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 |
IG and Octa both offer competitive pricing, but IG comes out ahead for commissions and fees overall. IG is rated 5 stars and ranked #7 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for this category. It is not a discount broker, but it does well for active traders, especially through its Forex Direct DMA account, where costs can be very low for higher-volume clients. IG’s typical EUR/USD spread on Forex Direct averaged 0.62 pips, with an estimated all-in cost of about 0.82 pips after commission, while its CFD spreads were also slightly better than average during key trading hours.
Octa is a lower-cost option than it used to be and has improved its pricing, but it still trails IG in the commissions and fees category. Octa is rated 4 stars and ranked #26 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Its EUR/USD average spread is listed at 0.5 pips for EU clients and 0.9 pips for clients under its international entities, though Octa does not provide a date range for this data, which makes direct comparison harder. Octa also advertises no overnight carry costs and very little slippage on executed orders, but its account rules can be less friendly for high-frequency traders.
In simple terms, IG is the better pick if you want stronger overall value for commissions and fees, especially as trading size grows. Octa can still be appealing for traders looking for low spreads and no overnight charges, but IG offers more transparent pricing detail, better active-trader discounts, and a higher overall rating in this category.
| 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.
When it comes to range of investments, IG offers far more choice than Octa. IG provides access to 19,537 tradeable symbols and 97 forex pairs, while Octa offers 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading, international exchange-traded securities, and cryptocurrency CFDs, but IG also lets clients buy actual cryptocurrencies and trade U.S.-listed shares directly, which Octa does not.
Octa does stand out in one area: it offers copy trading, while IG does not. Even so, IG is the stronger pick overall for investment variety, earning 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranking #4 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Octa is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #33, making it a more limited choice for traders who want a wide selection of markets.
| 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 range of platform choices, including free demo accounts, their own in-house platforms, web-based access, Windows desktop downloads, and support for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both also let you trade directly from charts, which is helpful for placing orders quickly while watching price movements. In short, each broker covers the core tools many traders look for when comparing online trading platforms.
The biggest difference is copy trading, which Octa offers but IG does not. That extra feature may appeal to beginners or anyone who wants to follow other traders. For overall trading platforms and tools, IG comes out ahead with a 5-star rating and a #1 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranked #30, making IG the stronger choice for platform quality and trading tools overall.
| 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 offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each app includes price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving for chart drawings. That makes both platforms useful for traders who want to follow the market and manage charts on the go. IG stands out, though, with 33 technical studies in its mobile charting tools compared with 30 at Octa, which may give active chart users a bit more flexibility.
The bigger difference is in app quality and syncing. IG supports watchlist symbol syncing, so changes made in the mobile app and online account stay aligned, while Octa does not offer this feature. IG is also rated 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #29. Overall, both brokers cover the basics well, but IG has the edge for mobile trading features and convenience.
| 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 #34.
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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