I’ve been trying to figure out which broker is actually cheaper for my specific trading style, and I realize there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. I scalp sometimes and swing trade other times, and the cost structure is completely different for each approach.
When I scalp, tight spreads matter most. When I hold overnight, swaps become a factor. I’m wondering if one broker is genuinely better for scalping and the other better for swing trading, or if the difference is small once rebates are included.
Does anyone have a framework for matching your trading style to the broker that actually costs the least for that specific approach? How do you think about Avatrade vs eToro if you trade both styles?
Match strategy to broker structure.
For scalping: Avatrade usually wins. Spreads tighter (0.8-1.2 pips on majors) and rebates apply instantly. You’re making 10-20 trades daily, so every 0.1 pip rebate adds up. Cost per lot matters most.
For swing trading: depends on swaps. Check both brokers’ overnight fees on the pairs you hold. eToro sometimes cheaper here because they don’t charge as high swap fees on certain pairs. You’re holding 2-5 days, so swap cost becomes significant. A 1 pip spread difference means nothing if swaps cost you 2 pips per night.
Real answer: test both for scalping (20 trades) and both for swing trading (5 positions held 3 days each). Calculate actual cost including swaps and rebates. That tells you which is cheaper for your specific style.
If you do both equally, pick the one that handles scalping better—you trade scalps more frequently anyway.
I scalp on Avatrade and swing trade on eToro. Sounds weird but it works.
Avatrade’s spread and rebate structure is built for high-frequency trading. I can scalp 50-100 pips daily and the costs stay reasonable. Rebates cover about 20-30% of my spread costs on scalps.
eToro’s spread is wider (1.2-1.5 on majors), so I don’t scalp there. But when I swing trade on eToro, I don’t worry about overnight fees as much—their swap structure is cleaner for position holding.
That said, most traders shouldn’t split brokers like this. It’s confusing. But if you’re genuinely doing both styles frequently, testing each broker for each style is the only way to know which costs less for you.
My honest take: pick one broker and trade one style well before trying to juggle both.
I mostly swing trade, so I use eToro. The spreads are acceptable for my holding times, and I don’t stress about fractional pip differences when I’m holding overnight.
If I were scalping instead, I’d probably switch to Avatrade for the tighter execution. But I’m not, so the simpler platform and larger spread on eToro is a fine tradeoff.
My advice is just pick the one that matches your primary style. If you’re 80% swing trader and 20% scalper, optimize for swing trading. The 20% you scalp will cost a bit more, but that’s okay. Trying to optimize for both usually just makes things complicated.
Avatrade for scalping. eToro for swing trading. Test both first.
Scalping needs tight spreads so Avatrade better. Swing trading less sensitive to spread so eToro works.