Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XM Group vs Octa, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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XM Group and Octa are both well-known online brokers, each established in the early 2010s; XM Group in 2009 and Octa in 2011. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank. However, their trustworthiness, as assessed by ForexBrokers.com, varies significantly. XM Group earns a Trust Score of 88, placing it in the "trusted" category, while Octa scores 72, indicating an "average risk" level.
When it comes to regulatory credentials, XM Group holds more Tier-1 licenses — four in total, reflecting a high level of trust according to industry standards. Meanwhile, Octa holds just one Tier-1 license. Both brokers hold one Tier-2 license each, showing a reliable level of trust. These differences reflect XM Group’s stronger regulatory standing in comparison to Octa.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing online brokers based on commissions and fees, XM Group and Octa both offer their unique advantages. XM Group, rated 4 stars for its commissions and fees, offers a standard account with rather high spreads. Unfortunately, XM Group does not publish average spread data for its commission-based XM Zero account, which can make it difficult for traders to gauge the actual cost of trading. This lack of transparency places XM Group at a rank of #33 out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category by ForexBrokers.com.
Octa, also rated 4 stars, has made significant strides in its pricing model, catching up to some of the lowest-cost MetaTrader brokers. A highlight is its claim of no slippage on 97.5% of executed orders, accompanied by zero overnight carry costs. However, Octa has imposed certain restrictions that may not favor high-frequency traders. Depending on the account type and regulatory entity (either its European, South African, or Mwali offshore entity), the fees and spreads can vary. In the EU, Octa offers a more competitive average spread of 0.5 pips for the EUR/USD pair compared to 0.9 pips from its foreign entities. Despite these improvements, Octa remains at #29, slightly ahead of XM Group in overall ranking.
In summary, both XM Group and Octa offer competitive rates with their 4-star ratings, but they differ in their transparency and suitability for various trading styles. While XM Group provides standard accounts with higher spreads, Octa is continuously refining its cost structure, making it a viable option for cost-conscious traders, especially those using MetaTrader platforms. The choice between these brokers ultimately depends on individual trading needs and the preferred regulatory environment.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $25 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.6 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 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 investment offerings of XM Group and Octa, there are notable differences in the range of options available for traders. XM Group stands out with a total of 1,394 tradeable symbols, surpassing Octa's 300 options. In terms of forex pair offerings, XM Group provides access to 55 pairs, while Octa offers 35. Additionally, XM Group supports trading in exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, enabling clients to purchase shares like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Vodafone (VOD-GB: London Stock Exchange), whereas Octa allows trading only on international exchanges.
Both XM Group and Octa offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts and provide the ability to engage in copy trading as well as trading of cryptocurrency derivatives. However, neither broker offers the purchase of actual delivered cryptocurrency. When it comes to range of investments ratings, XM Group receives a higher score of 4.5 stars compared to Octa's 3.5 stars. This evaluation is reflected in their respective rankings from ForexBrokers.com, where XM Group is ranked #23 out of 62 brokers, and Octa is placed at #52, indicating a broader range of investment options from XM Group.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1394 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 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.
Both XM Group and Octa cater to traders with comprehensive trading platforms and tools, each offering a range of functionalities for optimal trading experiences. Both brokers provide free virtual demo accounts, allowing newcomers to practice before investing real capital. Traders can enjoy access to popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platforms with both brokers. However, a key distinction is that Octa offers a proprietary platform developed in-house, while XM Group does not. Both brokers ensure accessibility with Windows-based desktop and web-based platforms, offering convenience across different devices.
When it comes to advanced trading features, both XM Group and Octa enable copy trading, allowing traders to mimic strategies of successful peers. Additionally, both brokers offer the ability to execute trades directly from stock charts. Despite their similarities, each provides a similar level of charting tools, with 15 drawing tools and similar watch list management capabilities featuring seven columns. XM Group and Octa share a commonality with a respectable four-star rating for their trading platforms and tools. Ranking within the industry sees XM Group positioned slightly higher at #31 compared to Octa at #37 among 62 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | No | 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 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
For those exploring mobile trading apps, both XM Group and Octa offer solid options for iPhone and Android users. These apps provide essential features like stock or forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines, choose multiple time frames on charts, and create watchlists with real-time quotes. Both brokers also offer 30 technical studies for charting, ensuring a comprehensive trading experience on the go. However, XM Group edges ahead with its ability to sync watchlist symbols between the mobile app and online account, allowing for seamless updates across platforms, an option Octa does not provide.
When it comes to user convenience, Octa offers an advantage with its auto-save feature for chart drawings, a capability absent in XM Group's app. Despite these differences, both trading apps are highly rated with four stars. However, XM Group slightly outperforms Octa in ForexBrokers.com's rankings, sitting at position #29, while Octa finds itself at #35 out of 62 brokers evaluated. Ultimately, each app presents strong functionalities for traders seeking to manage their portfolios from their mobile devices.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
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 | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing XM Group and Octa for market research options, both offer daily market commentary and access to forex news from high-profile sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. However, XM Group shines with the inclusion of Trading Central tools for technical analysis and a sentiment-based trading tool that helps traders see the ratio of long or short positions across currency pairs. While Octa does provide tools from Autochartist, it lacks the sentiment-based tool that XM Group offers.
In terms of additional features, both brokers provide an economic calendar to keep traders informed about global news events, but neither offers market research from TipRanks or Acuity Trading. When it comes to overall research quality, XM Group takes a higher spot with a 5-star rating and an impressive ranking of #8 by ForexBrokers.com out of 62 brokers. Octa, on the other hand, receives a 4-star rating and is positioned at #26, making XM Group a more comprehensive choice for those prioritizing research capabilities.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
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 | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
XM Group and Octa both provide a variety of educational resources aimed at helping beginners navigate the world of forex and CFD trading. Each broker offers more than 10 articles, videos, and archived webinars that cover key trading topics. Additionally, both XM Group and Octa conduct regular online webinars, ensuring that at least one is held every month. These webinars are also made available in a searchable archive for easy access to past sessions. Beginners can benefit from 10 or more specialized videos targeting newbie traders, offered by both brokers. For more experienced traders, advanced educational videos are also available in abundance, making both platforms well-prepared to cater to traders at different skill levels.
While XM Group and Octa are on par in many educational aspects, there are some differences. Octa distinguishes itself by offering an investor dictionary with more than 50 definitions of essential investing terms, a feature not available with XM Group. However, when it comes to overall educational quality, XM Group takes a slight lead with a 5-star rating compared to Octa's 4-star rating. Furthermore, XM Group is ranked 7th in the Education category by ForexBrokers.com, significantly higher than Octa's position at 42nd out of 62 brokers. Both platforms excel in providing educational support, but XM Group seems to offer a more comprehensive and highly-rated learning experience for beginners.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
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) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that XM Group is better than Octa. XM Group finished with an overall rank of #17, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #47.
XM Group is a MetaTrader-only broker that offers a strong selection of high-quality educational content and market research.
| Feature |
XM Group
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Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 88 | 72 |
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Neither XM Group nor Octa provide the option to purchase actual cryptocurrency, but both offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both XM Group and Octa offer Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wire options for depositing or withdrawing account funds, while none support ACH, SEPA, or PayPal 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 | XM Group | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 88 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | Octa Review |
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| Regulation | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 88 | 72 | |
| Year Founded | 2009 | 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 | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | XM Group | 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) | 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) | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1394 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 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 | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.6 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $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 | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | No | 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 | XM Group | 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 | XM Group | 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 | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XM Group | 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) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XM Group | 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 | XM Group Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | XM Group | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 88 | 72 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | Octa Review |
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