I’m torn between AvaTrade and eToro. I’ve read mixed reports on costs and reliability, so I’m trying to keep this simple and look for real user experience.
If you traded them for at least a month, what actually matched your expectations and what didn’t? Things I care about:
- verification time and support response when something breaks
- spreads vs what you saw live, and slippage around news
- swaps and any surprise fees like inactivity or conversion
- base currency options and how you avoided conversion costs
- withdrawal timeline and any hiccups
- whether cashback tracked cleanly and paid on time
If you had to choose for cautious swing trades with the odd news entry, which would you pick and why?
AvaTrade support replied faster for me
eToro spreads widened more during news spikes
Run a two week test on both with small size. Log every fill with timestamp, spread at entry and exit, and slippage in points. Save a screenshot when spreads jump during news. Choose a base currency that matches your funding to reduce conversion. Do one deposit and one withdrawal on each to check fees and time. Track swap on an overnight hold for a common pair. Check if your cashback posts on schedule and totals match your calculator. Pick the one with lower net cost and fewer support tickets.
Cost clarity comes from your own numbers. Export your trade history, add spread and commission, subtract rebate, then divide by lots to get a per lot cost. Note any conversion fee if your account and funding currencies differ. If support replies in under a day with a useful fix, that is a positive sign. If you see repeated platform freezes around news, move on. Two clean weeks will tell you more than reviews.
I had fewer login issues on AvaTrade. Spreads looked steadier outside news.
I tried both for a month. AvaTrade felt calmer on EURUSD during London, fewer sudden jumps outside news. eToro was fine for casual trades but my fills slipped more around releases.
Cashback posted fine on both, but my net cost was lower where spreads were steadier. Withdrawals cleared in a few days either way. I stayed with the one that needed less support.
Support matters when something breaks. I had a pricing gap issue once. AvaTrade verified logs and replied within a day. eToro answered but took longer to escalate.
If you trade a few times a week and hold overnight, check swaps on your pairs. One broker charged a bit more there, which adds up over time.