Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of OANDA 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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OANDA and Octa are online brokers with different backgrounds and regulatory footprints. OANDA was founded in 1996, while Octa started in 2011. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank.
On regulation, OANDA holds seven Tier-1 licenses and zero Tier-2 licenses, earning a 92/99 ForexBrokers.com Trust Score—classified as highly trusted (90–99). Octa holds one Tier-1 and one Tier-2 license with a 73/99 Trust Score—rated average risk (70–79). In an OANDA vs Octa comparison, traders prioritizing top-tier regulation may prefer OANDA’s wider Tier-1 coverage, while Octa offers a more limited but regulated alternative.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
OANDA and Octa both earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, but Octa ranks slightly higher overall in this category, coming in at #26 out of 36 brokers, compared with OANDA at #30 out of 36. OANDA’s trading costs are generally on the high side, with spread-based pricing that can be more expensive than many top forex brokers. Its core pricing can lower spreads, but it adds a commission of $5 per $100,000 traded per side, and the cheaper setup requires a $10,000 minimum deposit.
Octa has made big improvements on pricing and now competes more closely with lower-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 give a date range for these figures, which makes them harder to compare directly. Octa also markets no slippage on 97.5% of orders and no overnight carry costs, but some account limits may make it less appealing for active high-frequency traders.
Overall, OANDA may appeal more to traders who value flexible trade sizing and automated execution, while Octa may be the better pick for those mainly focused on lower everyday trading costs. If commissions and fees are your top priority, Octa has the edge on ranking, but both brokers sit in the same 4-star range.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.68 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.69 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
OANDA offers a wider range of investments than Octa overall, making it the stronger choice for traders who want more variety. OANDA provides 4,172 tradeable symbols and 69 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading, copy trading, international exchange-listed shares, and cryptocurrency CFDs.
There are a few key differences in what you can actually buy. OANDA lets clients buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international markets, and it also offers delivered cryptocurrency, while Octa does not offer U.S.-listed shares or actual crypto. In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments category, OANDA is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #20 out of 36 brokers, while Octa is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #33.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
OANDA and Octa both give traders a wide set of platform choices, including simulated paper trading, a proprietary platform, Windows desktop software, browser-based trading, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Each also lets users place trades directly from charts, which can make it easier to react quickly while reviewing price action. In short, both brokers cover the main tools many traders look for, whether they want to practice first or trade on the go.
When it comes to overall rankings, OANDA has a stronger edge in this category. Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, but OANDA is ranked #16 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with Octa at #30. That suggests OANDA offers a slightly better platform experience overall, even though the two brokers are closely matched in features.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
OANDA and Octa both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock or forex price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. Each app also includes 30 technical studies for charting, so on paper they look quite similar for everyday mobile trading needs. One key difference is that neither broker offers watchlist symbol syncing, so changes made in the app do not carry over to the online account, or vice versa.
Where OANDA pulls ahead is in overall mobile app quality and industry standing. OANDA earns a 5-star rating for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #7 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #29. For traders who want a more polished mobile experience, OANDA has the edge, while Octa still covers the basics well.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| 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.
When it comes to market research, OANDA and Octa both give traders daily market commentary, forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, Autochartist tools, and an economic calendar for tracking major global events. Neither broker offers Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading research tools. The key difference is that OANDA also includes a sentiment tool that shows the share of long and short positions across currency pairs and other instruments, while Octa does not.
Overall, OANDA has the stronger research offering. It earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with Octa’s 4 stars and #24 ranking. For traders who want deeper market insights and a wider set of research features, OANDA has the edge.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
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 | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking to learn forex or CFD trading, both OANDA and Octa provide a solid set of educational tools. Each broker offers at least 10 educational pieces focused on forex or CFDs, hosts online educational webinars at least once a month, and has 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos for more experienced traders. That means either platform can help new traders start building knowledge through articles, videos, and live learning sessions.
OANDA stands out as the stronger choice for education overall. It earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #18 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Education category, while Octa receives 4 stars and ranks #32. In simple terms, both brokers offer useful learning content, but OANDA appears to give beginners a slightly better educational experience and deeper support as they progress.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
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 OANDA is better than Octa. OANDA finished with an overall rank of #13, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #34.
A trusted global brand, OANDA stands out for its reputation and quality market research. Its regulatory track record is strong, and its support for third-party features bolsters its overall offering.
| Feature |
OANDA
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Octa
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| Trust Score | 92 | 73 |
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In the OANDA vs Octa online broker comparison, OANDA lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and also trade crypto CFDs, whereas Octa offers only cryptocurrency CFDs and does not support purchasing real, delivered crypto.
Comparing OANDA vs Octa for deposits and withdrawals: OANDA supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires, while Octa offers Skrill and bank wires but 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 | OANDA | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | OANDA | Octa | |
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| Regulation | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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) | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.68 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.69 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | OANDA | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | OANDA Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | OANDA | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | Octa Review |
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