Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of OANDA vs Alpari, 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.
Established in 1996, OANDA stands out in the online trading world for its strong regulatory backing, holding seven Tier-1 licenses, which are highly trusted according to ForexBrokers.com. With a Trust Score of 93, OANDA is seen as a highly trusted broker, ensuring clients have the security and confidence they need when trading. Although it is neither publicly traded nor a bank, OANDA's longstanding presence and regulatory compliance make it a favorable option for traders.
In contrast, Alpari, founded in 1998, lacks the same regulatory depth, holding no Tier-1 licenses, which ForexBrokers.com considers essential for high trust. With a Trust Score of 68, Alpari falls into the high-risk category, which suggests a need for caution. Like OANDA, Alpari is not publicly traded and is not a bank, but its regulatory standing and trust score might be a concern for potential investors looking for strong, reliable oversight.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 1998 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, both OANDA and Alpari earn 4 out of 5 stars from ForexBrokers.com, with OANDA ranked #35 of 63 brokers and Alpari ranked #42 of 63. OANDA’s trading costs tend to be on the higher side versus the cheapest brokers, but it provides clear pricing choices and reliable automated execution. Alpari, by contrast, does not publish average spread data, which makes direct cost comparisons harder.
OANDA offers two main pricing paths. Under its default (commission-free) pricing, the average spread on EUR/USD was 1.61 pips in July 2024. Its Core Pricing lowers the spread but adds a commission of $5 per side per $100,000 traded (about $10 per round turn per standard lot) and requires a $10,000 minimum deposit. Using a typical example: if default is 1.6 pips and Core shows 0.4 pips, adding the commission-equivalent of roughly 1.0 pip brings the all-in to about 1.4 pips—slightly cheaper than default. OANDA also allows very small trade sizes (down to 1 unit) and offers an Elite Trader program with volume-based rebates of $5–$17 per million and potential TradingView subscription reimbursements. It publishes trailing average spreads, though not fixed-period averages, which limits precise, apples-to-apples comparisons.
Alpari’s commissions and fees are harder to benchmark because average spread data isn’t available. If you’re evaluating Alpari, you’ll want to review each account’s stated commissions, typical spreads where disclosed, and any swap or non-trading fees. While both brokers hold a 4-star fees rating, OANDA’s #35 ranking edges Alpari’s #42, and OANDA provides more transparent, example-based cost guidance that can help estimate your likely all-in trading costs.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $20 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.69 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.69 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
OANDA vs Alpari: both let you trade forex as spot or via CFDs (contracts for difference). The bigger difference is breadth. OANDA offers 4,172 tradeable symbols and 69 forex pairs, while Alpari lists 105 symbols and 46 pairs. OANDA also provides exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges (so you can buy shares like Apple or Vodafone, not just CFDs). Alpari offers exchange-traded shares on select international markets, but not in the U.S. Both brokers support copy trading.
For crypto, OANDA supports both actual, delivered cryptocurrencies and crypto CFDs; Alpari offers only crypto CFDs. Reflecting the wider menu, ForexBrokers.com rates OANDA 4 stars for Range of Investments and ranks it #28 out of 63 brokers, while Alpari earns 3 stars and ranks #64. If you want broader market access in one account, OANDA stands out; if you only need the essentials, Alpari covers the basics.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 105 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
Comparing OANDA vs Alpari for trading platforms and tools, both brokers tick the key boxes. Each offers a free demo (paper trading) account, a proprietary platform built in-house, Windows desktop software, and a web-based platform. Both also support copy trading and give you the choice of MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can place trades directly from charts with either broker, and test strategies risk-free with their demo accounts.
In independent reviews, both OANDA and Alpari earned 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. However, OANDA ranks higher overall in this category, placing #15 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari ranks #56. If rankings matter to you, OANDA holds the edge; if your priorities are access to MT4/MT5, web and desktop platforms, copy trading, and a demo account, both brokers deliver those essentials.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 89 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Comparing the OANDA and Alpari mobile trading apps, both brokers offer full access on iPhone and Android and support price alerts to help you stay on top of market moves. One notable limitation for both apps is the lack of watchlist syncing between mobile and your online account, so changes in one place won’t carry over automatically.
For charting on the go, OANDA and Alpari each provide 30 technical studies and let you draw trendlines. The key difference: OANDA’s app auto-saves your drawings, while Alpari’s does not. That gap shows up in ratings and rankings: OANDA earns 5 stars and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, whereas Alpari scores 4 stars and ranks #57. If saving chart work and a higher-rated mobile experience matter, OANDA stands out; if you just need core tools on iOS or Android, Alpari covers the basics.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
OANDA stands out for market research compared to Alpari. OANDA delivers daily market commentary, premium forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, Autochartist tools for chart patterns, a trader sentiment tool that shows the balance of long vs. short positions, and an economic calendar. Alpari provides premium forex news, Autochartist, and an economic calendar, but does not offer daily commentary or a sentiment tool. Neither broker includes Trading Central. In independent reviews, OANDA earns 5/5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Research, while Alpari scores 3/5 stars and ranks #58.
Extras vary: OANDA does not include TipRanks or Acuity Trading tools, and Alpari’s availability for TipRanks or Acuity Trading is not specified. If you want frequent insights and sentiment data to help gauge crowd behavior, OANDA is the stronger pick. If you mainly need an economic calendar, Autochartist, and headline news, Alpari may cover the basics.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
If you’re starting out in forex or CFD trading, OANDA’s education lineup is more complete than Alpari’s. OANDA runs online client webinars at least once a month, offers 10+ beginner videos, and also provides 10+ advanced videos to help you progress. Alpari also has 10+ beginner videos, but it does not host monthly educational webinars and it doesn’t match OANDA’s range of advanced videos.
This difference shows up in third-party evaluations: OANDA earns 5 stars for Education and ranks 19th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari is rated 3 stars and ranks 48th. The data here doesn’t confirm whether either broker meets a 10-piece minimum across all forex/CFD articles, videos, and archived webinars, but beginners will likely find OANDA’s mix of live sessions and advanced content more helpful for building skills.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
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 Alpari. OANDA finished with an overall rank of #12, while Alpari finished with an overall rank of #58.
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
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Alpari
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| Trust Score | 93 | 68 |
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In an OANDA vs Alpari comparison, OANDA allows buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trading cryptocurrency CFDs, while Alpari offers only cryptocurrency CFDs and does not provide access to real, delivered coins.
In the OANDA vs Alpari comparison for deposits and withdrawals, OANDA supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, while Alpari does not support ACH/SEPA and the availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires is not specified.
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 | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review |
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| Regulation | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 68 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 1998 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 105 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.69 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.69 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $20 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | OANDA | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | OANDA Review |
| Overall | OANDA | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review |
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