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.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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 |
When comparing commissions and fees, ActivTrades and Octa are both solid choices, and each earns 4 out of 5 stars. ActivTrades is ranked #22 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees, while Octa is ranked #27 out of 36. ActivTrades’ spreads are a little better than the industry average, but they are still not as low as the cheapest forex brokers. It offers an Individual Account, Professional Account, and Islamic Account, plus a demo account, but it does not have a special pricing plan for high-volume traders.
Octa has improved its pricing a lot and now comes close to the lowest-cost MetaTrader brokers. In the EU, it shows an average EUR/USD spread of 0.5 pips, while its non-EU entities list about 0.9 pips. Octa also advertises no overnight carry costs and no slippage on 97.5% of orders, but some traders may find its account and platform limits less flexible, especially if they trade often.
Overall, ActivTrades is a bit stronger on ranking, while Octa may look slightly cheaper on some spreads, depending on the entity and account type. If low everyday trading costs are your main goal, Octa has an edge in some areas, but ActivTrades still offers competitive pricing with straightforward account choices.
| Feature |
ActivTrades
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.08 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.92 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | 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.
ActivTrades and Octa both give traders access to forex as CFDs, plus copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual delivered crypto or U.S.-listed exchange traded shares such as Apple. Both brokers also offer exchange traded securities on international markets, which may suit investors looking beyond U.S. stocks. For forex coverage, ActivTrades offers 49 currency pairs compared with Octa’s 35, and it also has a much wider overall list of tradeable symbols, with 1,267 instruments versus Octa’s 300.
When it comes to range of investments, ActivTrades comes out ahead. It is rated 4 stars and ranked #26 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #34. In simple terms, both platforms cover the main trading basics, but ActivTrades gives you a broader selection of markets and instruments to choose from.
| 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 platforms and tools, so there is a lot of overlap between the two. Each broker offers a free demo account for practice, its own proprietary platform, desktop software for Windows, and a web-based platform that runs in a browser. Both also support copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5, and both let users place trades directly from a chart. In short, either broker should feel familiar to anyone who wants flexible ways to trade across desktop and web.
When comparing the two on trading platforms and tools, ActivTrades has a slight edge in ForexBrokers.com’s ranking. Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars in this category, but ActivTrades is ranked #27 out of 36 brokers, while Octa is ranked #31. Since the core platform features are very similar, the difference comes down more to overall execution and platform experience than to any single standout tool.
| 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 offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, making it easy to trade on the go. Each app includes price alerts for stocks and forex, 30 technical studies for chart analysis, trendline drawing, and automatic saving of chart drawings. In other words, the core tools are very similar, and both brokers provide a smooth enough experience for everyday mobile trading needs.
One key difference is ranking: ActivTrades places higher than Octa in ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps category, coming in at #21 out of 36 brokers compared with Octa at #30. Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, but neither offers watchlist symbol syncing between the app and online account. If watchlist sync matters to you, that is a feature missing from both platforms.
| 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.
When it comes to market research, ActivTrades and Octa both give traders useful basics, including daily market commentary, forex news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar for tracking major events. Each broker is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Research, so both offer a solid starting point for traders who want regular market updates and event tracking.
The main difference is in extra research tools. Octa includes Autochartist, which can help spot trading patterns, while ActivTrades stands out with a sentiment tool that shows how many traders are long or short on different instruments. Neither broker offers Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools. In ForexBrokers.com’s Research rankings, Octa places higher at #24 out of 36 brokers, compared with ActivTrades at #27.
| 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 learning materials for beginners, both ActivTrades and Octa give new traders a solid starting point. Each broker offers forex or CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces, monthly online client webinars, and more than 10 beginner videos as well as more than 10 advanced videos. Both are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education, so in day-to-day use they look fairly even for traders who want to study the basics and keep learning as they grow.
The main difference is in their Education ranking on ForexBrokers.com, where ActivTrades places #30 out of 36 brokers and Octa sits slightly lower at #32. That puts ActivTrades just ahead overall, but the gap is small. For beginners, the choice may come down to which broker’s lessons, videos, and webinar style feel easier to follow and more useful for personal learning.
| 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 #35.
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
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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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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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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) - Standard account | 1.08 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 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 | 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 Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| 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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