Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of OANDA vs Admirals, 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.
OANDA and Admirals, both prominent online brokers, have established themselves in the trading industry through strict regulatory adherence and trustworthiness. Founded in 1996, OANDA operates under seven Tier-1 licenses, reflecting a high level of trust and regulatory compliance. Admirals, launched in 2001, holds four Tier-1 and three Tier-2 licenses, demonstrating its commitment to operating under trusted regulations. Both companies are privately held and do not function as banks, focusing solely on providing financial services to their clients.
When comparing their trustworthiness, both OANDA and Admirals boast a Trust Score of 93 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, indicating they are highly trusted brokers. Their similar ratings highlight their dedication to building strong regulatory frameworks and maintaining client trust, making them reliable choices for those seeking a secure trading environment.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
OANDA and Admirals are two prominent online brokers, but they differ significantly in terms of commissions and fees. OANDA, ranked 34th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, earns a respectable 4-star rating for its commissions and fees. However, its forex trading costs tend to be on the higher side compared to leading brokers. OANDA offers both default and core pricing, with the latter offering lower spreads accompanied by a commission fee. For example, traders dealing with the EUR/USD pair under core pricing enjoy a combo of a 0.4 pip spread and a $10 commission per round turn standard lot, while default pricing results in a 1.6 pip spread. OANDA's main strength lies in its automated execution and micro lot trading option, although its transparency in publishing average spreads could be improved.
Admirals stands out with its competitive pricing, earning a 4.5-star rating and ranking 17th in the same ForexBrokers.com list. Admirals provides appealing trading conditions with typical spreads as low as 0.8 on its Trade account and similarly enticing conditions on the Zero account type. This makes Admirals a formidable choice for traders looking for a cost-effective option. The broker is favored for its straightforward fee structure, providing a clear edge over OANDA's more complex pricing model.
Ultimately, while OANDA offers features like micro lot trading and an Elite Trader program with rebates for active traders, Admirals edges out higher with its lower spreads and ranking for commissions and fees. This makes Admirals more appealing to those who prioritize competitive pricing in their trading endeavors.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.61 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.61 | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When selecting an online broker, the range of available investments is a crucial factor to consider. OANDA provides an extensive offering with 3,928 tradeable symbols and 68 forex pairs available as CFDs or spot contracts. Additionally, OANDA caters to cryptocurrency enthusiasts by allowing the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies, alongside providing options for cryptocurrency derivatives and copy trading services. However, OANDA does not offer access to exchange-traded securities on either U.S. or international exchanges, which might limit those looking to invest in global stock markets directly.
Conversely, Admirals stands out with an impressive array of 8,702 tradeable symbols and 82 forex pairs. Much like OANDA, Admirals supports both CFD and spot contract trading for forex, along with opportunities for cryptocurrency derivatives and copy trading. Admirals offers a significant advantage by permitting direct investment in exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international markets. While Admirals does not support the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies, its broad selection of traditional investment options has led to a higher rating of 4.5 stars for range of investments, compared to OANDA’s 4 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, Admirals ranks 19th, while OANDA stands at 27th among 63 brokers in the Range of Investments category.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3928 | 8702 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 68 | 82 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
When evaluating OANDA and Admirals in terms of their trading platforms and tools, both brokers offer an impressive range of features catering to traders at all levels. They each provide free virtual demo accounts for simulated trading, allowing users to practice strategies without financial risk. Both brokers have developed their own proprietary platforms and support popular platforms like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, ensuring flexibility and choice for traders. They include Windows-based desktop platforms as well as web-based trading options, and both brokers facilitate copy trading but do not offer DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. OANDA and Admirals allow users to trade directly from stock charts while offering a similar selection of technical indicators; however, OANDA leads with 431 drawing tools compared to Admirals' 106.
For watch lists, OANDA provides six columns for customization, whereas Admirals offers slightly more with seven columns. Both brokers receive ratings of four out of five stars for their trading platforms and tools, indicating a general satisfaction among users. In terms of industry rankings, OANDA is placed slightly higher at 15th compared to Admirals at 19th out of 63 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com. This suggests that while both brokers are commendable choices, OANDA might hold a marginal edge in the eyes of some industry experts. Ultimately, traders may choose between the two based on specific personal preferences and needs within these well-rated platforms.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 81 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 431 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When choosing between the mobile trading apps offered by OANDA and Admirals, both cater to iPhone and Android users effectively. They provide essential features like stock or forex price alerts and the ability to create watchlists with real-time quotes. OANDA and Admirals apps support 30 technical studies for charting, while also letting users draw trendlines and view various time frames on charts, with auto-saving of drawings included. However, neither broker supports watchlist symbol syncing, which means updates made in the app won't reflect in the online account automatically.
Both brokers deliver impressive mobile trading experiences, but OANDA earns a slight edge with a 5-star rating for its app compared to Admirals' 4 stars. This is reflected in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where OANDA is placed 7th out of 63 brokers for mobile trading apps, while Admirals stands at 23rd. While both apps offer similar features, OANDA's higher user ratings suggest a more seamless or satisfactory user experience according to reviews.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both OANDA and Admirals stand out in the realm of online brokerage for their comprehensive market research offerings. They each provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier outlets like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders stay informed about global financial events. Both platforms also offer sentiment-based trading tools, which show the ratio of long and short trading positions across various currencies or other instruments. Additionally, they both feature economic calendars that highlight upcoming global news events impacting different economies.
When it comes to specialized research tools, the two brokers show distinct strengths. OANDA incorporates technical analysis tools from Autochartist and excels in this area, achieving a five-star research rating and ranking fifth among 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Admirals leverages technical analysis and research tools from Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading, offering a broad range of resources. Despite this diversity, Admirals receives a four-star rating and ranks fifteenth for research. While both brokers provide valuable insights, OANDA appears to have a slight edge in research capabilities, as reflected by their higher rating and rank.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available to beginners, both OANDA and Admirals provide a range of learning materials to help newcomers navigate the world of forex and CFDs trading. Both brokers offer more than ten educational items, consisting of articles, videos, and archived webinars, catering specifically to forex and CFD topics. For those who prefer interactive learning, both OANDA and Admirals host at least one client webinar each month, and you can access a searchable archive of recorded sessions on both platforms.
Each broker also caters to different experience levels with a library of video content, offering at least ten videos for beginners and an additional ten for more experienced traders. For quick and easy reference, both OANDA and Admirals include an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms defined. While OANDA holds a slight edge with a 5-star rating for education, compared to Admirals' 4 stars, Admirals ranks higher in ForexBrokers.com's list, positioned at #12, compared to OANDA's #22 out of 63 brokers.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that OANDA is better than Admirals. OANDA finished with an overall rank of #12, while Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18.
A trusted global brand, OANDA stands out for its reputation and quality market research. Its regulatory track record is strong, and its support for third-party features bolsters its overall offering.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 93 |
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When comparing online brokers, OANDA allows investors to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency as well as cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas Admirals provides only the option to invest in cryptocurrency derivatives and not the actual digital currency itself.
Both OANDA and Admirals provide a variety of flexible deposit and withdrawal options, including ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, catering to the diverse needs of their users.
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 | OANDA | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | Admirals Review |
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| Regulation | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | Yes |
| Investments | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3928 | 8702 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 68 | 82 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.61 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.61 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 81 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 431 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | OANDA | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | OANDA Review | Admirals Review |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | Admirals Review |
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