Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FOREX.com 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.
FOREX.com vs Octa: FOREX.com, founded in 1999, is a publicly traded online forex broker and not a bank. Octa, founded in 2011, is privately held and also not a bank. Based on ForexBrokers.com ratings, FOREX.com holds a Trust Score of 99/99 (90–99 = highly trusted), while Octa scores 73/99 (70–79 = average risk).
On regulation, FOREX.com holds 7 Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted). Octa holds 1 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 license. In simple terms, FOREX.com operates under a wider set of top-tier regulators, which supports its higher trust rating, while Octa’s smaller regulatory footprint aligns with an average-risk profile. Always verify the specific entity and rules that apply in your country.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees, FOREX.com comes out ahead of Octa overall. FOREX.com earns a 4.5-star rating and ranks #15 out of 36 brokers for this category, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #27 out of 36. FOREX.com is generally a bit more expensive than the industry average, especially on its Standard account, which had average EUR/USD spreads of 1.4 pips in the U.S. by July 2023. Its Raw account can be cheaper, with typical EUR/USD spreads around 0.13 pips, but it adds a commission of $7 per standard lot, so pricing depends on how much you trade.
For active traders, FOREX.com’s Raw Spread account may be appealing because it offers commission-based pricing and volume rebates, with lower all-in costs for very high-volume traders. However, for many U.S. clients, the final cost is often similar to the Standard account unless monthly trading volume is very high. Octa has also improved its pricing and now competes more closely with low-cost MetaTrader brokers. It offers average EUR/USD spreads of 0.5 pips through its EU entity and about 0.9 pips through its international entities, though its spread data is less clear because it does not list a date range for those averages.
Octa has a few cost-friendly features, including no overnight carry costs and no slippage on 97.5% of executed orders, but it also has some limits that may not suit fast-paced traders. Overall, FOREX.com provides more transparent pricing and stronger value for many traders, while Octa can still be a good low-cost option depending on the account entity and platform used.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.00 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.13 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, FOREX.com offers a much wider selection than Octa. Both brokers support forex trading and cryptocurrency CFDs, and both give access to international exchange-traded securities. However, FOREX.com provides far more choice overall, with about 7,000 tradeable symbols and 55 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. FOREX.com also lets clients buy U.S.-listed exchange-traded securities such as Apple shares, while Octa does not.
Octa does have one advantage: copy trading, which FOREX.com does not offer. But for investors looking for the broadest market access, FOREX.com stands out more clearly. Its Range of Investments score is 5 out of 5 stars and it ranks #6 out of 36 brokers, while Octa is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #34. Neither broker lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency, only crypto CFDs.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7000 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 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.
FOREX.com and Octa both give traders a strong set of platform choices, including a free demo account, a proprietary platform, web-based trading, Windows desktop software, and support for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both brokers also let users trade directly from charts, which can be helpful for fast order entry and chart-based analysis. In terms of trading tools, they are similar on many core features, but FOREX.com has the edge overall for platform quality and ease of use.
The biggest difference is copy trading: Octa offers it, while FOREX.com does not. Even so, FOREX.com earns a 5-star rating for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks #5 out of 36 brokers, compared with Octa’s 4-star rating and #32 ranking. For traders who want a wider range of platform features and a higher-rated trading experience, FOREX.com stands out, while Octa may appeal more to those specifically looking for copy trading.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
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) | 90 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FOREX.com and Octa both make it easy to trade on the go with iPhone and Android apps, plus price alerts and chart tools like trendlines and auto-saving drawings. That means either broker gives mobile traders the basics they need to follow the market and manage trades from a phone or tablet.
FOREX.com stands out more for mobile trading apps overall. It offers watchlist syncing between mobile and online accounts, which Octa does not, and it provides 90 technical studies in its app compared with Octa’s 30. FOREX.com is also rated 5 stars and ranked #2 out of 36 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps by ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranked #30.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, FOREX.com and Octa both give traders daily market commentary, news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar for tracking upcoming events. That means either broker can help you stay on top of what is moving the markets day to day. However, FOREX.com stands out more for its extra research features, including Trading Central tools and a sentiment tool that shows how many traders are buying or selling a pair.
Octa does offer Autochartist, which can be useful for chart-based ideas, but it does not include Trading Central or a sentiment tool. In independent ratings, FOREX.com gets 5 out of 5 stars for research and ranks #7 out of 36 brokers, while Octa earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #25. Overall, FOREX.com has the edge for market research, especially for traders who want more built-in analysis tools.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | 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 for trading education, both FOREX.com and Octa provide a solid range of learning materials, including forex or CFD-focused content, monthly client webinars, and at least 10 beginner videos plus 10 advanced videos. That means either broker can help new traders build a basic understanding of the markets, learn trading terms, and move on to more advanced topics as their knowledge grows.
That said, FOREX.com stands out as the stronger choice for education overall. It holds a 5-star Education rating and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers in the Education category on ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #33. For beginners who want the wider-recommended educational experience, FOREX.com has the edge, although Octa still offers useful learning resources.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
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 FOREX.com is better than Octa. FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #4, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #36.
FOREX.com is a trusted brand that delivers an excellent trading experience for forex and CFDs traders across the globe. It offers a wide range of markets and provides an impressive suite of proprietary platforms – alongside limited access to MetaTrader.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
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Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
| Range of Investments |
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In this FOREX.com vs Octa comparison, neither online broker lets you buy and hold actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading so you can speculate on crypto prices without owning the underlying asset.
FOREX.com vs Octa: FOREX.com supports ACH/SEPA and PayPal deposits and withdrawals alongside Skrill and bank wire transfers, whereas Octa provides Skrill and bank wires but does not support ACH/SEPA or PayPal; 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 | FOREX.com | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FOREX.com | Octa | |
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| Regulation | FOREX.com | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FOREX.com | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| 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 | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FOREX.com | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| 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) | No |
| Investments | FOREX.com | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7000 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 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 | FOREX.com | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.00 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.13 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FOREX.com | 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 | FOREX.com | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FOREX.com | 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 | 90 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FOREX.com | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FOREX.com | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FOREX.com | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | FOREX.com | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | Octa Review |
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