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.
Overall
Overall
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XM Group (founded 2009) and Octa (founded 2011) are online brokers that are not publicly traded and are not banks. According to ForexBrokers.com, XM Group earns a 93/99 Trust Score (highly trusted), while Octa scores 73/99 (average risk).
Regulation-wise, XM Group holds 4 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and 3 Tier-2 licenses (trusted), compared with Octa’s 1 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 license. In short, XM Group carries more top-tier oversight and a higher trust rating than 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 | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
In ForexBrokers.com’s commissions and fees review, Octa comes out ahead of XM Group on pricing. Octa has improved a lot in recent years and is now closer to the lowest-cost MetaTrader brokers, though its fees can vary by account type and the entity that handles your account. It also advertises no slippage on 97.5% of executed orders and no overnight carry costs, but some features and limits may not suit high-frequency traders. Octa is rated 4 stars and ranks #27 out of 36.
XM Group, by contrast, is less competitive in this category. Its standard account spreads are considered expensive, and it does not publish average spread data for its commission-based XM Zero account, which makes direct cost comparison harder. XM Group is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #35 out of 36 for commissions and fees.
Overall, Octa is the better choice for traders focused on lower trading costs, while XM Group may appeal more to those who value its platform or account setup over pricing. If commissions and spreads are your main concern, Octa has the stronger fee profile, although its pricing details are not always as transparent as they could be.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 2 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
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XM Group offers a wider range of investments than Octa, making it the stronger choice for traders who want more variety. XM Group lists 1,429 tradeable symbols and 55 forex pairs, compared with Octa’s 300 symbols and 35 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading, copy trading, and crypto CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual delivered cryptocurrency.
One key difference is that XM Group lets clients buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. markets, such as Apple stock, while Octa does not. Both brokers do offer access to shares on international exchanges. Based on overall investment range, XM Group is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #19 out of 36 brokers, while Octa is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #34.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1429 | 300 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 35 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
XM Group and Octa both give traders a wide range of platform choices, including free demo accounts, Windows desktop apps, web-based trading, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from a chart. For most everyday traders, this means either broker can cover the basics well and support both practice trading and live trading across desktop and browser setups.
The main difference is that Octa also offers its own proprietary platform, while XM Group does not. Even so, both brokers earn the same 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking, XM Group places a bit higher at #28 out of 36 brokers, compared with Octa at #31, which gives XM Group a slight edge in this category overall.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
XM Group and Octa both make mobile trading easy for iPhone and Android users, and each offers price alerts, 30 technical studies, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Both brokers also earn a 4-star rating for mobile trading apps, so in basic app features they are fairly close. In addition, XM Group ranks #26 out of 36 brokers for mobile trading apps, while Octa ranks #30.
The main difference is in watchlist syncing and chart drawing saves. XM Group lets watchlists sync between its mobile app and online account, so changes update across both, while Octa does not. On the other hand, Octa automatically saves chart drawings in its app, but XM Group does not. For traders who want watchlists to stay in sync, XM Group has the edge; for those who prefer saved chart markings, Octa may be more convenient.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
XM Group and Octa both give traders useful market research basics, including daily market commentary, forex news from well-known sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. Both brokers also cover the same core needs for staying informed, but XM Group stands out with more built-in research tools. It offers Trading Central features and a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning across currency pairs and other instruments, which can help traders spot trends and market mood more easily.
Octa has some strong points of its own, including Autochartist tools for technical and fundamental analysis, which XM Group does not offer. Even so, XM Group gets the edge overall for research, with a 5-star rating and a #8 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with Octa’s 4-star rating and #24 ranking. In short, both brokers provide solid research coverage, but XM Group offers a wider range of tools and a higher overall research score.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for learning support, both XM Group and Octa offer a wide mix of forex and CFD education. Each broker provides at least 10 education pieces on trading topics, hosts online client webinars at least once a month, and includes 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos. In other words, both platforms give new traders plenty of material to start with and room to keep learning as their skills grow.
That said, XM Group stands out more clearly on overall education quality. It earns 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #5 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Education category, while Octa is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #32. If you want the stronger pick for beginner-friendly educational support, XM Group has the edge over Octa.
| Feature |
XM Group
|
Octa
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 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 #16, while Octa finished with an overall rank of #35.
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
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 93 | 73 |
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XM Group vs Octa: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both allow traders to buy and trade cryptocurrency CFDs.
XM Group vs Octa: neither supports ACH/SEPA or PayPal for deposits or withdrawals, both support Skrill and bank wire transfers, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
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 | 93 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | Octa Review |
| Broker Screenshots | XM Group | Octa | |
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| Regulation | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| 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 | 3 | 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 (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1429 | 300 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 35 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 account | 2 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $5 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | No | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| 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 Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | XM Group | Octa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | XM Group Review | Octa Review |
| Overall | XM Group | Octa | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XM Group Review | Octa Review |
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