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.
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Interactive Brokers vs Octa: for regulation and safety, the differences are clear. Interactive Brokers, founded in 1977, is publicly traded and not a bank. It holds 8 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses. ForexBrokers.com rates it 99/99, which lands in the highly trusted range (90–99).
Octa, founded in 2011, is not publicly traded and is not a bank. It holds 1 Tier-1 license and 1 Tier-2 license. Its ForexBrokers.com Trust Score is 73/99, placing it in the average risk band (70–79). Both brokers are regulated, but Interactive Brokers has more top-tier licenses and a higher trust rating.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Interactive Brokers stands out for low forex trading costs, especially for active traders. In Q3 2024, its average EUR/USD spread was 0.19 pips, with an effective all-in spread of 0.59 pips after commission. IBKR charges a commission instead of padding spreads, with forex commissions starting at 0.00002, or 0.2 basis points, of the U.S. dollar trade value per side and a minimum of $2 per order ($4 round turn). That makes very small trades more expensive on a relative basis, but larger-volume traders can benefit from lower pricing, with discounts available as monthly trading volume rises. Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
Octa has improved its pricing and is now closer to the low-cost end of the MetaTrader broker group. Its EUR/USD average spread is listed at 0.5 pips for the EU entity and 0.9 pips for its international entities, though Octa does not provide a date range for these figures, which makes them harder to verify and compare directly. Octa also advertises no overnight carry costs and no slippage on 97.5% of executed orders, but account conditions vary depending on the entity and platform, and some restrictions may not suit very active traders. Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #27 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
Overall, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick if your main goal is lower commissions and tighter pricing, especially for forex traders who trade often or in larger sizes. Octa can still be competitive for some traders, but its pricing details are less clear and its overall fee structure is not as attractive as IBKR’s.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.226 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.226 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers offers a much wider range of investments than Octa. It supports trading in about 8,500 symbols and 90 forex pairs, plus exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international markets. Investors can also buy actual cryptocurrency, though Interactive Brokers does not offer crypto CFDs or copy trading. In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments category, it earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers.
Octa also provides forex trading and access to exchange-traded securities on international exchanges, but its overall selection is smaller. It lists around 300 tradeable symbols and 35 forex pairs, and it does not offer U.S.-listed shares or actual cryptocurrency. On the other hand, Octa does offer copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. In the same category, it is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #34 out of 36 brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 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) | No | 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 and Octa both give traders a range of platform choices, including a free paper trading account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop app, and a web-based trading platform. Both also let users place trades straight from a stock chart, which can make order entry quicker and easier. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 36 brokers, while Octa scores 4 stars and ranks #31.
The main difference is that Octa includes extra tools that Interactive Brokers does not, such as copy trading plus support for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. This may appeal to traders who want to follow other traders or use the MetaTrader setup. Interactive Brokers, on the other hand, stands out more for its overall platform quality and higher category ranking, making it the stronger choice if you want a wider mix of trading tools and a top-rated platform experience.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and Octa both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each app includes stock or forex price alerts plus trendline drawing on charts. Where Interactive Brokers stands out is in watchlist syncing between the mobile app and online account, which lets changes carry over both ways; Octa does not offer that feature. Interactive Brokers also gives mobile traders far more charting tools, with 155 technical studies versus Octa’s 30.
There is also a difference in how the apps handle chart drawings. Octa automatically saves drawings on stock or forex charts, while Interactive Brokers does not. Based on ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns a 5-star rating for mobile trading apps and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #30. Overall, Interactive Brokers appears to offer the more complete mobile trading experience.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, Interactive Brokers has the edge over Octa. Both brokers provide daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. But Interactive Brokers goes further with more research options, including Trading Central, sentiment tools that show long and short positioning, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading. Octa offers useful extras too, such as Autochartist, but it does not include as many third-party research tools.
This wider selection helps explain the ratings and rankings: Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers, while Octa scores 4 stars and ranks #24. For traders who want more market insights and more ways to analyze potential trades, Interactive Brokers offers the stronger research package overall.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Interactive Brokers stands out for beginner education, with forex and CFDs learning materials, monthly client webinars, and at least 10 beginner and 10 advanced videos covering trading topics. It is rated 5 stars for Education and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, which suggests a strong learning setup for new traders who want a wide range of help as they get started.
Octa also offers forex and CFDs education, monthly webinars, and at least 10 beginner and 10 advanced videos, so beginners can still find useful learning content. However, it is rated 4 stars for Education and ranks #32 out of 36, so while it does provide educational resources, Interactive Brokers appears to offer a stronger overall learning experience for beginners.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 Interactive Brokers is better than Octa. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #35.
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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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but does not offer cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas Octa offers cryptocurrency CFDs but does not support buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency.
Interactive Brokers vs Octa: Interactive Brokers supports ACH/SEPA transfers and bank wires, Octa supports Skrill and bank wires, neither broker supports PayPal, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | 73 | |
| 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 | 73 | |
| 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 | 8 | 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 (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) | 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, FSRA, or CMA 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. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | No | 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 account | 0.226 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.226 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| 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 Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Octa Review |
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