Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IC Markets vs Octa, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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IC Markets vs. Octa: IC Markets was founded in 2007, while Octa launched in 2011. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank, so their safety profile relies on regulation and independent ratings.
Regulation and trust: IC Markets holds 2 Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and 0 Tier-2 licenses; Octa holds 1 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 license (Tier-2 is considered trusted). On ForexBrokers.com’s 99-point Trust Score, IC Markets scores 83 (trusted) and Octa scores 73 (average risk). If regulation and ratings are priorities, IC Markets edges ahead with more top-tier licenses and a higher trust score.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
IC Markets comes out ahead of Octa on commissions and fees, especially for traders who want very low trading costs. IC Markets offers three account types: a commission-free Standard account and commission-based Raw Spread accounts on MT4, MT5, and cTrader. Its pricing is especially competitive on the commission-based accounts, with effective EUR/USD costs around 0.62 pips on cTrader and about 0.72 pips on MetaTrader, while the Standard account posts an average spread of 0.62 pips with no commission. IC Markets also gives discounts to active traders who trade more than 100 standard lots a month. It is rated 5 stars and ranked #4 out of 36 for Commissions and Fees.
Octa has improved its pricing, but it still trails IC Markets overall. The broker does not charge overnight carry costs and says it has no slippage on 97.5% of executed orders, which may appeal to some traders. That said, its spread costs depend on the entity and account type, with average EUR/USD spreads listed at 0.5 pips for the EU entity and 0.9 pips for international entities. Octa also gives less detail about its spread data, which makes it harder to compare directly. Octa is rated 4 stars and ranked #28 out of 36 for Commissions and Fees.
In simple terms, IC Markets is the better pick for lower all-in trading costs, while Octa may suit traders who value no overnight fees and a simpler fee setup. For most cost-focused traders, IC Markets has the edge.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.72 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | 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, IC Markets offers a much wider selection than Octa. IC Markets provides access to 7,435 tradeable symbols and 61 forex pairs, while Octa offers 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading, copy trading, and cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither allows clients to buy actual cryptocurrency. Neither broker offers U.S.-listed exchange traded securities as real shares, but Octa does offer access to some international exchange traded securities, which IC Markets does not.
Based on this broader product list, IC Markets earns a stronger score for range of investments, with 4.5 out of 5 stars and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #22 out of 36 brokers. Octa is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #35 out of 36. For traders looking for more choice across markets, IC Markets is the more expansive option overall.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7435 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 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.
IC Markets and Octa both give traders a wide mix of platform choices, including free demo accounts, desktop downloads for Windows, web-based trading, copy trading, and support for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both brokers also let you trade directly from charts, which can make order entry quicker and easier. In other words, if you want familiar third-party platforms and simple access across devices, either broker covers the basics well.
The main difference is that Octa also offers its own in-house trading platform, while IC Markets does not. That may matter if you prefer a broker-built option instead of relying only on outside platforms. Still, both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, though IC Markets places higher in ForexBrokers.com’s ranking at #17 out of 36 brokers, compared with Octa at #33.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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) | 32 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IC Markets and Octa both make it easy to trade on the go, since each broker offers iPhone and Android apps, plus price alerts for stocks or forex. They also let you draw trendlines on charts and automatically save those drawings, which helps when you want to come back to your analysis later. One thing neither app offers is watchlist syncing between the mobile app and the online account, so watchlists do not update across devices.
When it comes to charting tools, IC Markets has a slight edge with 32 technical studies in its mobile app compared with 30 at Octa. Still, both apps are rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings for mobile trading apps, IC Markets places 22nd out of 36 brokers, while Octa comes in at 31st, which suggests IC Markets has the stronger mobile experience overall.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 32 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
IC Markets and Octa both give traders daily market commentary, news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar to track upcoming events. Each broker is rated 4 out of 5 stars for research, but IC Markets is ranked slightly higher by ForexBrokers.com at #21 out of 36 brokers, compared with Octa at #25.
Where they differ is in their research tools. IC Markets includes Trading Central, a sentiment tool showing long and short position ratios, and TipRanks market research, which may appeal to traders looking for extra insight. Octa, on the other hand, offers Autochartist for technical and fundamental ideas, but does not include Trading Central, sentiment data, or TipRanks. This makes IC Markets stronger for added research features, while Octa still covers the basics well.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
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 support for beginners, both IC Markets and Octa give new traders a solid starting point. Each broker offers forex and CFDs education with at least 10 learning pieces, plus monthly online client webinars and plenty of beginner and advanced video content. Both are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education, so in terms of the amount of material available, they are quite even.
The main difference shows up in outside rankings. IC Markets is placed #16 out of 36 brokers for Education by ForexBrokers.com, while Octa sits at #34. That means both brokers can help beginners learn the basics, but IC Markets is generally seen as the stronger choice for education overall.
| Feature |
IC 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 IC Markets is better than Octa. IC Markets finished with an overall rank of #21, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #37.
IC Markets’ competitive pricing and scalable execution make it an excellent option for algorithmic traders. Though it supports an impressive range of third-party tools and plugins, IC Markets’ research and education offerings are not as impressive as those offered by industry leaders.
| Feature |
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Octa
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| Trust Score | 83 | 73 |
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IC Markets vs Octa: neither online broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both support trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
IC Markets vs Octa deposits and withdrawals: neither supports ACH or SEPA; both support Skrill and bank wire transfers; IC Markets supports PayPal while Octa does not; 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 | IC Markets | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IC Markets | Octa | |
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| Regulation | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 83 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 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 | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | 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) | No | 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) | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7435 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 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 | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 0.8 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.72 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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 | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 32 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 32 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IC Markets | 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 | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | IC Markets Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | IC Markets | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 83 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Octa Review |
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