Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Octa vs IronFX, 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.
When comparing the online brokers Octa and IronFX, it's clear both companies hold a strong presence in the trading world. Octa, founded in 2011, is a non-bank entity that is not publicly traded. It holds one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license, earning it a Trust Score rating of 72 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the average risk category.
IronFX, established a year earlier in 2010, shares the distinction of not being a bank or publicly listed. However, it distinguishes itself with three Tier-1 licenses, contributing to its higher Trust Score of 83 out of 99, placing it in the trusted category. This indicates a more reassuring level of trustworthiness, especially for those concerned with regulatory oversight.
| Feature |
Octa
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Octa and IronFX both earn 4 out of 5 stars, but Octa holds the edge in our rankings: Octa is #30 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees, while IronFX is #47 out of 63. Overall, Octa has tightened its pricing and now competes more closely with low-cost MetaTrader brokers, whereas IronFX’s typical spreads appear higher than the industry average.
Octa’s costs depend on your account type and which regulator oversees your account (EU clients use the EU entity; international clients are served from South Africa or Mwali). Octa’s listed average spread for EUR/USD is 0.5 pips in the EU and 0.9 pips with its foreign entities, though no date range is provided for these figures. Octa also advertises no slippage on 97.5% of orders and no overnight carry costs, but it has restrictions that can make it less suitable for high-frequency trading.
IronFX pricing varies by account type and generally trends higher. The Standard variable account lists a typical spread of 1.8 pips (no date range given). The zero fixed-spread account can start at 0.0 pips but charges a $18 per lot commission, and spreads widen to 3 pips overnight. As with Octa, the lack of dated spread data makes direct, apples-to-apples comparisons harder.
| Feature |
Octa
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $25 | $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Octa vs IronFX: both brokers support forex trading (CFD/spot), offer copy trading, and provide cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual crypto. IronFX lists more to trade overall, with about 340 symbols and 83 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs.
For shares, neither broker offers U.S. exchange-traded stocks, yet Octa stands out by giving access to certain international exchange-traded securities, which IronFX does not. In independent reviews for range of investments, both earned 3.5 stars; IronFX ranks slightly higher at #52 out of 63 brokers, while Octa is #53. Choose IronFX if you want more forex pairs, or Octa if access to some international shares matters.
| Feature |
Octa
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 300 | 340 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 35 | 83 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | 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.
Octa and IronFX both cover the basics you’d expect: free demo accounts for practice, Windows desktop platforms, and web-based trading. Both support MetaTrader 4, offer copy trading, and let you place trades directly from charts. Octa goes further with its own in-house platform and MetaTrader 5, while IronFX does not offer either. If you want more platform choice—especially MT5—Octa has the edge; if you’re fine with MT4 and standard web/desktop access, both brokers fit the bill.
According to ForexBrokers.com, Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks 38th out of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, while IronFX earns 3.5 stars and ranks 62nd. The number of built-in indicators and watchlist fields wasn’t specified, but based on the available features, Octa provides wider platform coverage, whereas IronFX focuses on core options.
| Feature |
Octa
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Octa vs IronFX mobile apps: Both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps with stock or forex price alerts, 30 built-in technical indicators for charting, and tools to draw trendlines. Your drawings auto-save in each app. A key limitation for both is the lack of watchlist symbol syncing, so edits made to a watchlist on mobile won’t match your online account automatically.
For ratings, Octa scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 37th out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while IronFX scores 3.5 stars and ranks 63rd. The feature sets are similar, but Octa gets the edge based on these rankings.
| Feature |
Octa
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Octa and IronFX both deliver daily market commentary and stream forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Each broker also offers an economic calendar to track upcoming global events. Neither provides a sentiment tool that shows long/short positioning. For Research, both earn 4 out of 5 stars; in ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, Octa is #27 of 63 and IronFX is #29.
The key difference is in third-party research tools. Octa includes Autochartist for pattern ideas, while IronFX features Trading Central’s analysis tools. Octa does not include Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. The provided data does not confirm whether IronFX includes TipRanks or Acuity Trading. If you want Autochartist, Octa is the better match; if you prefer Trading Central, IronFX will suit you more.
| Feature |
Octa
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | No | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners comparing Octa and IronFX on education, both brokers supply plenty of beginner-friendly videos (10+ each) that explain trading basics for forex and CFDs. Octa goes a step further with live educational webinars at least once a month, giving new traders a chance to learn in real time. Octa also offers a wider set of advanced videos (10+), while IronFX does not reach that level for experienced topics, which may matter if you want a clear path from beginner to intermediate learning.
Both brands earn 4 stars for Education from ForexBrokers.com. In the Education category, Octa ranks #42 of 63 brokers, while IronFX ranks #44. If you value ongoing webinars and more advanced material, Octa has the edge; if you just need an on-demand library to start learning forex and CFD basics, either broker can work.
| Feature |
Octa
|
IronFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Octa is better than IronFX. Octa finished with an overall rank of #47, while IronFX finished with an overall rank of #48.
Octa offers a basic, low-cost MetaTrader platform experience alongside its social copy-trading platform.
| Feature |
Octa
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IronFX
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 72 | 83 |
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Octa vs IronFX: neither broker offers buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both provide cryptocurrency CFD trading for speculative exposure without owning the underlying asset.
Octa vs IronFX: Octa supports Skrill and bank wire transfers but not ACH, SEPA, or PayPal, whereas IronFX also lacks ACH and SEPA and its availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires is unspecified.
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 | Octa | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 72 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 72 | 83 | |
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 300 | 340 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 35 | 83 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | 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 | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $25 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | No | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Octa | IronFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | Octa | IronFX | |
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| Trust Score | 72 | 83 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Octa Review |
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