XTB is a leading European brokerage firm and one of the world’s largest stock exchange-listed Forex & CFD brokers. The firm is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. It is based in Poland but has offices in 12 countries, such as the UK, France, Germany, and Chile. However, its international headquarters are located in Belize. The broker provides retail traders with access to hundreds of global markets across different asset classes, including Forex, indices, commodities, stock CFDs, ETF CFDs, cryptocurrency, and more.
In this broker review, we will pay attention to the critical aspects of XTB, which you must consider before deciding whether to trade with this online brokerage. At the time of writing this review, Trustpilot users have given XTB an Average score of 4.0/5. The rating is based on 2,074 reviews from customers who have given their feedback on XTB’s performance. Positive 5-star reviews have been submitted by 63% of reviewers, while 18% of customers have given the broker a 1-star rating.
XTB Summary | |
---|---|
Year Founded | 2004 |
Minimum Deposit | $0 |
Tradable Instruments | CFDs on Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Stocks, ETFs, stock and ETF investing |
Open an Account | How to Open an Account at XTB |
Trading Costs | Spreads, Fees, and Commissions at XTB |
Key Pros and Cons
First, let us briefly look at XTB’s main strengths and weaknesses.
Key Pros
- Regulated in multiple jurisdictions
- Innovative proprietary xStation platform
- 2,500 CFDs across different asset classes, 6,100 stocks and ETFs for direct investment
- Tight spreads
- Fast order execution speeds
- Supports multiple payment methods
- A good selection of educational resources
- Various trading tools
- No minimum deposit requirements
- Islamic accounts are available
- Responsive customer support team
Key Cons
- Does not accept USA clients
- Inactivity fee of $10
- Does not support the MT4 or MT5 platform
- Islamic accounts are available only at the international division
Company Information
The Launch of XTB
XTB was launched in 2002 as X-Trade but changed its name to XTB in 2004. The broker has registered offices in a dozen or so countries countries and allows traders from all over the world to trade multiple financial markets. XTB is built on the core values of technology, trust, and support, so it provides traders with the innovative X-Station proprietary platform, which is available in desktop, web, and mobile versions. The broker’s clients enjoy various competitive trading conditions, such as tight spreads, flexible leverage of up to 1:500, low commission fees, rapid trade execution speeds, multiple trading assets, and more. There is no minimum deposit requirement.
Multi-Regulated Broker
Multi-regulated broker with several industry awards. During its almost two decades in the financial trading business, the broker has earned the trust of over 1.7 million customers around the world, thanks to its regulation by some of the world’s biggest financial authorities, such as the FCA, KNF, CySEC, and IFSC. The broker has registered branch offices in Hungary, Italy, France, and Portugal, with cross-border licensing in the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, Greece, and Bulgaria, and each is regulated by the local authorities. XTB is a publicly traded company on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, having been listed in 2016. As a publicly owned company, it is subject to the strict financial reporting and disclosure requirements of the exchange.
The broker has also bagged several industry awards, including the Best Customer Services 2021 (Forexbrokers.com), Best Polish Forex Broker 2019 (Invest Cuffs), Best Forex Broker for Low Costs 2021 (Investopedia 2021), Best NDD Forex Broker 2021 (Online Personal Wealth Awards), Best Mobile App for Investing 2019 (Rankia Awards), Best Mobile App for Investing 2020 (Rankia awards), and Best Execution Broker 2019 (Technical Analysis Exhibition). In 2024, the firm topped a ranking of the best companies listed at the Warsaw Stock Exchange, published by the Polish daily Puls Biznesu.
XTB Group is comprised of the following corporate entities with their respective regulated offices:
- XTB International Limited (XTB), regulated by the International Financial Services Commission (IFSC), office address: 35 Barrack Road, 3rd Floor, Belize City, Belize, C.A
- XTB Limited, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), office address: Level 34, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, E14 5AA, London, United Kingdom.
- XTB Limited, regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CYSEC), office address: Pikioni 10, Building: Highsight Rentals Ltd, 3075, Limassol, Cyprus.
- X-Trade Brokers DM SA, regulated by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF), office address: Prosta 67, 00-838 Warsaw, Poland
- XTB Sucursal, regulated by the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), office address: C/Pedro Teixeira, 8, 28020 Madrid, Spain.
- XTB Mena Limited, regulated by the Dubai Financial Services authority (DFSA), office address: office 1204, Level 12, Index Tower, International Financial Centre of Dubai, P.O. box 482081, United Arab Emirates
- XTB S.A., regulated by BaFin, office address: Joachimsthaler Str. 10, 10719, Berlin, Germany
- XTB Agente de Valores SpA, regulated by Comisión para el Mercado Financiero (CMF), office address: Av. Apoquindo 4501, Of 1604 – Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
- XTB Africa (PTY) Ltd, regulated by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa, with registered offices located at 21 Broads Street, Mulbarton, Johannesburg, 2059, South Africa
Note that XTB does not offer its services to residents of certain regions, such as the United States.
Why Trade with XTB?
Now, let us briefly list the key features that we like about XTB.
Aspect | What we like |
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Regulation | Reputable broker, regulated in multiple jurisdictions by some of the most popular financial authorities, such as the IFSC, FCA, CySEC, FSCA, and KNF. |
Pricing | Tight spreads and fair commissions. |
Execution | XTB Ltd is a matched-principle broker. It automatically sends all trades to their parent company X-Trade Brokers DM, which acts as the liquidity provider. Trades are executed automatically without any manual intervention from any dealing desk. |
Trading | Over 2,500 CFDs on different asset classes, including currency pairs, commodities, stock CFDs, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. Investing in more than 6,100 stocks and ETFs is available at the international division. |
Platforms | Innovative xStation trading platform in desktop, web, and mobile versions and various advanced trading tools. |
Customer Support | Responsive client support team who are available 24/5 and can be reached via various contact channels. |
Regulation
The XTB Group of companies is authorized and regulated in various jurisdictions:
In the United Kingdom, XTB operates as XTB Limited, which is authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), under registration number FRN 522157.
Clients in the EU region are on-boarded in the Cyprus-based XTB Limited, which is authorized and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, with CIF licence number 169/12.
XTB’s international operations are also handled by XTB International Limited, which is authorized and regulated by the International Financial Services Commission (IFSC) in Belize with License No.: 000302/11. However, this regulation by IFSC is not as solid as the frameworks of CySEC and FCA.
Additionally, XTB is also a trading name for the XTB Group, which includes the following entities:
- X-Trade Brokers DM SA: authorised and regulated by the Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego (KNF) in Poland
- XTB Sucursal: authorised and regulated by the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) in Spain.
- XTB Mena Limited, licensed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) under number F006316.
- XTB S.A., authorized by Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) under number 10121520.
- XTB Agente de Valores SpA, authorized by the Chilean Commission for the Financial Market (CMF).
- XTB Africa (PTY) Ltd, regulated by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa, under license number 49970.
A breakdown of the various regulatory regimes is presented below.
Flag | Region | Entity | Authority | License |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | XTB Limited | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) | Registration Number: FRN 522157 | |
EU | XTB Limited | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | License Number: 169/12 | |
Internationally | XTB International Limited | International Financial Services Commission (IFSC) | License No.: 000302/11 | |
Poland | X-Trade Brokers DM SA | Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego (KNF) | N/A | |
Spain | XTB Sucursal | Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) | 40 | |
Germany | XTB S.A. | Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFIN) | 10121520 | |
Chile | XTB Agente de Valores SpA | The Chilean Commission for the Financial Market (CMF) | N/A | |
Dubai | XTB MENA Limited | The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) | License number: F006316 | |
South Africa | XTB Africa (PTY) Ptd | The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) | License number: 49970 |
The XTB Group has a global footprint and is regulated by the world’s leading financial supervisory authorities, including the FCA and CySEC, to give you peace of mind that you are trading with a broker you can trust. The fact that the broker is regulated in various jurisdictions provides it with a fairly solid regulation status, as the FCA and CySEC are strict tier-1 regulatory authorities.
However, since it is not regulated by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), XTB cannot provide its services to citizens or residents of the United States. The company is currently in the initial stages of acquiring authorization from the regulatory authorities of Brazil.
KYC Procedure for Account Creation and Depositing
Creating an account with XTB is straightforward and can be completed in less than 5 minutes. However, it may take up to 24 hours to get your trading account verified. Generally, the entire account creation process complies with the industry-standard procedure and follows these steps:
- Creating your secure login: Enter a valid email and choose a password.
- Completing the application form with your details: Fill in your names, date of birth, city of residence, address, postcode, and phone number.
- Choosing your trading account: You choose your preferred trading platform and account type. Retail, professional, and investment accounts are available.
- Checking your suitability status: You will be required to disclose information about your employment status and sources of income, as well as your trading experience. If you are approved based on your answers, you can proceed to the next step of the process, but if any of your answers do not match the broker’s internal requirements, your application will be rejected.
- Confirming your agreement to the terms: You need to tick the box at the bottom of the account registration form to indicate that you agree to XTB’s Terms and Conditions.
- Verifying your documents: You provide your proof of ID (passport, national ID card, or driver’s license) and proof of residency (utility bill or bank account statement issued within the past three months) for XTB to verify your account.
While the account creation is swift and can be completed within a few minutes, it may take up to 24 hours to verify your trading account. When your account is verified, you will have to fund it using any of the available payment methods before you can start trading.
Account Types
The broker offers two main live account types: standard and professional accounts for CFD trading. A dedicated account for investing in stocks and ETFs is also available at the international division licensed in Belize. All account options are denominated in multiple currencies, including USD, EUR, and GBP.. Each account has its unique trading conditions and provides traders with a dynamic trading environment along with the best pricing schedule. Traders can choose the account that best suits their individual needs and trading style.
Let’s now take a look at each of the available trading account options:
Standard CFD Trading Account
Pro CFD Trading Account
Feature | Standard | Pro |
---|---|---|
69 currency pairs | ||
CFDs on major indices, commodities, metals, stocks, cryptocurrencies, and ETFs | ||
ECN Execution | ||
Minimum account balance | $0 | $0 |
Proprietary desktop and mobile trading platform | ||
Unlimited free wire transfers (above €100, $50) | ||
No requotes | ||
Negative balance protection | ||
Fully automated execution | ||
24/5 support | ||
Variable contract sizes (as low as 0.01 lot) | ||
Joint account | ||
Corporate account |
Islamic Account (Swap-Free)
The Islamic account option is available to retail and professional traders at XTB’s international division. This live trading account type does not incur swaps or interests on overnight positions, making it suitable for traders who cannot receive or pay interest due to their religious beliefs. While this account type does not incur any swaps or interest charges on overnight positions, the account holder could be charged an administration fee on trading positions after a certain grace period. This account type requires a minimum deposit of $1 and offers spreads from 0.7 pips.
Demo Account
The broker provides traders with a demo account option that is beneficial for beginners and experienced traders alike. It allows amateur traders to familiarize themselves with the broker’s platform before committing real funds on the live accounts. On the other hand, experienced traders can also use the demo account to test their trading strategies in a risk-free environment before implementing them on the live account options. The demo account always comes preloaded with virtual funds for practice purposes.
Trading Fees and Other Costs
Every trader should always consider a broker’s trading fees and other costs before deciding whether to trade with it or not. As a CFD and forex broker, XTB offers two types of trading fees, namely:
- Trading costs – spreads, commissions, and overnight financing rates;
- Non-trading costs – account management fees, deposit and withdrawal fees, non-activity fees.
Let us take a quick look at the trading fees that are available at XTB.
Costs/fees | What is this? | with XTB |
---|---|---|
Spreads | The cost is incorporated into the price of what you trade. A wider bid-ask spread means higher costs. |
|
Commission | A flat fee paid per position is often used as an alternative to charging via the spread. |
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Financing charges | The cost of holding a position active overnight. | The broker does not charge an extra fee on top of standard swap rates. |
Deposit fees | Fees charged by the broker to fund your account. | None |
Withdrawal fees | Fees charged by the broker to withdraw money from your account. | Free for withdrawals above €100 and $50. Withdrawals below these amounts incur processing fees of €10 and $30, respectively. |
Inactivity fees | Fees charged on dormant trading accounts. | €/$10 per month after 12 months of account inactivity |
Spreads
Spreads are the difference between an instrument’s quoted bid and ask prices. At XTB, traders enjoy low spreads across all the available live trading account options as follows:
- Standard Account: Spreads start from 0.8 pips with no commissions
- Pro-Account: Tight spreads (starting from 0.1 pips) + a commission of $7 per round turn.
Let us take a look at the average spreads offered on the two account types:
Instrument | Standard Account | Pro Account |
---|---|---|
EUR/USD | 0.9 pips | 0.1 pips |
GBP/USD | 2.2 pips | 1.4 pips |
USD/JPY | 1.4 pips | 0.6 pips |
USD/CHF | 1.9 pips | 1.1 pips |
AUD/USD | 1.3 pips | 0.5 pips |
USD/CAD | 1.8 pips | 1.0 pip |
NZD/USD | 2.0 pips | 1.2 pips |
From the above, we can see a mark-up spread of 0.8 pips to the average spread on XTB’s Standard Account to cover the costs of trading the EUR/USD pair.
Now, let us compare the trading costs for the two account types. For this, we will use one standard lot of EUR/USD (one pip movement equals $10) and assume that the trade is opened and closed at the same price. Using the average spreads, the trading costs for the two accounts will be:
Standard Account
- Spread – 0.9 pips
- TOTAL COST – 0.9 x $10 = $9 per side and $18 per round turn
Pro Account
- Spread – 0.1 pips
- Spread cost – 0.1 x $10 = $1 per side and $2 per round turn
- Commission – $3.50 per side or $7 per round turn
- TOTAL COST – $2 + $7 = $9 per round turn
Given its lower trading costs compared to the Standard Account, the Pro Account is understandably targeted at high-volume traders.
Finally, let us compare XTB Standard Account average spreads with what other major brokerages offer on several of the most actively traded Forex pairs.
Instrument | XTB | IC Markets | Fusion Markets | IG Markets |
---|---|---|---|---|
EUR/USD | 0.9 | 0.82 | 1.01 | 0.85 |
GBP/USD | 2.2 | 1.03 | 1.14 | 1.40 |
USD/JPY | 1.4 | 0.94 | 1.17 | 0.94 |
USD/CHF | 1.9 | 0.99 | 1.14 | 1.99 |
AUD/USD | 1.3 | 0.83 | 1.02 | 0.82 |
USD/CAD | 1.8 | 1.05 | 1.12 | 1.77 |
NZD/USD | 2.0 | 1.38 | 1.13 | 2.05 |
From the table above, we can deduce that the spreads offered by the XTB Standard STP Account are similar to those offered by the big names in the industry, such as IC Markets, Fusion Markets, and IG Markets.
Commissions
Commissions are one of the most common trading fees in the financial market; they are the small transaction fees charged by brokers. XTB clients are charged a commission fee of $3.50 per lot per side ($7 round trip) on the Pro account. XTB does not charge any commissions on the Standard account, as the spreads are already marked up to cover trading costs.
Considering the commission fee on the Pro account, it means that:
- For 1 standard lot (100,000 units), you will pay a $7 commission to open and close the position;
- For 1 mini lot(10,000 units), you will pay a $0.7 commission to open and close the position;
- For 1 micro lot (1,000 units), you will pay a $0.07 commission to open and close the position.
While a commission fee of $7 per round trip is similar to the commission fees of their major competitors, it is not the lowest available in the industry. For instance, an equivalent trade on the Zero account with Fusion Markets incurs a $4.50 commission per round turn, which is, at present, among the most competitive offers within the industry.
Financing Charges
XTB’s swap charges apply to leveraged positions held overnight and are credited or debited daily based on the daily interest rate differentials between the base and quote currencies in forex pairs. The fees are calculated by the xStation platform, which typically updates them once a week in the Swap Points table. If the interest rate of the currency bought is higher than the one sold, the trader may receive a positive swap credited to their balance, and vice versa. The swap amount can be positive or negative, depending on the currency pair.
Deposit Fees
XTB does not charge fees on deposits with cards and bank transfers, although transactions with certain e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller may incur additional processing fees in some cases. For instance, customers registered at the international division pay 2% on Skrill deposits and 1% on Neteller deposits. Traders at the CySEC entity either incur no additional charges or pay lower fees of 0.85% for PayPal deposits.
Withdrawal fees
Withdrawals below €100 at the CySEC entity and $50 at the international division attract additional processing fees of €10 and $30, respectively. Credit card withdrawals incur a 1.5% commission.
Inactivity fees
After 12 months of inactivity, an inactivity fee of $/€10 per month will be charged to the trader’s account.
Overall on Fees
XTB offers low spreads for the Pro account option, but the Standard account has marked-up spreads, which are still competitive when compared with other brokers. The commission fees are competitive, and there are no additional fees on top of overnight financing charges. The extra charges for depositing, withdrawing, and inactivity result in additional expenses for customers, however.
Overall, XTB’s commission fee of $7 per round trip is higher than that of some major competitors, such as Fusion Markets.
Desktop Trading Platforms
XTB provides traders with the xStation 5 trading platform. It is an innovative trading platform that was developed by the broker to deliver a seamless trading experience to new and seasoned traders, with an easy-to-use interface and advanced charting tools. The xStation has an intuitive and fully customizable user interface, allowing traders to tweak it to suit their trading preferences.
The platform offers superior execution speeds and features many trading tools, such as trader’s calculator, performance statistics, sentiment analysis, and the most popular technical indicators, including Fibonacci, MACD, Moving Averages, RSI, Bollinger Bands, and many more.
Traders can take advantage of the platform’s advanced charting options to perform better analysis and place market orders, stop losses, take profits, and pending orders directly on the charts. The one-click dealing system incorporated into the platform can provide traders with a more convenient and efficient way to trade. The platform includes a live performance statistics feature that enables users to evaluate their trading results by examining the win/loss ratios of their short and long positions across different markets.
Whether you are a new or experienced trader, this easy-to-use platform is designed to deliver results. With total trade transparency, real-time market commentary, live performance statistics, and the most comprehensive charting package around, xStation was easily voted ‘Best Trading Platform 2016’ by Online Personal Wealth Awards.
Other essential built-in tools in the xStation 5 trading platform include the Free Trader Talk which provides a live audio feed to give traders the latest market news and analysis in real-time. This can help traders take advantage of potential opportunities or avoid specific markets. Another essential tool of the platform is the Sentiment Analysis tool, which displays how many XTB traders are short (selling) and how many traders are long (buying).
The platform also features a Stock Screener, a Heatmap, and Top Movers. Using the advanced screener, you can filter stocks to find suitable opportunities while the top movers let you see all of the major market moves and volatility all in one place via a heatmap and top movers tab.
The xStation 5 trading platform has always been available as a web-trading platform (WebTrader) that can be opened directly from modern web browsers, such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge, without the need to first download and install an application. The broker has also released the downloadable desktop version for Mac and Windows computers. The xStation 5 platform is also available as a mobile app that is compatible with Android and iOS devices, allowing traders to get access to their trading accounts even while on the go.
Mobile Trading Platforms
The broker offers a native app that enables users to trade a wide range of financial assets conveniently from their mobile devices. The mobile platform allows traders to choose from over 2,500 CFD markets, including FX, cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.), indices, commodities, stocks, and ETFs.
Interestingly, when you trade with the mobile versions of the xStation 5 trading platform, you do not lose any analysis features since the mobile app offers the same functionalities as the desktop platform. The platform is replete with a suite of advanced trading tools, such as technical indicators, order management, custom watchlists, trading signals, alerts, news calendars, and more. It is available for Android and iOS devices and can be downloaded from the respective app stores.
XTB for Android | XTB for iOS | |
---|---|---|
Minimum System Requirements | Android 8.0 and up | iOS 16.0 or later |
User Rating | 4.1 | 4.7 |
User Reviews | 96,900+ | 8,400+ |
Supported Languages | English | English, Arabic, Czech, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese |
Forex Pairs | 69 | 69 |
Other Tradable Assets | Investing in stocks and ETFs; CFDs on forex, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies, stocks, and ETFs | Investing in stocks and ETFs; CFDs on forex, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies, stocks, and ETFs |
Features | Trader’s calculator, price alerts, market news and analysis, economic calendar, market Sentiments, 10+ technical indicators, advanced Charts | Trader’s calculator, price alerts, market news and analysis, economic calendar, market sentiments, 10+ technical indicators, advanced charts |
Biometric Authentication | Yes | Yes |
2-Factor Authentication | Yes (with text-message verification) | Yes (with text-message verification) |
Trading Instruments
XTB offers over 2,500 CFDs on all major asset classes, including forex, indices, commodities, stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. Their range of available financial assets compares fairly to other big brokers like IC Markets.
Asset Class | XTB | IC Markets | Fusion Markets | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Forex | 69 | Good | 61 | 90 |
Indices | 27 | Good | 25 | 15 |
Stocks CFDs | 2,177 | Excellent | 2,100+ | 100+ |
Commodities | 27 | Good | 22 | 17 |
ETFs | 218 | Excellent | 0 | 0 |
Cryptocurrencies | 41 | Good | 18 | 13 |
Futures | 0 | N/A | 4 | 0 |
Options | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 |
Let us now take a closer look at the product list.
Forex
At XTB, traders are allowed to trade over 60 currency pairs. The asset class includes major, minor, and exotic FX pairs with competitive Standard account spreads starting from 0.8 pips. Micro-lot trading is available. Forex trading is accessible 24 hours a day, 5 days a week on the desktop, web, and mobile versions of the xStation 5 trading platform. Leverage of up to 1:500 is available to professional and international retail clients. However, EU retail traders can only use a maximum of 1:30 leverage, while professional traders can leverage their positions at maximum ratios of 1:200. The broker provides traders with institutional-level trading through its deep FX liquidity pools with inter-bank market access.
Indices
XTB offers over 20 indices from across the world’s equity markets, including the US, German, and Chinese stock markets, through the xStation 5 trading platform. The prices of all XTB indices are based on the underlying price at the index’s corresponding stock market.
At XTB, all trading styles are welcome, including scalping, hedging, swing trading, and position trading, and you can use any Expert Advisor (EA) that suits your trading style. Clients can trade indices with competitive trading conditions, such as zero commissions, transparent prices, leverage of up to 1:200 (not more than 1:20 for EU retail traders), and ultra-sharp spreads. Spreads are very competitive, and traders can trade long or short. There are no overnight costs if you keep a position open until the next day.
Commodities
XTB allows customers to trade popular commodities, including gold, silver, and oil, with competitive spreads from 0.3 pts for gold CFDs. You can trade over 20 commodities with leverage of up to 1:500 for gold and 1:67 for most other commodity markets at the international division. The maximum leverage for retail customers from Europe is capped at 1:20 for gold and 1:10 for other commodities. Professional commodity traders from the EU can access leverage of up to 1:200. Commodity trading is available on the desktop, web, and mobile versions of the xStation 5 trading platform. Transparent rollovers are visible directly on the chart for commodities traders.
Stock CFDs
Traders who are looking to profit from some of the world’s most popular stocks can consider trading stock CFDs with XTB. The broker offers CFDs trading on more than 2,100 stocks, including the most popular US tech stocks, such as Apple and Facebook. XTB does not charge commissions on stock CFDs and enables opening long and short positions. When trading stocks CFDs you have access to real market prices without having to own the assets. A 0.30% markup is added to the spreads of stock CFDs.
The broker also provides its clients with the opportunity to invest in real stocks with no commissions for monthly trading volume of up to €100,000. Clients who exceed this threshold pay a 0.2% commission (a minimum of €10). A 0.5% currency conversion fee may apply in some cases. The broker offers leverage of up to 1:5 (EU traders) and competitive spreads. Stock CFD trading is done via the xStation trading platform, which offers ultra-fast trade execution.
ETFs
XTB allows traders to benefit from the ETFs markets by offering multiple ETFs for trading on the desktop, web, and mobile versions of its xStation 5 platform. The broker offers over 200 exchange-traded funds from 14 different markets. ETF CFDs trading does not incur commissions and traders benefit from ultra-fast order execution and no requotes. XTB offers negative balance protection on ETFs, allowing traders to build diversified investment portfolios on its platform. EU clients can get leverage of up to 1:5 for ETFs trading. Investing in physical ETFs is possible through XTB’s offshore entity, with a 0.2% commission (a minimum of €10) for monthly trading volumes exceeding €100,000.
Cryptocurrencies
XTB allows you to gain exposure to the cryptocurrency market through cryptocurrency CFDs. The crypto broker offers over 40 crypto CFDs, including Bitcoin , Ethereum, Stellar, Dogecoin, and more. With crypto CFDs, you can speculate on the price of cryptocurrencies without taking ownership of the underlying crypto assets. Cryptocurrency CFD trading is available on all the xStation trading platforms (desktop, web, and mobile apps), and you can trade 24/7, with low costs and spreads ranging from 0.22% to 0.35% for Bitcoin. Other perks for trading cryptocurrency on XTB include a safe and transparent account and quick deposits and withdrawals.
Trade Execution
XTB uses a hybrid business model that includes elements of market making. For CFDs on currencies, indices, and commodities, XTB hedges part of the transactions with external partners. However, for CFDs on cryptocurrencies, stocks, and ETFs, XTB executes orders directly through regulated exchanges or alternative trading systems.
Although XTB operates as a market maker, this accounts for only a portion of the broker’s revenue, on average, around 20% to 30%. The bid/ask prices seen by XTB clients are based on the underlying asset prices, but as a market maker, XTB quotes its own prices and executes client orders internally. XTB operates under strict regulatory oversight, with financial watchdogs like CySEC ensuring the broker adheres to rules designed to provide fair and transparent order execution.
With XTB, you will benefit from super-fast trade execution, low spreads, and no commissions (for Standard Account holders). In addition to market orders, clients can manage their risk more effectively by placing pending stop-loss and take-profit orders. Limit and take-profit orders are executed at the specified price or better, while stop-loss orders are executed at the first available price after the specified level is reached. In some cases, a stop-loss order may be executed at a price slightly worse than the one set in the order.
Deposits
XTB supports different deposit methods to enable you to easily fund your account and trade. The broker does not charge processing fees for credit and debit card deposits but funding your account with certain e-wallets may cost you extra. XTB allows you to open accounts and deposit funds in multiple base currencies, including USD, EUR, and GBP.
You can deposit funds to your account via several payment methods, including bank transfers, credit and debit cards, Paypal, Skrill, Neteller, Ecommpay, and PayU. Deposits are instant with most of these methods. XTB does not determine the amount of the minimum initial deposit, so you can open a real account and start trading with any amount.
If you choose to fund your account via bank transfer, you will be provided with the necessary bank details. You will also need to provide the broker’s support team with your trading account number so that your deposits can be credited to your XTB account.
While many of the deposit methods offer instant funding, with the funds reflecting on your XTB account in seconds, bank transfers can take a slightly longer time (several days) to process and may not show immediately. For this reason, if you need to add funds via a bank transfer to maintain your margin requirements, it is recommended that you contact the support team first.
XTB does not accept third-party payments, so all funds deposited into your trading account must be under the same name as your XTB trading account. Payment from joint bank accounts or credit cards is accepted if the trading account holder is one of the beneficiaries.
The online payment methods allowed by this broker include:
Method | Processing Time |
---|---|
Bank transfer | 1-2 days |
Mastercard | Instant |
Visa | Instant |
Maestro | Instant |
Neteller | Instant |
PayU | Instant |
Skrill | Instant |
PayPal | Instant |
Ecommpay | Instant |
Currently, there are no deposit bonuses available with this brokerage.
Withdrawal Methods
Clients can withdraw funds online by logging into the secure XTB client portal and selecting the withdraw tab from the menu. All withdrawal requests are processed via the payment method that was used to make a deposit. For instance, a debit/credit card withdrawal can only be used for accounts that made deposits using a debit/credit card.
Withdrawals via particular methods may incur additional fees. Bank transfer withdrawals below $50 attract a $30 fee at the international division, and debit and credit card withdrawals entail a 1.5% fee. EU customers are charged €10 for withdrawals below €100. A 0.5% currency conversion fee applies to withdrawals in currencies different from your base account currency.
Due to AML / CTF laws, XTB cannot accept third party transactions. As a result, all money withdrawn from your account must go to a bank account or digital wallet in the same name as your XTB trading account.
Customer Support Contacts
XTB has a knowledgeable client support team that is very polite and highly responsive to clients’ problems. The support team is available 24 hours a day on weekdays. You can contact the broker’s support team through any of the following channels:
Support Contact | Available | Response |
---|---|---|
Live Chat | 24/5 | Less than 30 seconds |
Telephone | 24/5 | Within several minutes |
Email Contact | 24/5 | Within several hours |
- Live Chat: This channel allows you to chat directly with the broker’s support team live. The live chat function is available as a “Chat” icon at the lower-right corner of the website. When you click on the icon, you will be required to input your name and email address. Next, type your message in the bigger box and send it. A customer service agent will reply in no time.
Telephone Contact: The broker’s support team is also available through the telephone; they can be reached on the following numbers.
Account Opening: +357 257 25351 (EU), +357 257 25356 (international)
Office: +357 257 24350 (EU)
General Support: +357 257 25352 (EU), +48 222 739 976 (international)When we contacted the broker’s support team via telephone, we got a response within a few minutes. The response from the customer support team was polite and offered all the information we were looking for.
Email Contact: The support team can also be reached by sending an email to accountsupport.cy@xtb.com for European clients and sales_int@xtb.com for international clients.
- Help Page: This page contains a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions. They answer some of the clients’ most common questions, such as how to open an account, account types, deposits, and withdrawals. The Help section is located at the top menu of the broker’s website.
Research and Educational Materials
To help traders learn about the financial markets, XTB makes a range of learning resources available on their website. The broker’s extensive library of educational materials contains videos, webinars, and courses suitable for beginners and experienced investors. Other available educational resources include learning courses, trading platform manuals, video tutorials, daily market updates, and more. Here is what you will find:
- A rich education section containing various market analyses and educational content
- The XTB Trading Academy: This is a dedicated education area that contains a vast array of educational content, which can help you become a better trader. Some of the content includes video tutorials, trading courses, articles, and much more. You can choose a topic covering various subjects to improve your knowledge and skills at every stage of your trading journey. There are hundreds of lessons available, covering a range of investment topics like technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and trading strategies. These lessons are available in 12+ languages.
- Various articles on a wide range of subjects, including trading platform tutorials, introduction to markets, technical analysis, fundamental analysis, risk management, trading psychology, and more.
- Live Webinars: XTB regularly hosts webinars and seminars where you can ask questions directly to market experts. They cover everything from spotting trade opportunities to using the xStation platform.
- E-books on various trading topics.
- The news section is updated regularly to keep traders informed about the latest developments in the financial markets.
Security and Money Guarantees
At Best Brokers, we are committed to ensuring that our readers trade only with regulated brokers, and XTB is one such company. Here are our key findings.
- Over two decades of business history and growth
- Top-tier FCA and CySEC licenses
- Award-winning brokerage
The FCA enforces strict client money and client assets rules that govern how brokers must safeguard and manage client funds. This eliminates the risk of fraudulent behavior by the brokerage. The FCA regulation means that UK traders are covered under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) to the tune of £85,000 per claim in the event of the broker’s insolvency.
Similarly, CySEC regulation means that EU retail traders are covered under the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) with a compensation of up to €20,000 in the event of the broker’s insolvency.
Entity | Regulator | Amount covered | Negative Balance Protection |
---|---|---|---|
XTB Limited | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) | £85,000 | |
XTB Limited | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | €20,000 | |
XTB International Limited | International Financial Services Commission (IFSC) | N/A | |
X-Trade Brokers DM SA | Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) | €20,000 | |
XTB Sucursal | Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) | €20,000 | |
XTB S.A. | Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) | €20,000 | |
XTB Mena Limited | Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) | 100% of deposit up to €3,000 and 90% over this amount up to €22,000 |
Conclusion
Putting it all together, XTB provides a choice of over 2,500 CFDs on various asset groups, including forex, gold, silver, indices, soft commodities, base metals, energies, crypto, and ETFs. Our team of experts at Best Brokers can say that XTB offers some of the best trading conditions among its peers, and our reasons for that assertion are as follows:
- High liquidity
- Flexible leverage of up to 1:500
- Innovative proprietary trading platform
- Lightning-fast execution via the xStation 5 desktop, web, and mobile trading platforms
- Award-winning customer service
- Free educational resources to sharpen your skills
- Fully licensed and regulated since 2002