XTB Review

Starting out as X-Trade in 2002 and merged into XTB in 2004, they are one of the largest Forex CFD brokers listed on the stock exchange with offices in over 13 countries including UK, Poland, Germany, France and Turkey. The XTB group is regulated by some of the most well-respected regulatory authorities in the world.

XTB has won a number of prestigious awards over the years, including winning the ‘Best Trading Platform 2016’ by Online Personal Wealth Awards and being voted as the highest rated Forex CFD Broker of 2018 by the Wealth Finance International Awards.

XTB incorporates powerful trading technology into its trading platforms with the aim of providing clients with fast and reliable trade execution speeds, no requotes and full trade transparency. Deal tickets are provided so that you can see the spread, pip value and swaps on your orders.

XTB Regulation

XTB is a globally regulated broker with regulation from numerous government authorities across multiple jurisdictions.

XTB are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom, International Financial Services Commission of Belize (IFSC), Autorite de Controle Prudentiel et de Resolution (ACPR) in France, Bundesanstalt fur Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) in Germany, Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego (KNF) in Poland, Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) in Spain and the Capital Markets Board of Turkey (CMB).

Being authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) means that client funds are held in segregated accounts, separate from XTB’s own funds. This gives confidence that client funds are protected whilst the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) provides cover of up to £50,000 for eligible persons in the case of insolvency.

XTB accounts have negative balance protection so that your account losses cannot not exceed your account funds.

XTB Countries

XTB accept traders from most countries but do not support: USA ( US dependants i.e. US Virgin Island/Minor outlying Islands), Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Mauritius, Israel, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Uganda, Cuba, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Afghanistan, Laos, North Korea, Guyana, Vanuatu, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, Macao, Kenya.

Some XTB broker features and products mentioned within this XTB review may not be available to traders from specific countries due to legal restrictions.

XTB Platforms

XTB offer 2 main trading platforms; the highly popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and the award-winning xStation 5. Both platforms are designed to deliver optimum performance fors new and advanced traders with easy to use interfaces and advanced charting tools.

xStation 5

The xStation 5 platform is easy to use and fully customisable. It has superior executions speeds with trading tools such as trader’s calculator, performance statistics and sentiment analysis.

With xStation 5’s advanced chart trading you can trade market orders, stop losses, take profits and pending orders directly on the charts with market order depth. The one-click dealing system incorporated can provide you a more convenient and efficient way to trade.

The live performance statistics feature allows you to analyse your performance to see what markets you perform well in and your win/loss ratio of your short and long trades.

xStation 5 includes the most popular technical indicators including Fibonacci, MACD, Moving Averages, RSI, Bollinger Bands and many more. You can create your own trading system templates to save for future use or use any of the pre-built trading templates.

The bulk order closing feature allows you to easily lock in all profits or close all trades with just one click.

xStation 5 also has a free trader talk feature that provides a live audio feed into the platform which gives you the latest market news and analysis in real time. This can help you take advantage of potential trading opportunities or avoid specific markets.

The sentiment analysis tool will show you how many XTB traders are short (selling) and how many traders are long (buying). This sentiment tool can be useful for contrarian trading.

Using the advanced screener, you can filter stocks to find suitable opportunities whilst the top movers lets you see all of the major market moves and volatility all in one place via a heatmap and top movers tab.

You can manage your trades from any device including desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet. This can be useful if you plan to trade on the go as you can access your account to open and manage trade from anywhere at any time.

xStation 5 key features include:

• Award-winning trading platform
• Superior trade execution speeds
• Easy to use with a simple design an intuitive user interface
• Trade whilst on the go using the mobile platform for iOS Android
• Web platform that is fully compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera
• Over 1,500+ trading instruments to choose from including forex, CFDs, commodities, stocks, indices, ETFs, etc
• Comprehensive charts for analysing markets instruments
• Vast array of trading tools for technical analysis
• Easy trading risk management tools
• Market sentiment to help gauge buyer/seller strength
• Economic calendar for fundamental analysis

MetaTrader 4 (MT4)

MetaTrader 4 has been around for a very long time and is one of the most popular online trading platforms used by millions of online traders worldwide. One of the main advantages of MT4 is its simplicity, thus making it a popular choice amongst new traders. That being said, it still has enough advanced functionality for the more seasoned traders. It has a quick learning curve and a wide range of built in indicators for conducting in depth chart analysis of various markets. The large MT4 community has an abundance of custom indicators and automated strategies, whilst you may create your own in the MQL4 programming language and test them in the MT4 strategy tester.

MT4 key features include:

• Fully customisable trading platform
• Market watch window with real time bid/ask price quotes from range of markets
• Multiple chart types – candlesticks, bars lines
• Multiple order types supported including stop and limit orders
• Hundreds of built in indicators, scripts, drawing objects EAs
• Technical fundamental analysis capabilities
• Automated trading through the use of expert advisors (EAs)
• Strategy tester to back test EAs over historical data
• Pop-up, email and SMS price alerts
• Available on desktop, web browser and mobile devices (iOS Android)

XTB Trading Tools

XTB provides traders with live market commentary and an economic calendar. They also have advanced chart trading tools and a sentiment analysis. The majority of the trading tools you will find built in the provided trading platforms. This makes them easily accessible for efficient trading.

You can view your detailed performance statistics which highlights areas in which you can improve your trading. The trader’s calculator can help to specify your risk and reward for each trade and overall portfolio.

XTB clients can get trade ideas and support/resistance levels from expert analysts directly to their phones. This includes trade recommendations from major banks and key technical levels which can be useful if you are watching the markets on the go or looking for potential trading opportunities.

XTB Education

XTB have a comprehensive range of educational materials to help you reach your trading goals. This includes personalised education to suit all levels and styles of traders. There is a collection of videos, tutorials, online trading academy, trading courses and daily webinars to help you on your trading journey.

Trading Academy

The XTB Trading Academy is a dedicated education area containing a vast array of content that’s geared towards helping you become a better trader, including video tutorials, trading courses, articles, and much more. You can choose a topic covering a range of different subjects and enhance your skills across every stage of your trading journey.

Trading Articles

There is a wide range of subjects covered within the educational material from trading platform tutorials, introduction to markets, technical analysis, fundamental analysis, risk management, trading psychology and more.

Live Webinars

You can interact with XTB’s team of market experts, brush up on your technical analysis skills, and receive concise, actionable research on market movement – all from the comfort of your own home. Whether you’re a new or experienced trader, they have a range of expert-led webinars which can contribute to your trading strategies.

Dedicated Support

XTB offer one on one mentoring and 24-hour support. Each XTB client gets a dedicated account manager that can assist you with your learning and trading skills.

Market News

XTB frequently updates its website market news which provides an expert analysis of multiple markets that can help assist with your trading and give ideas for potential trading opportunities.

XTB Instruments

XTB provides access to more than 1,500 trading instruments across multiple markets including Forex, Commodities, Cryptocurrency, Stocks, Shares, Indices, Metals, Energies, Bonds, CFDs ETFs.

They currently offer 45+ FX currency pairs with spreads starting from just 0.1 pips and micro-lot trading available. Forex trading is available 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Leverage on Forex currency pairs of up to 1:200 is available with 1:30 for EU clients due to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) restrictions.

XTB offers 20+ Indices from across the world including USA, Germany and China. Spreads are very competitive whilst traders have the ability to trade long or short. There are no overnight costs if you keep a position open until the next day.

You can trade popular commodities including Gold, Silver and Oil with competitive spreads and again no overnight costs.

Share CFD trading is available with 1,500+ Global Stock CFDs including Apple Facebook. Commission is low from 0.08%, you can trade long or short and benefit from negative balance protection.

XTB has 80+ Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) to trade with commission from just 0.08%, no requotes and market execution and negative balance protection.

You can also trade the most popular Cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Dash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple and more. Spreads remain competitive with a 365 day contract expiry and high liquidity.

XTB Accounts Fees

XTB offer 2 account types, the XTB Standard and XTB Pro account. Minimum deposit starts from $1. Both accounts use market execution with access to all of XTB’s markets and trading instruments. Leverage is the same on both accounts with the Pro accounts spread being slightly tighter although a $2.5 commission is charged for trading Forex, Commodities and Indices on the Pro account. Negative balance protection and all trading platforms are available on both accounts.

They offer demo trading accounts if you would like to trial the platforms and practice your trading skills before opening a real account. There are also Islamic accounts that comply with Sharia law for Muslim traders.

As broker fees can vary and change, there may be additional fees that are not listed in this XTB review. It is imperative to ensure that you check and understand all of the latest information before you open an XTB broker account for online trading.

XTB Support

XTB customer support is available 24 hours a day, 5 days a week via live chat, phone and email. They are on hand to answer all of your questions and help to solve your problems in a prompt and efficient manner. Client satisfaction is the main goal with a dedicated personal account manager allocated to all traders. Furthermore, they operate an open-door policy at their offices which further backs the personalised and friendly approach.

XTB Deposit Withdrawal

Depositing funds and withdrawing from your XTB trading account is quick and easy with several methods available to suit all individual needs, including bank transfer, credit card and e-Wallets such as PayPal and Skrill.

Some methods may have additional charges and you will have to cover exchange rates if depositing in a currency different from your bank. Accounts can be opened in EUR, USD, GBP HUF. Same day processing is available and there is a small charge if you wish to withdraw below a certain amount.

XTB Account Opening

XTB have a very short online application form that takes just a few minutes to complete. Following on from that, you will need to verify your email address and upload a form of identification (passport, drivers license) and proof of address. Once your documents have been verified your account will be created. You can then deposit funds and begin trading.
 

XTB FAQ

What is the XTB minimum deposit?

XTB does not determine the amount of the minimum initial deposit. In practice, this means that you can open a real account and start trading from any deposit. This is great when you compare it to some brokers who have a minimum deposit requirement of $500 or even more. It means that you can trial the brokers services with a minimal investment amount to see if they are suitable for your needs. You can always deposit more funds at a later date should you wish to do so.

How do I deposit money into XTB?

Depositing funds into your account to trade with is quick and easy. You can add funds through xStation or your Client Office via a number of methods, including credit card, debit card, PayPal, Skrill, or bank transfer.

For bank transfer, they accept the following currencies: EUR, USD, GBP, HUF. For card payments, they accept the following currencies: EUR, USD, GBP. For e-Wallets, they accept the following currencies: EUR, USD, GBP, HUF.

Any bank transfers or card payments made to XTB must be made from a bank account registered in the client’s full name, otherwise your funds may be returned to source. They do not accept bank transfers from countries that are different from your home address.

What are the XTB deposit fees?

XTB do not charge any fees for bank wire transfers or card payments. However, your bank may charge you a transfer fee. There is a 2% processing fee taken from the deposited amount for PayPal and Skrill deposits.

Some of these methods may incur additional charges. Please note that XTB will not cover any exchange rates charged if you are depositing in a currency that is different to that of your bank funds.

How do I withdraw money from XTB?

To withdraw funds from your account, simply select the trading account you wish to withdraw from, and enter your desired amount. All withdrawals are processed the same day if before 1PM.

Your withdrawal is returned to a nominated bank account, which you add in your Client Office. To verify your nominated bank account, you will need to provide a valid bank statement issued within the last three months. If your nominated bank is in a different currency to your trading account, the broker will convert the amount at source at their rate or when the payment is received by your bank.

The broker does not accept joint bank accounts for deposits and withdrawals unless a joint trading account is registered with them.

What are the XTB withdrawal fees?

XTB do not charge a withdrawal fee if you request an amount greater than the threshold that they have set for each withdrawal method. However, if your withdrawal is under a certain amount, they apply a small charge. The fee depends on the base currency of your trading account and withdrawal method used.

What is the XTB commission fee?

At XTB, they offer three types of accounts; Basic, Standard and Pro.

With Basic and Standard accounts, commission is charged only on equity trades. For all other asset classes such as FX, Indices and Commodities, the cost of commission is already built into the spread.

However, with the Pro account – which operates with market spreads – you are charged a commission per open and closed lot traded. The cost of commission varies depending on your base currency.

XTB charges €3.5/£3/$4 per lot/contract per trade, plus the spread cost for stock index CFDs. Stock and ETF CFD fees are charged as a volume-based fee, but a minimum fee applies.

If you decide to hold a position overnight, you may be charged swap points depending on the market that you trade, as well as whether you went long (bought) or short (sold). The swap charge is essentially the cost of rolling the transaction from one day to the next. You can find a complete list of swap rates via the swap points rates table within the account information area of the brokers website.

Are there any XTB inactivity fees?

Like most brokers, XTB charge an inactivity fee if you do not trade on your account for more than 12 months. This fee is charged to cover the costs of supplying you with real time market data on thousands of markets.

After 12 months of inactivity, they will start charging you €10 monthly (or equivalent in GBP, USD).

As soon as you start trading again, the inactivity fee will automatically stop and you will not be charged again until at least 12 months after your last trade.

What are the XTB account types?

XTB offer a standard account and pro account. The main difference between the account types are the spreads and commission.

• XTB Standard Account: Spreads from 0.9, no commission
• XTB Pro Account: Spreads from 0, commission from £2.50

The account that you opt for may depend on the trading strategy that you plan to use. Those who are using scalping strategies and frequently opening/closing positions throughout the day, may require tight spreads. On the other hand, swing traders who hold position for days or weeks, may not be too concerned about the spreads.

Generally speaking, we found XTB to have very competitive spreads and commission fees.

Is there an XTB demo account?

Yes, you can open a demo account with XTB completely free of charge. This can be a great way to practice your trading strategies and familiarise yourself with the brokers trading platforms before opening a real live account.

The XTB free demo account offers:

• 4 weeks risk-free trading, £100k virtual funds
• 1500+ CFD markets; Forex, Indices, Commodities Shares
• Award-winning xStation platform MT4
• Tight spreads from 0.2 pips 30:1 leverage
• 24-hour support (Sun – Fri)

What are the XTB spreads?

XTB offers two different account types; Standard and Pro. The spread on the XTB Standard account is floating and the minimum spread is 0.9 pips. The spread on the XTB Pro account is the market spread, and the minimum spread is 0 pips.

The spread is the difference in value between the buy price and sell price and is considered the main cost of opening a transaction. For example, let’s say you want to trade GBP/USD and the sell – buy price at the time is 1.2976 – 1.2977. The difference between sell and buy price is 0.0001, which is the equivalent of a 1 pip spread. Thus, the total spread cost on this trade would be 1 pip.

The spread depends on the type of account that you choose and the market that you trade on, and cannot be changed without changing your account.

Standard accounts operate with floating spreads, which means they tighten or widen depending on the liquidity available.

Pro accounts operate with floating spreads, but also market execution, meaning you pay a small commission to get market level spreads. Standard accounts do not pay any commission and the main cost of the trade is factored into the spread.

What is the XTB leverage?

XTB provide leverage up to 1:200. Leverage allows increased market exposure using a relatively small deposit. This means that any move on the market can present a potentially much higher return on investment than with traditional forms of investment without the use of leverage.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that when, or if, the market moves in the opposite direction than you expected, the sum of your loss is also magnified. Therefore, you should have a clear understanding of what leverage is and how it works, before trading with leveraged positions.

For example, let’s say a trader wants to take a position on EUR/USD with a volume of 1 lot. The contract value is EUR 100,000 and the leverage is 1:30, or 3.33% of the deposit. This means that the trader needs only 3.33% of the EUR 100,000 to open a position of that size.

What are the XTB margin stop-out levels?

The margin level determines the deposit that is required to keep open positions. To open and hold positions, a trader must have sufficient funds to secure it. Free margin determines the capital that remains on the account to open subsequent positions, and to cover the changes in the balance resulting from price movements from already opened positions.

With XTB the margin level at which the most lossy position is closed is 50%. This is calculated by dividing the equity with the required level of collateral, and multiplying it by 100%.

On xStation 5, XTB’s trading platform, you can find the margin level in the bar at the bottom of the screen on the right. The mechanism that closes the positions is a security mechanism that limits the risk of a negative balance in the event of sudden movements in the market.

It’s worth remembering to always keep the margin level above 50%, for example by depositing additional funds or by closing several positions.

Do XTB allow hedging, scalping expert advisors?

Yes, XTB offers traders two state-of-the-art trading platforms, MT4 and xStation. Both platforms allow scalping and hedging. You can also use automated trading systems with expert advisors (EAs) in MT4.

Is there an XTB Islamic account?

Yes, XTB offer Islamic accounts under XTB International for clients only from certain countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Lebanon, Egypt and Malaysia). You can select the Islamic account option on the account opening form. They do not offer Islamic accounts for UK/EU residents under XTB Ltd.

XTB recognise the importance for people following the Islamic Faith to strictly abide by their laws and beliefs, which is why they developed a custom-built trading account that complies with Sharia law. Islamic accounts do not charge clients with daily swaps and are free of any special fees or interest.

What are the XTB trading instruments?

XTB have a vast selection of trading instruments with around 2,000 CFDs based on Forex, Indices, Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Stocks and ETFs.

Whatever your interests, there is something for everyone to trade. Keep in mind that certain instruments may only be available on specific platforms and in certain countries.

How do I open an XTB live account?

The process to apply for an XTB account is easy and takes just a few minutes. You can apply for an account with XTB by clicking the “Create Account” link located throughout the brokers website. Complete the simple online form and get instant access to the trading platforms while they verify your details.

How do I verify my XTB account?

Once you’ve completed the application form, you may need to upload the required documentation in order to verify your details and activate your trading account.

Proof of Identity: this must be a valid government issued identity document with your photograph. Accepted documents include:

• Passport
• National Identity Card (front and back)
• Driving licence (front and back)

Proof of address: this must be full page, issued within the last 3 months, and must not be in the form of an online document. Accepted documents include:

• Bank statement
• Utility bill (gas, electricity, water)
• Phone bill (landline only)
• Tax statement/bill (personal and council tax only)

Once your application has been approved and activated, you can deposit funds through the secure online process and start trading.

What is the XTB trading platform?

Whether you’re a new or experienced trader, XTB have platforms to meet the needs of even the most demanding traders. There is the award-winning and easy to use XTB platform that is designed to deliver results. They also have the extremely popular MetaTrader 4 platform that is used by millions of Forex CFD traders around the world.

Where can I download the XTB platform?

You can download the XTB platforms free of charge directly from the brokers website or from the relevant app store on your mobile devices. The XTB web platforms can be launched directly from the brokers website without needing to download or install any additional software.

Where is XTB located?

Founded in 2002, XTB is a global CFD and forex broker with headquarters in London and Warsaw.

Is XTB regulated?

The XTB Group has a global footprint and is regulated by some of the world’s leading supervisory authorities to give you peace of mind that you’re trading with a broker you can trust.

Depending on your country of residency, your account will be opened in the most convenient for your jurisdiction.

UK Residents – are on-boarded in XTB Limited, authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 522157) with its registered and trading office London, United Kingdom or in other EU branches, regulated by different authorities.

EU Residents – are on-boarded in XTB Limited, authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission with CIF Licence number 169/12.

Non-EU/UK Residents – are on-boarded in XTB International Limited, authorised and regulated by the International Financial Services Commission in Belize. (IFSC License No.: 000302/46).

What countries do XTB accept?

As a Group, XTB accepts clients from the vast majority of countries. Unfortunately, XTB do not accept residents of the following countries: India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, United States, Australia, Albania, Belize, Belgium, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Israel, Turkey, Venezuela, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Uganda, Cuba, Yemen, Afghanistan, Laos, North Korea, Guyana, Vanuatu, Mozambique, Republic of the Congo, Libya, Macao, Panama, Singapore, Bangladesh, Kenya, Palestine and the Republic of Zimbabwe.

Is XTB a scam?

No, XTB is not a scam. They are regulated in multiple jurisdictions by some of the most respected regulators and have been providing industry leading online brokerage services since way back in 2004.

How can I contact XTB support?

If you have any questions, you can contact the XTB dedicated support team via email, telephone or live chat. Support is offered in different languages with telephone numbers provided in dedicated offices across the globe.

XTB Summary

XTB offer a personalised trading experience with very good execution speeds and tight spreads. They have a wide range of trading instruments to trade across a variety of different markets with low commission fees. XTB has strong regulation and client fund protection for peace of mind. The award-winning xStation 5 trading platform is one of the best trading platforms with some excellent tools to assist with trading. The simplicity of XTB and superb customer support helps to establish them as one of the top trading brokers.