AvaTrade vs Ascendex: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between AvaTrade and Ascendex This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on September 5, 2025

AvaTrade

Ascendex

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Yes

Canada

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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AvaTrade is ideal if:

Offers a diverse suite of trading tools—including MetaTrader 4/5, AvaOptions, autocopy/social platforms, and risk-protection features tailored to different strategies.
Supports both manual and automated trading across multiple asset types with robust regulatory coverage for enhanced confidence.
Includes a rich, beginner-friendly education and demo ecosystem—webinars, guides, academy materials, and risk-free practice to develop your skills.

Ascendex is ideal if:

Versatile trader tools – Offers both beginner-friendly and pro-grade interfaces for spot, margin, futures, staking, copy trading, and yield farming.
Passive-earning focus – Multiple earning paths available (staking, DeFi yield, OTC, Invest programs), ideal if you want crypto to work for you passively.
Robust performance engine – High-throughput tech, advanced analytics, and mobile support make it ideal for active or institutional traders needing speed and reliability.

AvaTrade isn’t ideal if:

Might not suit traders seeking low-cost entry or maximum transparency, as some terms and fees require account registration to view and account minimums are moderate.
Could be limiting if you prioritize real cryptocurrency ownership or staking, since AvaTrade offers only CFDs rather than holding actual digital assets.
May frustrate users needing advanced order types or ultra-sleek interface, due to occasional technical sluggishness and limited risk-control tools.

Ascendex isn’t ideal if:

Regulatory uncertainty – Lacks formal licensing in many regions, meaning oversight and user protections may be limited.
Customer service concerns – Some users report slow or unhelpful support, particularly for withdrawals or issue resolution.
Past security breach – A significant hack occurred, which may worry users who prioritize platforms with a flawless security record.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

AvaTrade does not use a maker/taker pricing model for spot trading. Instead, fees are embedded into fixed spreads that apply uniformly, regardless of trade volume or order type.

Spot trading fees follow a tiered VIP structure based on your 30-day trade volume and holdings of the native ASD token; larger volume or ASD holdings unlock lower maker and taker rates, especially for major market-cap pairs.

Futures/Derivatives

AvaTrade offers derivatives primarily via CFDs and options rather than traditional futures. There’s no separate maker/taker structure; funding or overnight costs are included as swap or rollover rates applied per position, varying by asset and holding period.

Futures (perpetual) trading uses its own VIP-based fee tiers—maker fees can be as low as around 0.02%, takers around 0.05%—and funding payments occur every eight hours to align perpetual contract prices with spot.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

AvaTrade incorporates trading costs into fixed spreads and, while precise cryptocurrency pair spreads like BTC/USDT or ETH/USDT aren’t publicly listed, expect competitive layering similar to their forex instruments—though exact values require checking the live instrument specifications.

Liquid pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT exhibit tight spreads thanks to deep order books and efficient matching, making execution cost minimal beyond standard fees.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

AvaTrade supports credit/debit cards, bank transfers, and e-wallets depending on region, with no direct platform fees for deposits or withdrawals. Processing ranges from instant for cards to one or two business days for withdrawals, with bank transfer timings varying by method and location.

You can fund via credit/debit card or bank transfers through third-party processors; while deposits are quick, they may include a dynamic processing fee; withdrawal options and speeds depend on your local banking rails and chosen method.

On-chain Withdrawals

AvaTrade does not support withdrawals of actual cryptocurrencies on-chain. As crypto is traded via CFDs, you cannot request blockchain withdrawal and thus no related network fee structure applies.

BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.)

Hidden Costs

Additional costs may include currency conversion fees (typically around 0.5%) when transactions involve non-base currencies, and inactivity charges—around some amount per quarter after inactivity, escalating to a larger annual administration fee after a year. There are no explicit express-KYC surcharges noted.

Implicit costs may arise from conversion markups when buying crypto with fiat, inactivity penalties, or optional fast-track identity verification services, so even if explicit fees are low, these can add to your total cost.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you bought €500 of BTC via AvaTrade, the cost would be embedded in the spread applied at execution. No separate commission is charged, but a conversion fee applies if your account base differs from EUR. Since crypto can’t be withdrawn, there’s no blockchain withdrawal cost—but fully withdrawing fiat proceeds later would follow standard withdrawal rules and method-dependent timing.

When you convert €500 into BTC, costs include the processing spread from fiat to crypto, the trading fee on your spot purchase, and any withdrawal network fee—so the net BTC received will be noticeably less than the €500 equivalent due to layered transaction components.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

AvaTrade offers approximately 18 cryptocurrency CFDs, covering major assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, Solana, Dogecoin, EOS, NEO, and others—though exact top-20-by-volume specifics aren’t detailed on its site, the selection spans the most traded digital assets.

AscendEX supports over 200 to 300 cryptocurrencies across more than 200 trading pairs, with the most liquid top 20 pairs typically dominated by BTC, ETH, USDT, and popular large-cap and DeFi tokens if ranked by volume.

Product Range

AvaTrade specializes in CFD-based crypto trading with leveraged exposure; it lacks true spot, perpetual, crypto ETFs, staking, or lending—but does include vanilla options (via AvaOptions), copy trading capabilities (AvaSocial, DupliTrade), and automated strategy support through third-party integrations.

The platform offers spot, margin, and perpetual futures, flexible staking and yield programs, copy-trading for futures, and supports automated strategies such as grid bots and DCA through its API and third-party tools—though options and crypto ETFs are not part of the current offering.

Liquidity

While AvaTrade doesn’t publish direct 24-hour volume or order book depth metrics, being a regulated CFD broker, liquidity is internally managed and generally sufficient for execution across its platforms, though real-time depth and volume transparency is limited.

With a reported 24-hour trading volume ranging from hundreds of millions to a couple of billion dollars, BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT markets offer strong depth and tight order books, enabling efficient execution even for substantial orders.

Tools

AvaTrade supports limit, stop, and OCO order types within platforms like MT4/MT5 and WebTrader, includes alert capabilities and advanced charting via MetaTrader environments; while there’s no native TradingView, API access and third-party automation tools (via platforms like DupliTrade and Capitalise.ai) offer programmable trading workflows.

AscendEX features a full suite of order types (limit, market, stop, OCO), advanced charting with customizable indicators, real-time alerts, and robust API/WebSocket access—although it relies on its proprietary charting tools rather than native TradingView integration.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Certain products—like crypto CFDs and options—are unavailable to users in select jurisdictions due to regulatory constraints, such as the U.S. and Canada, where CFD offerings are restricted or prohibited, limiting full product access depending on your location.

Certain regions face limitations such as no access to futures or derivatives features—specifically, users in jurisdictions like the United States and China are restricted from using these products due to compliance considerations.

Innovation

AvaTrade does not offer launchpad or launchpool features, nor any staking or flexible/locked “earn” programs. Its innovative edge instead lies in blending social copy-trading, options, and multi-platform automation for speculative CFD strategies rather than token incubation or yield services.

AscendEX delivers early access to new token projects via its launchpool platform, and its Earn suite includes both flexible staking options—as well as programs with lock-up periods—giving users choice in how they deploy assets to generate yield.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

AvaTrade operates under multiple legal entities across the globe, with its European arm (Ava Trade EU Ltd) based in Dublin, Ireland, alongside subsidiaries in Australia, Japan, South Africa, the UAE, Israel, and the British Virgin Islands—each covering regional operations and oversight.

AscendEX operates under AscendEX Technology S.R.L., legally established in Romania, while the broader group includes BMXDM Technology Pte. Ltd. founded in 2018, with headquarters primarily in Singapore.

Licenses/Registration

The broker holds licenses or registrations such as MiFID compliance in the EU, ASIC in Australia, FSA in Japan, FSCA in South Africa, FSRA in ADGM (UAE), ISA in Israel, and FSC in BVI, ensuring they meet regional regulatory requirements for transparent and safe operations.

The platform adheres to AML/CTF regulations where required, but does not currently hold formal regulatory licenses such as VASP in most jurisdictions nor EU MiCA authorization.

Custody

Client funds are held in segregated accounts separate from company capital, primarily via trusted financial institutions; there’s no public proof-of-reserves audit or explicit cold-reserve percentage disclosed.

Users’ crypto assets are stored primarily in cold, offline wallets managed directly by AscendEX, supported by a defense-in-depth security model; there’s no publicly disclosed proof-of-reserves audit or specific percentage of assets held in cold storage.

Insurance & Protection Funds

There’s no direct mention of an insurance program or protection fund for custody events; client protection instead relies on fund segregation and adherence to local investor protection frameworks where applicable.

AscendEX maintains an internal insurance fund drawn from its own balance sheet to cover potential losses in the event of security incidents.

Incident History

AvaTrade has faced regulatory notices and penalties, such as fines in Israel and Belgium for compliance issues, but no major public hacks or fund losses have been reported; operational continuity has generally remained stable.

In December 2021, AscendEX suffered a hot-wallet exploit across several blockchains, but fully reimbursed all impacted users and rebuilt its infrastructure with stronger safeguards.

Risk Controls

Security measures include two-factor authentication across platforms, negative balance protection, innovative tools like AvaProtect to refund losses on selected trades, although granular API permissions or IP whitelisting are not highlighted.

The platform supports two-factor authentication, device monitoring, anti-phishing alerts, and offers API access with control options and sub-account structuring to help manage risk.

Transparency

AvaTrade publishes downloadable legal and disclosure documents, including regulatory and risk materials, but does not offer real-time wallet audits, monthly reserve reports, or explicit service-level agreements (SLAs) in public view.

While offering real-time monitoring and reporting tools, AscendEX does not publish monthly reserve statements, public wallet addresses, or formal service-level agreements.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

AvaTrade accepts deposits via bank wire, credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard), and e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller, and WebMoney depending on location, with a typical minimum of $100 (higher by wire in some regions); card deposits are instant (first one may take a day for verification), e-wallets clear within 24 hours, and wire transfers take around 3–10 business days.

AscendEX supports depositing fiat through third-party providers such as Simplex, MoonPay, Mercuryo, and Banxa via card or bank transfer, offering fast funding for multiple regions, with specific minimums and maximums varying per provider and region.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Users can start with a demo account needing no ID, but to deposit and trade with real funds full KYC—including ID and proof of address—is required; there’s effectively no tiered limit structure, as full verification is mandatory for funding and withdrawals.

AscendEX requires identity verification for full platform access; unverified accounts face strict withdrawal caps (such as 0.75 BTC daily), while verified users enjoy much higher limits, with further tiered levels unlocking even greater flexibility.

Withdrawals

Withdrawals must follow the method used for deposit (first repay deposit via same method), with no set minimum; card and e-wallet withdrawals take 24–48 hours post-approval, while wire transfers can take up to 10 business days; crypto network options like TRC20/ERC20 aren’t offered since crypto isn’t withdrawable on-chain.

Withdrawal limits depend on KYC status—unverified accounts are capped at around 0.75 BTC per day, verified users far higher—and users can withdraw via multiple networks (ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20, etc.), with processing speed tied to blockchain congestion.

Customer Support

AvaTrade provides support via live chat, email, and a robust online help center; while not always explicitly labeled, withdrawal and deposit FAQs indicate responses typically come within hours to a business day, backed by extensive documentation and guides.

AscendEX offers round-the-clock support via live chat and email, with a comprehensive help center available for self-service; response times generally fall within reasonable hours though may vary based on query complexity.

Languages & Localization

The platform and support are localized for multiple languages—including native Spanish users—with account interfaces showing balances in €, and region-specific legal entities ensuring compliance with local regulators and jurisdictional requirements.

The interface supports multiple languages including English, and displays prices in common currencies like EUR and USD; it also tailors functionality—and availability—to comply with regional regulations.

App Quality & Stability

AvaTradeGo (mobile app) is designed for stability and regular platform updates, delivering a smooth trading experience with few reported crashes; while precise crash-rate figures aren’t published, user feedback and update logs reflect consistent performance improvements.

The AscendEX mobile and desktop apps deliver a polished and responsive experience, receiving regular updates to bolster stability and features, with no widespread reports of performance or crash issues among users.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

AvaTrade provides a smooth onboarding experience—its WebTrader offers a clean, intuitive interface that’s ideal for beginners, while API-integrated platforms like MT4/MT5 and AvaFutures cater to more experienced users seeking richer functionality.

The platform provides both a streamlined “Lite” interface optimized for newcomers and a feature-rich “Pro” mode tailored for experienced traders, offering intuitive navigation while allowing users to progress as their skills evolve.

Performance

Trading execution is generally fast thanks to robust global infrastructure, though during extreme volatility some slippage or requotes may occur; KYC processing remains steady, with no notable delays even during high demand periods.

Order execution is generally fast and stable, though sharp market spikes can occasionally lead to slight delays; during bull runs, KYC processing times may lengthen, though the platform scales verification capacity to mitigate backlogs.

Education

Ava Academy offers tiered educational material spanning video lessons, webinars, and articles for all skill levels, accompanied by an unlimited-time demo account—many educational resources are fully available in Spanish.

AscendEX hosts an educational hub with articles, investment lessons, and futures tutorials, but it does not currently offer demo trading accounts or Spanish-specific learning modules.

Community

While AvaTrade supports social trading through platforms like AvaSocial and DupliTrade, it does not maintain official public forums or Discord/Telegram channels for general community engagement; referral incentives exist, though details vary by region.

Users can connect via numerous official Telegram channels across multiple languages and leverage an active referral program that rewards users for inviting others to the platform.

Integrations

AvaTrade does not offer native TradingView integration, but it connects with external automation tools (e.g., DupliTrade, Capitalise.ai); there’s no explicit support for tax/portfolio tracking or accounting integrations within the platform.

The exchange offers native TradingView charts and robust API access, enabling integration with third-party bots and tax/accounting tools like CryptoTaxCalculator for portfolio tracking and reporting.

Who Each One Is Best For

AvaTrade suits beginners and mid-level traders who value educational depth, regulated environments, and flexible platform options; it’s less ideal for algo specialists seeking ultra-low latency connectivity or traders who demand built-in community forums or tax management features.

Beginners benefit from the Lite mode and educational resources, active/pro traders gain from the advanced order tools and integrations, and those focused on passive strategies can leverage the automated tools and referral rewards.