GC Option vs AAATrade

GC Option or AAATrade – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare GC Option and AAATrade in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

GC Option vs AAATrade Comparison Table 2024
GC Option AAATrade
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3.3
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3.5
GC Option is ranked #11 among binary options brokers. AAATrade is ranked #92 among CFD brokers.
GC Option has closed or no longer accepts UK clients.
GC Option is a binary options broker offering contracts with flexible contract lengths and payouts up to 86% on 27 instruments. This is one of the few binary options brokers to support MetaTrader 4, which it provides alongside two proprietary trading platforms.
AAATrade is a forex and CFD broker established in 2013 and regulated by CySEC. The STP broker offers tens of thousands of Stocks, ETFs, CFDs, securities and cryptocurrency products on the proprietary and MetaTrader platforms. Traders can benefit from standard retail accounts as well as portfolio management and advisory services.
Pros
  • GC Option is fairly unique in its position as a binary options broker that provides access to MT4, though you need to achieve Gold status to trade on it.
  • The free demo account with $10,000 in virtual funds is an excellent place to learn how binary options work, including the broker’s double touch binaries which aren’t available at most brokers.
  • GC Option offers fast and dependable support available 24/7 with response times of under 2 minutes based on testing over several years, and a particularly receptive live chat service.
  • I was glad to see commission-free trading available in the Novice account, though seasoned traders can also benefit from low commissions from 0.125% in the Experienced account
  • There's a good range of trading platforms, including the new AAATrader™ and MT5 mobile app. I particularly appreciated the broker's in-house crypto exchange platform
  • I feel assured the AAATrade is regulated by tier-1 authority, the CySEC and is also a member of the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF)
  • I like that there is no minimum deposit for both the Novice and Experienced Accounts, making the broker accessible for all traders
  • I was very impressed to find a $100,000 demo account available with free access to webinars and forex education
Cons
  • Despite 15+ years in the market and being a spin-off of the established Grand Capital brand, GC Option remains unregulated with limited safeguards for investors.
  • The breadth of tradable assets at GC Option needs serious improvement, with just approximately 30 instruments spanning currencies, cryptos and commodities, but zero stocks.
  • Whilst the $10 minimum deposit is low within the industry, over 50% of the withdrawal options incur a charge and many consist of cryptocurrencies or banking solutions in Africa and India.
  • I'm a little disappointed that fees charged on deposits, which puts the broker behind most competitors offering free deposits
  • Crypto trading does not have the same protection or regulation as other markets, though this is industry standard
FCA Regulated
No No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Instruments
Binary Options on Forex, Metals and Cryptos CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Cryptos
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$10 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
$1 $0
Regulator
CySEC
Mobile Apps
iOS, Android + Huawei Yes (iOS & Android)
Trading App

Similar to most binary brands, GC Option doesn’t offer a stand-alone app. Instead, you can make short-term trades directly through mobile browsers. The mobile trading environment is average – charts are a little fiddly to use effectively. Ultimately, it’s fine for account management, but it doesn’t compete with industry frontrunners.

iOS App Rating
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3
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Android App Rating
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3
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Margin Trading
No Yes
Margin Rate
1:200
MetaTrader 4
Yes No
MetaTrader 5
No Yes
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
Yes No
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No No
STP Account
No Yes
ECN Account
No Yes
DMA Account
No Yes
MAM Account
No Yes
PAMM Account
No Yes
LAMM Account
No Yes
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
No Yes
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes Yes
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Islamic Account
No No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • RUB
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
CFD
During my tests, I found thousands of leveraged CFD products across forex, indices, commodities, stocks and cryptocurrencies. Commissions are competitive and I particularly enjoyed using all the free CFD trading resources available in the demo account.
Leverage
1:200
FTSE Spread
0.5
GBPUSD Spread<
0.00002
Oil Spread
0.10
Stocks Spread
Floating
Forex
GC Option offers binaries on a slim selection of 25+ currency pairs, including majors, minors, plus metals paired with USD. Unlike traditional forex trading, users speculate whether the price of a currency will rise or fall and can earn an 80%+ payout, or lose their entire stake. AAATrade offers 80+ forex pairs, including majors and minors, which is a competitive range and more than most brokers I have reviewed. I was also able to take advantage of the broker's daily technical insights with chart analysis, as well as the live economic calendar.
Assets
25+ 10000+
GBPUSD Spread
Variable 0.00002
EURUSD Spread
Variable 0.00002
EURGBP Spread
Variable 0.00002
Cryptocurrency
Trade popular crypto tokens using straightforward binary options products. Decide whether the price of tokens like Bitcoin will rise or fall with a minimum stake of just $1. I was impressed with AAATrade's range of 50 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, which is more than most brokers I review. I was particularly glad to see a good mix of crypto-crypto pairs, as well as some crypto-fiat pairs against USD and EUR.
Spread
Variable Floating
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • BNB
  • ETH
  • ETC
  • XMR
  • ZEC
  • DSH
  • BCH
  • BTC
  • EOS
  • ETC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • USDT
  • DOGE
  • XLM
  • XRP
  • XTC
  • ZEC
  • ADA
  • ATOM
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No Yes
Binary Options
GC Option offers beginner-friendly binary options with 86% payouts and opportunities on forex, metals and cryptocurrencies. The broker stands out for its market-leading trading software and access to short-term opportunities with contracts spanning 60 seconds to 48 hours.
Payout
86%
Expiration Times
1 minute - 48 hours
Boundary Options
Yes No
Ladder Options
No No
GC Option AAATrade
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