Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers 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.
Interactive Brokers, established in 1977, stands as a highly trusted online broker with a perfect Trust Score of 99 from ForexBrokers.com. It is publicly traded and holds an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, reflecting its credibility and compliance with top regulators. Additionally, Interactive Brokers has two Tier-2 licenses, further bolstering its reputation as a premier broker in the industry. Though not a bank, its long-standing history and excellent regulatory record make it a go-to choice for many investors seeking a reliable trading platform.
In contrast, Octa, founded in 2011, offers a different trading environment with a Trust Score of 72, placing it in the average risk category. Unlike Interactive Brokers, Octa is not publicly traded. It holds one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license, which indicates a moderate level of regulatory oversight. While it is not a bank, Octa may appeal to traders who prioritize other factors, but individuals should consider its regulatory rating and relative youth in the financial markets before making a decision.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Interactive Brokers vs. Octa on commissions and fees: Interactive Brokers (IBKR) uses raw spreads plus a commission. In Q3 2024, IBKR’s average EUR/USD spread was 0.19 pips, with an effective all-in cost of about 0.59 pips per round trip after commission on a standard 100,000-unit trade. Octa lists average EUR/USD spreads at 0.5 pips for EU accounts and 0.9 pips for its foreign entities; total costs vary by account type and regulator. Because Octa doesn’t timestamp its spread data, direct comparisons are imperfect, but IBKR generally competes closely with low-cost brokers while Octa’s EU pricing can look sharper on paper.
IBKR’s forex commission starts at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the U.S. dollar trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round trip), which equates to about $16–$40 per million round turn; rates can fall to 0.08 bps for very active traders. The $2-per-side minimum makes sub-100k trades proportionally more expensive. IBKR aggregates quotes from 17 major banks and uses agency execution; high-volume traders can qualify for lower minimums ($1.50 to $1 per order) and can place large orders via RFQ. IBKR Lite and Pro support forex, but trading is not commission-free.
At Octa, pricing depends on the entity and platform: EU clients get an MT5 account, while international clients can choose MT4, MT5, or OctaTrader. Octa highlights no slippage on 97.5% of orders and no overnight carry costs, though rules can limit high-frequency strategies. Ratings and rankings for commissions and fees: Interactive Brokers — 5/5 stars, ranked #2 of 63; Octa — 4/5 stars, ranked #30 of 63.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers offers a far wider range of investments than Octa. You get about 8,500 tradeable symbols at Interactive Brokers versus roughly 300 at Octa, plus 90 currency pairs compared with Octa’s 35. Both support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. Interactive Brokers also lets you buy exchange‑traded shares on U.S. markets (like Apple) as well as international exchanges, while Octa does not support U.S.-listed shares but does offer some international exchange-traded securities.
For extras, the two firms differ: Octa provides copy trading, while Interactive Brokers does not. In crypto, Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual coins and trade derivatives; Octa offers only crypto derivatives, not actual coins. Reflecting this breadth, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, whereas Octa is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #53.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 35 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) and Octa both offer free paper trading, in-house platforms, and Windows desktop and web-based trading. You can place trades directly from charts with either broker. Octa adds social features with copy trading and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which Interactive Brokers does not. Neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. Indicator counts were not provided for either broker.
For charting and lists, IBKR provides 85 drawing tools and an extensive 659-field watchlist, while Octa offers 15 drawing tools and 7 watchlist fields—good for simplicity. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers is rated 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools; Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #38. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want deeper platform customization and data; choose Octa if you want copy trading and the MetaTrader experience.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and Octa both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android with price alerts, real-time quote watchlists, trendline drawing, and multiple time frames. Where they differ is charting depth and syncing. Interactive Brokers includes 97 technical studies versus Octa’s 30, and it syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account (Octa does not), making it easier to manage symbols across devices.
Octa has one handy edge: its app auto-saves chart drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not. For overall mobile experience, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps at ForexBrokers.com, compared with Octa’s 4 stars and #37 ranking. Choose Interactive Brokers if you value more indicators and synced watchlists; pick Octa if auto-saving chart annotations matters most.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and Octa both provide daily market commentary and deliver forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. However, there are distinct differences in their offerings. Interactive Brokers includes a sentiment-based trading tool and market research from companies like TipRanks and Acuity Trading, enhancing its market research capabilities. In contrast, Octa offers technical analysis tools from Autochartist, which Interactive Brokers does not, but misses out on the sentiment tool and market research resources from TipRanks and Acuity Trading.
Both brokers provide an economic calendar with updates on global news events. However, Interactive Brokers stands out with higher ratings and rankings. It has been awarded 5 stars for research and holds the third position among 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, Octa holds a solid 4-star rating and ranks 27th in the same category. Overall, while both brokers offer substantial research tools, Interactive Brokers provides a more comprehensive and higher-rated market research experience.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available to beginners through Interactive Brokers and Octa, both platforms offer impressive learning materials, including at least ten pieces focused on forex or CFDs, such as articles, videos, and webinars. They also provide online client webinars monthly, along with searchable archives of past webinars, ensuring users have easy access to a wide range of information. Additionally, both brokers cater to beginners with a selection of educational videos tailored to novice traders, as well as advanced content for more experienced users. They each supply an investor dictionary featuring over 50 investing term definitions, helping traders become well-versed in the language of investing.
Despite these similarities, Interactive Brokers stands out with a higher education rating of five stars compared to Octa's four stars and ranks significantly higher in ForexBrokers.com's education category, placing third out of 63 brokers, while Octa is ranked 42nd. This distinction suggests that Interactive Brokers might have a slight edge in offering a more comprehensive and perhaps a more organized educational experience for beginner traders. For new investors seeking an abundant and high-rated educational resource, Interactive Brokers might be the more suitable choice.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than Octa. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #47.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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Octa
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 72 |
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Interactive Brokers allows users to buy both actual delivered cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency derivatives, while Octa only provides the option to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.
Interactive Brokers supports ACH and SEPA transfers along with bank wires for funding and withdrawing account funds, whereas Octa offers funding options via Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires but lacks ACH and SEPA transfer support, with neither platform providing PayPal as an option.
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 | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 72 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC 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) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Octa Review |
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