XTB Review 2020

XTB has low trading fees and low non-trading fees. Within trading fees, there are low fees for forex and stock index CFDs. On the other hand, stock CFD fees are high.

We ranked XTB's fee levels as low, average or high based on how they compare to those of all reviewed brokers.

To get things rolling, let's go over some lingo 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 XTB 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 XTB's fees with those of two similar brokers we selected, IG and eToro. This selection is based on objective factors such as products offered, client profile, fee structure, etc. See a more detailed rundown of XTB alternatives.

To have a clear overview of XTB, let's start with the trading fees.

Trading fees

XTB has low trading fees. Both forex and CFD fees are low.

How you pay fees is different based on account type. At a standard account you pay only spreads, while at Pro accounts you will pay commissions in addition to the market spreads, i.e. the interbank spreads. We reviewed the Pro account. 

We know it is hard to compare trading fees for CFD brokers. So how did we approach the problem of making their fees clear and comparable? We compare brokers by calculating all the fees of a typical trade for selected products.

We have chosen 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 the volume, we chose a $2,000 position for the stock index and stock CFDs and $20,000 for the forex transactions. The leverage we used is:

• 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 XTB fees.

CFD fees

XTB has generally low CFD trading fees. 

The commission at Pro accounts is $4/€3.5/£2.5 per lot (100,000 units in the relevant currency) for stock index CFDs, while it amounts to 0.08% of the trade value, or minimum $8/€8/£8, for stock and ETF CFDs.

Forex fees

XTB's forex fees are low. Compared to IG and eToro, XTB has lower forex fees for the main currency pairs.

Similarly to stock index CFDs, the commission at Pro accounts is $4/€3.5/£2.5 per lot (100,000 units in the relevant currency) for forex.

Real stock and ETF fees

For European clients under the Polish entity, real stocks are also available.

The real stock fees are average, higher than eToro's commission-free stocks, but less than IG's real stocks.

The commission on real stocks is 0.08-0.12% of the trade value, with a $8-10 minimum. 

Non-trading fees

XTB's non-trading fees are low as well. There are no inactivity or account fees. There is also no withdrawal fee if you withdraw amounts above $100. 

The conditions may vary from country to country. For example, at the UK entity, there is no account fee, while for Polish clients there is. The withdrawal fee depends on the base currency of your account.

XTB's account opening process is hassle-free, fully digital and straightforward. Your account will be ready for trading on the same day.

Can you open an account?

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XTB accepts customers from all over Europe and from most countries around the world.

What is the minimum deposit at XTB?

The required minimum deposit can differ from country to country. For example, the minimum in the UK is $250, while there is no minimum deposit for clients in other European countries. Ask customer service about the minimum required balance for your country before you open an account.

Account Types

There are two account types at XTB, which have different fee structures:

• Standard account: wider spreads, but no commission
• Pro account: tighter spreads, but there is a commission

We tested the Pro account. On some pages on XTB’s website you can find information about Basic accounts, but this is a legacy account type that you can't open anymore.

If you are outside of Europe you can also open an Islamic account in addition to the above-mentioned account types. This account type is compliant with Islamic law and doesn't charge any swap fees.

How to open your account

XTB's account opening is fully digital, fast and straightforward. Filling out the forms and submitting all the documents takes around 30 minutes. After that, your account will be verified within a day. 

The 5 steps of XTB account opening:

1. Provide your email address and country of residency.
2. Add some personal information, like your date of birth and address.
3. Select the trading platform, account type and account base currency.
4. Answer questions about your employment status, financial status and trading experience.
5. Activate your account by verifying your identity and residency.

Some European clients can verify their identity via video, which is great.

If video verification is not possible, in order to verify your identity you have to upload a photo or scanned copy of your photo ID, passport or driver's license. Utility bills and bank statements are accepted for proof of residency.

XTB deposits and withdrawals are cost-friendly, fast, and can be done in several forms.

Account base currencies

XTB's account base currency selection covers the major currencies, like USD, EUR and GBP. Some other minor currencies might be available, too. For example, we could open our account in HUF as well.

This selection of account base currencies is average compared to similar brokers.

Why does this matter? For two reasons. If you fund your account in the same currency as your bank account or you trade assets in the same currency as your account base currency, you don't have to pay a conversion fee.

A convenient way to save on currency conversion fees is opening a multi-currency bank account at a digital bank. Revolut or Transferwise both 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.

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Deposit fee and options

XTB charges no deposit fees. The electronic wallets, such as Paypal and Skrill charge 2% of the deposited amount, which is quite high. 

There are a lot of transfer options:

• Bank transfer
• Credit/Debit card
• PayPal
• Skrill
• BlueCash*
• PayU*
• SafetyPay**

*available only at accounts under the Polish entity

**available only for clients outside of Europe

A bank transfer can take several business days, while payment with credit/debit cards and electronic wallets is instant. You can only deposit money from sources that are in your name.

Withdrawal fees and options

XTB charges no withdrawal fees if the amount is above $100. The only way to withdraw money is by bank transfer. 

If you withdraw an amount below the determined threshold, XTB charges a high fee: 

How long does it take to withdraw money from XTB? We tested the bank transfer withdrawal and it took 1 business day. If you initiate the withdrawal before 1 p.m. it will arrive on the same day, otherwise, it arrives on the next working day.

You can only withdraw money to accounts in your name.

How do you withdraw money from XTB?

• Log in to the trading platform.
• On the bottom right, click on 'Deposit and withdraw funds.'
• Enter your bank account details and the amount you wish to withdraw.
• Initiate the withdrawal.

Compare to other brokers

XTB's xStation 5 platform is user-friendly, can be customized and has a good search function. On the other hand, a two-step login is not available.

You can choose between two trading platforms:

• xStation 5, XTB's own trading platform
• MetaTrader 4, a third-party tool

In this XTB review, we tested the xStation 5. This trading platform is available in many languages: 

Look and feel

At first glance, xStation 5 might appear like a platform designed for professional users, but as you start to use it you will find it well-designed and user-friendly, and you will be able to use it with ease, even if you are a starter.

You can easily customize the web trading platform.

Login and security

There is only a one-step login. A two-step login would be more secure.

Search functions

The search function is good. There are different ways you can search for an asset by clicking on ‘Market Watch':

• Type the name of the product in the search bar.

• Browse the various categories and product types. For example, if you want to trade with a US stock CFD, you just click on the stock type and select the US.

Placing orders

You can use these order types:

• Market
• Limit 
• Stop-loss
• Trailing stop 

If you are not familiar with the basic order types, read this overview.

There is also one order time limit you can use: Good 'till Time (GTT).

A useful feature of the platform is the trader calculator, which helps you to calculate the margin, the commission and other important parameters for trades. 

Alerts and notifications

We liked the ease of setting alerts and notifications. You can set up email, SMS and push notifications for important events such as margin calls, deposits and withdrawals, your closed/open positions and other features.

Portfolio and fee reports

The platform has clear portfolio and fee reports. You can find them under the 'History' tab, with the profit/loss of your positions. Daily email reports are also available.

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75% of retail CFD accounts lose money

The XTB mobile platform has a good search function with a modern design. On the other hand, there is no two-step authentication.

Both xStation 5 and MetaTrader 4 have mobile platforms on iOS and Android. You can also use an Apple Watch. Similarly to the web trading platform, we tested xStation's mobile application and we used an Android device.

The mobile trading platform is available in the same languages as the web trading platform.

Look and feel

XTB's mobile trading platform is user-friendly and well-designed. You can easily find every important feature.

Login and security

The application provides only a one-step login. A two-step login would be more secure.

If you use an iOS device, you can set fingerprint authentication. However, this feature is not available on Android devices.

Search functions

xStation's search function is great. You can type the name of the product in the search bar or just browse the different categories.

Placing orders

You can use only basic order types:

• Market
• Limit
• Stop-loss

There is also one order time limit you can use: Good 'till Time (GTT).

Alerts and notifications

You can set a lot of different types of alerts and notifications, including price alerts or notifications about important market news.

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75% of retail CFD accounts lose money

XTB's xStation 5 platform has a desktop version as well. In functionality and design, it's completely the same as the web trading platform.

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75% of retail CFD accounts lose money

XTB's product selection covers only CFDs, forex and crypto assets. Some European clients can also trade with real stocks and ETFs. Popular asset classes like bonds, mutual funds, options and futures are not available.

XTB is primarily a CFD and forex broker. To learn more about CFDs, read our CFD trading tips.

Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75% 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.

XTB's CFD selection is better than eToro's but not as competitive as IG's.

You can't change the default leverage level of the products. This is a drawback, as we believe this is an important factor you should be in control of.

Changing the leverage manually is a very useful feature when you want to lower the risk of your trade. For example, instead of trading with 5:1 leverage, only trade with 2:1 leverage in case of stock CFDs. Be careful with forex and CFD trading, as the preset leverage levels are high.

Real stocks and ETFs

Trading real stocks and ETFs is available for European clients, except for the UK, Cyprus, Hungary and Italy. The stock product selection is great, while the number of ETFs is low.

XTB's research tools are user-friendly. There are a lot of tools that help you to select instruments to trade, and the news flow has some trading idea recommendations too. However, detailed fundamental data is not available.

XTB's research tools come from two sources:

• The xStation 5 trading platform.
• The XTB website, under the 'Market Analysis' section.

Research tools are available in a lot of languages, such as English, Arabic, or Chinese. However, when we set the platform's language to English, we still got the news commentary in our own language. 

Trading ideas

XTB provides a few trading ideas, which can be found in the news flow. These trading ideas are usually short-term and based on technical tools.

However, these trading ideas are not structured. For example, when you search for trading ideas about a specific asset, you get a lot of search results and it's not easy to find the right one.

Fundamental data

You can only find limited fundamental data. There are a few basic facts, such as the P/E ratio or debt/equity ratio. You can't access financial statements or operational metrics.

Charting

XTB has good charting tools. You can easily edit and save the charts. You can use 35 technical indicators, which is in the mid-range compared to other brokers.

News feed

The news is provided by XTB's own research team, which was voted the Best EMEA FX Forecaster by Bloomberg in 2018 Q2 and Q3. The news is a mix of recommendations, data releases from the economic calendar, trader's talks and brief messages about current market developments.

By using the economic calendar, you can see the upcoming events. When you select an event, you can read a short summary and check the historical data.

Other research tools you will enjoy

The 'Market sentiment' feature shows the percentage of the clients' long and short positions. Another tool, the 'Heatmap,' visualizes winners and losers.

The 'Stocks scanner' uses 15 factors to filter stocks you want to trade with, including market capitalization, P/E, beta and debt-to-equity ratio.

Another useful tool is the 'ETF scanner.' This is very similar to the stock scanner, providing 10 filters such as cumulative return or the assets' total value. When we tested this tool, only three ETFs were visible and the filters we tried to change were not always working.

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XTB's phone and live chat support are reliable and fast, and you can contact them in many languages. On the down side, e-mail support doesn't reply and the customer service is available only 24/5 for European clients.

You can contact XTB via:

• Live chat
• Phone
• Email

You can reach customer service in many languages, including some minor ones like Hungarian or Romanian.

XTB's live chat works well. We tested it in multiple languages in several countries. Responses were fast and we got useful answers.

We had a great experience when we tested XTB's phone support. They answered the phone instantly and we got the relevant answers.

We wrote four emails to XTB but didn't get any replies, so this is definitely an area with room for improvement.

Clients outside of Europe can reach XTB's customer support 24/7. For European clients, however, customer service is only 24/5.

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XTB has a well-organized and clear education section, offering written and video materials, and there are also trading platform tutorials.

XTB education materials are varied and of good quality, covering:

• Demo account
• Platform tutorial videos
• General educational videos
• Webinars
• Quality ebooks and educational articles

We liked the structure of educational texts as they can be categorized by the user's trading experience as well as different subjects. The texts are high quality, understandable and logically structured. At the end of the lessons, you can fill out quizzes. This is a great feature that is not usually offered at other brokers. 

In April 2019, XTB held a unique educational event called Global Online Trading Masterclass. The event was live-streamed and participants could listen to classes by many trading experts.

You can also watch educational and trading platform videos integrated into the texts on the XTB website. The broker occasionally offers live webinars as well.

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75% of retail CFD accounts lose money

XTB is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including the top-tier FCA. The company is listed on a stock exchange and discloses its financial statements regularly, but on the negative side, it does not have a banking license.

XTB is based in Poland. It is a global broker established in 2002 serving clients around the world, and has offices in more than 10 countries. 

Is XTB regulated?

It is regulated by several financial authorities, including the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) and the International Financial Services Commission of Belize (IFSC).

Is XTB safe?

To be certain, 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

In Europe, XTB operates through two major legal entities, XTB Limited and X-trade Brokers Dom Maklerski SA. This is important for you because the investor protection amount and the regulator differs from entity to entity. 

Here’s a handy summary table for easy comparison:

*The investor protection amount is 100% up to €3,000, 90% up to €22,000, for total max. compensation of €20,100

XTB provides negative balance protection for forex spot and CFD trading, but only for retail clients from the European Union. Professional and non-EU clients are not covered with any negative balance protection.

Background

XTB was established in 2002. The longer track record a broker has, the more proof we have that it has successfully survived previous financial crises.

XTB is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, which is a big plus for safety as XTB releases financial statements regularly and transparently.

Being listed on a stock exchange, being regulated by financial authorities and providing financial statements are all great signs for XTB's safety.

Find your safe broker

XTB is a great CFD and forex broker. It is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including the UK's FCA, and it is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. 

On the plus side, its forex and stock index CFD fees are low and the deposit and withdrawal process is free and fast. We also liked the seamless and hassle-free account opening process.

XTB has some drawbacks, though. The stock CFD fees are high. The product range is mainly limited to FX and CFDs, although real stock and ETF trading are available in some European countries. Lastly, its email support did not reply to our queries.

We recommend XTB for clients who prefer forex or CFD trading, and also want to enjoy great deposit and withdrawal options and a fast account opening. Feel free to test it using a demo account.

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