Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of OANDA vs ATFX, 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 ATFX are both well-regarded online brokers, though they differ in terms of experience and regulatory backing. Founded in 1996, OANDA has established itself with a Trust Score of 93 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, indicating a high level of trust. OANDA supports its reliable reputation with seven Tier-1 licenses, which are considered the gold standard by industry regulators. While OANDA is not publicly traded and does not operate as a bank, its long-standing presence in the market contributes to its strong standing.
In contrast, ATFX, founded in 2017, also maintains a trustworthy profile with a solid Trust Score of 85. It holds four Tier-1 licenses, complemented by two Tier-2 licenses, which demonstrate its commitment to meeting regulatory standards. Like OANDA, ATFX is neither publicly traded nor operates as a bank. Although relatively newer in the field, ATFX has quickly become a notable name in the online brokerage sector, thanks in part to its adherence to trusted regulatory practices.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2017 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing the commissions and fees between OANDA and ATFX, OANDA generally stands out for its automated execution, though its overall trading costs can be steep. OANDA's forex costs come with high effective spreads across both its default and core pricing models. While its bid/ask spreads are comparable to competitors like FOREX.com and FxPro, its minimum spread costs often exceed firms offering sub-pip spreads. On average, OANDA’s non-core pricing recorded a 1.61 pip spread on the EUR/USD pair in July 2024. OANDA’s core pricing offers lower spreads but requires a $10,000 minimum deposit and includes a commission of $5 per $100,000 traded, resulting in a slightly reduced all-in cost compared to its commission-free pricing.
OANDA also allows trading in very small sizes down to 1 unit or 0.001 micro lot, unlike most brokers who stick to micro lots as the minimum. For active traders moving volumes of 10 million or more, OANDA provides a rebate program with tiers ranging from $5 to $17 per million traded. However, OANDA has room for improvement in transparency, as it does not publish fixed-period average spreads, making precise cost comparisons more challenging. OANDA is rated 4 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #34 out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category according to ForexBrokers.com.
ATFX, on the other hand, lacks average spread data, which could be a drawback for traders seeking exact cost insights. Although specific information on trading costs is scarce, ATFX earns a 3-star rating for commissions and fees. It is ranked #59 out of 62 brokers in this category. With OANDA’s edge in detailed cost structures despite higher fees, traders looking for transparency and specific pricing models may prefer OANDA over ATFX.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $500 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.61 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.61 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| 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 comparing OANDA and ATFX in terms of their available range of investments, notable differences emerge. OANDA boasts an impressive offering with 3,928 tradeable symbols, including 68 forex pairs. In contrast, ATFX provides access to 150 tradeable symbols and 44 forex pairs. Although both brokers do not offer the ability to trade exchange traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, they do support forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts. Additionally, both platforms support copy trading, allowing users to follow and replicate successful trades.
For those interested in cryptocurrencies, OANDA enables users to purchase actual cryptocurrencies, a feature not available on ATFX, which only offers cryptocurrency derivatives. This difference in offerings reflects in their ratings and rankings, with OANDA earning a 4-star rating and ranking #27 out of 62 brokers for its range of investments according to ForexBrokers.com, while ATFX holds a 3.5-star rating and is ranked #57. OANDA's comprehensive selection of tradeable options provides a broader scope for traders seeking diverse investment opportunities.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3928 | 150 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 68 | 44 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| 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.
OANDA and ATFX both offer traders a solid suite of platforms and tools to choose from when engaging in online trading. Both brokers provide simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts and support widely-used platforms like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. While OANDA stands out with a proprietary platform developed in-house, ATFX relies on third-party options. Both brokers cater to diverse user preferences with web-based platforms and Windows-based desktop applications, and they also support copy trading. However, neither supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade, leaving out those automated trading platforms from their offerings.
OANDA edges ahead when it comes to enhanced charting features, providing 431 drawing tools for charting purposes, a stark contrast to ATFX's 15. Both platforms allow traders to execute trades directly from stock charts, enhancing trading efficiency. In terms of organizing market data, OANDA offers watch lists with 6 customizable columns, slightly fewer than ATFX's 7 columns. Overall, OANDA's trading platforms and tools are rated 4 stars, positioned at number 15 out of 62 brokers as ranked by ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, ATFX earns a 3.5-star rating and ranks at 61, highlighting a notable difference in user satisfaction and tool offerings.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both OANDA and ATFX offer mobile trading apps available on iPhone and Android devices, allowing traders to stay connected on the go. These apps provide essential features such as stock and forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines on charts, and the flexibility to view multiple timeframes. Users can also create watchlists with real-time quotes, making it easy to track important market movements. However, neither app currently supports watchlist symbol syncing between the mobile app and the client’s online account.
While both platforms offer essential features for mobile trading, OANDA stands out with a higher rating of five stars compared to ATFX's 3.5 stars. OANDA users benefit from 30 technical studies for charting, which is significantly higher than ATFX’s seven studies, enhancing in-app analysis capabilities. Additionally, OANDA's mobile app is ranked #7 by ForexBrokers.com, a stark contrast to ATFX, which ranks #62. These rankings highlight OANDA’s superior performance in the mobile trading space.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 7 |
| 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.
When it comes to market research, OANDA and ATFX both provide daily market commentary and offer economic calendars that showcase global news events, giving traders insight into various economies. However, OANDA takes a leading edge by providing forex news from top-tier sources including Bloomberg and Reuters, which ATFX does not offer. While both brokers utilize tools from Autochartist to empower traders with technical and fundamental research, ATFX additionally provides tools from Trading Central, offering a different suite of technical analytics that OANDA does not include. Despite this, OANDA stands out with its sentiment-based trading tool, helping traders gauge the balance of long and short positions, a feature not available through ATFX.
While neither OANDA nor ATFX utilizes research offerings from TipRanks or Acuity Trading, their overall market research offerings differ significantly in terms of quality and ranking. OANDA is highly rated with a research score of 5 stars, positioning it at the 5th spot out of 62 brokers for research according to ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, ATFX holds a 3-star rating and ranks at 54th place. This reflects OANDA's superior capability in arming traders with insightful research tools and high-quality news sources, making it a stronger choice for those seeking comprehensive market analysis.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both OANDA and ATFX provide a comprehensive suite of forex and CFDs learning materials, including articles, videos, and archived webinars. However, OANDA stands out by offering monthly online educational webinars and an extensive library of advanced educational videos, which are not available with ATFX. Both brokers cater to novices with a library of beginner videos and feature an investor dictionary with over 50 key trading terms to help demystify the market.
In terms of overall educational offerings, OANDA earns a higher rating with five stars, compared to ATFX's three-star rating. This distinction aligns with their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where OANDA is positioned at 22nd out of 62 brokers, while ATFX comes in at 28th. For those new to trading, OANDA's more expansive educational resources could provide a more beneficial learning experience, particularly for traders aiming to advance their skills significantly.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that OANDA is better than ATFX. OANDA finished with an overall rank of #12, while ATFX finished with an overall rank of #51.
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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ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 85 |
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OANDA allows users to buy both actual cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency derivatives, while ATFX offers only cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers OANDA and ATFX, OANDA provides a broader range of deposit and withdrawal options, offering ACH, SEPA, and PayPal alongside Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, whereas ATFX offers Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires but lacks ACH, SEPA, and PayPal options.
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 | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review |
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| Regulation | OANDA | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2017 | |
| 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 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | OANDA | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | No |
| Investments | OANDA | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3928 | 150 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 68 | 44 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.61 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.61 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | OANDA | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $500 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | OANDA | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | OANDA | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 7 | |
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | OANDA | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | OANDA | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Overall | OANDA | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review |
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