Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Octa vs Xtrade, 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.
Octa and Xtrade are online brokers that were founded in 2011 and 2003, respectively. Both companies are privately owned and are not listed on any stock exchange. Additionally, neither broker functions as a bank. When it comes to regulatory compliance, both Octa and Xtrade hold one Tier-1 license each, deeming them highly trusted according to ForexBrokers.com. They both also have one Tier-2 license, which signifies that they are trusted by the same standards.
In terms of trust scores, Octa and Xtrade are relatively similar. Octa holds a Trust Score of 72 out of 99 on ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the average risk category. Xtrade, on the other hand, has a slightly higher score of 74, also falling under the average risk bracket. This indicates that both brokers maintain a level of compliance and reliability that is generally well-regarded, though there’s room for improvement compared to higher-rated competitors.
| Feature |
Octa
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2003 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
Octa has made notable strides in its pricing strategy, pushing closer to being one of the lowest-cost MetaTrader brokers. While there are ongoing restrictions affecting high-frequency traders, Octa impressively achieves no slippage on 97.5% of executed orders and no overnight carry fees. The commissions and fees you encounter will depend on your account type and the regulatory entity overseeing your account, with spread pricing varying across its EU, South African, and Mwali entities. Notably, the EU entity offers an average spread of 0.5 pips on the EUR/USD pair, which is more competitive than the 0.9 pips available under its foreign entities, though the absence of a date range for typical spread data limits the ability to comprehensively assess Octa's standing among cost-effective brokers. Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks 29th out of 63 in ForexBrokers.com's Commissions and Fees category.
In contrast, Xtrade lacks available data on average spreads, making it challenging to evaluate the exact cost associated with trading through this platform. Xtrade's rating and ranking in the Commissions and Fees category reflect this opacity, earning it a 2.5-star rating and placing it last at 63rd among the same group of brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com. The absence of transparent spread information represents a significant factor contributing to its lower rating and competitive standing, drawing careful consideration for traders mindful of overall cost efficiency.
| Feature |
Octa
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $25 | $250 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.9 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the range of investments between Octa and Xtrade, both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, making them accessible to traders interested in currency markets. However, Xtrade has a slight edge with 482 tradeable symbols compared to Octa's 300. Additionally, for those focusing on forex pairs, Xtrade offers 56 compared to Octa's 35, providing a wider selection for traders who prioritize currency trading. Both brokers, unfortunately, do not provide the ability to buy U.S. exchange traded securities like Apple shares. However, Octa stands out by allowing access to international exchange traded securities, letting clients invest in companies like Vodafone. In terms of cryptocurrency, both platforms offer trading in derivatives rather than the actual cryptocurrencies. Notably, Octa also offers copy trading, providing an opportunity for users to replicate successful strategies, a feature not available with Xtrade.
Despite their differences, both Octa and Xtrade are fairly evenly matched regarding their overall investment offerings, each earning a 3.5-star rating for range of investments. Yet, when it comes to rankings by ForexBrokers.com in the Range of Investments category, Xtrade holds a slightly better position at #49, compared to Octa's #52 out of 63 brokers. This assessment reflects their comparable but distinct offerings, with each platform presenting unique advantages that cater to different trading preferences.
| Feature |
Octa
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 300 | 482 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 35 | 56 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
Octa and Xtrade both offer free virtual demo accounts, allowing traders to practice without risking real money. Each broker has developed its own proprietary platform, catering to users seeking unique trading experiences. Octa provides a comprehensive suite of platforms including a Windows-based desktop application, complementing its web-based trading option. Xtrade, meanwhile, focuses on delivering an accessible experience through its web-based platform. A standout feature of Octa is its support for both MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), popular among traders for their extensive tools and community support. Conversely, Xtrade does not offer these external trading platforms.
When it comes to additional features, Octa supports copy trading, enabling users to mimic the trades of successful traders, a feature absent in Xtrade's offerings. For charting enthusiasts, Xtrade provides a robust set of 100 drawing tools compared to Octa's 15, and allows the ability to trade directly from charts, similar to Octa. In watch list customization, Xtrade edges out with nine available fields compared to Octa's seven. Despite these differences, Octa generally receives a higher rating for its trading platforms and tools, earning four out of five stars, with a ranking of 37 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, as opposed to Xtrade’s 3.5 stars and a rank of 58.
| Feature |
Octa
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | N/A |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 100 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 9 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
If you're looking at mobile trading apps, both Octa and Xtrade have options available on iPhone and Android devices. Octa stands out by providing stock and forex price alerts, allowing users to stay informed on the latest market movements directly from their smartphones. While neither app offers watchlist symbol syncing, Octa compensates with a wider array of charting tools. With 30 technical studies for charting, the Octa app also lets you draw trendlines and view multiple time frames. These features automatically save any drawings, helping Octa users keep track of their analyses without losing vital information.
On the other hand, Xtrade's app lacks several crucial features like stock or forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines or view multiple time frames on charts. Xtrade also does not provide real-time quotes in watchlists. Despite these limitations, both apps receive an overall 4-star rating for mobile trading. However, Octa is ranked higher, coming in at 36th among 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, whereas Xtrade is positioned at 53rd. This comparison highlights Octa's stronger feature set and slightly superior ranking, making it a more versatile choice for mobile trading needs.
| Feature |
Octa
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research tools offered by Octa and Xtrade, Octa seems to have a slight edge. Both platforms provide essential features such as daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. Moreover, they both offer comprehensive economic calendars to keep traders informed of important global events. However, Octa goes a step further by offering technical analysis and fundamental research tools from Autochartist, which are not available on Xtrade. On the other hand, neither platform provides tools from Trading Central or Acuity Trading, nor do they offer sentiment-based trading tools or market research from TipRanks.
Ratings and rankings also reflect these differences in offerings. Octa achieves a rating of 4 stars for Research, while Xtrade is slightly behind with 3.5 stars. Furthermore, Octa is placed at #27 out of 63 brokers in the Research category according to ForexBrokers.com, surpassing Xtrade's #52 ranking. This indicates that traders looking for more advanced research tools might find Octa to be the more favorable choice, especially if the presence of Autochartist tools is a deciding factor.
| Feature |
Octa
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational offerings for beginners at Octa and Xtrade, both brokers provide a solid selection of resources, with each offering more than 10 pieces of educational content like articles and videos on forex and CFDs. Octa takes it a step further by hosting live webinars monthly to engage and educate its clients, a feature Xtrade does not offer. Furthermore, Octa maintains a searchable archive of recorded webinars, allowing beginners to catch up on previous educational content at their leisure, whereas Xtrade lacks this feature. This accessibility makes learning more convenient for newcomers who want flexibility in how they build their trading knowledge.
For those just starting out, Octa provides a comprehensive collection of over 10 educational videos tailored specifically for beginners, a feature that Xtrade does not match. Octa also supports more seasoned traders with an additional set of advanced educational videos, positioning itself as a platform that can grow with its users’ skill levels. Both brokers offer investor dictionaries with over 50 terms, adding clarity for those unfamiliar with trading jargon. Overall, Octa achieves a higher educational rating of 4 stars compared to Xtrade's 3.5 stars and ranks slightly higher at #42 versus Xtrade's #46 according to ForexBrokers.com, making it a more rounded choice for those eager to dive into trading with ample learning tools at their disposal.
| Feature |
Octa
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Octa is better than Xtrade. Octa finished with an overall rank of #47, while Xtrade finished with an overall rank of #60.
Octa offers a basic, low-cost MetaTrader platform experience alongside its social copy-trading platform.
| Feature |
Octa
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 72 | 74 |
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Both Octa and Xtrade provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither platform allows for the purchase of actual delivered cryptocurrencies.
Both Octa and Xtrade provide options for depositing or withdrawing account funds via Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, whereas neither offers ACH, SEPA transfers, nor PayPal as payment methods.
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 | Octa | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 72 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Octa Review | Xtrade Review |
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| Regulation | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 72 | 74 | |
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2003 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | No | |
| 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) | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 300 | 482 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 35 | 56 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.9 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $25 | $250 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 9 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | N/A | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 100 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | No | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Octa | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Octa Review | Xtrade Review |
| Overall | Octa | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 72 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Octa Review | Xtrade Review |
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