AvaTrade vs FP Markets: which Australian broker fits beginners in 2026?
AvaTrade and FP Markets both target Australian beginners with an AUD 100 minimum, and the split is education and protection against cost and ASX access. AvaTrade (ASIC AFSL 406684, plus eight more regulators) offers the deepest education library in the ASIC set (AvaAcademy), the unique AvaProtect downside-protection tool, a fixed-spread account option, and multi-asset breadth including bond and ETF CFDs, on spread-only pricing around 0.9 pip with no commission. FP Markets (ASIC AFSL 286354, Sydney since 2005) is cheaper for active forex with a Raw account at 0.2 pip plus AUD 3.00 per side, carries the longest Australian track record of any ECN broker, adds cTrader, and uniquely offers IRESS for direct ASX share trading. For education and downside protection, choose AvaTrade. For cheaper active forex and ASX share access, choose FP Markets.
Top picks for this comparison
AvaTrade
The deepest education library (AvaAcademy), the AvaProtect downside-protection tool, a fixed-spread option, and multi-asset breadth including bond and ETF CFDs.
FP Markets
Raw ECN forex at AUD 3.00/side, the longest Australian track record since 2005, and IRESS for direct ASX share access no other broker here offers.
Two beginner-friendly brokers, split on cost and support
AvaTrade and FP Markets both rank highly for Australian beginners, sit one place apart on our forex list, and share the same AUD 100 entry point. They diverge on what they prioritise. AvaTrade is built around education and risk control, with the deepest learning library in the ASIC set and a downside-protection tool no competitor offers. FP Markets is built around execution and access, with cheaper raw forex pricing, the longest Australian track record, and the only retail route to direct ASX share trading. A beginner who wants to be taught leans one way; a beginner who wants cheap trading and room to grow into shares leans the other.
Choose AvaTrade if:
- You want the deepest education library (AvaAcademy)
- You want AvaProtect to cap downside while you learn
- You want a fixed-spread account option
- You want multi-asset breadth including bond and ETF CFDs
Choose FP Markets if:
- You want cheaper active forex (Raw account, AUD 3.00/side)
- You want direct ASX share trading through IRESS
- You want cTrader alongside MT4 and MT5
- You value the longest Australian track record, since 2005
At-a-glance comparison
| Feature | AvaTrade | FP Markets |
|---|---|---|
| ASIC licence | AFSL 406684 (+8 more globally) | AFSL 286354 |
| Operating since | Group 2006, AU entity 2014 | 2005 (longest AU ECN history) |
| Forex pricing | Spread-only, ~0.9 pip | Raw: 0.2 pip + AUD 3.00/side |
| Minimum deposit | AUD 100 | AUD 100 |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, AvaTradeGO, WebTrader | MT4, MT5, cTrader, IRESS |
| Direct ASX shares | No (share CFDs only) | Yes (via IRESS) |
| Education | AvaAcademy (deepest in ASIC set) | Strong, structured |
| Downside protection | AvaProtect | None |
| Inactivity fee | USD 50/quarter after 3 months | None |
| Best for | Education + protection | Cheaper ECN + ASX shares |
Forex cost: where FP Markets wins
For active forex, FP Markets is the cheaper broker. Its Raw account combines a 0.2 pip average EUR/USD spread with AUD 3.00 per-side commission, around AUD 7 per round-turn lot, and that AUD 3.00 commission is actually a touch lower than the larger ECN brokers charge. AvaTrade's spread-only model puts EUR/USD near 0.9 pip with no commission, close to AUD 9 per round-turn, and the gap widens with volume because there is no commission structure to keep the cost flat.
The inactivity fee adds to the gap. AvaTrade charges USD 50 a quarter after three months of no trading; FP Markets charges nothing. For a beginner who trades in bursts rather than continuously, that fee can quietly accumulate. If keeping trading costs low is the priority, FP Markets is the stronger pick.
Education and AvaProtect: where AvaTrade wins
AvaTrade earns its place on support rather than cost. AvaAcademy is the deepest education library among ASIC brokers, with a structured path through the basics that a genuine beginner gets more value from than a fraction of a pip. AvaProtect, the paid downside-protection tool, has no FP Markets equivalent and lets a new trader cap the loss on a position while still learning to manage risk. The fixed-spread account option, rare under ASIC, also helps a beginner by keeping cost predictable through volatile news. FP Markets has solid education too, but AvaTrade is the one built around teaching and protecting a developing trader.
IRESS and ASX shares: FP Markets only
FP Markets has one feature neither AvaTrade nor most ASIC brokers offer: IRESS, the institutional-grade platform that gives retail clients direct ASX share trading with Level 2 depth of market, from the same account they use for forex. That matters for an Australian who wants to trade real domestic shares alongside currencies without opening a separate share-broking account. AvaTrade offers share CFDs, which track a share price with leverage but never transfer ownership, so for actual ASX share trading FP Markets is the only route of the two. As a beginner develops and wants to diversify into Australian equities, that single feature can be the deciding factor.
Who wins on specific use cases
- Cheaper active forex: FP Markets. Raw account at AUD 3.00 per side.
- Structured learning: AvaTrade. AvaAcademy is the deepest in the set.
- Downside protection: AvaTrade. AvaProtect is unique.
- Direct ASX share trading: FP Markets. IRESS, which AvaTrade does not offer.
- Longest track record: FP Markets. Operating since 2005.
- Multi-asset CFD breadth: AvaTrade. Adds bond and ETF CFDs.
- cTrader users: FP Markets. AvaTrade does not offer cTrader.
Final recommendation
Both are good first brokers, so match the broker to what you want from the start. If you want to be taught and protected while you learn, with the deepest education and the AvaProtect safety net, AvaTrade is the better fit and ranks one place ahead on the best forex brokers in Australia list on the strength of that support and its multi-asset breadth. If you want cheaper active forex, the option to trade real ASX shares through IRESS, and the longest Australian track record, FP Markets is the better-suited choice. A common path is to start on AvaTrade for the education, then add FP Markets once you are trading actively and want the lower cost and the share access.
Read the full AvaTrade review and FP Markets review, or compare the wider field on the best forex brokers in Australia ranking.
Frequently asked questions
Both target beginners with an AUD 100 minimum, so it depends on what kind of support you want. AvaTrade is better for structured learning and risk control: it has the deepest education library (AvaAcademy) and the AvaProtect tool to cap downside while you learn. FP Markets is better if you want cheaper active forex, the longest Australian track record, and the option to trade real ASX shares through IRESS as you progress. Both are sound first brokers; they emphasise different things.
FP Markets, for active forex. Its Raw account pairs a 0.2 pip average EUR/USD spread with AUD 3.00 per-side commission, around AUD 7 per round-turn. AvaTrade uses spread-only pricing near 0.9 pip with no commission, which is close to AUD 9 per round-turn and grows relative to FP Markets as volume rises. AvaTrade also charges a USD 50 quarterly inactivity fee after three months, which FP Markets does not. For anyone trading actively, FP Markets is the cheaper choice.
Only FP Markets offers direct ASX shares, through the IRESS platform. That gives access to real Australian share trading with Level 2 depth of market from the same account used for forex, which no other broker in this comparison provides. AvaTrade offers share CFDs, which track a share price with leverage but do not transfer ownership. For trading real ASX shares alongside forex, FP Markets is the only option of the two.
AvaProtect is a paid downside-protection product unique to AvaTrade. For a fee paid upfront, it caps the loss on a position for a set period and refunds the loss up to a limit if the trade goes against you. FP Markets has no equivalent. For a risk-conscious beginner, AvaProtect is a genuine reason to pick AvaTrade, as long as it is used selectively around known risk events rather than on every trade, where the fee erodes returns.
Yes. AvaTrade trades in Australia as Ava Capital Markets Australia Pty Ltd under ASIC AFSL 406684, with eight more licences across the group. FP Markets operates as First Prudential Markets Pty Ltd under ASIC AFSL 286354 and has run continuously since 2005, the longest Australian track record of any ECN broker covered on this site. Both segregate client funds at Australian Tier-1 banks, provide negative balance protection, and are AFCA members.
It depends on what you need. FP Markets offers MT4, MT5, cTrader and the IRESS platform for ASX shares, the wider stack and the only one here with cTrader and direct share access. AvaTrade offers MT4, MT5, its AvaTradeGO mobile app and WebTrader, plus a fixed-spread account option that FP Markets does not have. FP Markets wins on platform breadth and share access; AvaTrade wins on its beginner-friendly app and fixed-spread choice.
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