Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Admirals 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.
Admirals was established in 2001 and Octa in 2011, making Admirals the more seasoned player in the online brokerage landscape. Neither of the brokers is publicly traded or operates as a bank. When considering their regulatory strength, Admirals holds four Tier-1 licenses, recognized as highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com, along with three Tier-2 licenses. In contrast, Octa has one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license.
In terms of trust and reliability, Admirals receives a Trust Score of 93 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the highly trusted category. Octa, on the other hand, scores a Trust Score of 72, indicating average risk. As such, Admirals offers a more reassuring regulatory environment for traders compared to Octa.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 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 |
Admirals offers competitive pricing for its customers, featuring typical spreads of 0.8 pips on the Trade account. This favorable pricing extends to the Zero account type as well, making Admirals an attractive option for traders focused on cost efficiency. Admirals earns a commendable 4.5-star rating for its commissions and fees, securing the 17th spot out of 62 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com. This ranking highlights Admirals' position as a leading choice for traders who prioritize low costs.
Octa, on the other hand, has made significant strides in improving its pricing structure, closing the gap with some of the lowest-cost MetaTrader brokers on the market. Boasting a 97.5% rate of executing orders without slippage and no overnight carry costs, Octa provides a distinctive trading environment. However, potential restrictions for high-frequency traders might be a consideration. Octa's overall rating for commissions and fees stands at 4 stars, ranking it 28th among the 62 brokers evaluated by ForexBrokers.com.
While Admirals maintains a consistent spread of 0.8 pips, Octa offers variable spreads depending on the regulatory entity. The EU entity provides an average spread of 0.5 pips for the EUR/USD pair, outperforming its foreign counterparts' average of 0.9 pips. However, Octa does not provide date-specific data for its spread claims, making precise comparisons challenging. Though Octa continues to enhance its pricing strategy, Admirals currently holds a slight edge in the cost department based on transparent and date-referenced pricing information.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $25 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | 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.
Admirals and Octa both offer extensive opportunities for forex trading, providing clients with access to forex CFDs and spot contracts. Admirals shines with a much broader selection, offering 8,702 tradeable symbols compared to Octa's 300. In the landscape of forex pairs, Admirals also takes the lead, presenting 82 pairs while Octa offers 35. Admirals provides access to exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, allowing clients to directly invest in companies like Apple and Vodafone. Meanwhile, Octa offers access to international exchange-traded securities but doesn't extend this to U.S. markets.
Both brokers enable investors to explore the world of cryptocurrency derivatives, although purchasing actual cryptocurrencies isn't an option. Copy trading is available on both platforms, offering users a chance to emulate successful strategies. Admirals has earned a rating of 4.5 stars for its range of investments, ranking 19th out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Conversely, Octa has a rating of 3.5 stars, placing 52nd in the same category. Overall, Admirals presents a more extensive suite of investment opportunities, making it an appealing choice for investors seeking variety and accessibility across global markets.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 35 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
When comparing Admirals and Octa for their trading platforms and tools, both brokers provide a comprehensive trading environment suited for various trader needs. Admirals and Octa alike offer simulated or virtual demo accounts, proprietary platforms alongside popular MetaTrader 4 and 5 access, and support for Windows-based as well as web-based trading platforms. Both platforms also facilitate copy trading, allowing users to replicate the trades of seasoned investors. Despite these similarities, Admirals distinguishes itself with an impressive array of 106 drawing tools for charting, compared to Octa's 15. Both brokers provide users the ability to trade directly from stock charts and share a similar watch list configuration with 7 columns for fields.
In terms of overall performance, Admirals and Octa both earn a respectable four-star rating for their trading platforms and tools. However, they differ in industry recognition, with Admirals ranked 19th by ForexBrokers.com out of 62 brokers, while Octa ranks 37th in the same category. This distinction may reflect Admirals' advanced charting capabilities which could be a deciding factor for traders who prioritize more comprehensive analytical tools. Regardless of these nuances, each broker offers a reliable and feature-rich environment for online trading.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 106 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both Admirals and Octa provide traders with mobile apps for iPhone and Android, featuring essential tools like stock or forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Users of both platforms can explore charts with 30 technical studies and different time frames, which makes analyzing market trends more accessible. Additionally, the mobile apps auto-save chart drawings, ensuring that your technical analysis remains intact without the need for manual saving. Admirals and Octa also allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes, crucial for traders who want to monitor market movements efficiently.
Despite their similarities, there are key differences when considering Admirals and Octa for mobile trading. Admirals takes the edge with a higher ranking at #23 compared to Octa's #35 in the Mobile Trading Apps category by ForexBrokers.com, even though both are rated with four out of five stars. However, neither app currently supports watchlist symbol syncing between mobile and online accounts, which might be a consideration for traders wanting a fully synchronized experience. This comprehensive comparison helps users weigh the options for mobile trading apps, highlighting both platforms as capable options for today's traders.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings of Admirals and Octa, both brokers provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Admirals stands out by offering a sentiment-based trading tool that displays the ratio of long or short positions across various currency pairs, a feature Octa does not include. Admirals also provides market research from TipRanks, as well as research tools from Acuity Trading, which further enrich its research capabilities.
On the technical analysis front, Octa offers tools from Autochartist, but lacks offerings from Trading Central. Conversely, Admirals provides access to Trading Central's technical analytics but does not provide Autochartist tools. Both brokers feature an economic calendar to track global news events. Despite these differences, both Admirals and Octa receive a commendable four-star rating for research. However, Admirals is ranked higher at #15, compared to Octa's #26, by ForexBrokers.com, highlighting its competitive edge in research offerings.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both Admirals and Octa provide solid options. Admirals excels by offering a comprehensive range of educational content, including articles, videos, and archived webinars primarily focused on forex and CFDs. They ensure constant learning opportunities through regular online webinars and maintain an easily accessible archive for previously recorded sessions. Admirals provides over ten beginner-friendly videos and even expands their library with more advanced topics for seasoned traders. Additionally, Admirals offers an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms, making it a valuable tool for anyone looking to deepen their knowledge.
Octa matches Admirals in offering a solid educational experience with a similar variety of content, such as articles, videos, and webinars. Like Admirals, they provide over ten introductory educational videos and explore more advanced trading topics. Octa also hosts regular webinars and offers an archive for recorded sessions, along with an investor dictionary featuring more than 50 key investing terms. Although both platforms boast commendable ratings with four stars each for their educational offerings, Admirals claims a superior spot in ForexBrokers.com's rankings, holding the 12th place compared to Octa's 41st position among 62 brokers. This difference might indicate a slightly more refined educational experience at Admirals.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Admirals is better than Octa. Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #47.
Traders choose Admirals for its excellent investor education and advanced MetaTrader features – such as the Supreme add-ons – alongside an extensive range of shares, forex and CFD markets, and premium research content.
| Feature |
Admirals
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Octa
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 72 |
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Both Admirals and Octa provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither platform offers the ability to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies.
In comparing online brokers, Admirals provides greater flexibility for account funding by offering ACH, SEPA, and PayPal options, in addition to Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, whereas Octa supports Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires but lacks ACH, SEPA, and PayPal integration.
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 | Admirals | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 72 | |
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| Review | Admirals Review | Octa Review |
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| Regulation | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 72 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 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) | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | 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) | 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) | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Yes | No |
| Investments | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.8 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 106 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Admirals | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Admirals Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | Admirals | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admirals Review | Octa Review |
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