Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trade Nation 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.
Founded in 2014, Trade Nation offers investors a sense of security, holding two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license. Although not publicly traded or a bank, Trade Nation's regulatory prowess contributes to its respectable Trust Score of 85 out of 99, as assessed by ForexBrokers.com. This score places them comfortably in the "trusted" category, reflecting their reliable standing among online brokers.
In comparison, Octa, established in 2011, has a slightly different regulatory landscape. It holds one Tier-1 and one Tier-2 license, supporting a Trust Score of 72. While also not publicly listed or a bank, Octa's score aligns it with the "average risk" category, suggesting a cautious approach for prospective investors. Both brokers offer secure environments, but Trade Nation edges out when considering regulatory trustworthiness and scores.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
Trade Nation is recognized for its competitive fee structure, offering fixed-spread pricing across all tradeable symbols on its proprietary platform, while also supporting variable-spread pricing on its MetaTrader platform. One of the notable features of Trade Nation is its fixed spreads, with a rate of 0.6 pips for the EUR/USD pair, although this can briefly widen to 1.4 pips during the rollover period, bringing the approximate average to around 1 pip. The broker provides three main account types: a commission-based Raw Spread account on MetaTrader, a commission-free MetaTrader account, and the TN Trader account, which is known for presenting the lowest spreads among the options when factoring in all costs. Trade Nation has earned a commendable 5-star rating for commissions and fees, placing it at 7th out of 62 brokers in this category according to ForexBrokers.com.
Comparatively, Octa has significantly improved its pricing structure recently, aligning closer to the most affordable MetaTrader brokers. Octa differentiates itself by offering no slippage on 97.5% of orders and eliminating overnight carry costs, though some restrictions may affect high-frequency traders. The fees at Octa depend heavily on the account type and which of its entities regulates the account. In the EU, where only MT5 is available, a single account type is offered, while non-EU entities provide accounts for both MT4 and MT5 as well as OctaTrader. Octa’s spread pricing differs by entity; the EU entity offers a lower average spread of 0.5 pips for the EUR/USD pair, compared to 0.9 pips from its other entities. Despite these variations, Octa offers no dated range for its spread data, which limits the capacity for exact comparison. Octa is ranked 29th out of 62 brokers in the commissions and fees category, with a 4-star rating.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.6 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.6 | 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 available at Trade Nation and Octa, both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. Trade Nation provides access to a greater number of tradeable symbols, with 1,000 options compared to Octa's 300. In terms of forex pairs, Trade Nation again leads with 46 pairs, while Octa offers 35. However, neither broker allows direct purchase of exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, though Octa enables access to international exchanges for buying stocks like Vodafone.
Both brokers support copy trading and offer cryptocurrency derivatives, though neither allows for the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies. In terms of ratings for their range of investments, each broker scores 3.5 stars. Despite this equal rating, Trade Nation holds a higher ranking at 38th out of 62 brokers, while Octa comes in at 52nd according to ForexBrokers.com. Both brokers offer unique investment opportunities, but Trade Nation provides a broader selection of tradeable symbols and forex pairs, whereas Octa offers access to some international securities.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1000 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 35 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | 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 online brokers for their trading platforms and tools, Trade Nation and Octa stand out in several aspects. Both brokers provide simulated trading with free demo accounts, which is great for beginners to practice without risk. Each also offers proprietary platforms, desktop downloads for Windows, and convenient web-based trading options, ensuring users have multiple ways to trade. Copy trading, a feature that lets traders mirror the trades of others, is available on both platforms, and they each support MetaTrader 4, a popular choice among Forex traders. However, only Octa offers MetaTrader 5, an advanced version preferred by some for its additional features.
In terms of charting tools, Trade Nation offers a more extensive selection with 39 drawing tools compared to Octa's 15. Octa, on the other hand, allows traders the functionality of trading directly from stock charts, a feature not available with Trade Nation. When it comes to customizing watch lists, Trade Nation provides 14 columns, offering more flexibility than Octa's 7 columns. Both brokers receive a solid rating of 4 stars for their trading platforms and tools, with Octa slightly ahead in rankings at #37 compared to Trade Nation's #45 according to ForexBrokers.com. These ratings reflect their comprehensive offerings, highlighting some differences that may influence trader preferences.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
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) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 39 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 14 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of Trade Nation and Octa, both offer iPhone and Android applications, complete with real-time price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on stock or forex charts. Both platforms also allow users to view multiple time frames for charts and automatically save any drawings made. However, Trade Nation takes a lead with its watchlist symbol syncing, ensuring your watchlists sync seamlessly between your mobile and online accounts, a feature that Octa lacks.
In terms of charting, Trade Nation offers a wider array of technical studies, providing 99 options compared to Octa's 30. This might be attractive to users who rely heavily on technical analysis. Both apps have a respectable four-star rating for their mobile trading experience, though Octa holds a slightly better rank of 35 out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, whereas Trade Nation is positioned at 45. Ultimately, both apps provide strong functionalities for traders on the go, with each having their own strengths catering to slightly different trader preferences.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 99 | 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.
Trade Nation and Octa both excel in providing daily market commentary and offer forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders stay informed with reliable information. However, when it comes to advanced research tools, Octa takes the lead by integrating Autochartist, which aids in technical and fundamental analysis. This makes Octa a favorable option for traders seeking comprehensive tools to enhance their strategies, unlike Trade Nation, which does not offer resources from Autochartist or Trading Central. Additionally, Trade Nation users have access to sentiment-based trading tools that display the ratio of long and short positions, offering insights into market tendencies, a feature not found with Octa.
On the other hand, Octa shines in providing an economic calendar to keep traders updated on critical global economic events, a feature Trade Nation lacks. When evaluating overall research offerings, Octa scores slightly higher with a 4-star rating compared to Trade Nation's 3.5 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com rankings, Octa holds the 26th position among 62 brokers for research capabilities, significantly ahead of Trade Nation, which stands at 42nd. This indicates that while both brokers have strong research foundations, Octa’s additional tools and resources give it an edge for traders looking for a broader scope of market analysis.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
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 | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing Trade Nation and Octa, both online brokers provide a welcoming environment for beginner traders with their educational materials. Each platform offers a rich collection of more than 10 resources, including articles, videos, and archived webinars focusing on forex and CFDs. Both brokers ensure newcomers have access to a minimum of 10 beginner videos tailored specifically to ease them into the trading world. Moreover, they provide advanced educational videos for experienced traders and a comprehensive investor dictionary featuring over 50 investing terms to help users understand complex concepts with clarity.
However, there are notable differences between them. Octa stands out by offering monthly online educational webinars and a searchable archive of recorded webinars, features that Trade Nation does not provide. These offerings may enhance Octa's educational resources for those who value live interactions and easy access to past learning sessions. This comprehensive approach to education is reflected in Octa's education rating of 4 stars compared to Trade Nation's 3.5 stars. As a result, Octa is marginally ahead in the ForexBrokers.com education ranking, positioned at #41, while Trade Nation follows closely at #42 out of 62 brokers.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
|
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 Trade Nation is better than Octa. Trade Nation finished with an overall rank of #34, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #47.
Trade Nation’s well-designed, easy-to-use trading app is an innovative trading platform that’s great for beginner forex and CFD traders. However, if you’re a seasoned trader, you may find that Trade Nation lacks advanced features compared to the best trading platforms.
| Feature |
Trade Nation
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Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 72 |
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Both Trade Nation and Octa do not offer the option to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do provide opportunities to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both Trade Nation and Octa provide deposit and withdrawal options such as Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but neither offers ACH, SEPA, or PayPal services.
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 | Trade Nation | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trade Nation Review | Octa Review |
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| Regulation | Trade Nation | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 85 | 72 | |
| Year Founded | 2014 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Trade Nation | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Yes | 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) | Trade Nation | 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 | Trade Nation | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1000 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | 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 | Trade Nation | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.6 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.6 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Trade Nation | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $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 | Trade Nation | 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) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Trade Nation | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 14 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 39 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | No | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Trade Nation | 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 | 99 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | Trade Nation | 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 | No | Yes |
| Education | Trade Nation | 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 | Trade Nation | 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 | Trade Nation Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | Trade Nation | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Trade Nation Review | Octa Review |
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