Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XM Group 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.
XM Group (founded 2009) and Octa (founded 2011) are online brokers that are not publicly traded and are not banks. According to ForexBrokers.com, XM Group earns a 93/99 Trust Score (highly trusted), while Octa scores 73/99 (average risk).
Regulation-wise, XM Group holds 4 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and 3 Tier-2 licenses (trusted), compared with Octa’s 1 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 license. In short, XM Group carries more top-tier oversight and a higher trust rating than Octa.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, Octa has the edge over XM Group. XM Group’s standard account spreads are considered expensive, and it does not publish average spreads for its commission-based XM Zero account, which makes direct cost comparisons harder. XM Group is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #34 out of 36 brokers in this category by ForexBrokers.com.
Octa has improved its pricing a lot and now competes more closely with low-cost MetaTrader brokers. Its fees depend on the account type and the entity under which the account is regulated, with different spread levels for EU and international clients. Octa also advertises no slippage on 97.5% of executed orders and no overnight carry costs, though some trading limits may be less appealing for high-frequency traders. Octa is rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #26 out of 36 brokers.
Overall, Octa looks like the better choice for traders focused on lower costs, while XM Group trails in this area due to pricier spreads and less transparent pricing on its XM Zero account.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
XM Group offers a wider range of investments than Octa, making it the stronger choice for traders who want more market access. XM Group lists 1,429 tradeable symbols and 55 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading, copy trading, and cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual, delivered crypto.
XM Group also stands out for shares trading, since it offers exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while Octa only offers international exchange traded securities. These differences help explain why XM Group scores higher for range of investments, with a 4.5-star rating and a #19 ranking out of 36 brokers, versus Octa’s 3.5 stars and #33 ranking.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1429 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 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.
XM Group and Octa both give traders a solid mix of platform choices, including free demo accounts for practice, desktop downloads for Windows, browser-based trading, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from a chart. In this area, the two brokers look very similar for everyday users who want familiar tools and flexible ways to trade.
The main difference is that Octa also offers its own in-house trading platform, while XM Group does not. Both brokers receive the same 4-star rating for trading platforms and tools, but XM Group ranks a bit higher in ForexBrokers.com’s category list at #27 out of 36 brokers, compared with Octa at #30. For traders who value a broker’s own platform as well as the standard MetaTrader options, Octa has the edge; for overall category rank, XM Group comes out slightly ahead.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
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) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XM Group and Octa both make mobile trading easy for iPhone and Android users, and each app includes stock or forex price alerts, 30 technical studies, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Both brokers also earn a 4-star rating for mobile trading apps, so at a glance they offer a similar level of convenience for traders who want to stay active on the go.
The main difference is in account syncing and chart tools. XM Group lets watchlists sync between its mobile app and online account, which makes it easier to keep track of the same symbols across devices, while Octa does not offer this feature. On the other hand, Octa’s app automatically saves chart drawings, while XM Group does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps rankings, XM Group places higher at #26 out of 36 brokers, compared with Octa at #29.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
XM Group and Octa both give traders useful market research basics, including daily market commentary, forex news from well-known sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. Both brokers also cover the same core needs for staying informed, but XM Group stands out with more built-in research tools. It offers Trading Central features and a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning across currency pairs and other instruments, which can help traders spot trends and market mood more easily.
Octa has some strong points of its own, including Autochartist tools for technical and fundamental analysis, which XM Group does not offer. Even so, XM Group gets the edge overall for research, with a 5-star rating and a #8 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with Octa’s 4-star rating and #24 ranking. In short, both brokers provide solid research coverage, but XM Group offers a wider range of tools and a higher overall research score.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | 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.
For beginners looking for learning support, both XM Group and Octa offer a wide mix of forex and CFD education. Each broker provides at least 10 education pieces on trading topics, hosts online client webinars at least once a month, and includes 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos. In other words, both platforms give new traders plenty of material to start with and room to keep learning as their skills grow.
That said, XM Group stands out more clearly on overall education quality. It earns 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #5 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Education category, while Octa is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #32. If you want the stronger pick for beginner-friendly educational support, XM Group has the edge over Octa.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
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 XM Group is better than Octa. XM Group finished with an overall rank of #16, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #34.
XM Group is a MetaTrader-only broker that offers a strong selection of high-quality educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 93 | 73 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Trading Fees |
|
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
XM Group vs Octa: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both allow traders to buy and trade cryptocurrency CFDs.
XM Group vs Octa: neither supports ACH/SEPA or PayPal for deposits or withdrawals, both support Skrill and bank wire transfers, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
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 | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | 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) | No | 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) | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1429 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 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 | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XM Group | 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 | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XM Group | 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 | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | XM Group Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | Octa Review |
IG
FOREX.com
CMC Markets
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill