Company HistoryAyondo HeadlinesAssets & MarketsTrading PlatformSpreads & CommissionsLeverageMobile AppPayment MethodsDemo AccountBonuses & PromotionsRegulation & LicensingAdditional FeaturesAccountsBenefitsDrawbacksTrading HoursCustomer SupportSecurityAyondo VerdictAccepted CountriesAlternatives to AyondoFAQ
Ayondo facilitates trading in forex, CFDs and binary options. This review will test each element of its offering, including fees, the demo account, and cryptocurrency capabilities. We also take an in-depth look at Ayondo’s proprietary social trading system and app, before concluding with a final verdict.
Company History
The founders, Robert Lempka and Thomas Winkler, launched Ayondo in 2009. Originally the company was based in Germany, but as the number of users grew the broker went global. The firm’s headquarters are now located at their London, UK office.
The company began making moves to go public in 2016. Initial Ayondo Ltd IPO forums in Singapore and the Business Times put price valuation at around $105.6 million. Press releases subsequently show that on the first day’s offering, nearly 81 million invitation shares were subscribed at S$0.26.
In 2017 the company acquired the popular investor education application TradeHero. Then following a failed reverse takeover (RTO) with Starland Holdings, the broker became the first FinTech enterprise to be listed on the Catalist growth board of the Singapore Exchange (SGX). However, in 2021 Ayondo had been delisted.
Since Ayondo launched their own broker solution, even if it is technically a white-labeled version of the Gekko Global Markets platform, the sign-up and login process has been noticeably smoother.
Ayondo Headlines
The owners and operators of the online broker are actually Ayondo Markets Ltd, a financial trading brand (FinTech company) boasting an annual revenue in excess of £15 million, according to reports.
The CEO and the rest of the Ayondo group have a clear mission – to connect investors so they can benefit from the success of ‘Top Traders’. This social element of their trading system will be broken down in detail further below.
Assets & Markets
Customers get an extensive list of 100+ instruments and markets to choose from:
CFDs
Precious metals
Binary options
Interest bond rates
Over 30 FX currency pairs
Major Asian, European, and US indices
Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple)
Shares in major blue-chip companies, including Starbucks and Coca-Cola
Customers from the UK and Ireland can also register for a spread betting account.
Trading Platform
In terms of user experience, the TradeHub live platform is streamlined and easy to pick up. There are generous levels of customization available, helping to speed up execution. Information and lot sizes are also clear, while the interface is clean and sleek. In addition, cash balances, margins, and trading products are clearly visible. User reviews also praise that OCO orders are easily accessible and guaranteed stop-losses are automatically included with positions.
Overall, Ayondo’s platform is ideal for beginners or those who are used to the high standards of the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) systems.
Spreads & Commissions
Ayondo follows a market maker business model. They take their fee from the difference between the buy and sell price. They also charge deposit fees, inactivity fees, and commissions on CFDs, but withdrawals are free.
Customer reviews show that Ayondo provides relatively competitive spreads. In fact, the minimum spread for the EUR/USD pair is 0.8 pips. Another bonus is that you don’t pay a commission to third-party brokers, unlike many social trading networks.
Other Trading Fees
There are several additional costs to be aware of:
You will pay an overnight rollover fee of 3%
Long positions will also incur financing charges
You will pay a follower fee, depending on the remuneration model your Top Trader has selected. This could include a 25% performance fee, plus a 1% management fee
Leverage
Ayondo allows trading on margin. A live account gets you up to 1:200 leverage. This essentially allows you to borrow money from your broker to capitalize on a potential opportunity. However, leveraged trading comes with risks. In fact, you could actually lose more than your initial deposit.
Fortunately, Ayondo allows you to manually adjust your leverage limits to a level you feel comfortable with.
If you are in an ESMA regulated region, such as Europe, the leverage percentage drops to 1:30 for major currency pairs, 1:20 for minor pairs, and 1:10 for commodities.
Mobile App
Ayondo offers a mobile version of the TradeHub platform. You can get the mobile trading app for both iOS and Android devices. Reviews of the iPhone and iPad apps are particularly positive. You get variable portfolio margining and just like the desktop-based platform, you can also place trailing stops while enjoying loss protection.
In addition, your Ayondo Markets mobile login details grant you access to:
Usage tips
Sophisticated charts
Flexible search function
Thorough manual and help section
Payment Methods
Once you complete registration, you will need to set about funding your account. Deposits and withdrawals can be made via debit, credit card, or wire transfer. You can open an account in EUR, GBP, and USD. You need $100 to open a live account and card deposits are free. The minimum withdrawal is $10. You will also need to verify your identity and address before you can withdraw funds for the first time.
On the whole, payment methods are an area Ayondo could improve in. There are competitors offering numerous other payment methods, including PayPal and digital wallets.
If you become a Top Trader, you also get a daily overview of your revenues and easy-to-read invoices.
Demo Account
If you are new to trading, Ayondo Markets offers a free demo account with $10,000 in virtual funds. Here you can test the broker and platform while getting familiar with the markets.
Your demo login details afford you access to a wide range of features, including viewing the performance of other traders. You can then build a portfolio of up to 5 traders and use a simulator to test their performance against historical data. Once you feel confident you can then upgrade to a live account from within your Ayondo area.
Bonuses & Promotions
Ayondo regularly run a range of welcome bonuses and offers. This can include 25% cashback deals, no deposit bonuses, and refer-a-friend schemes. Head over to the website to see what Ayondo Markets offers are currently available.
Regulation & Licensing
With an increase in the number of fake and fraudulent brokers, it is important to check your platform is regulated. Thankfully, Ayondo Markets Limited in London is licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The agency ensures the company adheres to regulations designed to protect consumers. This includes protecting your capital in a range of scenarios, such as bankruptcy.
Ayondo Portfolio Management GmbH is regulated by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), registration number 145765.
Additional Features
The main feature of Ayondo is their social trading system, reviews of which are positive. There are thousands of traders to choose from and some of the best investors have over three years of experience. Finding and following Top Traders is also easy as their performance is graphically displayed on the Ayondo interface. You can actually track their performance against major indices too. You can also choose to follow traders based on specific criteria, such as profit-loss ratios.
Ayondo also facilitates access to educational resources. You can find webinars, training videos, and other manuals. The broker also has a TV spot on an online UK channel. There you can get more information on how to make the most of TradeHub.
In addition, the Research & Advisory team provides news, daily market content, reports, stock reviews, top picks, and more. You can also use their online newsletter to pick up useful tips and find out about new products.
Accounts
Opening a live account with Ayondo is straightforward. The real-time account allows you to trade in CFDs, spread betting, or to generate revenue from those copying your trades. However, you will need to have:
A scanned color copy of your passport, driving license, or national ID
A recent utility bill or bank statement proving your address
In addition, you will need to set aside a few minutes to answer some basic questions about your trading experience, among others.
For those that wish to be copied there are different levels to pass through, from Street Trader to Institutional. If you perform well, you will benefit from greater commissions with each increase in level.
For those who wish to copy others, there are three accounts on offer: Social Trading Follower, Social Trading Top Trader, and CFD or Spread Betting.
Benefits
Customer feedback shows Ayondo scores particularly well in several areas:
There is a straightforward performance-based commissions system for Top Traders
There is a wide choice of instruments and markets to choose from
Negative balance protection can help prevent significant losses
Low capital requirements make Ayondo attractive to beginners
There is an effective automated risk management system
There is a generous choice of Top Traders to follow
All customers have access to a free demo account
Drawbacks
Despite access to some of the best traders, opinions were split into several aspects of the Ayondo offering, including:
There is only capital protection at the account level, not at trader level
There is still a relatively small number of high performing signal providers to follow
Ayondo doesn’t offer a listing of the contributions from individual traders toward your overall portfolio performance
Although you can view a trader’s transaction history on the application, you cannot download it to Excel for external analysis
When you take Ayondo vs Plus500, ZuluTrade or eToro, you realize the former falls short in terms of educational resources, such as trading manuals and tutorials
Blogs and forums are quick to criticize Ayondo for not catering to APIs and automated trading. Having said this, the broker has said the MetaTrader platform will be available in the future
Trading Hours
Ayondo’s trading hours are fairly industry standard. Trading is available between 22:00 GMT on Sunday and 22:15 GMT on Friday. Head over to their official website for upcoming holiday hours. There you will also be able to find the opening and closing hours for particular products and markets.
Customer Support
Customer reviews are fairly positive in terms of customer support. Traders can contact Ayondo Markets via live chat, email, and telephone. Support is available in:
English
German
Spanish
Chinese
Arabic
Employees are knowledgeable and can help you with a long list of technical and account queries.
The support email address is service@ayondo.com. Head over to the official website for the respective telephone hotline number. There you will also find details of their partner broker affiliate program and the addresses of their London, Frankfurt, Singapore, and Zug offices.
Security
With an increase in scams and hacking, it is important to ask – is Ayondo any good in terms of user security? Fortunately, the answer is yes. To ensure personal safety, the brokerage uses:
Segregated bank accounts to keep customers’ funds separate from the firm’s operating capital
Negative balance protection that ensures you cannot exceed your account balance
Advanced encryption technologies to guard against attacks and fraud
Daily internal reconciliations are undertaken to ensure solvency
An annual audit is carried out by an independent auditor
Furthermore, this review was particularly impressed with Ayondo’s free insurance policy. Introduced in 2015, this covers up to £1,000,000 in excess of the standard FCSC cover for each client. In fact, this is among the most comprehensive cover in the industry.
Ayondo Verdict
Ayondo’s social trading system is fantastic for several reasons, including low fees, amenable entry levels, and access to Top Traders. Overall, the brokerage sits well among competitors with a minimum deposit of $100 and industry-standard fees and spreads. It also offers a big array of educational resources, which makes it an ideal choice for beginners, and you can even test drive the platform through the demo account first.
Accepted Countries
Ayondo accepts traders from Australia, Thailand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Qatar and most other countries.
Traders can not use Ayondo from United States, Canada.
Alternatives to Ayondo
If you are looking for alternatives to Ayondo we have compiled a list of the top 5 brokers that are similar to Ayondo below. This list of brokers like Ayondo is in order of similarity and only includes companies that accept traders from your location.
Hantec Markets – Hantec Markets is a multi-regulated online FX broker offering MT4 and a tailored service providing flexibility to suit any trader.
AdroFX – AdroFX is a regulated, global broker offering forex, CFD and crypto trading with MT4 access and attractive welcome bonuses.
RaceOption – RaceOption is a binary options and CFD platform offering trading contests and prize giveaways.
FXPro – Multi-Award winning broker. Specialising in Forex but also offering stocks and tight spreads on CFDs and Spread betting across a huge range of markets.
Pepperstone – Pepperstone offers CFD trading to both retail and professional traders. Clients can trade FX, indices, commodities and shares on MT4, MT5 and cTrader platforms.
FAQ
What Deposit Methods Does Ayondo Accept?
The broker accepts only credit cards, debit cards, and bank wire transfers. E-wallets aren’t currently available.
What Is The Minimum Deposit At Ayondo?
The minimum deposit is $100, but you will need to deposit more if you wish to copy a number of investors.
Is Ayondo Regulated?
Yes, the broker is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which ensures Ayondo follows consumer-protection legislation.
Can I Use Ayondo In The US?
No, Canada and the US are two of the regions where you cannot access the platform.
Do I Need ID To Sign Up To Ayondo?
Yes, you will need a form of identification and proof of address when you sign up for an account.