Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM 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.
When it comes to choosing an online broker, HFM and Octa present themselves with different trust levels and regulatory standings. HFM, established in 2010, boasts a solid regulatory foundation with two Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses. This contributes to its trust score of 86 out of 99, making it a trusted option among users. In contrast, Octa, which started in 2011, holds one Tier-1 and one Tier-2 license, earning a trust score of 72. While neither HFM nor Octa are publicly traded companies or banks, their regulatory credentials differ significantly, which could be a deciding factor for potential users.
While both brokers aim to provide a reliable trading environment, their trust scores reflect their commitment to upholding regulatory standards. HFM's higher trust score indicates a greater degree of reliability. However, Octa still maintains a decent level of trust, described as average risk, which might appeal to those less concerned with top-tier regulation. As you ponder your choices, consider how each broker’s regulatory framework fits with your personal trading needs.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
HFM and Octa both earn 4 stars for commissions and fees, but Octa holds a slight edge in our rankings at #26 out of 63 brokers, versus HFM at #28. HFM’s trading costs sit slightly above the industry average. Octa, by contrast, has improved its pricing and reports no slippage on 97.5% of orders and no overnight carry costs, though it imposes restrictions that can hinder high-frequency traders.
HFM lists a typical spread of 1.2 pips on its standard accounts (no date range provided), while its Zero account cites an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission—also not an average. Octa’s fees vary by entity and account type: EU clients (MT5 only) see a listed average spread of 0.5 pips on EUR/USD, while its foreign entities list about 0.9 pips; however, Octa does not provide a date range for these figures. In short, Octa appears more competitive on paper for EUR/USD, but the lack of dated averages at both brokers means actual costs can differ in live trading.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.8 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
HFM vs Octa: both brokers let you trade forex via CFDs/spot and support copy trading. HFM offers a wider lineup, with about 500 tradeable symbols and 102 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s roughly 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both brokers let you trade cryptocurrency via CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual, delivered crypto.
For exchange-traded shares, HFM doesn’t offer listed stocks on U.S. or international exchanges, while Octa provides access to international exchange-traded securities (but not U.S. stocks). For Range of Investments, HFM is rated 4 stars and ranks #28 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com; Octa is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #33. In short, pick HFM if you want more forex pairs and overall instruments, or choose Octa if access to some international exchange-traded securities matters to you.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 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.
HFM and Octa both deliver well-rounded trading platform lineups. Each broker provides a free demo account for practice, a proprietary in-house platform, and access to MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can trade on Windows desktop or through a web-based platform at either broker, and both support copy trading for following other traders’ strategies. Chart trading is available with both, making it easy to place orders directly from price charts. While the exact number of chart indicators and watchlist fields isn’t specified, platform coverage across desktop and browser should suit most forex traders.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, HFM and Octa both earn 4 out of 5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s category rankings, Octa sits slightly higher at #30 out of 63 brokers, while HFM is #33. If you value a small edge in category rank, Octa has it; if you’re already comfortable with HFM’s ecosystem, you’ll find a similar experience. In both cases, you get demo trading, MT4/MT5, web and desktop access, chart trading, and copy trading—core features that make it easy to get started and grow as you go.
| Feature |
HFM
|
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) | 15 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and Octa both offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app includes price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, and handy drawing tools such as trendlines that auto-save, so your notes remain on the chart the next time you open it.
Neither broker supports watchlist syncing between the mobile app and the online account. Both earn 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, while ForexBrokers.com ranks Octa slightly higher at #29 out of 63 brokers, compared with HFM at #32. Given the near match in features, your pick may come down to preferences outside the mobile experience.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | 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.
Comparing HFM and Octa for market research, both brokers deliver daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Each offers Autochartist to help with technical and fundamental analysis, and neither includes Trading Central. The standout difference is sentiment data: HFM provides a tool that shows the ratio of long vs. short positions across instruments, while Octa does not.
Both brokers feature an economic calendar, and neither offers research from TipRanks or Acuity Trading (such as Signal Centre). For Research, both are rated 4 out of 5 stars by ForexBrokers.com, with HFM ranked #18 of 63 brokers and Octa at #24. If trader sentiment matters to you alongside news and analysis, HFM has an edge; if you mainly want daily commentary, top-tier news, Autochartist, and a calendar, Octa keeps pace.
| Feature |
HFM
|
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.
Comparing HFM vs Octa for beginner education, both brokers deliver full forex and CFD learning hubs with well over the minimum 10 pieces of content. Each offers a steady schedule of online client webinars at least once a month, plus beginner-friendly video series with 10 or more lessons that cover core topics like market basics, platform use, order types, and risk control. If you’re just starting out, either broker makes it easy to learn step by step through videos, articles, and archived webinars.
Both HFM and Octa also include 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to go deeper. According to ForexBrokers.com, each earns 4 out of 5 stars for Education, with HFM ranked #29 of 63 and Octa close behind at #32. That gives HFM a slight edge in the education category, but beginners will find strong, accessible learning paths with either broker.
| Feature |
HFM
|
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 HFM is better than Octa. HFM finished with an overall rank of #27, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #34.
Alongside its enhanced MetaTrader offering and quality research, HFM (HF Markets), previously known as HotForex, offers a proprietary copy trading platform, HFcopy, a proprietary HF mobile app, and a decent selection of over 1,000 CFDs and 47 forex pairs. Still, trading costs at HFM are slightly above the industry average.
| Feature |
HFM
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Octa
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 72 |
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HFM vs Octa: neither broker supports buying real, delivered cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs for trading.
HFM vs Octa: both online brokers do not support ACH/SEPA or PayPal, but both offer Skrill and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
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 | HFM | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | Octa | |
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| Regulation | HFM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 72 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | 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) | HFM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | HFM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 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 | HFM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.8 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | 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 | HFM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | 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 | HFM | 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 | HFM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | HFM Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | HFM | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Octa Review |
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