Octa Broker Review

Octa’s Overall Rating

Octa’s operations in South Africa are licenced by the FSCA, and it supports the MT4, MT5, and OctaTrader platforms. It stands out with low trading costs of 6 USD per lot traded and leverage of up to 1000:1. With three account types requiring a 25 USD minimum deposit and no deposit/withdrawal fees across multiple funding methods, Octa caters to almost all traders. Negative balance protection, educational resources, and innovative tools like Autochartist enhance its appeal. FxScouts gives Octa a high rating of 4.37 out of 5.

Is Octa Safe?

While Octa is not FSCA-regulated, its intermediary in South Africa – Orinoco Capital Pty – is a licensed South African Financial Services Provider.

FSCA-Regulated Intermediary:  In South Africa, traders will be trading with Octa’s intermediary company Orinoco Capital Pty, which has been regulated by the FSCA in South Africa since 2021. In addition, Octa has a good reputation and is regulated by CySEC in Europe.

Safety Features: Octa segregates all funds from the company’s operating capital and offers negative balance protection to all its clients. As South African clients will be trading with an FSCA-regulated company, all complaints are handled by the South African ombudsman using South African laws.

Company Details:

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Octa’s Trading Instruments

Octa offers all of the major classes of trading instruments, but the range of instruments in each class is slightly below the industry average. 

High Leverage: Octa does have 34 cryptocurrencies to trade at 200:1 leverage. This isn’t the largest selection in the world, but it is wider than most other brokers. Leverage is up to 1000:1 for Forex trading and is generally much higher than other brokers across all asset classes.

Full list of Instruments:

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• Forex: Octa only has 52 currency pairs, fewer than some other brokers, but the leverage on Forex pairs is up to 1000:1.
• Indices: There are 10 indices available for trading at Octa. Leverage is up to 400:1 on indices.  
• Commodities: Octa offers trading on 5 commodities: Gold, Silver, Natural Gas, Brent Crude, and WTI crude. Leverage is up to 400:1 on commodities.
• Cryptocurrencies: 34 crypto pairs are available to trade 24/7. These include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, and more. Leverage on crypto pairs is 200:1, higher than most other brokers.  
• Equities: Octa offers trading on 150 equities at 40:1 leverage, a smaller range than other large international brokers. 

Note that traders can only trade on 74 of Octa’s 230 instruments on the MT4 Account, but the full range of instruments is available on the MT5 Account. 

Overall, Octa has fewer instruments for trading than most other brokers but offers all the major asset classes. 

Accounts and Trading Fees

Octa has two trading accounts with very low costs, but we found the rules on leverage restrictive. Each account is linked to a different trading platform but is otherwise similar.

Trading Fees: Both of Octa’s accounts require a minimum deposit of only 25 USD, and each account is associated with a different trading platform (MT4 or MT5). Fees are the same on both accounts.

Account Trading Costs:

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Trading costs at other brokers tend to be 9 USD per lot of EUR/USD, making Octa one of the lowest-cost brokers in the industry. We were also pleased to find that both accounts are swap-free. 

MT4 Account: The MT4 Account requires a minimum deposit of 25 USD, and no commission is charged on trades. Spreads start at 0.6 pips (EUR/USD) and average at 0.7 pips, tighter than other similar brokers. Leverage is up to 1000:1 for Forex trading, and the margin call/stop out is 25%/15%. Metals, indices, and cryptocurrencies are also available to trade, but not equities.

MT5 Account: The minimum deposit is also 25 USD on the MT5 Account. Spreads start at 0.6 pips, and average at 0.7 pips on the EUR/USD, and no commissions are charged. The MT5 trading platform has some extra features, including depth of market, an integrated economic calendar, and full-size tick charts.  Traders can access Octa’s full range of financial instruments on this account.

Deposits and Withdrawals

We were impressed to find that Octa offers a good range of funding methods, and deposits and withdrawals are free and fast.

Like most brokers, Octa does not allow funding to or from third parties. All withdrawal requests from a trading account must go to a funding source in the trader’s name.

Accepted Deposit Currencies: South Africans will be disappointed that Octa only allows trading accounts to be denominated in EUR and USD. Always check the exchange rate when converting from ZAR to other currencies, as hidden conversion fees can make trading expensive and affect profitability.

Funding Methods: Octa does not charge any deposit or withdrawal fees. See below for a list of methods:

• Local Bank Transfer: Traders can transfer funds via an ATM, at the bank, or via a mobile or desktop application. 
• Bitcoin: Check Octa’s site for minimum deposits and withdrawals as this is subject to change.  Deposits are processed within 30 minutes, and withdrawals are processed within 1 – 3 hours.
• Other Cryptocurrency: Check Octa’s site for minimum deposits and withdrawals as this is subject to change.  Deposits are processed within 30 mins, and withdrawals in 1 – 3 hours.  
• Neteller: Minimum deposit is 50 USD, and the minimum withdrawal is 5 USD.  Deposits are processed instantly and withdrawals are processed in 1 – 3 hours.
• Skrill: Minimum deposit is 50 USD and the minimum withdrawal is 5 USD.  Deposits are processed instantly and withdrawals are processed within 1 – 3 hours.  
• Debit Cards/Credit Cards (Visa/Mastercard): The minimum deposit is 50 EUR, and is processed instantly.  Funds cannot be withdrawn to Mastercard.  

Octa’s Mobile Trading Apps

Octa has developed its own app, Octatrader, and supports both the MT4 and MT5 apps.

OctaTrader App

OctaTrader is a well-designed trading app with a slick and easy-to-use layout. It is available on both Android and iOS.

Easy to use: After downloading the app, we found it easy to open new real and demo accounts, manage our leverage, deposit and withdraw funds, and trade on the charts. 

Trader Tools: The newly added Space tool is a customisable trading feed you can adjust to your trading style and interests. Space offers real-time market insight, pattern analysis and technical and fundamental analysis. Other useful tools include a feed of market news and trading ideas from reliable news sources, and a profit calculator. It also features a market monitor so we could keep tabs on our favourite trading instruments. None of these tools are ground-breaking, but they all worked as expected, and the profit calculator took into account the different swap rates on MT4 or MT5.

Customer Support: Support was available 24/5 from inside the app. We found the customer support team helpful and responsive.

The app also lets you manage any bonuses or contest accounts you have open with Octa. Overall, we liked how user-friendly the app is; its simple design will appeal to beginner traders.  

MT4 and MT5 Mobile Trading 

There is some loss in functionality when compared to the desktop versions of these trading platforms, including reduced timeframes and fewer charting options.

Octa’s mobile trading support is good compared to other brokers, with the MT4 and MT5 mobile versions available and the OctaTrader app. 

Other Trading Platforms

Octa has good platform options, including support for MT4, MT5, and OctaTrader. It also has one of the best copy-trading platforms in the industry. 

OctaTrader

MT4 and MT5

The main benefit of using third-party platforms such as MT4 and MT5 is that traders can keep their own customised versions of the platforms should they choose to migrate to another broker. Both MT4 and MT5 are available for Windows, Android, iOS, and web browser.

Overall, Octa’s platform support is about average when compared to other brokers. Additionally, MT4 and MT5 are generally more difficult to set up and are less user-friendly than the web-based platforms available at some other brokers. 

Octa Copy-trading

Octa also offers a copy trading platform free for all accounts. This platform allows beginners to copy the trades of more experienced, successful traders for a small fee per traded lot. Beginners simply find the Strategy Providers they want to follow and click “Copy.” Their positions will be copied automatically. The copy trading service is also user-friendly and well-designed. This function is also available through the mobile app.

The only downside to the copy-trading app is that it is only currently available on Android devices.

Platform Overview 

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Broker

Platform Choice

Copy Trading

Platforms

Octa

4.5/ 5

Yes

MT4

MT5

OctaTrader

Pepperstone

5/ 5

Yes

MT4

MT5

cTrader

TradingView

XM

4.5/ 5

Yes

MT4

MT5

Octa Bonuses

Octa runs several promotional schemes for clients – some of which you don’t even have to spend any money to benefit from:

50% Deposit Bonus

Octa offers a deposit bonus scheme (up to 50% of your deposit) though withdrawing the bonus is conditional on trading activity, using the following formula:

Demo Contests

Octa runs demo account contests on the MT4 platform.  The demo contest runs for 4 weeks and the participant with the largest demo account balance at the end of the period will win 500 USD, with smaller prizes for the rest of the top five. 

Octa 16 Cars Competition

To enter this contest, traders must open an MT4 account and denominate it as their contest account.  Traders then have to make the highest possible profit and traded volume with the best profit/loss ratio.  The closer traders are to the top in these three categories, the higher their chances of winning.  

Trade & Win: Get Gadgets for Trading

The Trade & Win promotion gives traders free prizes and gadgets based on their trading volume. For instance, if you have traded 150 lots with Octa you may be eligible for an Android smartwatch. Other prizes include phones and even laptops.

Opening an Account at Octa

The account opening process at Octa is hassle-free  and accounts are ready for trading immediately. Account verification is only required for withdrawals.

All South African residents are eligible to open an account at Octa if they meet the minimum deposit requirements stipulated by their chosen deposit method.  

Creating an account is straightforward, the process is fully digital, and accounts are available for trading immediately:

New traders will have to click on the “Open Account” button at the top of the page where they will be directed to register an account.    

1. Octa’s intake form requires clients to register an account with an email address and a password.
2. Next, new traders are directed to fill in their personal details (including name, country of residence, email address, birth date). 
3. Traders then need to select their preferred account type (MT4 or MT5), live or demo account, level of leverage, and account base currency.
4. Once this step is complete, traders can make their first deposit via several payment channels and can start trading. 
5. Traders are only required to submit any verification documents to Octa when they want to withdraw funds. These include:
   1. Proof of Identification – Octa accepts all government-issued identification documents such as passports, national ID cards, driving licenses, or other government-issued IDs. 
   2. Proof of Address – Proof of residence/address document must be issued in the name of the Octa’s account holder within the last 6 months and must contain a trader’s full name, current residential address, issue date, and issuing authority. 
6. We advise that you read Octa’s risk disclosure, customer agreement, and terms of business before you start trading. 

Overall, Octa’s account-opening process is fully digital and hassle-free, and accounts are available for trading immediately.   

Trading Tools

Octa has a greater range of useful trading tools than other similar brokers. 

Alongside industry standards such as an Economic Calendar, Profit, and Trading Calculators, Octa also offers an Account Monitoring tool and Autochartist.

• Account Monitoring Tool: The Account Monitoring tool allows traders to monitor any other Octa trader’s account and sort by Balance, Gain, Trades, and Account Type. This tool also allows you to dig into the history of an account so you can learn how the account holder has managed their success. Accounts are only represented by numbers, so all holders remain anonymous.
• Autochartist:  Octa also supports Autochartist, the industry-standard trading signals provider. Autochartist provides traders with automated alerts for opening and closing trades, a volatility analysis tool that allows you to better optimise take-profit and stop-loss levels, and integrated market reports. Autochartist is available on both MT4 and MT5 and requires a minimum balance of 500 USD in your Octa account.  

Trading Tools Comparison:

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Broker

Economic Calendar

Autochartist

Trading Central

Trading View

Free VPS

Octa

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Pepperstone

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

XM

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Overall, Octa offers a good range of trading tools, including Autochartist, one of the best technical analysis tools in the industry. 

Octa For Beginners

The educational material at Octa and its alternative website is good but focused on new traders; for more experienced traders there is little in the way of educational support. Customer support is competitive but where Octa really shines is in the research and market analysis available.

Educational Material

The educational materials available at Octa are more comprehensive and in-depth than what is available at other brokers, but it is more geared toward beginners than experienced traders.  

Trading Tiger Academy: Octa  launched tradingtiger.pro, an online trading academy for new traders. The site features a range of short tutorials covering everything you need to know to get started – from Forex Fundamentals to Predicting the Market. Each tutorial is a mix of video and text and is well-packaged and easy to understand; learners are tested frequently on the material and the entire website is free of charge. Overall, an excellent resource for beginners traders and we hope Octa considers expanding it to include intermediate and advanced courses and brings the course in-house. 

Forex Basics: Back on Octa’s main website, the in-house education section is anchored by a collection of articles collectively called Forex Basics. Article topics range from explainers on ECN trading and Risk Management to Technical Analysis and Trading Strategies as well as more advanced concepts such as Pair Correlations and Fibonacci Retracements. These articles are detailed and well-written and offer valuable advice for new and intermediate traders.

Octa is also very active on YouTube, with a range of live trading sessions and webinars taking place on a regular basis. In addition, a workshop for novice traders is held every Saturday. 

Tutorials: Also on the main site, there is a short Tutorial section covering the MetaTrader platforms, CopyTrading, Autochartist, and CFDs, and a Video Tutorial section focused on getting started with MetaTrader. Finally, there is a FAQ section and a useful glossary of Forex trading terms. The education section also has links to the Manuals for the different platforms Octa supports (MT4 ad MT5).

Overall, Octa’s educational materials are some of the best in the industry, but it could look at including content that is more suitable for advanced traders.  

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Broker

Beginner Course

Advanced Course

Well Structured Education

Education Quality

Webinars

Octa

Yes

No

Yes

Medium

Yes

Pepperstone

Yes

Yes

Yes

Medium

Yes

XM

Yes

Yes

Yes

High

Yes

Analysis Material

Like its education section, the market analysis materials available at Octa are better than most other brokers. 

Market Insights: Octa has an excellent Market Insights section which is updated frequently. Regular posts include a Daily Forecast, a Daily Review, and Weekly Review. These posts frequently offer predictions of future market movements – but be cautious and do your own research before acting on any predictions.

Octa YouTube Channel: The Market Insights section also has a daily video series, uploaded to the Octa YouTube channel, called Market in a Minute, which covers all the big news from the Forex markets for the preceding trading day. In addition to all these regular updates, there are irregular short pieces published in reaction to trading events with detailed technical insight.

Forex News: Octa also hosts a Forex News section, with short briefings on all the major news stories affecting the Forex markets, this is updated over the weekend and the articles are well-written and concise. These briefings are offered without any suggestion of how the events will affect the markets.

Customer Support

Octa customer support is open 24/7 via live chat and 24/5 via phone (with local numbers for the UK, Hong Kong, and Indonesia), email, WhatsApp, and Telegram.

Additionally, the Finance Department is open from 06:00 – 22:00 (EET), and the customer verification department is open from 08:00 – 17:00 (EET) for account setup and troubleshooting queries.

We found the support team very responsive, but uninformed.  It was difficult to find answers to our questions about the swap fees of the MT5 account.

Regulation and Industry Recognition

Regulation:

Regulation: With a global reach, Octa is subject to regulation from multiple authorities, including FSCA, MISA, and CySEC, reflecting the diverse regulatory landscape governing the activities undertaken by Octa.

The following is a list of licenses owned by Octa:

• Octa Markets Cyprus Ltd. is authorized and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) under license number 372/18.
• Octa Markets Ltd. is authorized and regulated by the Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) with license number HY00623410, and international broker and clearing house license number: T2023320.
• Orinoco Capital (Pty) Ltd. holds Financial Services Provider (FSP) license number 51913 from the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa.

Industry Recognition: Octa has received much industry recognition in recent years, winning Best Forex Broker 2023 (allforexrating.com), Most Transparent Broker 2023 (fxdailyinfo.com), Best Client Funds Security Indonesia 2023 (World Business Stars Magazine), Best Educational Broker 2023 (Global Forex Awards), Most Reliable Broker Asia 2023 (Global Forex Awards), and Best Forex Broker South Africa 2023 (Global Banking and Finance Review).

FxScouts has also given Octa the award for Best Forex Copy Trading Platform 2021 for its innovative approach to copy trading.  

Evaluation Method

We value transparency and openness in the way we review the partners. To bring transparency to the forefront, we have published our review process. Central to that process is the evaluation of the reliability of the broker, the platform offering of the broker and the trading conditions offered to clients, which are summarised in this review. Each one of these is graded, and an overall score is calculated and assigned to the broker.

Octa Disclaimer

Trading Forex is risky, and each broker is required to detail how risky the trading of Forex CFDs is to clients. Octa would like you to know that: Forex margin trading involves substantial risks. Forex margin trading exposes participants to risks including, but not limited to, changes in political conditions, economic factors, acts of nature and other factors, all of which may substantially affect the price or availability of one or more foreign currencies.

Overview

Octa is a decent all-around broker with two glaring problems. The first is the lack of decent regulation, which for many traders will mean an immediate end to their interest. Secondly, Octa has a limited range of financial instruments, although, in October 2022, it added a range of equities to its offering.

Otherwise, Octa is good or excellent across the most important areas. Octa’s trading costs are some of the lowest in the industry, and it has no swap fees. Its intuitive yet sophisticated copy-trading platform was the recipient of our Best Copy Trading Award for 2021. It has an excellent analytical section, well-designed education for beginners, world-class trading tools, and a range of exciting bonus options for traders.  Additionally, its customer support is available 24/7, which is exceptional in an industry where the norm is 24/5.

Editorial Team

 

Chris Cammack
Head of Content

Chris joined the company in 2019 after ten years experience in research, editorial and design for political and financial publications. His background has given him a deep knowledge of international financial markets and the geopolitics that affects them. Chris has a keen eye for editing and a voracious appetite for financial and political current affairs. He ensures that our content across all sites meets the standards of quality and transparency that our readers expect.

 

Alison Heyerdahl
Senior Financial Writer

Alison joined the team as a writer in 2021. She is the Senior Editor for FXScouts.  She has a medical degree with a focus on physiotherapy and a bachelor’s in psychology. However, her interest in forex trading and her love for writing led her to switch careers. She has a passion for Forex trading and over a decade of editorial experience researching Forex and the financial services industry, producing high-quality content. She hosts a weekly podcast, “Let’s Talk Forex,” alongside her colleague, Chris, and has produced over 100 Forex educational videos for the FXScouts YouTube channel. She also writes weekly technical analyses and has tested and reviewed over 100 Forex brokers.

 

Ida Hermansen
Financial Writer

Ida joined our team as a financial writer in 2023. She has a degree in Digital Marketing and a background in content writing and SEO. In addition to her marketing and writing skills, Ida also has an interest in cryptocurrencies and blockchain networks. Her interest in crypto trading led to a wider fascination with Forex technical analysis and price movement. She continues to develop her skills and knowledge in Forex trading and keeps a close eye on which Forex brokers offer the best trading environments for new traders.