The 5 Best Apps for Investments in Dubai
When you’re looking for something worth spending your money on, then investing is one of the most popular ideas out there.
But it can be overwhelming to do it when there are hundreds of investing apps to choose from. So, we’re giving you our top picks for the best apps to use for investments in Dubai.
We’re also including the factors we considered in choosing our entries, as well as answering some FAQs about investments in Dubai.
How much do apps for investments cost in Dubai?
The fees that are required for investment apps can vary depending on the kind of account you want to open, the platform’s minimum deposit, the fees for withdrawing money, and many more.
To give you a starting point, we made a table of the cost of opening an account and the minimum deposit of each investment app we have on this list.
The Best Apps for Investments in Dubai
Before we get right into our top choices for apps for investments in Dubai, here are the criteria we followed as we chose our entries for this list:
1. Pepperstone
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Range of Tools | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Fees & Commissions | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Deposit & Withdrawal Channels | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| App Features | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
One of Australia’s leading apps for investing in diverse trading opportunities, Pepperstone also is one of the popular choices in the UAE.
Derek, a young professional, has had a successful trading experience for the last two months after transferring to Pepperstone.
He shared with us that users get free access to raw spreads so that they have transparency of what they’re getting charged with from a liquidity provider, and how much Pepperstone earns from commissions.
We also love that it’s one of the most diverse investment apps in the world in terms of trading opportunities.
From Forex to CFDs to commodities, Pepperstone makes this very easy to navigate and manage with over 700 instruments. With so many tools to use, we think that this really sets up its users with everything they need to grow their portfolios.
Opening an account with the platform is free, but it does require a $5000 minimum balance when trading. This is okay for an international investment app, however, it’s significantly higher compared to local UAE investment apps.
Besides that, it has a $10 minimum deposit which isn’t really much of an inconvenience, but more of something to take note of.
Users have 8 deposit and withdrawal channels, from wire transfers to utilizing Skrill. However, for wire transfers, the app charges an extra $20 to withdraw, and an AUS $1 fee for Neteller and Skrill users.
We think the biggest problem here, as is the same with all wire transfer channels, is that it can take longer compared to other methods by 3 to 5 more days.
As for the app itself, we like that Pepperstone is regulated by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and many other financial and investment authorities to secure all of the trading activities.
It also offers a VIP client service where users can have their very own financial manager, as well as rewards for high-volume trading.
However, its lack of a proprietary mobile apps platform means that the actual trading happens over other platforms such as MT4 and cTrader. So basically, a Pepperstone account is just a gateway to these platforms.
All in all, Pepperstone is one of the best choices for investment apps out there, especially because it’s so easy to diversify your portfolio with them because of the range of assets.
Pros
- Has the most diverse set of assets
- Has over 700 instruments to manage investments
- Regulated by numerous international financial authorities
- Has a rewards system for all members
Cons
- Has a lot of fees for withdrawals and deposits
- Lacks a proprietary mobile app platform
Customer Reviews
Third-party tools give it the extra edge
“Pepperstone offers a growing range of tradeable markets, good-quality research, and support for multiple social copy trading platforms.
It offers both MetaTrader and cTrader (finishing Best in Class for MetaTrader brokers in 2022), and its wide range of available third-party tools and plugins enhances its already-impressive suite of available platforms.” —Steven Hatzakis, ForexBrokers.com
Uncomplicated access with great results
“Pepperstone offers uncomplicated access to the markets which allows the client to focus on the complicated task of trying to successfully trade the markets. Pepperstone is ideally suited to traders that want a manageable range of low-cost offerings, multiple choices of user interfaces and account types, and efficient customer support.” —Akhilesh Ganti, Investopedia
2. Sarwa
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Range of Tools | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Fees & Commissions | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Deposit & Withdrawal Channels | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| App Features | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Operating on a state-of-the-art algorithm, Sarwa is one of the fastest rising investment apps in the UAE because of the power of its optimization and automation trades and investments.
Janet, who was looking to get an early start on investing her savings, was having trouble learning and getting started with trading and investing stocks until she found Sarwa.
She shared with us that through a questionnaire, Sarwa gave her a set of automatically built diverse portfolios without having to spend money on financial advisors.
We love that users are presented with different sets of portfolios, which allows them to either manage these investments via their well-designed dashboard or let Sarwa do its thing with the smart rebalancing feature.
Smart rebalancing lets the app grow users’ portfolios by maintaining an optimal level of risk and reinvesting dividends so that not one cent is left out of the equation.
However, our problem with Sarwa is that its automatic tools don’t offer much room for users who want to take riskier investments because the app’s algorithm always chooses to invest in low-cost index funds.
As for its fees and commissions, we think this is where Sarwa undoubtedly shines. It’s all about flexibility when it comes to how much the users can spend on the platform.
On top of the fact that Sarwa doesn’t charge fees for commissions and inactivity, starting an account is free and users can start trading for as low as $5.
Of course, to fund users’ financial advisors, transactions, trades, transfers, and rebalancing, it charges a fee for that.
Sarwa charges 0.85% initially, which goes down to 0.5% the more a user invests. Users will also have to pay a fund fee of 0.1%-0.2% depending on their portfolio recommendation.
Despite that, these are all a fraction of what other platforms and traditional trading and investing costs.
And just like their commissions, money transfers are all free. Janet has been taking advantage of this by deposition and withdrawing money straight from the Sarwa app and into her bank account.
However, this easy money transfer is only applicable to UAE banks. For those using a non-UAE bank, they have to manually transfer money using the Sarwa app.
When it comes to withdrawals, that’s where the app falters. Conventional and SRI accounts take 4-6 business days to process withdrawals while Halal accounts take 6-9 business days; both are significantly longer than other investment apps.
On top of that, both deposits and withdrawals are limited to just bank transfers, so that also limits users from putting and taking money from their Sarwa accounts.
All in all, Sarwa makes investing and trading very accessible for newbies because of its amazing algorithm that optimizes users’ funds.
Sarwa’s biggest strength, besides its algorithm, is the fact that it’s so flexible when it comes to users’ plans and economically free transactions.
Pros
- Has a state-of-the-art algorithm for investing & trading
- Tools & features optimize portfolios for growth
- Very low-cost starting requirements
- Low-cost administrative and operational fees
- Money transfers are free
Cons
- Algorithm restricts users from riskier investments
- Withdrawal process is significantly longer than others
Customer Reviews
Perfect for beginners!
“Sarwa is a wonderful platform if you’re in the UAE. I’m a beginner in any kind of investing. And Sarwa has truly been a catalyst in my financial education journey. My favorite is the Sarwa Trade app where you can trade in stocks from the US stock exchange, and you can start low. I do an investment of just AED 100 a month. For a beginner like me and someone from my income bracket, this is a great platform to start and learn. Their customer service team is excellent. They always respond immediately and attend to all your queries. I’m very grateful to have found Sarwa and I’ve enjoyed my investing journey so far 👍🏻” —Rowena Pereira, Google Reviews
Excellent customer service from beginning to end
“Definitely a great platform to invest with! You’re treated as a VIP client right from the start with a professional call to welcome you and answer any questions. The sign-up was easy, the platform is transparent, and the team is so helpful. Their WhatsApp team is so responsive and provides quality and thorough feedback every time.” —Jess Smith, Google Reviews
3. eToro
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Range of Tools | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Fees & Commissions | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Deposit & Withdrawal Channels | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| App Features | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
eToro is one of the biggest investment apps in the world, and that’s because of an innovation that they have successfully done to change the landscape of trading stocks and investing.
Mixing the power of social media and investing, eToro has done the unthinkable and managed to build an online community of investors where everyone can use each other’s knowledge and financial experience to grow their portfolios and investments.
The social aspect eToro has proven to be an invaluable part of its app, as it has been the catalyst for many successful investors around the world.
Ahmed, who has been learning so much from other eToro users, appreciates the fact that the impact of social investing is immeasurable and truly effective for investors like him.
Besides that, the app also has a great range of tools. We especially love its CopyTrader tool which allows users to copy the moves of experienced investors in real-time.
It also has smart portfolios where users can follow thematic investment strategies. This is a new approach to personal investing wherein users can choose a fully allocated, balanced portfolio, focusing on market segments the user can understand and to which they can relate.
We like the idea of letting users invest in assets they are interested in in real life, but we think the concept can often be too restricting and doesn’t really promote a diverse portfolio.
As for its fees and commissions, eToro charges 0% on commissions with no limits to how many stocks a user can buy.
Everyone can also enjoy the app’s free sign-ups and management operations. However, its minimum trade is 10$, which is pretty low for an international investment app.
As for trading cryptocurrency, eToro charges a 1% fee when buying or selling crypto stocks, which is pretty meager for such a volatile market.
And it does have an inactivity fee of $10 per month, which is not that expensive but can become an inconvenience for some users who might not be able to consistently manage their accounts.
Another struggle we have with eToro is that all its withdrawal requests are subject to a $5 fee, but we find that to be okay since depositing is completely free.
Withdrawing and transferring money to credit and debit cards, as well as bank transfers, take up to 10 business days — the longest out of all of our entries.
So we think you are better off withdrawing funds from your Paypal or Skrill accounts because it only takes 2 days.
But what makes this app so special in this aspect is that withdrawing funds from the account as eToro money is instant, which means you can transfer your funds to different assets at any time.
All in all, eToro differentiates itself from the pack with the social aspect of trading, which is often overlooked by many.
By honing in on connecting users from all over the world, it fosters an environment where both investors and their investments can grow.
Pros
- Social investment connects users to others
- CopyTrading allows users to follow expert investors
- Doesn’t charge commissions
- Affordable starting trade amount
- eToro money allows for quick transfer of funds to different assets
Cons
- Takes a long time to process withdrawal requests
- Withdrawal requests have a fee
Customer Reviews
A newcomer’s companion
“Newcomers to cryptocurrency who want to learn by doing might be most at home on eToro. The platform offers an active user community and social features like a news feed for specific coins. Chatting with others and diving into social feeds can provide a great introduction to the world of crypto.” —Barbara Friedberg & John Schmidt, Forbes
An attractive option for those looking to start trading
“eToro offers a blend of trading and social media, allowing you to see what others are trading and even copy them instantly at no additional charge. It’s a cool feature that puts you in touch with the site’s best traders. The broker has a low account minimum and dozens of cryptocurrencies available to trade, making it an attractive option for traders who are just getting started in the crypto world.” —James Royal, Bankrate
4. AvaTrade
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Range of Tools | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Fees & Commissions | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Deposit & Withdrawal Channels | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| App Features | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
AvaTrade, or what we like to call eToro’s younger sibling, has many similarities to the other investment app.
Its tools give users access to many different assets via tabs that open up to a very comprehensive overview of the current status of each market.
While not the most diverse range of tools to monitor the market, AvaTrade shines in its user-friendly interface that communicates each tool’s innovation effectively to the user.
Novice investor, Jackson, shared with us that he opts to use AvaTrade over other investment apps because of how easy it is to navigate through its interface.
On top of that, AvaTrade acknowledges where other investment apps succeed and brings that into its own platform.
It has some of the next-generation trading tools, including some familiar features like its version of social trading called the AvaSocial, and its very own WebTrader that lets users copy expert traders’ moves.
It also has negative balance protection that protects novices from losing everything they have because of a beginner’s mistake.
While not groundbreaking, we do appreciate how it carefully curated the tools on its app to give users the best experience.
We also like that in the app, there are educational materials that can equip beginners with the right information to navigate the world of stocks — something that Jackson really found to be helpful when he first started.
The app also has something called AvaProtect, which is a unique feature that reimburses you on losing positions so that users can have complete peace of mind by removing your risk during the protected period.
However, most of its features are somewhat a version of eToro’s features. The only difference is that eToro’s features are much better established and have been operating long before AvaTrade’s.
All these features do not come cheap. Jackson shared with us that users have to pay $50 for 3 months of inactivity, and a $100 administration fee if they have been inactive for a year.
And just like eToro, wire transfers and bank transfers for withdrawal requests unusually take up to 10 business days.
All in all, while working with AvaTrader can be costly, it makes up for that with the promise that those who are just starting can be assured that mistakes will not be the end of the world for them.
Pros
- Has some protective features to help beginners
- Well-designed interface for navigation
- Has their version of innovative tools
Cons
- Costly inactive fees
- Unusually long withdrawal process
Customer Reviews
I tried using other platforms but I…
“I tried using other platforms but I like AvaTrade the most since it is very user-friendly and beginner-friendly. It is very easy to understand even when you’re still not an expert. Plus, I really appreciate their assistance, especially sir Vincent Krupkin, who called and guides me on how to maximize the platform and informed me about their FREE education about forex (which is quite expensive to others). So I would not regret rating AvaTrade a 5/5.” —Justine Revilla, Trustpilot
Better Service
“Unlike other trading platforms, the service provided by AvaTrade is better for my taste. I find the webinars helpful. AvaTrade does get in touch with me on a regular to see how I am doing with the progress.” —Kevin Vincent, Trustpilot
5. IQ Option
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Range of Tools | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Fees & Commissions | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Deposit & Withdrawal Channels | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| App Features | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Voted as one of the best mobile trading platforms, IQ Option is among the fastest-growing investment apps around the world.
With a diverse range of tools, IQ Option equips its users with updates and customizability to optimize their investing experience.
Kara, who has been using IQ Option for more than 3 years now, always checks the app’s Newsfeed that gives real-time updates on companies and markets that she has invested in.
We love this feature because it really gives users the knowledge to make informed decisions. Couple that with its own community that users can check out for discussions, and there’s no shortage of information here when it comes to trading and investing.
And while only a little bit more than 300 assets seem small compared to other international investment apps, it does showcase diversity when it comes to having both established industries and new age up-and-comers.
As for the app’s features, we like that the IQ Option lets you optimize your investing experience to your own liking.
Our favorite feature of the app is the ability to customize your own interface from chart type to color themes.
This lets users maximize or minimalize details to their own liking, making it a very powerful feature to have.
As for its fees and commissions, we found this to be relatively affordable compared to some other entries on this list.
IQ Option does not charge for sign-ups and commissions and the minimum deposit is only $10, which is significantly cheaper compared to other large investment apps.
On top of that, its minimum deposit is only $1, making this entry our most affordable pick.
When it comes to investing in cryptocurrency, the app only charges a 2.9% fee. It’s still cheap, but eToro charges less and is a much better option in our opinion.
But where it all starts to fall apart for us is when it comes to withdrawing funds. While depositing with IQ Option is free, withdrawing charges its users $31 for every transaction.
Kara shared with us that to avoid this costly fee, she uses a Payment Service Provider (PSP) to withdraw funds like Paypal and Skrill because those are free to use.
Its redeeming factor when it comes to withdrawing is that it processes instantly, which is pretty uncommon when compared to our other entries.
All in all, IQ Option is powerful when it comes to providing diversity both in its tools and in its assets.
And if the withdrawal fees don’t turn you off, this investment app redeems itself by giving you full control over how you want to manage your investments.
Pros
- Customizable interface
- Divers tools and assets
- Affordable fees
- Instant withdrawal process
Cons
- Expensive withdrawal fee
- Not the most affordable fee for crypto investment
Customer Reviews
Took a risk and it paid off!
“I don’t trust companies that are located out of my area, but IQ Option was so delicious, so I gave it a try. Well, I don’t regret it at all: everything works as promised.” —Dan Blake, Trustpilot
Wishing I found them sooner
“The only regret I have is that I didn’t find you sooner! What a great experience I had dealing with this company! I would definitely recommend you guys to everybody.” —Anne Paige, Trustpilot
FAQs about Apps for Investments in Dubai
We wish you well in your investing journey, and we hope you find the investment app that’s for you.
Also, if you’re looking for other guides and lists about growing financially, then check out these articles: