Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Tickmill 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.
Tickmill and Octa are both private online brokers that were established in 2014 and 2011, respectively. Neither company is publicly traded or operates as a bank. When it comes to regulatory credentials, Tickmill stands out with 2 Tier-1 and 2 Tier-2 licenses, reflecting its status as a trusted broker. Octa, on the other hand, holds 1 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 license. These figures indicate that both brokers are regulated, but Tickmill offers more widespread coverage in terms of regulatory oversight.
Evaluating their trustworthiness, ForexBrokers.com gives Tickmill a Trust Score of 86 out of 99, placing it in the 'trusted' category. Conversely, Octa receives a Trust Score of 72, categorizing it as an 'average risk' broker. These scores help potential investors assess the reliability of these platforms before deciding which might better suit their trading needs.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
Tickmill and Octa both compete on low costs, but they land in different places. Tickmill earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Commissions & Fees, while Octa earns 4 stars and ranks #30 out of 63. Tickmill’s advantage comes from its tight spreads plus a per‑trade commission on its Raw account. Octa has improved its pricing and advertises strong execution quality (97.5% of orders with no slippage) and no overnight carry costs, though it imposes rules that can limit high‑frequency strategies.
With Tickmill, the Classic account is commission‑free but carries wider average spreads (about 1.76 pips as of August 2023). The Raw account—now replacing the Pro and requiring just $100 to start—charges a $3 per side commission ($6 per standard lot) and lists a typical EUR/USD spread of 0.11 pips (October 2023). After factoring in the higher commission (now equivalent to 0.6 pips round‑turn), the indicative all‑in cost on EUR/USD comes to about 0.71 pips during normal market conditions. This keeps Tickmill among the top choices for active and algorithmic traders seeking predictable, low all‑in pricing.
Octa’s costs vary by entity and account. In the EU (MT5), Octa lists an average EUR/USD spread of 0.5 pips; for its foreign entities, the figure is about 0.9 pips. Because Octa doesn’t publish a date range for these averages, like‑for‑like comparisons are harder to pin down. Still, the broker has narrowed the gap with low‑cost MetaTrader peers, while offering no overnight carry costs and broad platform access (MT4/MT5/OctaTrader outside the EU). Bottom line: for the lowest all‑in costs, Tickmill’s Raw account typically has the edge; for spread‑only simplicity and potential savings on overnight positions, Octa can be attractive—just check which entity you’ll trade under.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.70 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | 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.
Comparing the range of investments, Tickmill lists 637 tradeable symbols and 63 forex pairs, while Octa offers 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both brokers provide forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, support copy trading, and let you trade cryptocurrency via CFDs (but not actual coins).
Neither broker lets you buy U.S.-listed shares directly, but Octa does offer access to international exchange-traded securities (not CFDs), which Tickmill does not. Both earn 3.5 stars for Range of Investments, though Tickmill ranks #43 out of 63 brokers and Octa ranks #53. In short: choose Tickmill for a wider list of instruments and forex pairs, or Octa if you want direct access to some international stocks.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 637 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 63 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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.
Tickmill and Octa both check the key boxes for platform access and trading tools. Each broker offers a free demo account for paper trading, Windows desktop software, and a browser-based web platform. MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) are available at both, along with copy trading and the ability to place trades directly from charts. One key difference: Octa also provides its own proprietary platform, while Tickmill sticks to third‑party options like MT4 and MT5.
When it comes to third-party reviews, both earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools from ForexBrokers.com. Tickmill ranks #30 out of 63 brokers in this category, while Octa ranks #38. If you want a broker with a proprietary platform in addition to MT4/MT5, Octa may appeal. If you prefer a MetaTrader-focused setup and a slightly higher category rank, Tickmill is a solid pick.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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) | 91 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Tickmill and Octa both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports forex price alerts, includes 30 chart studies, and lets you draw and auto-save trendlines—useful for tracking setups on the go. One shared drawback is watchlists: changes made in the mobile app do not sync with your online account, so you may need to update them in both places.
Both apps earned 4 out of 5 stars from ForexBrokers.com. Tickmill holds a higher category ranking (#30 of 63) compared with Octa (#37 of 63). With nearly identical features, Tickmill gets a slight edge on ranking, while Octa remains a good choice if you already trade there. Either way, iPhone and Android users get practical charting, alerts, and the core tools needed for everyday forex trading.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
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.
Both Tickmill and Octa offer valuable resources for traders seeking market insights, including daily market commentary and forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. While both brokers provide economic calendars to keep traders informed of global events, they differ in their research tool offerings. Tickmill stands out with a sentiment-based trading tool that displays the ratio of long or short positions in currency pairs, a feature not present in Octa's toolkit. Additionally, Tickmill enhances its research capabilities with tools from Acuity Trading, such as Signal Centre, unlike Octa, which does not provide tools from this company.
On the other hand, Octa provides technical analysis tools through Autochartist, a service Tickmill does not offer. Despite these differences, both brokers have achieved a commendable 4-star rating for their research services. However, when considering their standings among 63 brokers listed by ForexBrokers.com, Tickmill ranks slightly higher, coming in at 21st place, while Octa is ranked 27th. This small difference may influence traders who place a premium on research quality and tool variety.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | 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.
Tickmill vs Octa for education: both brokers deliver forex and CFD learning that’s friendly for beginners. Each offers plenty of content, including at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos to help you progress, plus monthly client webinars you can join live. If you like learning through videos, archived sessions, and webinars, both make it easy to study at your own pace.
According to ForexBrokers.com, both earn 4 out of 5 stars for Education, but Tickmill ranks higher overall at 15th out of 63 brokers, while Octa ranks 42nd. In short, both cover the basics well for new traders, yet Tickmill edges ahead in recognition for its education library. If you mainly want beginner videos and regular webinars, either choice works; if ranking matters, Tickmill has the advantage.
| Feature |
Tickmill
|
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 Tickmill is better than Octa. Tickmill finished with an overall rank of #22, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #47.
Tickmill is a run-of-the-mill MetaTrader broker that offers a limited selection of tradeable securities. The broker does offer very competitive commission-based pricing for professionals through its VIP and Pro accounts.
| Feature |
Tickmill
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Octa
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 86 | 72 |
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Online brokers Tickmill and Octa do not support buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both allow traders to trade cryptocurrency via CFDs.
Tickmill vs Octa payment options for deposits and withdrawals: both lack ACH/SEPA but support bank wire transfers; Tickmill also offers PayPal and Skrill, while Octa offers Skrill only, 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 | Tickmill | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Tickmill | Octa | |
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| Regulation | Tickmill | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 72 | |
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Tickmill | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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) | 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) | Tickmill | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Tickmill | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 637 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 63 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | 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 | Tickmill | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.70 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Tickmill | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Tickmill | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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 | Tickmill | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 91 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Tickmill | 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 | Tickmill | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Tickmill | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Tickmill | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Tickmill Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | Tickmill | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Tickmill Review | Octa Review |
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