Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 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.
Plus500 and Octa are online brokers with different trust profiles. Plus500, founded in 2008, is publicly traded on a stock exchange; Octa, founded in 2011, is not. Neither company is a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 holds a Trust Score of 99/99, which is considered highly trusted (90–99), while Octa scores 73/99, placing it in the average risk range (70–79).
Regulatory coverage also varies. Plus500 holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 4 Tier-2 licenses, reflecting wide oversight by top-tier regulators. Octa holds 1 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 license, indicating a more limited regulatory footprint. For traders comparing safety and oversight, Plus500’s higher-grade licensing and top Trust Score stand out versus Octa.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees, Plus500 is a little more expensive than the industry average and sits behind the lowest-cost forex brokers for active traders. It does not offer retail discounts, though some Professional clients may qualify for cash rebates. In April 2024, Plus500’s EUR/USD spread averaged 1.5 pips, which is higher than many top rivals. Plus500 is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #26 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Octa has made clear progress on pricing and now competes with some of the lower-cost MetaTrader brokers. Its fees depend on the account type and the entity that regulates the account, with EU clients generally using a single MT5 account and international clients having more platform choices. Octa also advertises no slippage on 97.5% of executed orders and no overnight carry costs, although some trading restrictions may be less friendly for very active traders. Octa is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #28 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Looking at spreads, Octa may come out ahead on paper: its EU entity lists an average EUR/USD spread of 0.5 pips, while its non-EU entities list 0.9 pips. Plus500’s 1.5-pip average on EUR/USD is higher. Still, Octa’s spread figures do not include a date range, so the comparison is not fully exact. For cost-conscious traders, Octa may look cheaper overall, while Plus500 offers simpler pricing with a slightly higher average spread.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.3 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, Plus500 gives traders a wider choice than Octa. Plus500 lists about 5,500 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, while Octa offers around 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both platforms support forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, and both let clients trade cryptocurrency CFDs rather than actual crypto. Each also offers access to shares on international exchanges, but only Plus500 lets clients buy exchange traded securities on U.S. markets, such as Apple shares.
Octa does have one feature Plus500 does not: copy trading. Even so, Plus500 comes out ahead overall for investment variety, with a 4.5-star Range of Investments rating and a #16 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with Octa’s 3.5-star rating and #35 ranking. If you want a broker with more markets and more instruments to choose from, Plus500 is the stronger option.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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.
Plus500 and Octa both give traders a free demo account, a web-based platform, and their own in-house trading software, so each broker makes it easy to get started without installing extra programs. That said, Plus500 keeps things simpler: it does not offer a Windows desktop download, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, or MetaTrader 5. Octa, by comparison, supports all of those features, including MT4 and MT5, a Windows desktop platform, and copy trading, which may appeal to traders who want more platform choice and more ways to follow other traders.
When it comes to trading tools, Octa also has the edge because it lets users place trades directly from charts, a handy feature for active traders. Plus500 is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and is ranked #14 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Octa is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #33. In short, Plus500 is a better pick for a clean, easy-to-use setup, while Octa offers more platform features and trading tools overall.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Plus500 and Octa both make it easy to trade on the go, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Both apps are built for mobile trading, but Plus500 stands out for stronger charting support, offering 115 technical studies compared with Octa’s 30. Plus500 also lets watchlists sync between the mobile app and online account, so updates carry over in either direction, while Octa does not offer this feature.
There are a few other differences worth noting. Octa’s mobile app does automatically save chart drawings, while Plus500 does not. Even so, Plus500 has the edge in overall mobile app quality, with a 4.5-star rating versus Octa’s 4 stars. That difference is reflected in ForexBrokers.com’s rankings too, where Plus500 places #14 out of 36 brokers for mobile trading apps, compared with Octa at #31.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Plus500 and Octa both give traders daily market commentary and an economic calendar, so each platform covers the basics for staying on top of news and events. That said, Octa has an edge for outside news and research depth because it offers forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus Autochartist tools for technical and chart-based analysis. Plus500 does not offer those two features, but it does include Trading Central research and a sentiment tool that shows the balance of long and short positions across markets.
Overall, Plus500 appears to have the stronger market research offering, with a 4.5-star rating and a #16 ranking out of 36 brokers for Research, compared with Octa’s 4-star rating and #25 ranking. In simple terms, Plus500 may be the better pick for traders who want more built-in research tools, while Octa may appeal more to those who value access to major news sources and Autochartist.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both Plus500 and Octa give new traders plenty to work with. Each broker offers forex or CFDs education with at least 10 learning pieces, monthly educational webinars, and at least 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos. That means either platform can help users build basic trading knowledge and keep learning as their skills grow.
Still, Plus500 has the edge overall for education. It earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #27 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Octa scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #34 out of 36. For beginners choosing between the two, Plus500 appears to offer the slightly stronger learning experience.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
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 Plus500 is better than Octa. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #11, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #37.
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to a thorough selection of CFDs. Share trading is available, but only via its Plus500 Invest product offering.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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Online brokers Plus500 and Octa do not allow purchasing actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but both provide cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Plus500 vs Octa: for deposits and withdrawals, neither supports ACH or SEPA, both offer Skrill and bank wire transfers, but only Plus500 supports PayPal.
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 | Plus500 | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | Octa | |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | 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) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Plus500 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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 | Plus500 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.3 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Plus500 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Plus500 Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Octa Review |
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