Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ThinkMarkets 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.
ThinkMarkets and Octa are both reputable online brokers, each having unique strengths and regulatory backgrounds. ThinkMarkets, founded in 2010, boasts a high Trust Score of 92 according to ForexBrokers.com, categorizing it as highly trusted. This can be attributed to its five Tier-1 licenses, the most prestigious regulatory status, and two Tier-2 licenses. ThinkMarkets is not publicly traded nor a bank, but its strong regulatory compliance provides a sense of security for users.
Octa, established in 2011, holds a Trust Score of 72, placing it in the average risk category. It has one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license, indicating it meets trusted regulatory standards, but at a lesser degree than ThinkMarkets. Similar to its counterpart, Octa is neither publicly traded nor a bank. While Octa presents itself as a viable trading platform, potential users might consider the differences in regulatory backing as an important factor in their decision-making process.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
ThinkMarkets and Octa both offer competitive commissions and fees, earning each a solid four-star rating. ThinkMarkets, however, lacks available data on average spreads, making it difficult to precisely compare their pricing efficiency. This limitation places ThinkMarkets at a rank of 48 out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category according to ForexBrokers.com.
Octa, on the other hand, has made significant strides to enhance its pricing structure, moving closer to becoming one of the most cost-effective MetaTrader brokers. With an impressive 97.5% of its orders executed without slippage and the absence of overnight carry costs, Octa has strengthened its position. However, restrictions are in place that may impact high-frequency traders. These improvements have contributed to Octa's better standing, achieving a rank of 28 out of 62 brokers in the same category.
While ThinkMarkets does not provide average spread data, Octa's spread pricing does vary depending on the regulatory entity governing the account. For instance, the EU entity offers a slightly more competitive spread for the EUR/USD pair at 0.5 pips, compared to 0.9 pips from its foreign entities. Despite these pricing enhancements, the absence of a date range for the spread data necessitates caution when making direct comparisons. Clients should consider these differences to determine which broker aligns best with their trading needs.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $25 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | 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) | 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 available at ThinkMarkets and Octa, there are several differences to note. ThinkMarkets offers a larger selection of tradeable symbols, providing access to 4,000 compared to Octa's 257. Both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, with ThinkMarkets featuring 46 tradeable forex pairs, exceeding Octa's 35 pairs. While neither broker allows direct investment in U.S. exchange-traded securities like Apple shares, they both offer opportunities to trade international exchange securities like Vodafone. This showcases ThinkMarkets' broader spectrum of available assets.
Both ThinkMarkets and Octa facilitate copy trading and offer cryptocurrency derivatives rather than direct cryptocurrency purchases. However, ThinkMarkets stands out in the range of investments category with a rating of 4.5 stars and a ranking of #21 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Octa holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks at #52, indicating a narrower spread of investment opportunities. Overall, ThinkMarkets seems to provide a more diverse selection for investors, which could appeal to those seeking a wider array of trading options.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 257 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 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). | 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.
ThinkMarkets and Octa are both strong contenders for traders seeking comprehensive platform options and useful trading tools. Both brokers come equipped with simulated trading via demo accounts, proprietary platforms, and Windows-based desktop platforms. Their web-based platforms enhance accessibility, and they support copy trading, as well as MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 applications. However, neither broker offers DupliTrade or ZuluTrade for those interested in these specific services.
In terms of trading utilities, ThinkMarkets and Octa each provide 15 drawing tools for charting and facilitate trading directly from stock charts. Where they diverge is in their watch list feature: ThinkMarkets offers 15 columns, providing more extensive tracking options compared to Octa's 7 columns. Both platforms receive a four-star rating for their trading tools, yet ThinkMarkets ranks slightly higher at #27 compared to Octa's #37 in ForexBrokers.com's evaluation. This distinction may provide an edge for users focused on comprehensive toolsets in their trading experience.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
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 | 15 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ThinkMarkets and Octa both offer mobile trading apps available for iPhone and Android users. These apps provide essential features like price alerts and real-time watchlists. One notable difference is in their charting capabilities; ThinkMarkets offers a more extensive selection of technical studies with 94 options compared to Octa's 30. Both apps let users draw trendlines and view multiple time frames on stock or forex charts, and they conveniently auto-save these drawings.
While both brokers lack watchlist symbol syncing with online accounts, they each have strong ratings for their mobile experiences, both earning four out of five stars. However, when considering the overall mobile app performance, ForexBrokers.com ranks ThinkMarkets at #20 out of 62 brokers, showing a stronger standing compared to Octa's ranking at #36. Despite these differences, both platforms offer functional tools for traders on the move.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 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 ThinkMarkets and Octa for their market research offerings, both brokers provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. However, the two platforms differ in their approach to analysis tools. Octa users benefit from Autochartist, offering technical and fundamental analysis tools, while ThinkMarkets lacks this feature. On the other hand, ThinkMarkets provides a sentiment-based trading tool that Octa does not, which displays a ratio of long or short positions across various instruments.
Additionally, ThinkMarkets stands out by offering research tools from Acuity Trading, such as Signal Centre, which are not available with Octa. Both platforms include an economic calendar to keep users updated on global news events. Despite these differences, Octa edges ahead in overall research ratings, scoring 4 stars compared to ThinkMarkets' 3.5 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, Octa ranks #26 out of 62 brokers for research, while ThinkMarkets is positioned at #50. This comparison highlights how Octa might be more appealing to those prioritizing comprehensive research tools and a higher research rating.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available for beginners at ThinkMarkets and Octa, both online brokers provide a comprehensive suite of educational materials designed to help new traders navigate the forex and CFD markets. Both offer a range of articles, videos, and archived webinars focused on these trading types, ensuring beginners have access to ample learning content. Additionally, both platforms regularly host live webinars and maintain searchable archives of previously recorded sessions, enabling users to engage and learn at their own pace.
While both brokers deliver a variety of beginner and advanced educational videos and include a dictionary with over 50 investing terms, Octa emerges as the slightly more favored platform. With a 4-star rating in education compared to ThinkMarkets’ 3.5 stars, Octa is ranked 41st out of 62 brokers for its educational resources, placing it above ThinkMarkets, which is ranked 52nd. These ratings suggest Octa may offer an edge in optimizing educational content for traders who are just starting.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
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 ThinkMarkets is better than Octa. ThinkMarkets finished with an overall rank of #27, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #47.
ThinkMarkets has multiple regulatory license and offers a proprietary trading platform, as well as the entire MetaTrader suite. The broker has made progress in key areas, such as research and education, and the range of markets available, although trails behind the best brokers in these categories.
| Feature |
ThinkMarkets
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 72 |
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Both ThinkMarkets and Octa do not offer the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency, but each provides the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both ThinkMarkets and Octa do not support ACH or SEPA transfers or PayPal for deposits and withdrawals, but they do offer Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wire options for these 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 | ThinkMarkets | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | ThinkMarkets | Octa | |
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| Regulation | ThinkMarkets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 92 | 72 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ThinkMarkets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | ThinkMarkets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4000 | 257 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 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). | 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 | ThinkMarkets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | ThinkMarkets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $25 | |
| 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 | ThinkMarkets | 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 | ThinkMarkets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 15 | 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 | ThinkMarkets | 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 | 94 | 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 | ThinkMarkets | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ThinkMarkets | 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 | ThinkMarkets | 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 | ThinkMarkets | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 92 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Octa Review |
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