Summary
Recommended for forex and CFD traders who prefer MetaTrader platforms and seek great account opening
XM is an online broker whose parent company is Trading Point Holding, a global CFD and FX broker founded in 2009.
XM is available globally and is regulated by three financial authorities: the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the International Financial Services Commission of Belize (IFSC).
Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 78.04% 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.
XM pros and cons
XM has low stock CFD and withdrawal fees. Account opening is user-friendly and fast. You can use many educational tools, such as webinars and a demo account.
On the other hand, XM has a limited product portfolio as it offers mainly CFDs and forex. Its forex and stock index CFD fees are average, and there is no investor protection for clients onboarded outside the EU.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Low stock CFD and withdrawal fees | • Limited product portfolio |
• Easy and fast account opening | • Average forex and stock index CFD fees |
• Great educational tools | • No investor protection for non-EU clients |
🗺️ Country of regulation | Cyprus, Australia, Belize, United Arab Emirates |
💰 Trading fees class | Average |
💰 Inactivity fee charged | Yes |
💰 Withdrawal fee amount | $0 |
💰 Minimum deposit | $5 |
🕖 Time to open an account | 1 day |
💳 Deposit with bank card | Available |
👛 Depositing with electronic wallet | Available |
💱 Number of base currencies supported | 11 |
🎮 Demo account provided | Yes |
🛍️ Products offered | Forex, CFD, Real stocks for clients under Belize (IFSC) |
XM review
Fees
or
XM has low trading fees for CFDs and charges no withdrawal fee. On the other hand, forex and stock index fees are only average, and there is a fee for inactivity.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• No withdrawal fee | • Inactivity fee |
• Low stock CFD fees | • Average FX fees |
Assets | Fee level | Fee terms |
---|---|---|
S&P 500 CFD | Average | The fees are built into the spread, 0.7 points is the average spread cost during peak trading hours. |
Europe 50 CFD | Average | The fees are built into the spread, 2.6 points is the average spread cost during peak trading hours. |
EURUSD | Average | With Standard, Micro, and Ultra-Low accounts the fees are built into the spread. 1.7 pips is the Standard account's average spread cost during peak trading hours. With XM Zero accounts, there is a $3.5 commission per lot per trade and a small spread cost. |
Inactivity fee | Low | $15 one-off maintenance fee after one year of inactivity, followed by $5 per month fee if the account remains inactive. |
How we ranked fees
We ranked XM's fee levels as low, average or high based on how they compare to those of all reviewed brokers.
First, let's go over some basic terms related to broker fees. What you need to keep an eye on are trading fees and non-trading fees.
- Trading fees occur when you trade. These can be commissions, spreads, financing rates and conversion fees.
- Non-trading fees include charges not directly related to trading, like withdrawal fees or inactivity fees.
In the sections below, you will find the most relevant fees of XM for each asset class. For example, in the case of forex and stock index trading, spreads, commissions and financing rates are the most important fees.
We also compared XM's fees with those of two similar brokers we selected, XTB and eToro. This selection is based on objective factors such as products offered, client profile, fee structure, etc. See a more detailed rundown of XM alternatives.
To have a clear overview of XM, let's start with the trading fees.
XM trading fees
XM trading fees are average. XM has many account types, which all differ in pricing. The Standard, Micro, and Ultra Low accounts charge higher spreads but there is no commission. The XM Zero account charges lower spreads, but there is a commission. The following calculations were made using the Standard account.
We know it's hard to compare trading fees for CFD brokers. So how did we approach the problem of making their fees clear and comparable? We compared brokers by calculating all the fees of a typical trade for selected products.
We chose popular instruments within each asset class:
- Stock index CFDs: SPX and EUSTX50
- Stock CFDs: Apple and Vodafone
- Forex: EURUSD, GBPUSD, AUDUSD, EURCHF and EURGBP
A typical trade means buying a leveraged position, holding it for one week and then selling. For volume, we chose a $2,000 position for stock index and stock CFDs, and $20,000 for forex transactions. The leverage we used was:
- 20:1 for stock index CFDs
- 5:1 for stock CFDs
- 30:1 for forex
These catch-all benchmark fees include spreads, commissions and financing costs for all brokers. Let's see the verdict for XM fees.
CFD fees
XM has low stock CFD, while average stock index CFD fees.
XM | XTB | eToro | |
---|---|---|---|
S&P 500 index CFD fee | $1.6 | $1.4 | $1.5 |
Europe 50 index CFD fee | $2.4 | $1.8 | $2.7 |
Apple CFD fee | $6.4 | $17.3 | $6.7 |
Vodafone CFD fee | $1.2 | $20.8 | - |
Forex fees
XM's forex fees are average compared to its competitors.
XM | XTB | eToro | |
---|---|---|---|
EURUSD benchmark fee | $9.5 | $8.3 | $8.8 |
GBPUSD benchmark fee | $8.4 | $6.0 | $8.5 |
AUDUSD benchmark fee | $10.3 | $6.5 | $8.2 |
EURCHF benchmark fee | $9.7 | $8.9 | $12.6 |
EURGBP benchmark fee | $10.5 | $8.4 | $12.3 |
Real stock fees
Clients onboarded under IFSC can also trade real stocks using the Shares Account.
The real stock fees are lower than XTB's, but lag behind eToro's commission-free real stock offers.
XM | XTB | eToro | |
---|---|---|---|
US stock | $1.0 | $10.0 | $0.0 |
UK stock | $9.0 | $12.0 | $0.0 |
German stock | $5.0 | $12.0 | $0.0 |
The commissions are volume-tiered with a minimum fee.
Stock market | Commission | Minimum commission |
---|---|---|
USA | $0.04 per share | $1 |
UK | 0.10% | $9 |
Germany | 0.10% | $5 |
Non-trading fees
XM has average non-trading fees. There is no account fee and XM charges no withdrawal fee in most cases, though bank withdrawals below $200 carry a $15 fee.
There is a $15 one-off maintenance fee after 1 year of inactivity, and this is followed by a $5 monthly fee if the account remains inactive.
XM | XTB | eToro | |
---|---|---|---|
Account fee | No | No | No |
Inactivity fee | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Deposit fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $5 |
XM review
Account opening
or
XM account opening is hassle-free and straightforward. You may be able to trade on your account already on the same day.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Fast | None |
• Fully digital | |
• Low minimum deposit |
Can you open an account?
XM accepts customers from all over the world. There are a few exceptions though; among others, you can't open an account from the USA, Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand or Israel.
What is the minimum deposit at XM?
The required XM minimum deposit is $5 for the Standard and Micro accounts, which is very low. The minimum deposit is $100 for XM Zero accounts and $50 for XM Ultra Low accounts.
Account types
XM offers many account types, which differ in pricing, base currencies, minimum deposit and contract size.
Micro | Standard | XM Zero | XM Ultra Low | Shares Account | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Client country | EEA Australia Other countries |
EEA Australia Other countries |
EAA | Australia Other countries |
Non-EEA and non-Australian clients |
Pricing | No commission, but higher spread | No commission, but higher spread | There is a commission, but the spread is very low | No commission and the spread is low | Market spread and commission |
Base currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CHF, AUD, HUF, PLN, RUB, SGD, ZAR | USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CHF, AUD, HUF, PLN, RUB, SGD, ZAR | EUR, USD, JPY | EUR, USD, GBP, AUD, ZAR, SGD |
USD |
Minimum deposit | $5 | $5 | $100 | $50 | $10,000 |
Contract size | 1 Lot = 1,000 | 1 Lot = 100,000 | 1 Lot = 100,000 | Standard Ultra: 1 Lot = 100,000 Micro Ultra: 1 Lot = 1,000 |
1 share |
Islamic or swap-free accounts are also available. With Islamic accounts, a flat commission is charged if you hold your leveraged position overnight instead of the percentage-based financing rates.
XM doesn't offer corporate accounts. If you sign up for a non-European entity, you will not be eligible for European client protection measures.
How to open your account
XM account opening is fully digital, fast and straightforward. You can fill out the online application form in 20 minutes. Our account was verified on the same day.
You can select many languages other than English:
Arabic | Bengali | Chinese | Czech | Dutch |
Filipino | French | German | Greek | Hungarian |
Indonesian | Italian | Korean | Malay | Polish |
Portuguese | Russian | Spanish | Swedish | Thai |
Vietnamese |
To open an account at XM, you have to go through these steps:
- Fill in your name, country of residence, email address and telephone number.
- Select the trading platform (MT4 or MT5) and account type.
- Add your personal information, such as your date of birth and address.
- Select the base currency and the size of the leverage.
- Provide your financial information and answer questions about your financial knowledge.
- Verify your identity and residency. You can upload a copy of your national ID, passport or driver's license to verify your identity, while utility bills and bank statements are accepted as proof of residency.

XM review
Deposit and withdrawal
or
XM's deposit and withdrawal processes are fast and inexpensive, and offer you several options.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Credit/Debit card available | None |
• Several account base currencies | |
• Free wire withdrawal above $200 |
Account base currencies
At XM, you can choose from a great selection of account base currencies. The available base currencies are: EUR, USD, GBP, CHF, JPY, AUD, RUB, PLN, HUF, ZAR and SGD. The available account currencies depend on which account type you open.
This account base currency selection is more competitive than that of similar brokers.
XM | XTB | eToro | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of base currencies | 11 | 4 | 1 |
Why does this matter? For two reasons. If you fund your trading account in the same currency as your bank account or you trade assets in the same currency as your trading account base currency, you don't have to pay a conversion fee.
A convenient way to save on currency conversion fees is by opening a multi-currency bank account at a digital bank. These usually offer bank accounts in several currencies with great currency exchange rates, as well as free or cheap international bank transfers. Opening an account only takes a few minutes on your phone.
Deposit fees and options
XM charges no deposit fees. You can use bank transfer and credit/debit cards for depositing funds. Clients onboarded under IFSC can also deposit using the SticPay electronic wallet.
XM | XTB | eToro | |
---|---|---|---|
Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Credit/Debit card | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Electronic wallets | Yes | Yes | Yes |
A bank transfer can take several business days, while payment with a credit/debit card is instant.
You can only deposit money from accounts that are in your name.

XM withdrawal fees and options
XM charges no withdrawal fees. The only exception is bank (wire) transfers below $200, which incur a $15 fee.
XM | XTB | eToro | |
---|---|---|---|
Bank Transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Credit/Debit card | Yes | No | Yes |
Electronic wallets | Yes | No | Yes |
Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $5 |
For credit/debit cards and electronic wallets, the withdrawal amount cannot exceed the amount you deposited using the same instrument. This means that you can only withdraw your trading profits via bank transfer.
How long does it take to withdraw money from XM? We tested debit card withdrawal and it took 2 business days.
You can only withdraw money to accounts that are in your name.
How do you withdraw money from XM?
- Log in to your account
- Go to 'Withdraw Funds'
- Select the withdrawal method
- Enter the withdrawal amount
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XM review
Web trading platform
or
XM's web trading platform is provided by MetaTrader. It is highly customizable and has a clear fee report. On the other hand, the platform lacks price alerts and the design is outdated.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Clear fee report | • No two-step (safer) login |
• Good customizability (for charts, workspace) | • No price alerts |
• Order confirmation | • Poor design |
Trading platform | Score | Available |
---|---|---|
Web | 2.8 stars | Yes |
Mobile | 3.8 stars | Yes |
Desktop | 3.4 stars | Yes |
XM does not have its own trading platform; instead, it uses third-party platforms: MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. These platforms are very similar to each other in functionality and design. One major difference is that you can't trade stock CFDs on MetaTrader 4, only on MetaTrader 5.
We tested the MetaTrader 4 platform as it is more widely used.
MetaTrader 4 is available in an exceptionally large number of languages.
XM web trading platform languages | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arabic | Bulgarian | Chinese | Croatian | Czech | Danish |
Dutch | English | Estonian | Finnish | French | German |
Greek | Hebrew | Hindi | Hungarian | Indonesian | Italian |
Japanese | Korean | Latvian | Lithuanian | Malay | Mongolian |
Persian | Polish | Portuguese | Romanian | Russian | Serbian |
Slovak | Slovenian | Spanish | Swedish | Tajik | Thai |
Traditional Chinese | Turkish | Ukrainian | Uzbek | Vietnamese |
Look and feel
The XM web trading platform has great customizability. It is easy to change the size and the position of the tabs.
However, the platform feels outdated and some features are hard to find. For example, it took us a while to figure out how to add an asset to the watchlist.

Login and security
XM requires two-step authentication for the account login on the website where you can deposit and withdraw. The trading platform itself, however, doesn't have two-step authentication.
Search functions
The search functions are OK. You can find assets grouped into various categories. However, we missed the usual search function where you can type in the name of an asset manually.

Placing orders
You can use all the basic order types. However, you won't find more sophisticated order types such as 'one-cancels-the-other'. The following order types are available:
- Market
- Limit
- Stop
- Trailing Stop
Trailing Stop is available only in the MT4 desktop platform
To get a better understanding of these terms, read this overview of order types.
There are also order time limits you can use:
- Good 'til canceled (GTC)
- Good 'til time (GTT)

Alerts and notifications
You cannot set alerts and notifications on the XM web trading platform. This feature is available only on the desktop trading platform.
Portfolio and fee reports
XM has clear portfolio and fee reports. You can easily see your profit-loss balance and the commissions you paid. These reports can be found under the 'History' tab. We couldn't find a way to download them.
XM review
Mobile trading platform
or
XM has a great mobile trading platform, offered by MetaTrader 4. It is a well-designed and user-friendly platform with a good search function. However, Touch/Face ID login is not supported.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• User-friendly | • No two-step (safer) login |
• Good search function | • No Touch/Face ID login |
• Price alerts |
XM offers MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 mobile trading platforms. Similarly to the web trading platform, we tested the MetaTrader 4 platform on Android.
Once you have downloaded the MT4 mobile trading platform, you should access the relevant XM server.
Just like on the web trading platform, you can choose from many languages on the mobile trading platform as well. Changing the language is a bit tricky on Android devices, as you can do it only if you switch the default language of your mobile.
XM mobile trading platform languages | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Arabic | Chinese (Simplified) | Chinese (Traditional) | Czech | English |
French | German | Greek | Hindi | Indonesian |
Italian | Japanese | Korean | Polish | Portuguese |
Portuguese (Brazil) | Russian | Spanish | Thai | Turkish |
Ukrainian | Vietnamese |
Look and feel
XM has a great mobile trading platform, we really liked its design and user-friendliness. It is easy to find all the features it provides.

Login and security
XM requires only one-step login for the platform, but provides two-step account login to access deposit and withdrawal functions. A two-step login procedure for the trading platform would be safer.
You can't use fingerprint or Face ID authentication. Offering this feature would be more convenient.
Search functions
The search functions are good. You can search by typing the name of the product or by navigating the category folders.

Placing orders
You can use the same order types and order time limits as on the web trading platform.

Alerts and notifications
You can set alerts and notifications for your mobile, although only through the desktop trading platform. It would be much easier if you could set these notifications on the mobile trading platform as well.
XM review
Desktop trading platform
or
In design and functionality, XM's MetaTrader 4 desktop platform is almost the same as the web trading platform. One major difference is that you can set price alerts on the desktop trading platform.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Clear fee report | • No two-step (safer) login |
• Good customizability (for charts, workspace) | • Outdated design |
• Price alerts | • Search function could be better |
For desktop trading too, you can use the MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms; we tested MetaTrader 4.
It has the same design, is available in the same languages, offers the same order types, has the same search functions, and offers the same portfolio and fee reports as the web trading platform.
The desktop trading platform doesn't have two-step authentication; however, XM provides a two-step account login procedure on the website where you can deposit and withdraw funds.
The major difference is that you can set alerts and notifications on the desktop trading platform in the form of mobile push and email notifications. To set these, you have to add your email address and mobile MetaQuotes ID (you can find it in the MT4 app's settings). You can add them if you go to 'Tools' and then 'Options'.

XM review
Markets and products
or
XM provides CFDs and forex for all clients, while real stocks are available only for clients opening their accounts under the IFSC-regulated entity. Popular asset classes, like real ETFs, bonds or options are missing.
XM is a CFD and forex broker with a great number of currency pairs available for trading. However, the CFD selection is lower compared to some XM alternatives.
Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 78.04% 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.
XM | XTB | eToro | |
---|---|---|---|
Currency pairs (#) | 57 | 49 | 47 |
Stock index CFDs (#) | 28 | 42 | 13 |
Stock CFDs (#) | 1,240 | 1,800 | 2,000 |
Commodity CFDs (#) | 15 | 22 | 14 |
Cryptos (#) | - | 25 | 16 |
You can't change the leverage levels of the products, which is a drawback. Changing the leverage manually is a very useful feature when you want to lower the risk of your trade. Be careful with forex and CFD trading, as the preset leverage levels may be high.
Real stocks and ETFs
XM provides real stocks for clients onboarded under XM's IFSC-regulated entity. You can trade stocks only using the Shares Account. The real stock selection lags behind that of similar competitors.
XM | XTB | eToro | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock markets (#) | 3 | 17 | 17 |
XM review
Research
or
XM offers a wide range of technical tools and a great economic calendar. On the downside, it provides no fundamental data on assets.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Trading ideas | • No fundamental data available |
• Quality news flow | |
• User-friendly |
XM's research tools have two sources:
- The 'Research & Education' section on the website
- MetaTrader trading platforms
The 'Research & Education' section is somewhat limited if you choose a language other than English. For example, there are no technical analyses or market overviews on non-English websites. If you go with English, you can access extra features like:
- Markets Overview: a summary page of all the latest news on the markets
- XM Research: a page that consists of analyses, reviews and comments on market movements
- Technical Summaries: a short collection of instrument movements by the minute, hour or day
- Podcasts
These are all great additions to XM's research side, not many brokers have such a variety of tools ready.
Trading ideas

Fundamental data
XM does not offer fundamental data on assets.
Charting
XM has OK charting tools. You can use 31 technical indicators. These charting tools can be found on the MetaTrader trading platforms.
On the negative side, the design is outdated and some features are hard to use. For example, it was hard to figure out how to remove an indicator from the chart.

News feed
A news feed is available on the ‘Markets’ and ‘News’ pages under the 'Research & Education' tab. We liked that news items are categorized based on product types. You can also find Video news.
XM offers a great economic calendar. We liked that the calendar has a filter function where you can filter for countries, data type and importance.

XM review
Customer service
or
XM's customer service is fast and is available in many languages, via email, phone and live chat. The relevancy of answers is OK. Phone support is not available on weekends, though.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Phone support | • No 24/7 support |
• Live chat | |
• Fast response time |
You can contact XM via
- live chat
- phone
Answers are quick, and their relevancy is mostly OK.
Live chat is quick to respond to the first message but gets a bit slower with subsequent questions. We found that sometimes we had to ask the same question multiple times to get a straight answer.
XM phone support was fast, but we didn't always receive relevant answers. For example, we didn't get a clear answer to our query on how swaps are calculated. On other days, the answers were on point – it's hit-or-miss.
Email support works great. We received answers within a day and they were all relevant.

XM review
Education
or
XM does a great job in education. You can toy around with a demo account, watch trading platform tutorials, and learn from educational videos and high-quality webinars.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Demo account | None |
• Trading platform tutorial | |
• Educational videos |
At XM you can learn in the following ways:
- Demo account
- Platform tutorial videos
- General educational videos
- Webinars
Most of the education section on XM is based on video content. You can dive deep into topics ranging from an introduction to financial markets through money management and trading strategies to technical analysis. Each chapter has several lessons, all available for XM users only.
Beyond these prerecorded materials, they offer live training both online and offline for various experience levels.

Open demo account
78.04% of retail CFD accounts lose money
XM review
Safety
or
XM is regulated by three financial authorities globally, including the top-tier ASIC. It is a well-established brand but is not listed on any exchange and does not disclose financial information.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Negative balance protection | • Does not hold a banking license |
• Regulated by the top-tier ASIC | • Not listed on stock exchange |
• Financial information is not publicly available |
Is XM regulated?
Yes, XM is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and the International Financial Services Commission of Belize (IFSC).
There is another XM legal entity called Trading Point MENA Limited, which is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
Is XM safe?
To be certain if a brokerage is safe, we highly advise that you check two facts:
- how you are protected if something goes wrong
- what the background of the broker is
How you are protected
XM operates several subsidiaries, and which one of these will serve you depends on your residency. This is important for you because the investor protection amount and the regulator differ depending on the entity.
Country of clients | Protection amount | Regulator | Legal entity |
---|---|---|---|
EEA countries | €20,000 | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | Trading Point of Financial Instruments Ltd. |
Australia | No protection | Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) | Trading Point of Financial Instruments Pty Ltd. |
Rest of the world | No protection | International Financial Services Commission of Belize (IFSC) | XM Global Limited |
XM provides negative balance protection for both EU and non-EU customers.
Background
The private company behind the XM brand is Trading Point Holdings. It was established in 2009. The longer the track record of a broker, the more proof we have that it has successfully weathered previous financial crises.
On the other hand, the company doesn't disclose financial information and isn't listed on any exchanges. These would increase transparency.
XM review
Bottom line
or
XM is regulated by several authorities globally, including the top-tier ASIC.
On the plus side, we liked the low stock CFD and withdrawal fees. The account opening process is seamless and hassle-free. There is a wide range of educational tools of great quality.
XM has some drawbacks though. Its product range is limited to FX and CFDs. Its forex and stock index CFD fees are average, and non-EU customers are not covered by any investor protection.
We recommend XM for those who are interested in CFD and forex trading and prefer MetaTrader trading platforms. Feel free to test it via the demo account.