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IFC Markets vs Octa 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of IFC Markets vs Octa, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

IFC Markets
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $1
  • Trust Score: 73
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 630
Octa
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $25
  • Trust Score: 72
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 300

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.

Regulation

IFC Markets, established in 2006, and Octa, founded in 2011, offer online trading services but come with varying levels of trust and regulation as per ForexBrokers.com ratings. IFC Markets has a Trust Score of 73, positioning it at an average risk level. It holds one Tier-2 license, indicating a trusted regulatory stance. In contrast, Octa holds a similar Tier-2 license and boasts a Trust Score of 72, also categorizing it within the average risk bracket. However, Octa does hold a Tier-1 license, marking it with a slightly higher regulatory endorsement in terms of trust.

Neither IFC Markets nor Octa is publicly traded or operates as a bank, which may influence their market perception compared to more publicly accountable or bank-affiliated institutions. Potential traders should weigh these aspects when choosing a broker to ensure their trading aligns with personal risk preferences and regulatory comfort levels.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Octa logoOcta
Year Founded info 2006 2011
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1

Fees

IFC Markets’ commissions and fees lean higher on its standard account, with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.44 pips versus the industry average of 1.08. Value improves for active traders on its new ECN account, where the effective EUR/USD spread is about 1.1 pips after a 0.005% commission is applied on both sides of the trade. Sweeteners include no inactivity fees and discounts for high-volume traders. Commissions and fees rating: 4/5 stars; ranked #40 out of 63.

Octa has tightened its pricing and now competes more closely with low-cost MetaTrader brokers. Average EUR/USD spreads are listed at 0.5 pips under its EU entity and 0.9 pips under its foreign entities, though Octa doesn’t provide a date range for these figures. It also advertises no slippage on 97.5% of orders and no overnight carry costs, while some rules may limit high-frequency strategies. Commissions and fees rating: 4/5 stars; ranked #30 out of 63.

Head to head, Octa’s advertised EUR/USD spreads look lower than IFC Markets’ standard pricing and even undercut IFC’s ECN effective spread, but the lack of time-stamped spread data at Octa makes exact comparisons tricky. Choose IFC Markets if you value no inactivity fees and active-trader discounts; consider Octa if you prioritize low listed spreads and no overnight carry costs, and confirm which entity and account type you’ll use before you decide.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Octa logoOcta
Minimum Deposit info $1 $25
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.44 info 0.9 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 1.1 info N/A
Non-wire bank transfer info No No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

IFC Markets vs Octa: both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot, offer copy trading, and let you trade cryptocurrency via CFDs (not the actual coins). Neither broker allows direct purchases of U.S.-listed shares, but both give access to exchange-traded securities on international markets.

IFC Markets provides a wider selection with 630 tradeable symbols and 49 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s 300 symbols and 35 pairs. Both earn 3.5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments, according to ForexBrokers.com. In the same category, IFC Markets ranks 44th out of 63 brokers, while Octa ranks 53rd. If you want more instruments to choose from, IFC Markets has the larger catalog; Octa offers a similar mix of categories in a smaller lineup.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Octa logoOcta
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 630 300
Forex Pairs (Total) info 49 35
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info 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).

Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.

Trading platforms and tools

IFC Markets and Octa line up closely on trading platforms and tools. Both offer free paper (demo) accounts, a proprietary in-house platform, and the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can trade via a Windows desktop download or a web-based platform, use copy trading, and place orders directly from charts. The exact number of built-in technical indicators and the number of watch-list columns were not specified for either broker.

In independent testing, both earned 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. IFC Markets ranks slightly higher at #37 out of 63 brokers, while Octa sits at #38. Given their similar coverage, try each broker’s free demo to see which platform layout and workflow you prefer.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Octa logoOcta
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 30 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

IFC Markets and Octa both deliver capable mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, 30 built-in technical indicators for charting, and drawing tools like trendlines, with drawings saved automatically. Whether you trade forex or follow markets on the go, the core tools and chart features are comparable.

The standout difference is watchlist syncing: IFC Markets syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while Octa does not. Both brokers earned 4 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, though Octa holds the higher category ranking from ForexBrokers.com (#37 out of 63) compared with IFC Markets (#53). Choose IFC Markets if cross-device watchlist syncing matters to you; pick Octa if the higher third-party ranking is a deciding factor.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Octa logoOcta
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 30 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

When comparing market research at IFC Markets and Octa, both brokers publish daily market commentary and include an economic calendar. Octa has an edge for news and charting extras: it streams forex headlines from top-tier sources and offers Autochartist tools for pattern spotting. IFC Markets counterbalances with a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long vs. short positions across instruments. Neither broker provides Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading research.

On performance, Octa earns 4 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #27 of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while IFC Markets scores 3.5 stars and ranks #41. Traders who value live news and automated chart setups may prefer Octa, whereas those who like monitoring crowd positioning may find IFC Markets appealing.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Octa logoOcta
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info No Yes
Autochartist info No Yes
Trading Central info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes No
TipRanks info No No
Acuity Trading info No No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

IFC Markets and Octa both provide plenty of forex and CFD education, with well over the minimum of 10 learning pieces. Each broker offers at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, so newcomers can start with basics and grow into more complex topics. A key difference is live training: Octa hosts educational client webinars at least once a month, while IFC Markets does not, which may matter if you prefer learning in real time.

In expert reviews, Octa earns a slightly higher Education rating (4.0 stars) than IFC Markets (3.5 stars). However, IFC Markets holds a higher spot in ForexBrokers.com’s Education ranking (#30 of 63) compared with Octa (#42 of 63). If you want monthly webinars and a steady stream of live lessons, Octa may fit better; if you care more about a higher-ranked education lineup, IFC Markets is worth a look.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Octa logoOcta
Webinars info No Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IFC Markets is better than Octa. IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #45, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #47.

IFC Markets is a well-established broker that has been in operation for 17 years. Forex traders at IFC Markets gain access to multiple trading platforms, a growing range of tradeable markets, and a balanced offering of research and educational content. However, IFC Markets’ Trust Score suffers due to the broker’s limited range of regulatory licenses.

Feature IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
Octa logoOcta
Overall Rating info 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 73 72
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with IFC Markets or Octa?

In an IFC Markets vs Octa comparison for crypto trading, neither broker offers buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both provide cryptocurrency CFD trading.

What funding options does each broker offer?

In the IFC Markets vs Octa comparison, neither broker supports ACH/SEPA or PayPal, both offer bank wire transfers, only Octa supports Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.

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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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Overall Rating IFC Markets Octa
Overall Rating info 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 73 72
Winner check_circle
Review Octa Review
Broker Screenshots IFC Markets Octa
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
Octa web platform trade ticket. Octa OctaTrader Space research analysis. OctaFX educational articles
Regulation IFC Markets Octa
Trust Score info 73 72
Year Founded info 2006 2011
Publicly Traded (Listed) info No No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) IFC Markets Octa
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info No
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) IFC Markets Octa
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments IFC Markets Octa
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 630 300
Forex Pairs (Total) info 49 35
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No No
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info 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).
Cost IFC Markets Octa
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.44 info 0.9 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 1.1 info N/A
Inactivity Fee info No No
Order execution: Agency info Yes Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding IFC Markets Octa
Minimum Deposit info $1 $25
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info No No
Trading Platforms IFC Markets Octa
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info Yes Yes
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools IFC Markets Octa
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 30 30
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading IFC Markets Octa
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 30 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research IFC Markets Octa
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info No Yes
Autochartist info No Yes
Trading Central info No No
TipRanks info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education IFC Markets Octa
Webinars info No Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs IFC Markets Octa
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review Octa Review
Overall IFC Markets Octa
Overall Rating info 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 73 72
Winner check_circle
Review Octa Review
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