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, established in 1989, stands out as a highly trusted online broker, boasting a perfect Trust Score of 99 from ForexBrokers.com. It is a publicly traded company but is not a bank. CMC Markets holds an impressive array of six Tier-1 licenses, which are deemed highly trusted. Additionally, it possesses one Tier-2 license, further reinforcing its reputation in the financial sector. These credentials contribute to its strong standing as a reliable option for traders.
In comparison, Octa was founded in 2011 and carries a Trust Score of 72, indicating an average risk level according to ForexBrokers.com. Unlike CMC Markets, Octa is not publicly traded, although it also is not a bank. Octa has one Tier-1 license, reflecting a degree of trustworthiness with regulatory bodies, and one Tier-2 license. While Octa provides a platform with essential features, the difference in their regulatory profiles makes CMC Markets the stronger choice for those prioritizing robust oversight and credibility.
| 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 |
Looking to keep trading costs down? CMC Markets and Octa both pitch low pricing, but they take different paths. CMC Markets earns 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #4 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com; it also won #1 in our 2025 Annual Awards for this category. Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #26 out of 63. In short: CMC Markets stands out for consistent, transparent spreads and flexible pricing; Octa has improved a lot and offers perks like no overnight carry costs, though its appeal can vary by where your account is regulated.
CMC Markets’ typical EUR/USD spread was 0.61 pips in August 2023, and its averages tend to track close to the advertised minimums. Its FX Active plan adds a $2.50-per-side commission to ultra-tight minimum spreads (as low as zero), delivering about a 0.5-pip all-in cost on EUR/USD and several other pairs based on August 2023 data. High-volume traders can also use the Price Plus Scheme to lower costs via Trading Points; for example, trading 1,250 standard lots in a month unlocks a 20% spread discount at Tier 4. The result is clear, predictable pricing that favors frequent traders and casual investors alike.
Octa’s fees depend on your account type and the regulating entity. In the EU, the average EUR/USD spread is listed at 0.5 pips (MT5), while foreign entities list about 0.9 pips; Octa does not publish a date range for these averages, which makes exact comparisons harder. Still, Octa has sharpened its pricing and reports no slippage on 97.5% of orders plus no overnight carry costs, though certain trading restrictions can deter high‑frequency strategies. Bottom line: if you want consistently low, well-documented spreads and a choice of commission or spread-only pricing, CMC Markets has the edge; if avoiding overnight fees is a priority and you’re comfortable with entity-based variations, Octa can be a cost‑conscious alternative.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | 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.
Comparing the range of investments at CMC Markets vs Octa: both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot, and both support copy trading and crypto CFDs (but not direct ownership of cryptocurrencies). CMC Markets offers far more to trade overall, with 12,029 symbols and 141 forex pairs, while Octa lists 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs.
For exchange-traded securities, CMC Markets lets clients buy shares on U.S. exchanges and on international markets. Octa does not offer U.S.-listed shares, but it does provide access to international exchange-traded securities. Reflecting this breadth, CMC Markets earns 5 stars and ranks 9th out of 63 for Range of Investments, while Octa scores 3.5 stars and ranks 33rd.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
Comparing CMC Markets vs Octa for trading platforms and tools, both brokers check the key boxes. Each offers a free demo account for practice, a proprietary in-house platform, and access to MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can trade from a Windows desktop app or through a web browser with either broker, and both support trading directly from charts as well as copy trading.
Where they differ is overall polish and recognition: CMC Markets earns 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Octa scores 4 stars and ranks #30. If platform quality and a wider toolset are top priorities, CMC Markets has the edge. If you want a broker that still delivers popular platforms like MT4/MT5 along with copy trading and a demo account, Octa remains a solid pick.
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and Octa both offer iPhone and Android apps with price alerts for stocks and forex, plus handy chart tools like trendline drawing and auto‑saving of your annotations. For built-in technical studies, Octa lists 30 indicators while CMC Markets includes 29—so Octa has one more. The biggest day-to-day difference is watchlist syncing: CMC Markets syncs your mobile watchlists with your web account, while Octa does not, which can matter if you switch between devices.
According to ForexBrokers.com, CMC Markets earns 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers, while Octa holds 4 stars and ranks #29 out of 63. If seamless watchlist syncing and a higher expert rating are priorities, CMC Markets is the better fit; if you want one extra study built into the app, Octa has a slight edge there. Both deliver capable mobile trading experiences.
| 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 | 29 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both CMC Markets and Octa deliver daily market commentary, stream forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, and integrate Autochartist for technical and fundamental analysis ideas. Neither broker features Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools, and both include an economic calendar to track key events.
The main difference is sentiment analysis: CMC Markets offers a position-sentiment tool showing long vs. short ratios, while Octa does not. That edge helps CMC Markets earn a 5-star Research rating and a #6 ranking out of 63 brokers, compared with Octa’s 4-star rating and #24 ranking, according to ForexBrokers.com. Traders who want sentiment data alongside news and charting tools may prefer CMC Markets, while Octa covers the essentials well.
| 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 beginner traders comparing education at CMC Markets and Octa, both brokers deliver sizeable forex and CFD learning hubs. Each offers at least 10 beginner videos plus 10 advanced videos, so you can start with the basics and grow into more complex topics. A key difference is live learning: Octa runs ongoing client webinars (at least monthly), while CMC Markets does not.
Quality scores also set them apart. CMC Markets earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Octa holds 4 stars and ranks #32. If you want highly rated, structured education, CMC Markets is the stronger pick; if live webinars are a must, Octa has the edge.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | 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 #34.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
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Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 72 |
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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 | 72 | |
| 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 | 72 | |
| 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 SCA 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) | 12029 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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) - Standard account | 1.3 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 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 | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 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 Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 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 | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Octa Review |
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