Short answer
Olymp Trade is ahead on our score, 3.9/5 against 3.7/5 for Expert Option.
Expert Option fits: Beginners who trade mainly on their phone
Skip Expert Option if: You want many instruments or longer-term analysis
Olymp Trade fits: Traders who want a mature app and a registered company
Skip Olymp Trade if: You need a strong regulator or live in India
Score by score
Expert Option 3.7/5
- Platform and apps4.3
- Costs and minimums4.1
- Payment options4.2
- Support3.9
- Licensing and openness2.4
Olymp Trade 3.9/5
- Platform and apps4.5
- Costs and minimums4.4
- Payment options4.4
- Support4.2
- Licensing and openness2.6
How the two sites look
Expert Option and Olymp Trade in brief
Expert Option (2014). Expert Option has sold fixed-time trades since 2014. The screen is deliberately bare: one chart, a stake, a timer, up or down. Account levels add assets, higher payouts and a personal manager as deposits grow.
Olymp Trade (2014). Olymp Trade has offered fixed-time trades since 2014 and later added forex and CFDs. It targets small-budget traders who want short trades on currencies, crypto, commodities and shares, and it has long marketed heavily in South and Southeast Asia.
Licence and safetyBetter here: Olymp Trade
Neither Expert Option nor Olymp Trade is authorised by a leading regulator or by any regulator in Asia. Both run through offshore companies, so there is no compensation fund and no local authority to complain to.
Official warnings and alert-list entries we found: Expert Option 3, Olymp Trade 1.
| What we compare | Expert Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | No government licence. Registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines and a member of The Financial Commission, a private dispute body. | No leading regulator. Its operator is registered in Vanuatu and it belongs to The Financial Commission, a private dispute body. |
| Official warnings we found | CSA / AMF, MAS, RBI | RBI |
| Dispute body | Member of The Financial Commission (private dispute body) | Member of The Financial Commission (private dispute body) |
On licensing and openness Olymp Trade scores higher (2.6 vs 2.4).
Entry cost and chargesBetter here: Olymp Trade
Both ask for the same first deposit: $10. The smallest trade is $1 on Expert Option and $1 on Olymp Trade.
| What we compare | Expert Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest deposit | $10 | $10 |
| Lowest trade | $1 | $1 |
| Charges | Charge on inactive accounts; no pay-in fee listed | No pay-in fee listed; spreads and swaps on forex trades |
| Pay-out charges | No platform fee reported; your payment provider may charge | No platform fee listed; payment providers may charge |
| Dormant account fee | Dormant fee in the terms – check amount and trigger | Check the current terms |
| Bonus | Deposit bonuses reported; check volume conditions before accepting | Promo codes and deposit bonuses with conditions |
Payouts and the win rate you needBetter here: Olymp Trade
Olymp Trade advertises the higher top payout (93% vs 90%), which cuts the win rate you need to break even from 52.6% to 51.8%.
| What we compare | Expert Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Top payout | 90% | 93% |
| Win rate to break even | 52.6% | 51.8% |
| Note | Reviews report 86–95% depending on account level and asset | 93% applies to selected assets; quieter hours pay less |
Top payouts apply to a few assets at the busiest hours. Look at the payout on the trade ticket before you open a trade; it is often lower.
Platform and phone appsBetter here: Olymp Trade
Expert Option. A web platform with a clean chart, basic indicators and a feed of other users' trades. Good enough for simple trading, thin for detailed analysis.
Olymp Trade. An in-house web platform with tidy charts, indicators and trade history; fixed-time and forex modes share one screen.
| What we compare | Expert Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Browser, Android, iPhone | Browser, Android, iPhone |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Yes | Yes |
| Extras | Account levels, Trader feed, Easy layout | Account levels, Strong charts |
Instruments and trade durations
| What we compare | Expert Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Instruments | ~100 | 100+ |
| Markets | Currencies, Crypto, Commodities, Shares, Indices | Currencies, Crypto, Commodities, Shares, Indices |
| Trade durations | 5 seconds – 24 hours | 5 seconds – 23 hours |
Paying in and cashing outBetter here: Olymp Trade
Expert Option. Verification must be complete first, and users say it can take longer than elsewhere, so finish it before you need the money.
Olymp Trade. USD 10 minimum. ID and address checks come before the first pay-out; higher levels are processed first.
| What we compare | Expert Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-in methods | Cards, E-wallets, Crypto, Local payment methods | Cards, E-wallets, Crypto, Local payment methods |
| Pay-out methods | Cards, E-wallets, Crypto, Local payment methods | Cards, E-wallets, Crypto, Local payment methods |
| Smallest withdrawal | $10 | $10 |
| Pay-out speed | Within 2 working days according to the platform; e-wallets and crypto can be quicker | Depends on account level and method; higher levels first |
Practice accountLevel
Both have a free practice account, so you can try the two platforms with virtual money before depositing.
| What we compare | Expert Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Practice balance | $10,000 | Yes |
| Try without signing up | Yes | – |
SupportBetter here: Olymp Trade
| What we compare | Expert Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| How to reach support | Live chat, Email, Help pages | Live chat, Email, Help pages |
| Support | 3.9/5 | 4.2/5 |
Which markets they acceptBetter here: Olymp Trade
Expert Option accepts residents of 17 of the markets we cover, Olymp Trade of 18.
Only Olymp Trade: 1 markets
Bangladesh
Strengths and weak points
Expert Option
- +Easy layout for complete beginners
- +Proper Android and iPhone apps
- +Financial Commission membership gives you a place to complain
- +Crypto and local payments in many countries
- −No government licence
- −Fewer instruments than the leaders
- −Better payouts reserved for bigger deposits
- −Dormant account fee after a quiet period
Olymp Trade
- +Operator registered in Vanuatu; Financial Commission member since 2016
- +Payouts up to 93% and timers from 5 seconds to 23 hours
- +Low entry: USD 10 deposit and USD 1 trades
- +Well-made web platform and apps
- −No strong regulator; Vanuatu oversight is light
- −On the Reserve Bank of India's Alert List
- −Best conditions only on higher account levels
- −Closed to the US, UK, Canada and the EEA
So, Expert Option or Olymp Trade?
Olymp Trade is better in 7 of 7 categories here. Olymp Trade is ahead on our score, 3.9/5 against 3.7/5 for Expert Option.
Our choice: Olymp Trade
Olymp Trade fits: Traders who want a mature app and a registered company
Whichever you pick, practise on the demo first, keep the first deposit small and withdraw part of it before adding more. Binary options are high-risk and most retail accounts lose money.
Quick answers
Expert Option or Olymp Trade: which is better?
Olymp Trade is ahead on our score (3.9/5 vs 3.7/5). Olymp Trade fits: Traders who want a mature app and a registered company. Expert Option fits: Beginners who trade mainly on their phone.
Which needs a smaller deposit, Expert Option or Olymp Trade?
Both ask for the same first deposit: $10.
Which pays more, Expert Option or Olymp Trade?
Olymp Trade advertises the higher top payout (93% vs 90%), which cuts the win rate you need to break even from 52.6% to 51.8%.
Does any regulator supervise Expert Option or Olymp Trade?
No leading regulator and no Asian regulator licenses either of them. Both work through offshore companies, so your money has little protection.
More comparisons and guides
- Pocket Option vs Expert Option
- Pocket Option vs Olymp Trade
- IQ Option vs Expert Option
- IQ Option vs Olymp Trade
- Expert Option vs Binomo
- Expert Option vs Binarium
- Expert Option vs IQcent
- Expert Option vs BinaryCent
Expert Option review →Olymp Trade review →Is Expert Option legit? →Is Olymp Trade legit? →
