Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Saxo 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.
When comparing the online brokers Saxo and Octa, their regulatory backgrounds offer critical insights for potential investors. Saxo, founded in 1992, is recognized for its highly trusted reputation and boasts a remarkable Trust Score of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com. As a licensed bank, Saxo holds seven Tier-1 licenses, indicating high trust, alongside one Tier-2 license. On the other hand, Octa, established in 2011, carries a Trust Score of 72, reflecting an average risk level. Although Octa is not a bank, it still maintains its reliability with one Tier-1 and one Tier-2 license.
Neither Saxo nor Octa are publicly traded entities, which means they are not listed on any stock exchange. However, their regulatory credentials shed light on their trustworthiness. Saxo's significant number of Tier-1 licenses underscores its strong position in providing trusted financial services. In contrast, Octa, with one Tier-1 license, suggests a more cautious approach but still maintains a level of trust through its regulatory compliance. For investors seeking a broker with a time-tested reputation and strong regulatory framework, Saxo stands out, while Octa offers a viable option for those comfortable with a moderate level of risk.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Saxo earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #9 of 63 at ForexBrokers.com, while Octa scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #30 of 63. Saxo is known for sharp pricing that favors active and high‑volume traders or those with larger balances. Octa has improved its costs and can keep pace with low‑cost MetaTrader brokers, but actual pricing varies by the entity you open with, and certain rules can slow down high‑frequency trading.
For forex, Saxo is commission‑free and charges via the spread, with one exception: trading under 50,000 units per month triggers a $3 per side ticket fee. As of November 2023, average EUR/USD spreads were 1.1 pips (Classic), 1.0 pips (Platinum), and 0.9 pips (VIP), with minimums about 0.2 pips lower; Classic is a bit higher than Platinum and VIP, which sit closer to typical industry levels. The Classic account now has a $0 minimum deposit, while Platinum requires $200,000 (AUD 300,000 in Australia) and VIP is $1,000,000 or achievable via loyalty upgrades. Saxo also waives custody fees for share trading if you opt into securities lending.
At Octa, fees depend on your account type and which regulator covers you. The EU entity lists a 0.5‑pip average spread on EUR/USD, while foreign entities list about 0.9 pips—though Octa does not publish a date range for these figures. Octa highlights no slippage on 97.5% of orders and no overnight carry costs, which can be attractive for certain strategies. In the EU there’s a single MT5 account; abroad you’ll find MT4, MT5, and OctaTrader options, with some trading restrictions that may limit very frequent trading.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Saxo and Octa both let you trade forex as CFDs or spot, and each supports copy trading plus cryptocurrency via CFDs (neither offers actual, delivered crypto). Where they differ is breadth: Saxo lists about 70,000 tradeable symbols and 190 forex pairs, while Octa offers roughly 300 symbols and 35 pairs. Saxo also lets clients buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. markets like NASDAQ and on many international exchanges. Octa does not support U.S.-listed shares, but it does offer access to some international exchanges for non-CFD stock investing.
These gaps show up in independent ratings: Saxo earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, whereas Octa scores 3.5 stars and ranks #53. In short, Saxo suits investors who want a very large menu of markets—including U.S. stocks—while Octa may fit traders who prefer a leaner selection centered on forex and a smaller set of instruments.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 70000 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
Saxo and Octa both cover the basics traders look for in platforms and tools. Each broker offers a free demo account for paper trading, a proprietary platform built in-house, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform you can use in your browser. Both also support copy trading and let you place trades directly from a chart, which makes testing ideas and acting on setups quicker.
The big split is MetaTrader access: Octa supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Saxo does not. If you need MT4 or MT5, Octa is the match. If you want a highly rated in-house experience, Saxo stands out. According to ForexBrokers.com, Saxo earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, while Octa earns 4 stars and ranks #38. In short, choose Saxo for a top-tier, integrated suite, or pick Octa if you prefer the MetaTrader ecosystem with the convenience of copy trading and a free demo.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 64 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Saxo and Octa both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, with price alerts to help you follow forex and stocks on the go. Each app lets you draw trendlines on charts and automatically saves your drawings. Where they differ is charting depth: Saxo includes 64 technical indicators (studies), while Octa offers 30, giving Saxo more tools for analysis inside the app.
Another key difference is watchlist syncing. Saxo syncs your watchlist between the mobile app and your online account, while Octa does not. Independent reviews reflect this gap: ForexBrokers.com rates Saxo’s mobile app 5 stars and ranks it #2 out of 63 brokers, while Octa earns 4 stars and ranks #37. If you want richer charting and seamless syncing, Saxo is the stronger pick. If you need the basics with alerts and drawing tools, Octa gets the job done.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both Saxo and Octa are committed to providing insightful market research, offering daily market commentaries and forex news from renowned sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. They each integrate the Autochartist tool for technical and fundamental analysis, but neither uses Trading Central services. While both offer economic calendars to keep traders informed of global news events, Saxo stands out with its sentiment-based trading tool that displays the ratios of long or short positions, a feature not available with Octa. Furthermore, neither broker incorporates market research tools from TipRanks or Acuity Trading.
In terms of research quality, Saxo earns a perfect 5-star rating and holds the number one rank among 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com for its comprehensive market insights. Octa, though strong in its own right, garners a respectable 4-star rating and ranks 27th. This positions Saxo as the superior choice for traders seeking top-tier market analysis and tools to inform their investment decisions.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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.
Saxo vs Octa for beginner education: both brokers provide forex and CFD education with at least ten learning pieces focused on these markets. Each offers monthly client webinars and a large video library, including at least ten beginner videos designed for new traders. As you progress, both also have at least ten advanced videos for more experienced topics.
In independent ratings, Saxo stands out: it earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #13 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. Octa earns 4 stars and ranks #42. If you want the stronger overall learning experience, Saxo edges ahead, while Octa still delivers frequent webinars and plenty of beginner-friendly videos.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 Saxo is better than Octa. Saxo finished with an overall rank of #3, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #47.
Saxo is an exclusive multi-asset broker with brilliant research and a superb trading platform experience – as well as a stunning selection of over 40,000 securities.
| Feature |
Saxo
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Octa
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 72 |
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Saxo vs Octa: neither online broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading instead.
Comparing online brokers Saxo and Octa: neither supports ACH or SEPA transfers or PayPal for deposits/withdrawals, both support bank wire transfers, Octa supports Skrill while Saxo does not, 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 | Saxo | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Saxo | Octa | |
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| Regulation | Saxo | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 72 | |
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Saxo | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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) | Saxo | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Saxo | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 70000 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Saxo | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.1 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Saxo | 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 | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Saxo | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Saxo | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 64 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Saxo | 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 | 64 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Saxo | 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 | Saxo | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Saxo | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Saxo Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | Saxo | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | Octa Review |
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