Saxo Bank vs OctaFX - Fees Review included
Which broker is better Saxo Bank or OctaFX? Our expert assessment conducted according to TU’s own methodology showed that Saxo Bank is one of the top brokers in the financial market with the TU Overall Score of 6.97 out of 10. OctaFX is one of the top brokers in the financial market with the TU Overall Score of 8.2 out of 10. Find out more about TU Overall Score.
| Feature | Saxo Bank | OctaFX |
|---|---|---|
Overall |
4.5 |
4.1 |
4.8 |
3.9 |
|
4.6 |
4.5 |
|
5 |
2.9 |
|
Investment Instruments |
4.2 |
3.1 |
Platforms and Charting Tools |
4.6 |
4.4 |
Deposit and Withdrawal |
4.0 |
4.6 |
Research |
5 |
4.1 |
Education |
3.6 |
3.9 |
Support |
4.4 |
4.1 |
Bonuses |
3.6 |
4.3 |
|
|
|
Saxo Bank vs OctaFX: Pros and Cons
The SaxoBank brokerage company was founded in 1992 under the original name Midas. In 2001, the broker was licensed by the FSA, a Danish Financial Supervisory Authority. After that, the company changed its name to SaxoBank. Today the broker provides online access to various financial markets to clients from 170 countries. The broker's divisions also have licenses from FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), and licenses from other regulators.
The OctaFX Broker has been providing Forex services since 2011. It operates under the CySEC license and provides favorable conditions for Forex traders. At the moment, OctaFX has been chosen by more than 6.6 million clients worldwide as an intermediary to the financial markets, but the broker is focused on the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. OctaFX is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and other countries. Its services are used by both active traders and passive investors who prefer to copy the successful trading strategies of other market participants. In 2020, OctaFX was named The Best CFD broker in the Asia-Pacific region by Capital Finance International, and in 2021, The Best Forex Broker in Asia by Global Banking and Finance Review.
| Saxo Bank | OctaFX | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Pros | favorable trading terms for professional traders with at least 1 year of experience | Trading at weekends |
| over 71 thousand instruments for trading | No non-trading commissions | |
| the opportunity to invest in ready-to-use long-term portfolios managed by professionals | Copy trading service | |
| Overall Cons | Cent accounts are not available | Limited number of supported assets |
| a ban on algorithmic trading for traders from abroad | High spreads | |
| you cannot contact support in the online chat on the company's website (The chat is available only after full registration on the broker’s website and passing KYC). |
Saxo Bank vs OctaFX: Safety and Regulation
| Saxo Bank | OctaFX | |
|---|---|---|
Max. Regulation Level |
Tier-1 |
Tier-1 |
Investor protection |
£85,000 €20,000 CHF 100,000 |
€20,000 |
FCA UK Regulation |
Yes |
No |
FINRA (U.S) |
No |
No |
BaFin (Germany) |
No |
No |
ASIC (Australia) |
Yes |
No |
CFTC (U.S) |
No |
No |
MAS |
Yes |
No |
FSCA SA |
No |
No |
BVI FSC |
No |
No |
VFSC |
No |
No |
FSA (Seychelles) |
No |
No |
Saxo Bank vs OctaFX: Trading Conditions
| Trading Conditions | Saxo Bank | OctaFX |
|---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit |
$0 |
$100 |
Trading Platforms |
SaxoTraderGo, SaxoTraderPro |
MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 |
Max Leverage (Futures) |
1-30 |
1-500, for EU clients - 1-30 |
Supported Markets |
Forex, CFDs, stocks, ETFs, futures, bonds, Forex options, quoted options, Mutual Funds, Options |
32 currency pairs, CFDs on energy resources, cryptocurrencies, indices, gold, and silver |
Trading assets |
71000+ |
70+ |
Trading Accounts |
Classic, Platinum, VIP, Professional |
Demo, OctaFX MT4, OctaFX MT5 |
Base Account Currencies |
USD, EUR |
USD, EUR |
Saxo Bank vs OctaFX: Fees
| Saxo Bank | OctaFX | |
|---|---|---|
Standard acc. spread EUR/USD, min pips |
0,2 |
0,6 |
Standard acc. spread EUR/USD, max pips |
0,9 |
1 |
ECN Commission |
||
ECN Spread EUR/USD |
||
Deposit fee, % |
No |
No |
Withdrawal fee, % |
No |
No |
Withdrawal fee, USD |
No |
No |
Inactivity fee, $ |
No |
No |
A conversion fee may be applied as withdrawals and deposits are conducted in USD. Any other currency will have to be converted.
Saxo Bank vs OctaFX: Trading Assets
| Asset Name | Saxo Bank | OctaFX |
|---|---|---|
Overall |
71000+ |
70+ |
Forex |
Yes |
Yes |
Stocks |
Yes |
No |
Metals |
Yes |
Yes (CFD) |
Cryptocurrencies |
Yes |
Yes (CFD) |
Energy |
Yes |
Yes (CFD) |
Indices |
Yes |
Yes (CFD) |
ETFs |
Yes |
No |
Bonds |
Yes |
No |
Mutual funds |
Yes |
No |
Stock options |
Yes |
No |
Futures Trading |
Yes |
No |
Binary Options |
No |
No |
Saxo Bank or OctaFX: Investment Programs
| Asset Name | Saxo Bank | OctaFX |
|---|---|---|
Copy Trading |
No |
Yes |
MAM/PAMM |
No |
No |
Managed Accounts |
Yes |
No |
Other |
No |
No |
Trading Platforms: OctaFX or Saxo Bank
| Saxo Bank | OctaFX | |
|---|---|---|
MT4 |
No |
Yes |
MT5 |
No |
Yes |
cTrader |
No |
No |
Appropriate platform |
SaxoTraderGo, SaxoTrader Pro |
No |
Others |
No |
No |
|
|
|
Saxo Bank vs OctaFX: Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
| Saxo Bank | OctaFX | |
|---|---|---|
Bank Wire |
Yes |
Yes |
Bank Card |
Yes |
Yes |
Neteller |
No |
No |
BTC |
No |
No |
Wise |
No |
No |
Payoneer |
No |
No |
USDT |
No |
No |
Saxo Bank vs OctaFX: Research
| Research Type | Saxo Bank | OctaFX |
|---|---|---|
News Feed |
Yes |
Yes |
Fundamental Data |
Yes |
Yes |
Chart Analysis |
Yes |
Yes |
Trading Ideas |
Yes |
No |
E-Mail Reports |
Yes |
Yes |
Saxo Bank vs OctaFX: Education
| Education Type | Saxo Bank | OctaFX |
|---|---|---|
Demo-account/Paper Trading |
Yes |
Yes |
Webinars |
Yes |
Yes |
Articles |
No |
Yes |
Videos |
No |
Yes |
Cent account |
No |
Yes |
OctaFX vs Saxo Bank: Support
| Support Features | Saxo Bank | OctaFX |
|---|---|---|
Working Days |
24/5 |
24/5 |
No |
Yes |
|
Phone |
Yes |
yes |
Online chat |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
No |
Twitter, Telegram, or Facebook |
Saxo Bank vs OctaFX: Forex Bonuses and Promo
| Promo | Saxo Bank | OctaFX |
|---|---|---|
Forex Bonus |
No |
Bonuses of 10% to 50% are paid for each deposit starting at $50 During the period of special offers, the client can request a reward in the amount of 100% of the amount deposited into the account. The bonus is available for withdrawal after meeting the requirements for the trading volume. |
Affiliate Program |
“Member gets member” represents a remuneration accrual for attracting new clients who have replenished a trading deposit at least once. When replenishing from $10,000, the partner gets $500; from $200,000 - $1,000; from $1,000,000 - $3,000 |
“Invite a friend” - a program that rewards $1 for 1 standard lot traded by the attracted referral, the minimum withdrawal amount is $5; "IB" – (Introducing Broker) the partner receives from $3 to $12 depending on the total number of connected clients; Master IB is a program for those who have created their own IB network. The master trader receives a 10% commission from the profits received by the attracted IB. He also has access to the standard introducing broker remuneration. White Label. It is an attractive solution for existing brokers who want to provide financial services to directly to others. The program makes it possible to use the powerful foundation of FP Markets, but at the same time promote a personal brand. |
Other Promos |
Accrual of points for account replenishment and qualified transactions. Once you have collected enough points, you will be promoted to a higher account level, allowing you to improve your trading conditions. |
Contests on MT4 demo accounts The winners of the competition, who take the first five prizes, receive real money to their trading account. The amount of remuneration ranges from $40 to $500. The term of the round is four weeks. Money can be withdrawn or transferred to a real account for further use in trading. |
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Top 5 Reviews on OctaFX
-
Comment
Octa offers competitive spreads from 0.6 pips on EUR/USD and leverage up to 1:1000, making it suitable for active traders. The conditions are also beginner-friendly — copy trading is supported, and there’s an economic calendar, educational articles, and analytics. The website is intuitive, and support responds within a couple of minutes, even at night. Another plus is the Trade & Win program with deposit bonuses of up to 50%.
-
Comment
Octa offers very transparent trading conditions: no hidden fees and zero deposit commissions. I use Skrill and Visa — everything goes smoothly. The OctaTrader platform is convenient, featuring a built-in idea feed and market event notifications. It’s also nice that cryptocurrency is supported — Bitcoin, Ethereum, and even local bank transfers are available for deposits.
-
Comment
Octa has been confidently established in the market since 2011, serving clients from 150 countries, which reflects the trust of traders worldwide. Licenses from FSC and MISA provide basic regulatory protection, and the availability of negative balance protection allows for trading with peace of mind. A nice bonus is the contests on demo accounts where real money is awarded — an excellent way to improve skills and earn without risk.
-
Comment
Octa offers a well-developed trading infrastructure with over 300 instruments, including 52 currency pairs, 150 stocks, and 34 cryptocurrencies. The minimum lot size starts from 0.01, and leverage goes up to 1:1000. I especially appreciated that 97% of orders are executed without slippage, and the ability to choose between fixed and floating spreads on MT4 and MT5 provides greater flexibility for different trading strategies.
-
Comment
Octa turned out to be one of the few brokers that lets you start trading with just $25 while offering access to three platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and OctaTrader. This is especially convenient for those exploring different trading styles. Spreads start from 0.6 pips, and there are no deposit or withdrawal fees, which helps reduce costs at the beginning. Plus, you can copy other traders’ positions through the built-in CopyTrading service.
Top 5 Reviews on Saxo Bank
-
Comment
For a passive investor, Saxo Bank can be attractive due to the absence of a lock-in period in its SaxoSelect portfolios—funds can be withdrawn at any time. Investors can choose from portfolios with varying risk levels, from moderate to aggressive. However, the minimum entry threshold is $10,000 or the equivalent in euros. The broker operates in 170 countries, offers support in 20 languages, and emphasizes high liquidity, which is especially important for traders making multi-million dollar transactions.
-
Comment
Saxo Bank is regulated by several reputable authorities, including the FCA and the Danish FSA, and it partners with over 50 major liquidity providers — among them HSBC, JP Morgan, and NASDAQ OMX. The minimum lot size is 0.05, and the trading conditions are clearly tailored for high-net-worth individuals. One standout feature is the SaxoSelect portfolio management service, which offers clients access to ready-made investment strategies starting from €10,000, with a transparent fee structure — 0.5% management fee and up to 20% performance fee.
-
Comment
Saxo Bank is more suitable for experienced traders with a deposit starting from $10,000. The entry threshold is quite high, but in return, the platform offers access to over 40,000 trading instruments, including bonds, ETFs, listed options, and even investment portfolios via SaxoSelect. Spreads start from 0.7 pips, with leverage up to 1:30. The SaxoTraderGO and SaxoTraderPRO terminals have a professional look and feel, though the absence of the familiar MT4/MT5 platforms may be inconvenient for some users. It’s also worth noting that customer support does not offer live chat.
-
Comment
Saxo Bank is more suitable for experienced traders with a deposit starting from $10,000. The entry threshold is quite high, but in return, the platform offers access to over 40,000 trading instruments, including bonds, ETFs, listed options, and even investment portfolios via SaxoSelect. Spreads start from 0.7 pips, with leverage up to 1:30. The SaxoTraderGO and SaxoTraderPRO terminals have a professional look and feel, though the absence of the familiar MT4/MT5 platforms may be inconvenient for some users. It’s also worth noting that customer support does not offer live chat.
-
Comment
Saxo's customer service is pretty solid. I had an issue with verifying my account during the sign-up process, but the support team was quick to respond through live chat, and everything was resolved in less than a day. The two-step login feature makes me feel more secure, especially since I trade with higher volumes. Plus, having access to their news feed and analysis directly on the platform helps me stay up to date without needing external sources.
FAQs
What should I start Forex trading with?
It is desirable for novice traders to explore trading using a demo account to learn the market and how to work on the trading platform without the risk of suffering losses. At the same time, it is advisable to review the educational materials of the broker, learn trading basics. Then you can deposit the minimum required amount to perform a small number of transactions. If you manage to close several months in a row in the black, without substantial drawdowns on the account, then you can try increasing your deposit. Also trying to copy trades automatically is a good option for a start.
What amount should I start trading with?
The minimum deposit of $10 may be enough to trade on the cent account. However, for trading on Standard/ECT accounts, experts recommend starting with at least $200-500. With this amount, you can use not a very big leverage. Remember, getting carried away with the margin is the main cause of losses among beginners.
What should I take into consideration when choosing a broker?
Experts recommend looking at the broker’s reliability first and foremost. The other important features include basic trading conditions, commissions and fees, customer reviews. If brokers are approximately the same in terms of basic criteria, you need to choose based on your experience and tasks. One broker may be good for professionals and another – for novice traders.
Is it possible to be scammed by a broker with a license from a reputable regulator?
In theory, yes. But in practice, it takes so much time and money to comply with the requirements of reputable regulators that it is not worth it for scammers to bother obtaining a legitimate license.
Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.