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.
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.
Founded in 2007, IC Markets stands out as a trusted online broker with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 84, placing it in the trusted category. The firm holds two Tier-1 licenses, which signifies a high level of confidence in its operations. Even though it is not publicly traded and doesn’t operate as a bank, IC Markets has built a reputation in the industry for reliability.
Octa, established in 2011, carries a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 72, marking it as an average risk broker. It holds one Tier-1 license and also one Tier-2 license, which collectively contribute to its standing. Similar to IC Markets, Octa is neither publicly listed nor a banking institution. While Octa lags slightly behind IC Markets in terms of licensing and trust score, it still offers regulated services in the online brokerage space.
| 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 |
Comparing commissions and fees, IC Markets generally comes out cheaper than Octa thanks to very tight effective spreads and low commissions on its Raw accounts. IC Markets is rated 5/5 stars and ranks #5 of 63 for Commissions & Fees (Best in Class, 2024), while Octa earns 4/5 stars and ranks #30 of 63. Pricing at both brokers varies by account type, trading platform (MetaTrader or cTrader/OctaTrader), and which regulatory entity you choose.
IC Markets offers three accounts: Standard (no commission) and two Raw Spread options. On Raw Spread, the cTrader account charges $3.00 per side ($6 round turn) per 100,000 units, while MetaTrader (MT4/MT5) charges $3.50 per side ($7 round turn). IC Markets lists a 0.02‑pip average raw spread on EUR/USD; adding commission puts the all‑in cost around 0.62 pips on cTrader (about 0.72 pips on MetaTrader). The Standard account averages about 0.62 pips with no commission. Active traders can get volume discounts, and minimum deposits for commission accounts are low. Entities include Europe (Cyprus), Australia, and Seychelles.
Octa has improved its pricing and aims to keep pace with low‑cost MetaTrader brokers, though its published average spreads lack a date range. For EUR/USD, Octa lists about 0.5 pips in the EU versus 0.9 pips at its foreign entities; EU clients get MT5, while non‑EU clients can use MT4, MT5, or OctaTrader via South Africa or Mwali. Octa reports no slippage on 97.5% of orders and no overnight carry costs, but certain rules can limit high‑frequency strategies. Overall value is solid, but IC Markets still holds the edge for consistently lower all‑in trading costs.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $200 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.62 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | 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.
Comparing the range of investments, IC Markets offers 3,583 tradeable symbols versus Octa’s 300. IC Markets also provides 61 forex pairs compared to Octa’s 35. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts and both offer copy trading. For shares, neither broker offers real U.S.-listed stocks, but both allow buying real, exchange-traded securities on certain international markets. Crypto is available only via CFDs at both brokers; neither sells actual coins.
For Range of Investments, IC Markets is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 26th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Octa holds 3.5 stars and ranks 53rd. If you want a wider selection of markets and currency pairs, IC Markets is the stronger choice; if you only need the essentials, Octa covers the basics.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 3583 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | 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.
IC Markets and Octa both check the core boxes for platform access and ease of use. Each broker offers a free demo account for practice, plus both web platforms and Windows desktop platforms. They also support MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), enable copy trading, and let you place trades directly from charts. The key difference: Octa adds its own proprietary platform, while IC Markets sticks to third‑party options like MetaTrader.
According to ForexBrokers.com, both brokers earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, though IC Markets ranks higher (#16 of 63) than Octa (#38 of 63). If you value a built‑in, in‑house platform, Octa may appeal; if you prefer a broker recognized higher in platform/tool rankings and are happy with MetaTrader, IC Markets has the edge. In either case, their demo accounts make it easy to test what feels best for you.
| 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) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IC Markets and Octa both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, with the key tools most traders expect. Each app supports forex and CFD price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, the ability to draw trendlines, and auto-saving of chart drawings—helpful for picking up where you left off. If you want a capable charting setup and alerts on the go, either app will cover the basics.
Neither broker supports watchlist syncing between the mobile app and your online account, so any changes to your watchlist won’t carry over automatically. In terms of quality signals, both apps earn 4 out of 5 stars, but IC Markets ranks higher in ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps category (#22 out of 63) compared with Octa (#37 out of 63). If rankings sway your choice, IC Markets has the edge; if you just need dependable charting and alerts on iPhone or Android, both are quite similar.
| 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 | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing market research features, both IC Markets and Octa provide daily market commentary and access to top-tier forex news from renowned sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. Additionally, both brokers offer tools from Autochartist, known for enhancing traders' technical and fundamental analysis capabilities. However, IC Markets surpasses Octa due to its inclusion of Trading Central tools, which Octa lacks, offering enhanced technical analytics for traders. Moreover, IC Markets also provides a sentiment-based trading tool that showcases the ratio of long or short positions across different instruments, a feature not seen with Octa.
Both brokers supply an economic calendar that highlights global news events, enabling users to stay informed about the economic landscape. Despite IC Markets offering slightly more in terms of research tools, both platforms receive a solid 4-star rating for research. In terms of ranking among 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, IC Markets stands at 23rd place while Octa follows closely at 27th place. This information positions IC Markets as a slightly more comprehensive choice for those in need of advanced trading insights and tools, though both brokers offer valuable resources for understanding the markets.
| Feature |
IC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | 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.
Both IC Markets and Octa deliver beginner-friendly education for forex and CFDs. Each broker offers a sizable library with well over 10 learning materials, including videos, articles, and archived webinars. New traders get at least 10 beginner-focused videos from both brands, plus ongoing online client webinars at least once a month. As skills grow, there are also 10 or more advanced videos to help you move beyond the basics.
In terms of quality signals, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Education. However, IC Markets ranks higher overall in the Education category (#16 of 63) compared to Octa (#42 of 63) on ForexBrokers.com. For beginners who want a clear learning path and frequent webinars, IC Markets has a slight edge, while Octa still offers a strong lineup of beginner content and regular live sessions.
| 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 #20, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #47.
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 |
IC Markets
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Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 72 |
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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 | 84 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IC Markets | Octa | |
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| Regulation | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 84 | 72 | |
| 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 (SFC 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 SCA 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) | 3583 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 61 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | 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 | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.62 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.62 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | 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 | 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) | 30 | 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 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 | IC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | IC Markets | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 84 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IC Markets Review | Octa Review |
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