CMC Markets vs Octa (formerly OctaFX)
A side-by-side comparison built from each broker's own published record — licenses checked against official registers, terms quoted from their own pages, with the source linked on every claim.
| Regulation | FCA · FCA · ASIC · ASIC · BaFin · MAS | CySEC · MISA · FSCA |
| License no. | FCA CMC Markets UK plc — Register No. 173730 FCA CMC Markets Investments Limited — Register No. 948126 ASIC CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty Ltd — ABN 11 100 058 213, AFSL No. 238054 ASIC CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited — ABN 69 081 002 851, AFSL No. 246381 (stockbroking) BaFin CMC Markets Germany GmbH — Registernummer 154814 MAS CMC Markets Singapore — licence number not printed on cited page | CySEC 372/18 MISA T2023320 FSCA 51913 |
| Founded | 1989 | 2011 |
| Minimum deposit | $0 | $25 |
| EUR/USD spread from | 0.5 pips (standard CFD/spread betting account); from 0.0 pips on EUR/USD with FX Active account + 0.0025% commission per transaction — https://www.cmcmarkets.com/en-gb/forex | from 0.6 pips, floating (OctaTrader and MT5 accounts, published as "spreads from 0.6 pips on popular pairs" — no EURUSD-specific figure published) |
| Leverage | FCA (UK): Published as margin rates rather than a ratio: from 3.34% forex, 5% indices and commodities, 20% shares and ETFs | |
| Gulf Payments | ||
| Platforms | Next Generation (CMC proprietary web platform), Mobile trading app, MetaTrader 4 (MT4, incl. WebTrader) | OctaTrader, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 |
| Broker-published claim | Withdrawals to a registered bank account requested before the cut-off time (4pm UK; 11am outside the UK) are processed the same day. Card withdrawals: some card issuers within an hour, others up to five working days. Standard bank withdrawals: UK domestic one to two working days; international three to five working days (subject to UK banking hours). No charges for card or standard bank transfer withdrawals. [Source] | Withdrawals usually take no longer than 3 hours. Per method: 1-3 hours to approve the withdrawal, then up to 5 minutes (cards), up to 30 minutes (crypto), or up to 1 hour (local banks) to transfer the funds. No fees or commission on our side whatsoever. [Source] |
| Withdrawal methods | Debit/credit card, Bank transfer | Visa/Mastercard cards, bank transfer / local banks (e.g. THB, IDR, MYR, NGN rails), Skrill, Neteller, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Tether USDT (ERC20), Tether USDT (TRC20) |
| Crypto deposits/withdrawals | No | Yes |
| Islamic Accounts | No | Yes |
| Measured by us | Testing in progress | Testing in progress |
| Accepts clients from | Australia, United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, Italy, United Arab Emirates | Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, India, Thailand, Germany, Italy |
| Open account | Open account |
We do not name a winner here. The two records sit side by side because the right answer depends on where you live, what you trade, and which entity would onboard you — all of which the table shows.
By Country
- CMC Markets + Octa (formerly OctaFX): Germany, Italy
- CMC Markets Yes / Octa (formerly OctaFX) No: Australia, United Kingdom, Singapore, United Arab Emirates
- Octa (formerly OctaFX) Yes / CMC Markets No: Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, India, Thailand
Is CMC Markets or Octa (formerly OctaFX) better?
Neither is better in the abstract. Compare the rows that apply to you: whether each broker accepts clients from your country, which entity and regulator you would be onboarded under, the minimum deposit, and how withdrawals work on the rail you would actually use.
Which is safer, CMC Markets or Octa (formerly OctaFX)?
Safety follows the entity that holds your money, not the brand. Both records list every regulator and license number each broker publishes — check which entity serves your country, then verify that license on the regulator's own register.