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 |
When comparing commissions and fees, OANDA and Octa both earn 4 out of 5 stars, but Octa has the edge in ranking. OANDA is ranked #32 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees at ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is ranked #28 out of 36. In simple terms, Octa generally looks a little cheaper, though both brokers can be solid choices depending on how and where you trade.
OANDA’s trading costs are usually higher than the best low-cost brokers, especially on its standard pricing. For example, its average EUR/USD spread was 1.61 pips in July 2024. OANDA does offer a core pricing option with tighter spreads, but it adds a commission of $5 per $100,000 traded per side, and it requires a $10,000 minimum deposit. OANDA also stands out for very small trade sizes, active trader rebates in some regions, and clearer spread tracking than many competitors.
Octa has improved its pricing and now competes well with lower-cost MetaTrader brokers. Its average EUR/USD spread is listed at 0.5 pips for the EU entity and 0.9 pips for its international entities, and it also advertises no overnight carry costs and no slippage on most orders. That said, Octa’s pricing can vary by entity and the broker does not give a date range for its average spread claims, so direct comparison is not always easy. Overall, Octa appears cheaper on paper, while OANDA offers more pricing transparency and flexible account features.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.68 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | 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, giving traders access to 4,172 tradable symbols and 68 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, and both offer copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. OANDA also stands out for offering actual, delivered cryptocurrency, which Octa does not provide.
For share trading, both brokers let clients buy exchange-traded securities on international exchanges, but only OANDA offers exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges as well. This broader product choice helps explain why OANDA is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #20 out of 36 brokers, while Octa is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #35.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 68 | 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.
When it comes to trading platforms and tools, OANDA and Octa both give traders a strong range of choices. Each broker offers a free demo account for practice, its own in-house platform, a Windows desktop app, a web-based platform, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Both also let you place trades right from a price chart, making it easier to react quickly while you trade. In short, their platform setups are very similar, so beginners and more active traders can find familiar tools at either broker.
Where they begin to differ is in their overall industry ranking. OANDA is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and is ranked #16 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Octa also earns 4 out of 5 stars but ranks #33. Based on that score and ranking, OANDA appears to have a slight edge in this category, even though both brokers offer many of the same trading 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) | 82 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing OANDA and Octa for mobile trading, both brokers cover the basics well. Each offers iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, trendline drawing, and automatic saving for chart drawings. Neither broker provides watchlist symbol syncing between the mobile app and online account, so changes made in one place do not carry over to the other. For charting tools, OANDA has a slight edge with 33 technical studies in its app compared with Octa’s 30.
Looking at overall mobile app quality, OANDA comes out ahead. It earns a 5-star rating for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #7 out of 36 brokers, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #31. If mobile charting tools and a higher-rated app matter most to you, OANDA is the stronger choice, though Octa still offers the key app features many traders need.
| 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 | 33 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
OANDA and Octa both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Autochartist, and an economic calendar that tracks important global events. Neither broker offers Trading Central or TipRanks, so in those areas they are evenly matched.
The main difference is that OANDA adds a sentiment tool showing the share of long and short positions, plus research from Acuity Trading, which Octa does not provide. That extra support helps explain why OANDA earns 5 stars for research and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers, while Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #25.
| 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 | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to beginner-friendly learning, both OANDA and Octa give new traders plenty to work with. Each broker offers forex and CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces, plus online educational webinars at least once a month. They also each provide 10 or more beginner videos and 10 or more advanced videos, so users can keep learning as their skills grow.
That said, OANDA comes out ahead for education overall. It earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #18 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Octa holds a 4-star rating and ranks #34. For beginners who want a slightly stronger mix of learning tools and a higher overall education score, OANDA has the edge.
| 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 #14, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #37.
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.
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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.
When comparing OANDA vs Octa for deposits and withdrawals, OANDA supports ACH or SEPA transfers, Skrill, and bank wires, while Octa offers Skrill and bank wires but does not support ACH or SEPA transfers, and neither broker lists PayPal or Visa/Mastercard as funding options.
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) | 68 | 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) - Spread-only account | 1.68 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 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) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | 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) | 82 | 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 Watchlists - Syncing | No | 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 | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| 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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