Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets 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.
CMC Markets vs Octa: CMC Markets was founded in 1989 and is publicly traded, while Octa began in 2011 and is not publicly traded. Neither broker is a bank. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score, CMC Markets scores 99/99 (90–99 = highly trusted), and Octa scores 73/99 (70–79 = average risk; 80–89 = trusted; 60–69 = high risk; below 59 = not trusted).
On regulation, CMC Markets holds six Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and one Tier-2 license (trusted). Octa holds one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license. In short, CMC Markets carries more top-tier regulatory approvals, while Octa has fewer.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, CMC Markets is the stronger choice overall. It earns 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers for this category. Its standard account has become less competitive over time, with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.3 pips versus an advertised minimum of 0.8 pips. That said, CMC’s pricing is generally consistent, and traders who want lower costs can opt into FX Active, where the EUR/USD average spread drops to 0.65 pips and the all-in cost comes to about 1.15 pips on a standard lot after commission.
CMC Markets also stands out for extra fee benefits. There is no minimum deposit, international wire transfers are free, and the inactivity fee only starts after a full year with no trading activity and no open positions. Active traders may also qualify for volume-based rebates, while select regions offer the CMC Alpha program with added support and possible spread discounts. Overnight financing still applies to leveraged positions, and guaranteed stop-loss orders come with an added premium.
Octa has improved its pricing, but it still trails CMC Markets for commissions and fees. Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #28 out of 36 brokers in this category. Its spread pricing depends on the entity you trade under, with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.5 pips in the EU and 0.9 pips for its offshore and South Africa entities. Octa also advertises no overnight carry costs and no slippage on 97.5% of executed orders, but its fee details are less clear overall, and the lack of a date range for its average spread claims makes direct comparison harder.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.15 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
CMC Markets offers a much wider range of investments than Octa, making it a stronger choice for traders who want more variety. CMC Markets provides access to 21,710 tradeable symbols and 303 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets clients buy delivered crypto. CMC Markets also gives access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, while Octa only offers exchange-traded securities on international exchanges.
Octa does have one feature CMC Markets does not: copy trading. Still, CMC Markets stands out overall for its broader market selection and is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments, with a #9 ranking out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Octa is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #35, which reflects its more limited investment range.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
CMC Markets and Octa both give traders a wide set of platform choices, including free demo accounts, their own in-house platforms, web-based trading, Windows desktop downloads, and support for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Each also lets users trade directly from charts, which can make it easier to place trades while watching price movement. For charting and watch lists, both brokers offer useful trading tools, though the exact numbers of technical indicators and watch list columns were not provided here.
The main difference is copy trading: Octa offers it, while CMC Markets does not. In overall platform quality, CMC Markets comes out ahead with a 5-star rating and a #6 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with Octa’s 4-star rating and #33 ranking. If you want more built-in platform tools and a higher-rated trading experience, CMC Markets is the stronger pick; if copy trading matters to you, Octa has the edge there.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and Octa both make it easy to trade on the go, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, 30 technical studies, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. For everyday mobile trading features, the two brokers are closely matched, so either app gives users a familiar set of tools for checking markets and managing trades from a phone or tablet.
The biggest difference is watchlist syncing and overall app quality. CMC Markets syncs watchlists between its mobile app and online account, while Octa does not. CMC Markets also comes out ahead in ratings and rankings, earning 5 out of 5 stars and placing #5 out of 36 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, compared with Octa’s 4 out of 5 stars and #31 ranking. For traders who want a smoother mobile experience, CMC Markets has the edge.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | 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.
CMC Markets and Octa both give traders useful market research features, including daily market commentary, forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, Autochartist tools, and an economic calendar with global events. For most everyday research needs, both brokers cover the basics well and make it easier to track news, study price action, and stay aware of upcoming releases.
CMC Markets has the edge for research overall. It adds a sentiment tool that shows how many traders are long or short on different markets, while Octa does not offer this feature. That extra layer of market insight helps CMC Markets stand out, and its stronger Research score backs that up too: 5 stars and #6 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with Octa’s 4 stars and #25 ranking.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | 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.
For beginners looking to learn forex and CFD trading, both CMC Markets and Octa provide a solid range of educational content. Each broker offers at least 10 learning pieces focused on forex or CFDs, plus online webinars held at least once a month, along with 10 or more beginner videos and 10 or more advanced videos for traders who want to keep building their skills. This makes both platforms useful starting points for new traders who want access to lessons, videos, and live learning sessions.
That said, CMC Markets has the edge on education overall. It is rated 5 stars for Education and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Education category, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #34. In simple terms, both brokers support learning well, but CMC Markets offers a stronger educational experience and appears to be the better choice for beginners who want more guidance as they get started.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
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 CMC Markets is better than Octa. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #37.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its 21,710 tradeable instruments and 303 forex pairs, the largest currency lineup in the industry.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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In the CMC Markets vs Octa comparison, neither online broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
In a CMC Markets vs Octa comparison for deposits and withdrawals, online broker CMC Markets supports ACH/SEPA and PayPal (Octa does not), both offer bank wire transfers, Octa alone supports Skrill (CMC Markets does not), and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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 | CMC Markets | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | Octa | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.15 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | 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 | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Octa Review |
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