Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Octa vs GBE brokers, 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 GBE Brokers both provide online trading platforms but differ slightly in terms of regulatory credentials and trust ratings. Founded in 2011, Octa holds one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license, giving it a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 72 out of 99. This places Octa in the average risk category, offering users a mix of reliability and caution. The company is not publicly traded and does not operate as a bank.
GBE Brokers, established in 2013, also holds one Tier-1 license but lacks Tier-2 licensing, resulting in a slightly lower Trust Score of 71 out of 99. Like Octa, GBE Brokers is not listed on any stock exchange and does not identify as a banking institution. While both brokers share similar attributes and face comparable trust ratings, potential investors might consider Octa's additional Tier-2 licensing when evaluating risk and reliability.
| Feature |
Octa
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2013 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When it comes to comparing the commission and fee structures of online brokers Octa and GBE, there are some noteworthy distinctions. Octa has shown significant improvement in pricing over time, making it competitive among the lower-cost MetaTrader brokers. An attractive feature of Octa is the absence of slippage on 97.5% of executed orders, along with no overnight carry costs. However, Octa imposes certain restrictions that may discourage high-frequency traders. While Octa offers different account types dependent on the client's location, the spreads can fluctuate. In the EU, Octa lists an average spread of 0.5 pips for the EUR/USD pair, slightly more favorable than the 0.9 pips observed in their foreign entities. Despite these improvements, the absence of date-referenced spread data can limit precise comparison.
On the other hand, GBE brokers do not provide average spread data, making a direct comparison more challenging. Despite this, GBE brokers continue to maintain a competitive edge, similar to Octa, for traders interested in cost efficiencies. Both brokers have received a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, illustrating that they deliver a satisfactory trading experience in this area.
According to ForexBrokers.com, Octa is ranked #28 out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category, while GBE brokers hold the #36 position. These rankings further highlight Octa's advancements in improving pricing, placing it ahead of GBE in this particular field.
| Feature |
Octa
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $25 | $500 |
| 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 | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| 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 offered by Octa and GBE brokers, both provide comprehensive forex trading options available as CFDs or spot contracts. Octa features 257 tradeable symbols, while GBE brokers boast a more extensive offering of 500 symbols. Forex enthusiasts will find 35 currency pairs to trade with Octa, whereas GBE brokers outshine with 71 pairs, giving more flexibility in choosing forex trades. Despite sharing similarities, such as the ability to engage in copy trading and offering cryptocurrency derivatives, both brokers do not provide access to actual cryptocurrencies or U.S. exchange-traded securities. However, Octa stands out by allowing investments in international securities like Vodafone on the London Stock Exchange, an option not available with GBE brokers.
In terms of ratings, Octa and GBE brokers both receive 3.5 stars for their range of investments. However, GBE brokers are ranked higher at 44th position compared to Octa's 52nd ranking by ForexBrokers.com among 62 brokers. This ranking could indicate a slight edge in perceived investment options, despite their similar star ratings. Overall, both platforms offer a solid choice for online trading, with the decision often coming down to specific investment preferences, such as the desire for more forex trading pairs or access to international exchange-traded securities.
| Feature |
Octa
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 257 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 35 | 71 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| 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 it comes to trading platforms and tools, both Octa and GBE Brokers offer a range of features suitable for traders at any level. Both brokers provide a free virtual demo account, allowing traders to practice without financial risk. Octa stands out with its proprietary platform, developed in-house, which may appeal to traders seeking a unique user experience. Both brokers are equipped with Windows-based desktop downloads and web-based platforms, ensuring flexibility and convenience for their users. Additionally, both provide access to popular MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms and support for copy trading.
Charting tools are comprehensive with each broker offering 15 drawing tools. Direct trading from stock charts is available, enhancing ease of trade execution. Both Octa and GBE Brokers provide seven columns for watch lists, facilitating organized tracking of market movements. Although rated similarly with 4 stars for trading platforms and tools, Octa holds a higher ranking at 37 compared to GBE Brokers' ranking of 57 by ForexBrokers.com. While neither broker offers DupliTrade or ZuluTrade, both receive commendable ratings for their versatile features and accessibility.
| Feature |
Octa
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| 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) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
For those seeking a reliable mobile trading experience, both Octa and GBE Brokers offer apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. Each app provides crucial features like stock or forex price alerts, technical studies, and the ability to draw trendlines. Users can also view multiple time frames on charts and have their drawings saved automatically. In terms of watchlists, both platforms support creating lists with real-time quotes, though they lack symbol syncing across devices. This means changes made on the app won't reflect on the desktop and vice versa.
When it comes to charting capabilities, neither Octa nor GBE Brokers have a clear superiority, as both offer 30 technical studies in their apps. Despite these similarities, Octa takes a higher spot in rankings, being listed at #36 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while GBE Brokers sits at #57. Both apps have garnered a decent rating of 4 out of 5 stars, suggesting that traders are generally satisfied with what they offer, yet some improvements could enhance the user experience further. Whether you're interested in forex or stocks, both brokers deliver essential tools to help manage your trading activities on the go.
| Feature |
Octa
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Octa and GBE Brokers, it's clear that both provide daily market commentary to keep traders informed. However, Octa steps ahead with forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, ensuring their users have access to high-quality information. Moreover, Octa includes tools like Autochartist for technical and fundamental analysis, which GBE Brokers lacks, though GBE does offer a sentiment-based trading tool that Octa doesn't provide.
In terms of additional research tools, neither broker provides resources from companies like Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. Yet, both offer an economic calendar to track key global events. Octa's research strengths earn it a 4-star rating and a spot at #26 in ForexBrokers.com's research rankings, significantly ahead of GBE Brokers, which holds a 3-star rating and ranks #61. This makes Octa a stronger choice for traders who prioritize comprehensive market research.
| Feature |
Octa
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners looking to delve into online trading, Octa clearly stands out compared to GBE Brokers. Octa provides a comprehensive suite of educational tools, including over 10 instructional pieces like articles, videos, and archived webinars focused on forex and CFDs. Additionally, they host monthly webinars to enhance learning and maintain a searchable archive for client convenience. For traders just starting out, Octa offers more than ten beginner-focused videos on various trading topics, alongside an investor dictionary that defines over 50 trading terms, helping newcomers build a strong foundation.
In stark contrast, GBE Brokers offers limited educational content with fewer than ten pieces dedicated to forex and CFDs, and they do not regularly schedule webinars nor maintain an archive of past sessions. Beginner traders with GBE Brokers may find the lack of targeted video content challenging when developing their skills. This difference in educational support is reflected in their respective ratings and rankings; Octa earns a commendable four-star rating for education, landing the 41st spot out of 62 brokers ranked by ForexBrokers.com, whereas GBE Brokers only scores three stars and ranks 62nd. This comparison highlights Octa as a more supportive choice for traders keen to expand their trading knowledge and expertise.
| Feature |
Octa
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| 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 | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Octa is better than GBE brokers. Octa finished with an overall rank of #47, while GBE brokers finished with an overall rank of #56.
Octa offers a basic, low-cost MetaTrader platform experience alongside its social copy-trading platform.
| Feature |
Octa
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GBE brokers
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 72 | 71 |
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Both Octa and GBE brokers provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives but do not offer the capability to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies.
When comparing Octa to GBE brokers, it's important to note that while both offer options for Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires to deposit or withdraw account funds, GBE brokers also provide additional flexibility with ACH, SEPA, and PayPal transfers, which are not available with Octa.
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 | GBE brokers | |
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| Trust Score | 72 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Octa | GBE brokers | |
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| Regulation | Octa | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 72 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2013 | |
| 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 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Octa | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Octa | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 257 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 35 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Octa | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $25 | $500 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Octa | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Octa | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Octa | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Octa | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Octa | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Octa | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Overall | Octa | GBE brokers | |
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| Trust Score | 72 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Octa Review |
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