Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IFC Markets 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.
IFC Markets, established in 2006, and Octa, founded in 2011, offer online trading services but come with varying levels of trust and regulation as per ForexBrokers.com ratings. IFC Markets has a Trust Score of 73, positioning it at an average risk level. It holds one Tier-2 license, indicating a trusted regulatory stance. In contrast, Octa holds a similar Tier-2 license and boasts a Trust Score of 72, also categorizing it within the average risk bracket. However, Octa does hold a Tier-1 license, marking it with a slightly higher regulatory endorsement in terms of trust.
Neither IFC Markets nor Octa is publicly traded or operates as a bank, which may influence their market perception compared to more publicly accountable or bank-affiliated institutions. Potential traders should weigh these aspects when choosing a broker to ensure their trading aligns with personal risk preferences and regulatory comfort levels.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing IFC Markets and Octa on their commissions and fees, IFC Markets is rated with 4 out of 5 stars, ranking at 39th among 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. However, specific average spread data for IFC Markets is not provided, which limits direct comparison on this aspect.
Octa, on the other hand, has also earned a 4-star rating but stands higher in the rankings at 28th out of 62. In recent times, Octa has significantly advanced its pricing by approaching the lowest-cost MetaTrader brokers. With no slippage on 97.5% of its executed orders and the absence of overnight carry costs, Octa provides an appealing offering. However, certain restrictions might affect those who prefer high-frequency trading.
Octa's commissions and fees are influenced by the type of account you choose and the regulatory entity governing your account, whether it's in the EU, South Africa, or Mwali. Spreads are variable, but for instance, Octa's EU entity shows favorable spreads of 0.5 pips for the EUR/USD pair compared to 0.9 pips in its international branches. Although improved, the lack of a date range for Octa's average spread claims means these numbers should be taken with caution.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $25 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.44 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the available range of investments, both IFC Markets and Octa offer forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts, making them viable options for currency traders. IFC Markets provides a larger selection with 630 tradeable symbols, including 49 forex pairs, whereas Octa features 257 symbols with 35 forex pairs. While neither broker offers direct access to U.S. exchange-traded securities like Apple shares, both allow for investments in international exchange-traded securities such as Vodafone. Additionally, both IFC Markets and Octa support copy trading and cryptocurrency derivatives, though they do not offer actual cryptocurrency purchases.
In terms of recognition, both brokers have been assigned a 3.5-star rating for their range of investments. According to ForexBrokers.com, IFC Markets holds a slightly better position at 43rd out of 62 brokers, compared to Octa's rank of 52nd. While they offer similar services, IFC Markets appears to have a broader array of tradeable symbols and a marginally higher ranking in the investment category. Overall, each platform provides essential features for investors, though those looking for a wider variety of symbols may prefer IFC Markets.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 630 | 257 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 35 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | 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). |
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Looking to compare the trading platforms and tools of IFC Markets and Octa? Both brokers offer an impressive range of features that cater to both beginner and experienced traders. Whether you're using a desktop or a web browser, both IFC Markets and Octa provide convenient access through a Windows-based platform and a web-based platform. Traders can also explore simulated trading via free virtual demo accounts offered by each broker. As for the platforms, both companies have developed proprietary platforms in-house and also support popular options like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), but neither offer DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. Additionally, if you're into copy trading, both brokers have you covered.
Charting enthusiasts will appreciate the array of tools provided by both IFC Markets and Octa, including an equal offering of 15 drawing tools for detailed analysis. Both platforms enhance user experience by allowing trades to be made directly from stock charts. When it comes to watchlists, each offers seven fields to help keep your investments organized. With these features, both IFC Markets and Octa receive a solid four-star rating for their trading platforms and tools. However, in terms of ranking by ForexBrokers.com, IFC Markets edges out slightly at #36, compared to Octa's #37 among 62 brokers evaluated.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
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) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
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When comparing the mobile trading apps of IFC Markets and Octa, both offer apps for iPhone and Android, ensuring accessibility for users of both platforms. Each app features stock and forex price alerts, allowing traders to stay updated with market movements. While both platforms provide the ability to create watchlists with real-time quotes and offer extensive charting capabilities with 30 technical studies, IFC Markets stands out by offering watchlist symbol syncing. This feature allows users to seamlessly synchronize their watchlists between mobile devices and desktop accounts, whereas Octa does not offer this capability.
Both brokers' mobile apps permit drawing trendlines and viewing multiple time frames on charts, and they also automatically save your chart annotations. Despite offering similar functionalities, the overall rankings reveal some differences. Both are rated four out of five stars for their mobile trading apps, but ForexBrokers.com ranks IFC Markets at #52 and Octa at #36 out of 62 brokers. While each app excels in usability and features, traders may prioritize Octa's higher industry ranking or IFC Markets' syncing feature based on their personal trading needs.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | 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 IFC Markets and Octa for market research, several distinctions emerge that cater to different trader needs. Both brokers provide daily market commentary and maintain an economic calendar, ensuring users have access to timely updates on economic events. However, Octa goes a step further by offering forex news from prestigious sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, while IFC Markets does not. Moreover, Octa provides tools from Autochartist, valuable for those interested in technical analysis and fundamental research, unlike IFC Markets. On the flip side, IFC Markets stands out with a sentiment-based trading tool, allowing traders to gauge market sentiment through long and short position ratios, which Octa does not offer.
Despite both platforms lacking offerings from TipRanks, Acuity Trading, and Trading Central, Octa takes the lead in research quality, boasting a 4-star rating and ranking 26th among 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. IFC Markets, with a 3.5-star research rating and a 40th position ranking, trails Octa but still provides a solid foundation for market analysis. Depending on a trader's preferences for sentiment analysis or comprehensive news sources, both brokers offer distinct advantages to meet varied market research needs.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | 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 resources offered by IFC Markets and Octa, both provide a solid foundation for beginners with over 10 educational pieces focused on forex or CFDs. These articles, videos, and archived tutorials support new traders in grasping essential concepts. Additionally, both brokers supply a series of over 10 beginner videos designed to guide novices through the trading process. IFC Markets also ranks slightly higher in overall education ratings according to ForexBrokers.com, coming in at #30 compared to Octa’s #41, and holding a 3.5-star rating versus Octa's 4-star rating.
However, one significant difference is in the availability of webinars. Octa hosts regular monthly webinars that are accessible online, along with a searchable archive of past sessions. This offers an interactive and ongoing learning platform for users who value live educational experiences. In contrast, IFC Markets does not offer webinars, live or archived. Both brokers extend their educational support to more seasoned traders with over 10 videos targeting advanced topics, and each provides an investor dictionary with definitions for at least 50 trading terms, enriching the learning experience for users at all levels.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | 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 IFC Markets is better than Octa. IFC Markets finished with an overall rank of #44, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #47.
IFC Markets is a well-established broker that has been in operation for 17 years. Forex traders at IFC Markets gain access to multiple trading platforms, a growing range of tradeable markets, and a balanced offering of research and educational content. However, IFC Markets’ Trust Score suffers due to the broker’s limited range of regulatory licenses.
| Feature |
IFC Markets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 73 | 72 |
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Neither IFC Markets nor Octa offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both provide options for purchasing cryptocurrency derivatives.
In a comparison of online brokers, both IFC Markets and Octa do not support ACH or SEPA transfers and PayPal for deposits or withdrawals, while they offer Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire options, with Octa additionally supporting Skrill for fund transactions.
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 | IFC Markets | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 73 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IFC Markets | Octa | |
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| Regulation | IFC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 73 | 72 | |
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IFC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IFC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | IFC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 630 | 257 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 49 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | 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). |
| Cost | IFC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.44 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IFC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | IFC Markets | 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 | IFC Markets | 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) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IFC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | 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 | IFC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IFC Markets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | IFC Markets | 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 | Octa Review |
| Overall | IFC Markets | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 73 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Octa Review |
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