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eToro vs OctaFX: Comparison and Analysis

Written by Filippo Ucchino Publication Date Last Updated
Our verdict · CFD trading

eToro and OctaFX are two good brokers in the UK for scalping. That said, eToro is the better choice if you are looking for a broker regulated in the UK by the FCA, which OctaFX is not, for more tradable symbols (5,461 against 270) and for copy and social trading. OctaFX is better because it has a lower EUR/USD cost (8.00 USD per lot against 11.60 USD), asks for a minimum deposit of 5.00 USD where eToro asks for 100.00 USD, runs MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and cTrader next to the proprietary platform both brokers share, allows hedging, expert advisors, VPS hosting and API access, opens micro, raw spread, ECN and fixed-spread accounts, and settles deposits and withdrawals in 3 days, against 5 and 7 at eToro. Both brokers cover CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks and provide a demo account with no expiry date.

Our verdict · Real stock investing

eToro and OctaFX cannot be compared for real stock investing in the UK, because OctaFX is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks to buy. If you want to invest in real stocks and you are choosing between eToro and OctaFX, eToro is the better option of the two, because it lets you own crypto, ETFs and stocks outright and charges no fees on US stocks.

Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD brokers: leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers: real shares and ETFs you own outright.

Best overall

eToro

CFDCFD This broker offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD to rate it on that. StocksStocks This broker lets you buy real assets that you own outright. Switch the comparison to Stocks to rate it on that. Regulated in your country eToro holds a licence from the regulator of the country this site is for, so local investor protections apply.
eToro review ›
81CFDOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above. 83StocksOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above.
Open Account

61% of retail CFD accounts lose money. Below content does not apply to US users.

OctaFX

CFDCFD This broker offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD to rate it on that. Not regulated in your country OctaFX has no licence from the regulator of the country this site is for, so local investor protections do not apply.
OctaFX review ›
80CFDOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above. not offeredStocksOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above.
Open Account

73-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.

Best for

1 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders eToro and OctaFX are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.

eToro is better than OctaFX for long-term investors and high-volume traders. OctaFX, on the other hand, is better for scalpers, news traders and algo traders. CFD stock traders can choose either eToro or OctaFX.

Best for
Overall score eToro 81 83 OctaFX 80 -1 not offered
Day trading i
Long-term investing i
Professional traders i
High-volume traders i
Scalpers i
Swing traders i
News traders i
Algo traders i
Stock traders i
Crypto traders i
Futures traders i
Options traders i

Regulation

2 / 12
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise eToro and the ones that supervise OctaFX.
Regulation
Section score eToro 100 Best 100 OctaFX 85 -15 not offered
Tier-1 regulators
ESMA (European Union) i CySEC (Cyprus)
FCA (United Kingdom) i
ASIC (Australia) i
CFTC (United States) i
NFA (United States) i
SEC (United States) i
CIRO (Canada) i
MAS (Singapore) i
SFC (Hong Kong) i
JFSA (Japan) i
FINMA (Switzerland) i
Tier-2 regulators
FMA (New Zealand) i
CBR (Russia) i
FSCA (South Africa) i
DFSA (Dubai) i
CSRC (China) i
ISA (Israel) i
LFSA (Malaysia) i
JSC (Jordan) i
CMA (Kenya) i
Tier-3 regulators
FSA (Seychelles) i
MMA (Maldives) i
SCB (Bahamas) i
FSC (Mauritius) i
VFSC (Vanuatu) i
FSC (Belize) i
CIMA (Cayman Islands) i
SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i
FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i
BMA (Bermuda) i
BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i
EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i

Safety

3 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that eToro and OctaFX have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.
Safety
Section score eToro 85 Best 85 OctaFX 78 -7 not offered
Company info
Is it publicly traded i
Is it a bank i
Year founded i 2007 2011
Parent company i eToro Group Ltd. Octa Markets Incorporated
CEO i Yoni Assia Pavel Prozorov
Money safety
Segregated client funds i
Two-factor authentication i
Investor compensation scheme i
Additional money insurance i
Partner bank i BNY Mellon, EquiLend
Brand power
Number of customers worldwide i 3,610,000
Annual revenue i USD 1,340,000,000
Monthly website search traffic i 13.2M monthly visits

Costs

4 / 12
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with eToro and with OctaFX in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.

OctaFX is better than eToro for CFD costs, since OctaFX is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 8 USD per lot (against eToro's 11.6 USD).

OctaFX does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so eToro and OctaFX cannot be compared for real stock costs.

Costs
Section score eToro 52 -26 82 OctaFX 78 Best not offered
Broker fees
Deposit fees i
Withdrawal fees i
Overnight fees i
Inactivity fees i
Currency conversion fees i
Discounts on volume i
Real time market data fee i
Dividend withholding i
Account opening fees i
Account maintenance fee i
Portfolio management fee i
Fees on CFDs
Forex commission per lot i Free
EUR/USD average standard spread i
1.16 pips
0.8 pips
EUR/USD average raw spread i
EUR/USD average fixed spread i
1.1 pips
EUR/USD total cost per lot i USD 11.6 USD 8
S&P 500 fees (CFD) i 1.08 points
Gold fees (CFD) i 0.88 points 0.94 points
Bitcoin fees (CFD) i USD 1,585.8
US stocks fees (CFD) i
Fees on stocks
Stock fee type i Free
US stocks fees (real) i Free
ETF fees (real) i Free
Management costs i
Connection costs i
Fees on futures
Futures fees per contract i
Platform fees i
Fees on options
Options fees per contract i
Event fees i
Fees on savings plans
IRA opening fee i
IRA maintenance fee i
401k opening fee i
401k maintenance fee i

Available markets

5 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with eToro and with OctaFX in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.

eToro is better than OctaFX for CFD markets.

OctaFX does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so eToro and OctaFX cannot be compared for real stock markets.

Available markets
Section score eToro 85 Best 55 OctaFX 75 -10 not offered
Total tradable symbols i 5,461 270
Currency pairs i
Indices i
Commodities i
Stocks i
ETF i
Cryptocurrencies i
Bonds i
Interest rates i
Portfolios i
CFDs i Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks
Futures i
Options i
Assets you can own i Crypto, ETF, Stocks

Platform

6 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that eToro and OctaFX make available to their clients in United Kingdom.

OctaFX is better than eToro for platforms.

OctaFX does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so eToro and OctaFX cannot be compared for platforms.

Platform
Section score eToro 84 -5 84 OctaFX 89 Best not offered
Proprietary platform i
MetaTrader 4 i
MetaTrader 5 i
cTrader i
Social trading platform i
Copy trading platform i
ZuluTrade i
TradingView i
Duplitrade i
Mirror Trader i
NinjaTrader i
AutoChartist i
Real time pricing i
5 digit pricing i
One-click trading i

Mobile

7 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of eToro and OctaFX in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.

OctaFX is better than eToro for mobile trading.

Only eToro can be assessed for mobile trading, since OctaFX is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Mobile
Section score eToro 87 -13 87 OctaFX 100 Best not offered
Proprietary app i
Social trading app i
Copy trading app i
MetaTrader 4 app i
MetaTrader 5 app i
cTrader app i
Mobile trading signals i
Mobile alerts i
Mobile charting tools i
Mobile drawing tools i
Mobile watchlist i
Smartwatch app i

Trading features

8 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that eToro and OctaFX allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.

OctaFX is better than eToro for CFD trading features.

eToro and OctaFX cannot be set side by side for real stock trading features, as OctaFX is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike eToro.

Trading features
Section score eToro 60 -23 76 OctaFX 83 Best not offered
Trade execution
Broker type i Agency NDD
Average execution time i 100 ms
Slippage occurrence i
Requotes occurrence i
Tier-1 liquidity providers i
PFOF i
Leverage
Major FX pairs leverage i 30:1 30:1
Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i 20:1 20:1
Major indices leverage i 20:1 20:1
Minor indices leverage i 10:1 10:1
Gold leverage i 20:1 20:1
Commodities leverage i 10:1 10:1
Equities leverage i 5:1 5:1
Cryptocurrency leverage i 2:1
Risk management
Stop losses i
Take profits i
Limit orders i
Trailing stop i
Margin call i
OCO orders i
Guaranteed stop loss i
Negative balance protection i
Minimum trade size (FX) i 0.01 lots 0.01 lots
Minimum trade size (stocks) i USD 10 USD 0
Fractional stocks i
Trading compliance
Scalping strategies allowed i
Hedging strategies allowed i
Automated trading strategy allowed i
EAs use allowed i
HFT strategy allowed i
VPS use allowed i
API use allowed i
Price scraping allowed i
FIFO rule applies i

Account types

9 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at eToro and at OctaFX in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.

OctaFX is better than eToro for CFD account types.

eToro and OctaFX cannot be compared for real stock account types, because eToro is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while OctaFX is a CFD broker.

Account types
Section score eToro 48 -24 74 OctaFX 72 Best not offered
Demo account i
Unlimited demo account i
Standard account i
Micro account i
Cent account i
Nano account i
Raw spread account i
ECN account i
Swap-free account i
Islamic account i
Professional traders account i
Fixed spread account i
Spread betting account i
Copy trading account i
Corporate account i
Managed account i
Stock investing account i
Margin investing account i
Savings account i
Retirement account i

Account opening

10 / 12
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with eToro and with OctaFX in United Kingdom.

OctaFX is better than eToro for account opening.

OctaFX does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so eToro and OctaFX cannot be compared for account opening.

Account opening
Section score eToro 59 -11 59 OctaFX 70 Best not offered
Minimum deposit i USD 100 USD 5
Minimum withdrawal i USD 30 USD 0
Wire transfers i
Credit cards i
Debit cards i
eWallets i Neteller, Skrill
Local payment methods i
Account base currencies i USD EUR, USD
Deposit waiting time i up to 5 business days up to 3 business days
Withdrawal waiting time i up to 7 business days up to 3 business days
Bonus program i

Customer care

11 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of eToro and OctaFX in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.

eToro and OctaFX are equally good for customer care.

eToro and OctaFX cannot be set side by side for customer care, as OctaFX is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike eToro.

Customer care
Section score eToro 69 69 OctaFX 67 -2 not offered
Number of languages supported i 7 11
Website languages i Arabic, German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese Bangla, German, English, Indonesian, Malay, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese, Chinese
Website available in English i
Customer support languages i Arabic, German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese Bangla, German, English, Indonesian, Malay, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese, Chinese
Customer support in English i
Call back request i
Email support i
Phone support i
Live chat i
Priority customer support i
Dedicated account manager i
Cash sweep i
Stock lending i
Distributes proceeds i
Tax withholding agent i
Tax assistance i

Learning

12 / 12
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that eToro and OctaFX provide to their clients in United Kingdom.

eToro is better than OctaFX for learning.

OctaFX does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so eToro and OctaFX cannot be compared for learning.

Learning
Section score eToro 100 Best 100 OctaFX 75 -25 not offered
Education
Education center i
Education for beginners i
Education for advanced traders i
Webinars i
Tutorials i
Glossary i
Research
Economic calendar i
Traders' sentiment i
Daily market commentary i
Daily trading ideas i
News via social media i
Professional reports i
Watchlist i
eToro
Open Account 61% of retail CFD accounts lose money. Below content does not apply to US users.
OctaFX
Open Account 73-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.
Our verdict

eToro vs OctaFX: which one should you choose?

eToro

CFD Choose eToro, regulated in the UK by the FCA, if you want an online CFD broker with a wide choice of markets and copy and social trading.

Stocks Choose eToro if you want a broker for securities investing with commission-free US stocks.

Open Account 61% of retail CFD accounts lose money. Below content does not apply to US users.
OctaFX

CFD Choose OctaFX if you want a CFD and forex broker with low trading costs, a small minimum deposit and several trading platforms.

Open Account 73-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.

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