Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM 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.
FXCM vs Octa: According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM scores 95/99, which places it in the highly trusted range (90–99). Octa scores 73/99, which falls into the average risk range (70–79). For reference, 80–89 is trusted, 60–69 is high risk, and below 59 should not be trusted.
On regulation and company background, FXCM (founded 1999) is a publicly traded online broker and not a bank. It holds 4 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted). Octa (founded 2011) is not publicly traded and not a bank, with 1 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 license. Overall, FXCM has more top-tier oversight and a higher Trust Score than Octa.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
FXCM and Octa both offer competitive pricing, but Octa comes out a bit cheaper overall for many traders. FXCM’s forex trading costs are slightly above the industry average, with EUR/USD spreads averaging 0.78 pips on its EU, U.K., and Australia accounts in May 2024. Its commission-based accounts were lower at 0.28 pips before commissions, but the added fees mean the total cost is still higher once commissions are included. FXCM can offer better rates through its Active Trader Rebate Program, though this depends on where you live and how much you trade. FXCM is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #17 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com.
Octa has improved its pricing and now sits closer to the lower-cost brokers in the market. Its average EUR/USD spread is listed at 0.5 pips for its EU entity and 0.9 pips for its offshore entities, with no separate commission on standard pricing. Octa also advertises no overnight carry costs and no slippage on most orders, but its pricing can vary by entity and it may not suit high-frequency traders. Octa is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #28 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com.
Overall, Octa appears to have the edge on simple day-to-day trading costs, especially for traders using its EU entity, while FXCM may appeal more to active traders who can qualify for rebates. For most regular forex traders, Octa’s lower listed spreads make it the more budget-friendly choice, while FXCM offers more ways to reduce costs if you trade in higher volume.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.8 | 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.
FXCM and Octa both give traders access to forex as a CFD or spot contract, and both support copy trading along with cryptocurrency CFDs. Neither broker lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency or U.S.-listed shares as direct investments, so if you want to own stocks outright, neither platform offers that option. FXCM stands out for a wider selection overall, with 440 tradeable symbols and 46 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs.
There is one key difference in stock market access: Octa offers exchange traded securities on international exchanges, while FXCM does not. Based on range of investments, FXCM is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #21 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Octa holds a 3.5 star rating and ranks #35. In simple terms, FXCM has the broader choice for most traders, while Octa may appeal more if international shares are important to you.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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.
FXCM and Octa both give traders a wide range of platform choices, including a free demo account, a proprietary platform, Windows desktop software, web-based trading, copy trading, and MetaTrader 4. Each also lets you trade directly from charts, which can make placing trades faster and easier. For traders who want a familiar setup with flexible access across devices, both brokers cover the basics well.
The main difference is that Octa also offers MetaTrader 5, while FXCM does not. That extra platform may matter for traders who want more charting and order features. Overall, FXCM comes out ahead in this category, earning 5 out of 5 stars and a #4 ranking from ForexBrokers.com, compared with Octa’s 4 out of 5 stars and #33 ranking, making FXCM the stronger pick for trading platforms and tools.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
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) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FXCM and Octa both give traders mobile access on iPhone and Android, along with price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. That means each app covers the basics well for trading on the go. However, FXCM has a clearer edge for mobile usability because its watchlists sync with the client’s online account, while Octa does not offer that feature.
FXCM also stands out in charting tools, offering 59 technical studies in its mobile app compared with Octa’s 30. That wider range can help traders who rely on more chart analysis. These differences are reflected in ratings and rankings too: FXCM is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps and ranks #16 out of 36 brokers, while Octa holds a 4-star rating and ranks #31.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FXCM and Octa both give traders useful market research basics, including daily market commentary, news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar for tracking upcoming events. Where FXCM stands out is in its wider set of research extras: it offers Trading Central tools, sentiment data showing long and short positioning, and market research from TipRanks. Octa, on the other hand, includes Autochartist, which can help with technical and fundamental analysis, but it does not offer Trading Central, sentiment tools, or TipRanks.
Overall, FXCM has the edge for market research, with a higher research rating of 4.5 stars and a better ForexBrokers.com ranking of #11 out of 36 brokers. Octa is still solid, earning 4 stars and ranking #25, but FXCM gives active traders more research tools to work with.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
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 | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to learning resources for beginners, both FXCM and Octa offer plenty of helpful material. Each broker provides forex or CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces, along with monthly client webinars and a good selection of beginner and advanced videos. That means new traders can find basic lessons, live learning sessions, and more in both places.
Still, FXCM comes out ahead overall for education. It holds a 4.5-star education rating and ranks #13 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #34. For beginners who want a broker with stronger educational support and a wider standing in this category, FXCM has the edge.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
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 FXCM is better than Octa. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #10, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #37.
For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading. Its range of tradeable markets is fairly narrow, however, and the pricing at FXCM is just average.
| Feature |
FXCM
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Octa
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 95 | 73 |
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FXCM vs Octa: Neither broker allows you to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
Compared to Octa, FXCM stands out by supporting ACH/SEPA and PayPal for deposits and withdrawals—options Octa lacks—while both brokers offer Skrill and bank wire transfers; Visa/Mastercard availability was not specified for either.
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 | FXCM | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | Octa | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 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 | 4 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | 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) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FXCM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | FXCM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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 | FXCM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.9 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $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 | FXCM | 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) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FXCM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | FXCM Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | FXCM | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Octa Review |
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