Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 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.
Trading 212 vs Octa: Trading 212 was founded in 2004, while Octa began in 2011. Neither broker is publicly traded, and neither is a bank.
Regulation and safety: According to ForexBrokers.com, Trading 212 holds three Tier-1 licenses and no Tier-2 licenses; Octa holds one Tier-1 and one Tier-2. On the ForexBrokers.com Trust Score (out of 99), Trading 212 scores 82 (trusted), while Octa scores 73 (average risk). For context: 90–99 highly trusted; 80–89 trusted; 70–79 average risk; 60–69 high risk; below 59 not trusted.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees, Trading 212 and Octa are both rated 4 out of 5 stars, but Octa edges ahead slightly in the rankings. ForexBrokers.com places Trading 212 at #29 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees, while Octa ranks #28 out of 36. Trading 212’s CFD account advertises zero commission, but traders still pay the spread, and its average EUR/USD spread was 2.7 pips in April 2025, which is higher than many competitors.
Octa has improved its pricing and now offers low spreads across different account types, depending on the entity and platform you use. Its EU entity lists an average EUR/USD spread of 0.5 pips, while its international entities list 0.9 pips. Octa also says it has no slippage on 97.5% of executed orders and no overnight carry costs, which may appeal to cost-conscious traders.
In simple terms, Octa looks cheaper on spreads than Trading 212 for CFD and forex trading, especially for the EUR/USD pair. Trading 212 is easy to understand with its zero-commission message, but the spread costs are still relatively high. If low trading costs are your main priority, Octa has the better fee profile overall, though both brokers earn the same 4-star score.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 2.7 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 2.7 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, Trading 212 offers far more choice than Octa. Trading 212 gives access to about 13,000 tradable symbols and 180 forex pairs, while Octa offers around 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both let you trade cryptocurrency CFDs. However, Trading 212 also stands out by letting clients buy actual cryptocurrency, which Octa does not offer.
Trading 212 also supports buying exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, so you can invest in shares like Apple as well as overseas stocks such as Vodafone. Octa only offers exchange traded securities on international exchanges, not U.S. stocks. Octa does have copy trading, which Trading 212 does not. Overall, Trading 212 is rated 5 stars and ranked #14 out of 36 brokers for range of investments, compared with Octa’s 3.5 stars and #35 ranking.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13000 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 180 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
Trading 212 and Octa both give traders a free demo account and a web-based platform, so each makes it easy to practice and trade from a browser. Both also let you place trades directly from a chart, which is helpful if you want a simple, fast way to act on price moves. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars, but Trading 212 is ranked higher overall at #19 out of 36, compared with Octa at #33.
The biggest difference is in platform choice. Octa offers more built-in tools for active traders, including its own proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, copy trading, and support for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Trading 212 does not offer a desktop platform, copy trading, or MetaTrader, and it does not have an in-house platform. For traders who want a broader set of platform options and more ways to follow other traders, Octa has the edge; for those who prefer a simpler browser-based setup, Trading 212 still covers the basics well.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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) | 102 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Trading 212 and Octa both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts, trendline drawing, and automatic saving of chart drawings. Both apps are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading, so at a basic level they each give traders a solid way to manage trades on the go.
That said, Trading 212 has the edge for mobile app features and convenience. Its app includes watchlist symbol syncing, so changes update across mobile and online accounts, while Octa does not. Trading 212 also offers far more charting tools, with 104 technical studies compared with Octa’s 30. This stronger feature set helps explain why Trading 212 ranks higher for mobile trading apps overall, coming in at #17 out of 36 brokers, versus Octa at #31.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 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, Octa has a small edge over Trading 212. Both brokers provide forex news from major sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, and both include an economic calendar for tracking key global events. Trading 212 also stands out for its sentiment tool, which shows the balance of long and short positions across instruments, while Octa offers daily market commentary and Autochartist tools for chart-based and fundamental research.
Overall, Octa is rated higher for research, earning 4 stars and ranking #25 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with Trading 212’s 3.5 stars and #31 ranking. Neither broker offers Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools, so the main differences come down to Octa’s added commentary and Autochartist access versus Trading 212’s sentiment feature.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | 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 | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking to learn the basics, both Trading 212 and Octa offer plenty of starter-friendly video content, including at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos for traders who want to go further. Trading 212 also provides forex or CFD-focused education, with at least 10 learning pieces on those topics, while Octa does as well. That said, Octa stands out for live learning support, since it offers online educational webinars at least once a month, while Trading 212 does not.
When it comes to overall education quality, Trading 212 is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #23 out of 36 brokers in the Education category on ForexBrokers.com. Octa earns a slightly higher 4 out of 5 stars, but it ranks lower at #34 out of 36. In simple terms, Trading 212 may appeal to learners who want a broader mix of on-demand content, while Octa may be better for those who value regular webinars and live guidance.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | 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 Trading 212 is better than Octa. Trading 212 finished with an overall rank of #25, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #37.
Best known for its mobile trading app, Trading 212 offers an easy-to-use trading platform suite for CFD and share trading, as well as a large variety of forex pairs. However, despite its well-designed platform and wide range of symbols, its lack of advanced trading tools and flat research offerings hamper Trading 212’s bid to be considered a top broker.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 82 | 73 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Trading Fees |
|
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Trading 212 vs Octa: Trading 212 lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trade crypto CFDs, while Octa offers only cryptocurrency CFDs and does not provide access to buy real, delivered crypto.
When comparing Trading 212 vs Octa, both brokers support bank wire transfers and neither offers PayPal, while Octa additionally supports Skrill and neither broker appears to offer ACH, SEPA, or Visa/Mastercard 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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 82 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 82 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2004 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA 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) | Trading 212 | 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 | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13000 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 180 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 2.7 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 2.7 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €1 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | No |
| Trading Platforms | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | 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 | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 102 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | No | 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 | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Trading 212 Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | Trading 212 | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 82 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trading 212 Review | Octa Review |
IG
FOREX.com
CMC Markets
XTB
eToro
Capital.com
AvaTrade
XM
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill
HFM Markets