Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ActivTrades vs Octa, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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ActivTrades vs Octa: regulation and safety at a glance. ActivTrades was founded in 2001, while Octa launched in 2011. Neither broker is publicly traded or a bank. ActivTrades holds 2 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and 1 Tier-2 license (trusted). Octa holds 1 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 license.
According to ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score, ActivTrades scores 80/99 (falls in the “trusted” 80–89 range), whereas Octa scores 73/99 (in the “average risk” 70–79 range). Put simply, ActivTrades shows a stronger regulatory footing and a higher safety standing than Octa based on license tiers and these ratings.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
In our review of commissions and fees, ActivTrades earns 4 stars and ranks #23 out of 36 brokers. Its pricing is a bit better than the industry average, but it does not quite match the cheapest forex brokers. ActivTrades uses one main account, plus Professional and Islamic account options, and it does not offer special pricing for high-volume traders. Fees mainly depend on the markets you trade, and spreads can change during the trading day. For example, the broker listed an average EUR/USD spread of 0.98 pips for May 2024.
Octa also receives 4 stars, but it ranks lower at #28 out of 36 brokers. Octa has improved its pricing a lot and now competes with some of the lowest-cost MetaTrader brokers. It offers different account setups depending on the regulator and platform, and its spread levels vary by entity. For example, Octa lists an average EUR/USD spread of 0.5 pips for its EU entity and 0.9 pips for its non-EU entities, though the broker does not provide a clear date range for those figures.
Overall, both brokers score equally well on fees, but they appeal to slightly different traders. ActivTrades is straightforward and consistent across account types, while Octa may offer lower spreads in some regions and also advertises no overnight carry costs and no slippage on most executed orders. If low spreads are your main goal, Octa may have the edge in some cases, but ActivTrades still stands out as a solid low-cost choice with transparent pricing.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.08 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.92 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, ActivTrades offers more choice than Octa. Both brokers support forex trading, international exchange-traded shares, copy trading, and cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual crypto or U.S.-listed stocks as exchange-traded securities. ActivTrades stands out with 1,267 tradeable symbols and 49 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs, giving traders a wider selection overall.
This broader product list is reflected in their ratings and rankings. ActivTrades is rated 4 out of 5 stars for range of investments and is ranked #26 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #35. For traders who want more markets and more instruments in one place, ActivTrades has the edge over Octa.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
ActivTrades and Octa both give traders a wide choice of platform options, including free demo accounts for practice, in-house platforms, Windows desktop downloads, web-based platforms, copy trading, and support for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Each broker also lets users trade directly from charts, which can make it easier to place orders while watching price action. In short, the two brokers are closely matched on the main platform features most traders look for.
When it comes to trading tools, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, but ActivTrades has a higher ForexBrokers.com ranking in this category at #28 out of 36 brokers, compared with Octa at #33. That suggests ActivTrades has a slight edge overall, even though both offer a very similar platform lineup for everyday trading and analysis.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ActivTrades and Octa both give mobile traders a familiar set of tools, with iPhone and Android apps available on each platform. Each broker also offers price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, trendline drawing, and automatic saving of chart drawings. In other words, both apps cover the basics well for traders who want to watch the market and analyze charts while away from their desktop.
The main difference comes down to overall mobile app ranking. Both ActivTrades and Octa are rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, but ActivTrades is ranked higher by ForexBrokers.com at No. 21 out of 36 brokers, compared with Octa at No. 31. Neither broker offers watchlist symbol syncing between the mobile app and online account, so watchlist changes do not carry over automatically.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
ActivTrades and Octa are both solid choices for market research, and each gives traders daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar for tracking global events. Both brokers also earn the same 4-star Research rating from ForexBrokers.com, so at a glance they look quite similar in this area.
The main difference is in the extra tools they offer. Octa includes Autochartist, which can help spot trading patterns and possible setups, while ActivTrades does not. On the other hand, ActivTrades offers a sentiment tool that shows the share of long and short positions, which Octa does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s Research ranking, Octa places slightly higher at #25 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at #28.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to education for beginners, both ActivTrades and Octa give new traders a solid starting point. Each broker offers forex and CFD learning materials with at least 10 education pieces, monthly online webinars, and 10 or more beginner videos, plus 10 or more advanced videos for traders who want to go deeper. Both also earn the same Education rating of 4 out of 5 stars, so at first glance they look evenly matched in terms of learning support.
The main difference shows up in ForexBrokers.com’s Education ranking: ActivTrades places slightly higher at #32 out of 36 brokers, while Octa sits at #34. That means both brokers offer similar types of educational content, but ActivTrades has a small edge overall in this category. For beginners comparing the two, either broker can work well for learning the basics, but ActivTrades has a slightly better education ranking.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ActivTrades is better than Octa. ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #37.
ActivTrades is a long-standing brand that offers a proprietary trading platform, ActivTrader, and support for the award-winning TradingView and MetaTrader (MT4 and MT5) platforms. ActivTrades also delivers a selection of custom add-ons, indicators, and trading tools for traders who prefer to use MetaTrader. Drawbacks for trading with ActivTrades include a smaller selection of tradeable symbols and fewer educational resources than what’s available from the best forex brokers.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 73 |
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ActivTrades vs Octa: neither broker offers the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
ActivTrades vs Octa: both brokers do not support ACH/SEPA or PayPal, do support Skrill and bank wire transfers for deposits and withdrawals, and provide no specified information on Visa/Mastercard availability.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | ActivTrades | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ActivTrades | Octa | |
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| Regulation | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 80 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1267 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.08 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.92 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ActivTrades | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | ActivTrades | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 80 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ActivTrades Review | Octa Review |
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