Hi! In this article, we are going to give you our honest review of XTB to help you find out whether is the right online broker for you!
We recommend XTB if you are a trader looking for a reliable CFD and forex broker with competitive fees, or want to benefit from commission-free stock and ETF trading (country restrictions may apply).
XTB is a world leader in Forex and CFD trading. It is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and, as such, it is required to disclose its financials (meaning more financial transparency).
XTB presents 2 great trading platforms (xStation 5 and xStation Mobile), a handful of regulations, tight spreads, great customer support, and a lot of free education on trading. Besides, they are one of the highest-rated brokers in terms of their clients’ feedback!
On the negative side, fees charged for stock CFD trading are high. XTB has a limited product portfolio, covering mostly CFDs and FX, although real stocks and ETFs are also available for some European clients.
With over 250.000 clients, 15 years of experience, present in 13 countries, and regulated by top tier regulators such as FCA, KNF, CySEC, and IFSC, XTB has proven to be resilience through several financial crises and facing ongoing competition, which gives us some excellent reasons to consider it safe and reliable.
That’s XTB Review in a nutshell. If you want a more detailed XTB Review, keep on reading. Here’s what we’ll cover:
1. XTB Overview
Founded in 2002, XTB is a global online broker with headquarters in Warsaw, Poland. The business model was mainly designed to accommodate CFD and Forex enthusiasts. It was even awarded as the best CFD broker of 2020 by Brokerchooser. The available tools are made for technical analysis rather than fundamental analysis. On the latter, XTB reveals minimal fundamental data indeed.
The two main trading platforms available through XTB are the xStation5 (left image below) and the xStation Mobile (right image below), and so it is available for web, desktop, and mobile with good search functions, a high level of customization but not very user-friendly for first-timers, in our view.
XTB Review – xStation5
XTB Review – xStation Mobile
XTB Highlights
| 🗺️ Supported Countries | Worldwide – Exceptions include the US and Canada |
| 💰 Stocks and ETFs fees | Free of charge (in applicable countries) |
| 💰 Cryptos and CFDs fees | Low |
| 💰 Currency Conversion fee | 0.50% |
| 💰 Inactivity fee | €/£10/month after one year of non-trading and if you have not made any deposit in the last 90 days |
| 💰 Withdrawal fee | €/£0 |
| 💵 Minimum Deposit | €/£1 |
| 📍 Products offered | ETFs, Stocks, CFDs, Commodities, Forex, and Cryptocurrencies |
| 🎮 Demo Account | Yes |
| 📜 Regulatory entities | FCA, CySEC |
You may trade from a list of 1500+ financial instruments in CFDs, Forex, and Crypto. Some European clients may trade non-leveraged stocks and ETFs (and for free!) – except in the UK, Cyprus, Hungary and other countries worldwide – but still, in these asset classes, the product offering is limited. The fees charged for stock CFD trading may be relatively high.
On the more favourable side, its Forex and stock index CFDs’ fees are relatively low. The account opening process is hassle-free, the deposit and withdrawals are fast and easy. A demo account is a great tool to familiarize yourself with the platform quickly!
2. XTB Pros and Cons
Pros
- Customizable trading platform (charts and workspace)
- Free stocks trading (only applicable to some EU countries)
- Low Forex Spreads
- Demo account
- No minimum account deposit
- Valuable education materials
- Top-tier Regulators
Cons
- Complex trading platform for a beginner
- High Stock CFD fees
- Limited product portfolio
- Withdrawal fees for transfers below 100$
- Inactivity fee (10€/monthly after 1+ year with no activity plus no deposit in the last 90 days
3. XTB fees snapshot
The information relating to fees in XTB is not as straight forward as in other brokers. It may vary depending on the type of account and the jurisdiction you are in. Below, you will find a snapshot of fees referring to the Standard account type.
| Fee Type | Classification |
| Stock CFDs and ETF CFDs Fees | Average: from 0,08% spreads in most products |
| Forex & Commodity Fees | Low: No commissions and very competitive spreads, from 0.1 pips |
| Indices Fees | No commissions, spreads vary |
| Crypto Fees | Average: 0.5%-2.5% spreads for most products |
| Withdrawal Fees | No fees above $100 |
| Account Fee | No fee for most countries |
| Inactivity Fee | 10€/monthly after 1+ year with no activity and no deposit made in the last 90 days |
The table above is referring to the Standard account type. The pro account is more competitive in terms of spreads. Note that both accounts offer floating spreads. Active retail traders can also apply for a 10%-30% spreads discount.
As already referred, commission-free stocks trading is available in some European countries, but be aware that spreads may vary between stocks (Amazon and Tesla have different spreads, for instance) and you may incur an exchange conversion rate of 0.50% (From EUR to USD, for example).
You can check the full description of XTB’s fees in your country, for both the standard and pro accounts, on their official website.
Below, we elaborate more on the main differences between the standard and pro account types.
4. XTB Account types
XTB offers 2 account types: the Standard and the Pro Account. These accounts differ only in the fees: the Pro account generally has lower spreads but has a different fees scheme. The standard account is the XTB commission-free account, where all fees are included in the spread. Besides the way the commission is charged, there is no difference between the Standard and the Professional accounts. Here is a screenshot from the XTB UK website:
XTB Review – Account Types
Additionally, XTB also offers a free 30-days demo account to try the platform with $100,000 virtual money and without any commitment.
5. XTB Account opening
Opening an account at XTB is done through its official website and is a fast, simple, and fully digital process. You just need to follow these steps:
- Fill the registration form with your personal details, such as name, email, address, phone number, and date of birth.
- Answer some compliance questions related to your investor and personal profile.
- Choose the account type (Standard or Pro Account).
- Verify your identity to activate your account – you will need to submit documents such as your proof of address, proof of identity (passport, national identity card, or driver’s license), proof of bank account, and, finally, making a video call with your proof of identity close to you.
- After their compliance department verifies everything, you are ready to fund your account and start trading!
6. XTB Safety and Regulation
XTB is fully supervised by top tier regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (PFSA or KNF in polish), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), and the International Financial Services Commission (IFSC).
Keep in mind that it is registered in several countries, meaning that it must have authorization from the local financial markets authorities. For instance, in Portugal and Germany, XTB is registered in CMVM and BaFin, respectively.
Finally, following the August 2018 restrictions in CFD trading by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), XTB provides negative balance protection for Forex and CFD trading on a per-account basis to retail clients from the European Union. What does that mean? Imagine that you deposit 1000€ in your account and open a position with a 5:1 leverage. This increases your exposure to 5000€. If the market dropped 25%, you would lose 1250€ (25%*5000€). As you can see, it is above your initial deposit of 1000€, meaning that you would owe 250€ to your broker. With ESMA regulation, your account balance is automatically readjusted to 0€, so you only lose your deposit (more info here).
Do you want to read a deeper analysis? Check out our dedicated article on investment protection (for EU investors)!
7. XTB supported countries
XTB operates in most countries in the world. Due to regulation, there are some exceptions, and XTB cannot legally offer its services in the following countries:
United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Slovakia, Singapore, Mauritius, Israel, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Uganda, Cuba, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Kenya, Romania.
Did we answer all your doubts through our XTB Review? Did it help you make your decision regarding opening an account in XTB? Let us know your feedback!
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Past performance is not an indication of future results.
Franklin is a CFA Level III Candidate with 3 years of experience in Wealth Management as a Fund Research Analyst and the Host of the "Edge Over Hedge" YouTube Channel.
