Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG 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.
IG, founded in 1974, is a publicly traded online broker and a bank, while Octa, founded in 2011, is privately held and not a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale (90–99 highly trusted; 80–89 trusted; 70–79 average risk; 60–69 high risk; below 59 not trusted), IG scores 99 (highly trusted), whereas Octa scores 73 (average risk).
On regulation, IG holds 8 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted), reflecting broad top-tier oversight. Octa holds 1 Tier-1 license and 1 Tier-2 license, providing more limited top-tier coverage compared with IG.
| Feature |
IG
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing IG and Octa on commissions and fees, IG comes out ahead overall for active traders and larger orders. IG is rated 5 stars and ranked #7 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. Its pricing is not the cheapest in the market, but its Forex Direct DMA account can be very competitive, with average EUR/USD spreads around 0.62 pips and an estimated all-in cost of about 0.82 pips after commission. IG also offers active trader rebates for high-volume clients, which can lower costs further.
Octa is rated 4 stars and ranked #27 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. The broker has improved its pricing and now competes more closely with low-cost MetaTrader brokers. Its average EUR/USD spread is listed at 0.5 pips for EU clients and 0.9 pips for international entities, though Octa does not provide a date range for these figures, making them harder to compare directly. Octa also advertises no overnight carry costs and no slippage on most executed orders, which may appeal to some traders.
In simple terms, IG tends to be the stronger choice if you want more transparent pricing options and potentially lower costs for high-volume trading, while Octa may still suit traders looking for a lower-cost MetaTrader-style setup. For commissions and fees, IG has the better rating and ranking, and its pricing structure is easier to evaluate using published historical spread data.
| Feature |
IG
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.91 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IG offers a much wider range of investments than Octa. IG provides access to 19,537 tradeable symbols and 97 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both brokers offer forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, and both support international exchange-traded securities. However, IG also lets clients buy U.S.-listed shares such as Apple as real, non-CFD securities, while Octa does not.
IG also stands out for extras that Octa does not match. IG offers copy trading? No, but it does allow clients to buy actual cryptocurrency as well as cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas Octa only offers crypto CFDs. Based on range of investments, IG is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #34, making IG the clearer choice for traders who want more market choice.
| Feature |
IG
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
IG and Octa both give traders a wide choice of platforms and tools, including free demo accounts, in-house platforms, Windows desktop apps, web-based trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Both also let you trade directly from a chart, which can make order entry faster and easier for active traders. For charting and watch lists, both brokers offer the basic tools traders need to track markets and build a simple setup.
The biggest difference is copy trading, which Octa offers but IG does not. That may matter if you want to follow other traders instead of placing every trade yourself. Overall, IG comes out ahead for trading platforms and tools, with a 5-star rating and a #1 ranking from ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranked #31 out of 36 brokers.
| Feature |
IG
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
IG and Octa both give traders the basics for mobile trading, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings on their apps. Both brokers also make it easy to follow markets on the go, which is useful if you want to check trades from your phone or tablet.
Where IG pulls ahead is in a few key areas. IG offers watchlist symbol syncing between its mobile app and online account, while Octa does not. IG also provides slightly more chart studies, with 33 technical indicators versus Octa’s 30. These differences help explain why IG earns a 5-star mobile trading app rating and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with Octa’s 4-star rating and #30 ranking.
| Feature |
IG
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
IG and Octa both give traders useful market research features, including daily market commentary, news from top sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Autochartist tools, and an economic calendar with key global events. This means both brokers can help you stay informed about price moves, market updates, and upcoming news that may affect trading decisions.
That said, IG offers a wider research lineup. It includes sentiment tools that show long and short positioning, market research from TipRanks, and Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre, while Octa does not. IG is also rated 5 out of 5 for Research and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with Octa’s 4 out of 5 rating and #24 ranking, making IG the stronger choice for market research overall.
| Feature |
IG
|
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 | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
IG and Octa both give beginners a wide range of learning tools for forex and CFD trading. Each broker offers at least 10 education pieces on these topics, monthly online client webinars, and plenty of video content for both new and more experienced traders. That means either platform can help a beginner learn the basics, build confidence, and keep learning as skills improve.
Where IG stands out is in its overall education quality. IG is rated 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #7 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #32. So, although both brokers provide useful beginner-friendly education, IG appears to offer the stronger learning experience overall.
| Feature |
IG
|
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 IG is better than Octa. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #35.
IG offers the ultimate comprehensive trading package, featuring excellent trading and research tools, industry-leading education, and an extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
IG
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Octa
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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Compared with Octa, IG lets you buy actual delivered cryptocurrency in addition to trading crypto CFDs, whereas Octa supports only cryptocurrency CFDs and does not offer delivered coins.
Comparing deposit and withdrawal methods, IG supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires (not Skrill), while Octa offers Skrill and bank wires (not ACH/SEPA or PayPal); 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 | IG | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Octa | |
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| Regulation | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.91 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | IG Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | IG | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review | Octa Review |
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