Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of OANDA vs BDSwiss, 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.
Founded in 1996, OANDA has established itself as a trusted name in the online brokerage industry. With a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 93 out of 99, OANDA is considered highly trusted. It holds 7 Tier-1 licenses, reflecting strong regulatory oversight. Not publicly traded or a bank, OANDA offers a level of security and credibility that is crucial for traders.
Comparatively, BDSwiss, founded in 2012, earns an average risk rating with a Trust Score of 73 according to ForexBrokers.com. BDSwiss holds just 1 Tier-1 regulatory license, suggesting a more limited regulatory framework compared to OANDA. Like OANDA, BDSwiss is neither publicly traded nor a bank. Both brokers provide access to financial markets, but OANDA's regulatory standing and trust score suggest it may offer a safer choice for traders concerned with regulatory security.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2012 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When comparing the commissions and fees between OANDA and BDSwiss, both brokers earn a 4-star rating. OANDA, ranked #34 out of 63 brokers for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com, is known for its automated execution across accounts, although it generally presents higher forex trading costs compared to its peers. Its bid/ask spreads resemble those of brokers like FOREX.com and FxPro, but tend to be slightly higher, with a notable example being the average non-core spread of 1.61 pips on the EUR/USD pair as of July 2024. Opting for OANDA's core pricing requires a $10,000 deposit and comes with a $5 commission on every $100,000, leading to an effective spread as low as 1.4 pips, which is slightly more affordable than their default pricing option.
BDSwiss, on the other hand, sits at #30 in the ForexBrokers.com rankings. It boasts competitive order execution statistics but similarly suffers from relatively high spreads compared to the best in the industry. Their Classic account features a spread of 1.5 pips on the EUR/USD pair, while the Raw account offers a more cost-effective option with spreads of 0.3 pips plus a $5 commission per side, resulting in a total effective spread of 1.3 pips. For those looking for reduced costs, the VIP account comes in at 1.2 pips, making it an attractive choice for frequent traders.
Ultimately, both OANDA and BDSwiss provide unique options for traders. While OANDA offers transparency with continuous publishing of average spreads and advanced micro lot trading, BDSwiss presents a more streamlined cost structure. When selecting between these two brokers, potential clients should weigh their trading volume and account preferences to choose the best fit for their needs.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10-$5000 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.61 | 1.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.61 | 1.3 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| 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 BDSwiss in terms of their range of investments, both platforms provide the ability to trade forex either as CFDs or spot contracts. OANDA takes the lead with a more extensive selection, offering 3,928 tradeable symbols, while BDSwiss provides 1,081. In terms of forex pairs specifically, OANDA offers 68, compared to BDSwiss's 53. Neither broker offers exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, meaning you won't be able to directly buy stocks like Apple's or Vodafone's through these platforms.
Both brokers offer copy trading capabilities, allowing investors to mimic successful traders' strategies. However, when it comes to cryptocurrency, OANDA provides the option to buy actual cryptocurrencies, whereas BDSwiss does not. Both do offer cryptocurrency derivatives. For their range of investments, both OANDA and BDSwiss are rated 4 stars, according to ForexBrokers.com, with OANDA ranked 27th and BDSwiss 34th out of 63 brokers in this category.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3928 | 1081 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 68 | 53 |
| 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.
Both OANDA and BDSwiss offer a comprehensive suite of trading platforms and tools that cater to the needs of both beginners and experienced traders. Users can access simulated trading with free virtual demo accounts on both platforms. Each broker provides a proprietary trading platform alongside access to popular software like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. These platforms are compatible with Windows-based desktop systems and offer a web-based trading option for added convenience. Additionally, both OANDA and BDSwiss support copy trading, enhancing the user experience by allowing traders to follow the strategies of others.
When it comes to charting tools, OANDA stands out by offering 431 drawing tools, compared to BDSwiss’s 15. Both brokers enable users to trade directly from their stock charts, but differ slightly in the customizable options for watch lists, with OANDA offering six fields and BDSwiss seven. Despite these differences, both brokers receive solid four-star ratings for their trading platforms and tools. However, among 63 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com, OANDA is slightly ahead, ranking 15th compared to BDSwiss's 24th position. Overall, both platforms provide excellent resources for traders seeking a versatile and reliable trading experience.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading, both OANDA and BDSwiss offer solid smartphone apps accessible on iOS and Android platforms. Each app provides essential trading features, including stock and forex price alerts, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts with autosave functionality for drawings. Users of both platforms can access multiple time frames and can set up watchlists that provide real-time quotes. However, neither platform offers the convenience of syncing watchlists between the mobile app and the online account.
While both OANDA and BDSwiss support 30 technical studies in their charting tools, OANDA has a slight edge when it comes to user ratings and rankings. OANDA's app boasts a five-star rating for mobile trading and ranks seventh among 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, BDSwiss has a four-star rating and ranks 24th. This indicates that while both apps offer a comprehensive mobile trading experience, OANDA might be the better choice for traders seeking top-tier app performance and user satisfaction.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| 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.
When it comes to market research, both OANDA and BDSwiss provide daily market commentary, helping traders stay informed with the latest developments. OANDA excels with its provision of forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a distinction that BDSwiss does not offer. Both brokers utilize Autochartist for technical and fundamental analysis tools, but BDSwiss edges ahead by offering additional insights through Trading Central, which OANDA lacks. However, OANDA has a sentiment-based trading tool that presents the ratio of long and short positions in various currency pairs, a feature not available with BDSwiss.
Both platforms provide users with an economic calendar that highlights current and upcoming global news events, ensuring traders are always in the know. Notably, in research rankings by ForexBrokers.com, OANDA is positioned impressively at #5 out of 63 brokers, earning a solid 5-star rating. Meanwhile, BDSwiss holds the #24 spot, with a commendable 4-star rating. While both brokers offer strong research capabilities, OANDA's higher ranking reflects its comprehensive approach to providing valuable market insights.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 comparing OANDA and BDSwiss for educational resources aimed at helping beginners learn about forex and CFDs, both platforms offer a range of materials including over ten helpful articles, videos, and webinars. Additionally, each broker hosts monthly educational webinars and provides access to archived sessions for those who wish to learn at their own pace. For beginners, both OANDA and BDSwiss present at least ten educational videos focused on foundational trading topics, supplemented by more advanced content for seasoned traders.
Beyond video and webinar content, both brokers include comprehensive investor dictionaries, each defining over fifty investing terms. While both platforms share similarities in their educational offerings, they are rated slightly differently. OANDA receives a 5-star rating for education while BDSwiss earns 4 stars. Interestingly, in ForexBrokers.com's ranking of 63 brokers, BDSwiss is positioned slightly higher at #19 compared to OANDA at #22, indicating a tight competition in how each broker delivers educational value to its users.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 BDSwiss. OANDA finished with an overall rank of #12, while BDSwiss finished with an overall rank of #36.
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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BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 73 |
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OANDA enables users to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency, while both OANDA and BDSwiss provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both OANDA and BDSwiss support ACH/SEPA transfers, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires for depositing and withdrawing funds, but only OANDA also offers PayPal as an additional option.
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 | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
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| Review | OANDA Review | BDSwiss Review |
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| Regulation | OANDA | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2012 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | OANDA | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | OANDA | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3928 | 1081 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 68 | 53 | |
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.61 | 1.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.61 | 1.3 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | OANDA | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10-$5000 | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | OANDA | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BDSwiss Review |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | BDSwiss Review |
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