Short answer
Pocket Option is ahead on our score, 4.1/5 against 3.9/5 for Olymp Trade.
Pocket Option fits: Very small first deposits and copying other traders
Skip Pocket Option if: You want a regulator behind your money, or contests make you trade too much
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
Pocket Option 4.1/5
- Platform and apps4.7
- Costs and minimums4.8
- Payment options4.6
- Support4.2
- Licensing and openness2.6
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
Pocket Option and Olymp Trade in brief
Pocket Option (2017). Pocket Option has run since 2017 and is built around short fixed-time trades: choose up or down and a timer, and a correct call pays a set percentage. Next to the chart sit copy trading, a signals panel and regular contests. An MT5 account for forex and CFDs is offered separately.
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 safetyLevel
Neither Pocket 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: Pocket Option 4, Olymp Trade 1.
| What we compare | Pocket Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | No leading or Asian regulator. Pocket Option cites an offshore MISA licence from the Comoros. | No leading regulator. Its operator is registered in Vanuatu and it belongs to The Financial Commission, a private dispute body. |
| Official warnings we found | FCA, CFTC, RBI, Bank of Russia | RBI |
| Dispute body | No outside dispute body | Member of The Financial Commission (private dispute body) |
On licensing and openness both get the same score (2.6).
Entry cost and chargesBetter here: Pocket Option
Pocket Option is cheaper to open: its minimum deposit is $5, compared with $10 at Olymp Trade. The smallest trade is $1 on Pocket Option and $1 on Olymp Trade.
| What we compare | Pocket Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest deposit | $5 | $10 |
| Lowest trade | $1 | $1 |
| Charges | No pay-in fee listed; currency conversion costs can apply | No pay-in fee listed; spreads and swaps on forex trades |
| Pay-out charges | None from the platform; your payment provider may charge | No platform fee listed; payment providers may charge |
| Dormant account fee | Not mentioned in the sources we checked – read the current terms | Check the current terms |
| Bonus | Deposit bonuses, often 50–100%, with volume rules that can block withdrawals | 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 92%), which cuts the win rate you need to break even from 52.1% to 51.8%.
| What we compare | Pocket Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Top payout | 92% | 93% |
| Win rate to break even | 52.1% | 51.8% |
| Note | 92% applies to popular assets at busy hours; quieter hours are reported 7–12 points lower | 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: Pocket Option
Pocket Option. A browser platform with several chart styles, indicators and drawing tools. Copy trading and signals sit beside the chart, which makes it easy for a beginner to copy trades before understanding them.
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 | Pocket Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Browser, Android, iPhone, MT5 (forex) | Browser, Android, iPhone |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Browser app only | Yes |
| Extras | Copy trading, Contests, Small minimum | Account levels, Strong charts |
Instruments and trade durations
| What we compare | Pocket Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Instruments | 100+ | 100+ |
| Markets | Currencies, Crypto, Commodities, Shares, Indices | Currencies, Crypto, Commodities, Shares, Indices |
| Trade durations | 3 seconds – 4 hours | 5 seconds – 23 hours |
Paying in and cashing outBetter here: Pocket Option
Pocket Option. Money normally goes back the way it came in. Your ID and address are checked before the first pay-out. An active bonus can block a withdrawal until its volume is reached.
Olymp Trade. USD 10 minimum. ID and address checks come before the first pay-out; higher levels are processed first.
| What we compare | Pocket 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 | Typically 1–3 working days; crypto often quicker (user reports) | 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 | Pocket Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Practice balance | $50,000 | Yes |
| Try without signing up | Yes | – |
SupportLevel
| What we compare | Pocket Option | Olymp Trade |
|---|---|---|
| How to reach support | Live chat, Email, Help pages | Live chat, Email, Help pages |
| Support | 4.2/5 | 4.2/5 |
Which markets they acceptBetter here: Olymp Trade
Pocket Option accepts residents of 17 of the markets we cover, Olymp Trade of 18.
Only Olymp Trade: 1 markets
Philippines
Strengths and weak points
Pocket Option
- +Accounts open from USD 5 and trades from USD 1
- +Copy trading and contests on the same screen as the chart
- +Many ways to pay in, including crypto and local agents in Asia
- +Light web platform that runs well on a phone
- −Only an offshore Comoros licence
- −Named by the UK FCA, the US CFTC and India's RBI
- −Bonuses lock your balance behind trading volume
- −Refuses residents of the Philippines and Japan
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, Pocket Option or Olymp Trade?
Pocket Option is better in 3 of 7 categories here. Pocket Option is ahead on our score, 4.1/5 against 3.9/5 for Olymp Trade.
Our choice: Pocket Option
Our pickPocket Option fits: Very small first deposits and copying other traders
+50% bonusConditions
Go to Pocket OptionWhichever 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
Pocket Option or Olymp Trade: which is better?
Pocket Option is ahead on our score (4.1/5 vs 3.9/5). Pocket Option fits: Very small first deposits and copying other traders. Olymp Trade fits: Traders who want a mature app and a registered company.
Which needs a smaller deposit, Pocket Option or Olymp Trade?
Pocket Option is cheaper to open: its minimum deposit is $5, compared with $10 at Olymp Trade.
Which pays more, Pocket Option or Olymp Trade?
Olymp Trade advertises the higher top payout (93% vs 92%), which cuts the win rate you need to break even from 52.1% to 51.8%.
Does any regulator supervise Pocket 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.
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Pocket Option review →Olymp Trade review →Is Pocket Option legit? →Is Olymp Trade legit? →