerland) i | ||
| Tier-2 regulators | ||
| FMA (New Zealand) i | ||
| CBR (Russia) i | ||
| FSCA (South Africa) i | ||
| DFSA (Dubai) i | ||
| CSRC (China) i | ||
| ISA (Israel) i | ||
| LFSA (Malaysia) i | ||
| JSC (Jordan) i | ||
| CMA (Kenya) i | ||
| Tier-3 regulators | ||
| FSA (Seychelles) i | ||
| MMA (Maldives) i | ||
| SCB (Bahamas) i | ||
| FSC (Mauritius) i | ||
| VFSC (Vanuatu) i | ||
| FSC (Belize) i | ||
| CIMA (Cayman Islands) i | ||
| SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i | ||
| FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i | ||
| BMA (Bermuda) i | ||
| BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i | ||
| EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i | ||
Safety
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that AvaTrade and XM have in place to protect your money in Australia.Both AvaTrade and XM offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication.
| Section score | AvaTrade 65 not offered | XM 65 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 2006 | 2009 |
| Parent company i | Ava Group | Trading Point Holdings |
| CEO i | Dáire Ferguson | Tasos Anastasiou |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | National Westminster Bank, J.P. Morgan SE | N/A |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 9,000,000 | 20,000,000 |
| Annual revenue i | US$1,000,000,000 | |
| Monthly website search traffic i | ||
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with AvaTrade and with XM in Australia, both on each trade and on holding the account.AvaTrade is better than XM for CFD/FX costs, as AvaTrade is cheaper on EUR/USD, at US$9 per lot (against XM's US$20), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.5 points (against XM's 0.6 points), and has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.34 points (against XM's 0.55 points). Neither AvaTrade nor XM charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
There is no like-for-like comparison for real stock costs, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | AvaTrade 66 Best not offered | XM 26 -40 72 |
|---|---|---|
| Broker fees | ||
| Deposit fees i | ||
| Withdrawal fees i | ||
| Overnight fees i | ||
| Inactivity fees i | ||
| Currency conversion fees i | ||
| Discounts on volume i | ||
| Real time market data fee i | ||
| Dividend withholding i | ||
| Account opening fees i | ||
| Account maintenance fee i | ||
| Portfolio management fee i | ||
| Fees on CFDs | ||
| Forex commission per lot i | Free | |
| EUR/USD average standard spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average raw spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average fixed spread i | ||
| EUR/USD total cost per lot i | US$9 | US$20 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.5 points | 0.6 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.34 points | 0.55 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | US$40 | |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | Free | Free |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Spread | Commission, Percentage, Spread |
| US stocks fees (real) i | US$2.8 | |
| ETF fees (real) i | ||
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | ||
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | Free | |
| Event fees i | ||
| Fees on savings plans | ||
| IRA opening fee i | ||
| IRA maintenance fee i | ||
| 401k opening fee i | ||
| 401k maintenance fee i | ||
Available markets
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with AvaTrade and with XM in Australia, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.AvaTrade is better than XM for CFD/FX markets, as AvaTrade offers futures on commodities, crypto, forex and indices, which XM does not, and offers options on forex, which XM does not. Both AvaTrade and XM offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, ETFs, forex, indices and stocks.
XM and AvaTrade cannot be compared for real stock markets, because XM is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while AvaTrade is a CFD broker.
| Section score | AvaTrade 100 Best not offered | XM 75 -25 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 1,250 | 1,400 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices | |
| Options i | Forex | |
| Assets you can own i | Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that AvaTrade and XM make available to their clients in Australia.AvaTrade is better than XM for platforms, because AvaTrade offers a proprietary platform, social trading and ZuluTrade, which XM does not. AvaTrade and XM both offer MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4.
There is no like-for-like comparison for platforms, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | AvaTrade 92 Best not offered | XM 63 -29 63 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary platform i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 i | ||
| cTrader i | ||
| Social trading platform i | ||
| Copy trading platform i | ||
| ZuluTrade i | ||
| TradingView i | ||
| Duplitrade i | ||
| Mirror Trader i | ||
| NinjaTrader i | ||
| AutoChartist i | ||
| Real time pricing i | ||
| 5 digit pricing i | ||
| One-click trading i |
Mobile
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of AvaTrade and XM in Australia, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.AvaTrade is better than XM for mobile trading, as AvaTrade offers a social trading app, a copy trading app and mobile trading signals, which XM does not. AvaTrade and XM both offer a proprietary mobile app and the MetaTrader 5 app.
Only XM can be assessed for mobile trading, since AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | AvaTrade 100 Best not offered | XM 86 -14 86 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary app i | ||
| Social trading app i | ||
| Copy trading app i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 app i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 app i | ||
| cTrader app i | ||
| Mobile trading signals i | ||
| Mobile alerts i | ||
| Mobile charting tools i | ||
| Mobile drawing tools i | ||
| Mobile watchlist i | ||
| Smartwatch app i |
Trading features
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that AvaTrade and XM allow on their platforms in Australia.XM is better than AvaTrade for CFD/FX trading features, given that XM offers tier-1 liquidity providers and API access, which AvaTrade does not, and allows for high-frequency trading. Both AvaTrade and XM offer negative balance protection and trailing stops. The leverage shown for XM is set by its Belize entity and exceeds the retail limit in Australia (30:1 on major currency pairs).
XM and AvaTrade cannot be compared for real stock trading features, because XM is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while AvaTrade is a CFD broker.
| Section score | AvaTrade 77 -10 not offered | XM 87 Best 77 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | Agency |
| Average execution time i | 66 ms | |
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| Requotes occurrence i | 0% | |
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1 | 1000:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 1000:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 500:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 250:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 1000:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 400:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 20:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 2:1 | 1000:1 |
| Risk management | ||
| Stop losses i | ||
| Take profits i | ||
| Limit orders i | ||
| Trailing stop i | ||
| Margin call i | ||
| OCO orders i | ||
| Guaranteed stop loss i | ||
| Negative balance protection i | ||
| Minimum trade size (FX) i | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots |
| Minimum trade size (stocks) i | US$1 | US$0 |
| Fractional stocks i | ||
| Trading compliance | ||
| Scalping strategies allowed i | ||
| Hedging strategies allowed i | ||
| Automated trading strategy allowed i | ||
| EAs use allowed i | ||
| HFT strategy allowed i | ||
| VPS use allowed i | ||
| API use allowed i | ||
| Price scraping allowed i | ||
| FIFO rule applies i | ||
Account types
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at AvaTrade and at XM in Australia, and of who each one is meant for.AvaTrade is better than XM for CFD/FX account types, given that AvaTrade offers a professional traders account, a copy trading account and an unlimited demo account, which XM does not. Both AvaTrade and XM offer a demo account and a corporate account.
XM and AvaTrade cannot be set side by side for real stock account types, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike XM.
| Section score | AvaTrade 72 Best not offered | XM 60 -12 68 |
|---|---|---|
| Demo account i | ||
| Unlimited demo account i | ||
| Standard account i | ||
| Micro account i | ||
| Cent account i | ||
| Nano account i | ||
| Raw spread account i | ||
| ECN account i | ||
| Swap-free account i | ||
| Islamic account i | ||
| Professional traders account i | ||
| Fixed spread account i | ||
| Spread betting account i | ||
| Copy trading account i | ||
| Corporate account i | ||
| Managed account i | ||
| Stock investing account i | ||
| Margin investing account i | ||
| Savings account i | ||
| Retirement account i |
Account opening
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with AvaTrade and with XM in Australia.XM is better than AvaTrade for account opening, given that XM requires a lower minimum deposit, at US$5 (against AvaTrade's US$70), offers 10 account base currencies (against AvaTrade's 3), and supports e-wallets, which AvaTrade does not. AvaTrade and XM both offer credit cards and debit cards. XM holds no licence in Australia.
XM and AvaTrade cannot be compared for account opening, because XM is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while AvaTrade is a CFD broker. XM holds no licence in Australia.
| Section score | AvaTrade 62 -33 not offered | XM 95 Best 95 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$70 | US$5 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | US$0 | US$5 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | Neteller, Skrill | |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | AUD, EUR, USD | AUD, CHF, EUR, GBP, HUF, PLN, RUB, SGD, USD, ZAR |
| Deposit waiting time i | up to 7 business days | Instant |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 10 business days | up to 1 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of AvaTrade and XM in Australia, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.XM is better than AvaTrade for customer care, given that XM offers a dedicated account manager, which AvaTrade does not. Both AvaTrade and XM offer phone support and live chat.
AvaTrade does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so XM and AvaTrade cannot be compared for customer care.
| Section score | AvaTrade 67 -11 not offered | XM 78 Best 78 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 22 | 20 |
| Website languages i | Afrikaans, Arabic, German, English, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Mongolian, Malay, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Chinese | Arabic, Czech, German, Greek, English, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | Afrikaans, Arabic, German, English, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Mongolian, Malay, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Chinese | Arabic, Czech, German, Greek, English, French, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Customer support in English i | ||
| Call back request i | ||
| Email support i | ||
| Phone support i | ||
| Live chat i | ||
| Priority customer support i | ||
| Dedicated account manager i | ||
| Cash sweep i | ||
| Stock lending i | ||
| Distributes proceeds i | ||
| Tax withholding agent i | ||
| Tax assistance i |
Learning
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that AvaTrade and XM provide to their clients in Australia.XM is better than AvaTrade for learning, since XM offers traders' sentiment, which AvaTrade does not. Both AvaTrade and XM offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
There is no like-for-like comparison for learning, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | AvaTrade 83 -5 not offered | XM 88 Best 88 |
|---|---|---|
| Education | ||
| Education center i | ||
| Education for beginners i | ||
| Education for advanced traders i | ||
| Webinars i | ||
| Tutorials i | ||
| Glossary i | ||
| Research | ||
| Economic calendar i | ||
| Traders' sentiment i | ||
| Daily market commentary i | ||
| Daily trading ideas i | ||
| News via social media i | ||
| Professional reports i | ||
| Watchlist i | ||
AvaTrade vs XM: which one should you choose?
AvaTrade
CFD/FX Choose AvaTrade if you want a CFD and forex broker regulated in Australia by ASIC, with cTrader and fixed spread accounts.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
XM
CFD/FX Choose XM if you want an online CFD broker with a small minimum deposit and quick withdrawals and live in a country where it is licensed to operate.
Stocks Choose XM if you want a share dealing service with stocks to own and live in a country where it is licensed to operate.
Not licensed in Australia CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include AvaTrade or XM, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
